Sidelights on Negro SoldiersWilliams, Charles H. (Charles Halston)
History
Sidelights on Negro Soldiers
Williams, Charles H. (Charles Halston)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, African American
After the first objectives had been successfully
reached, reinforcements were brought forward and a new attack launched
on the strong enemy positions of Champey, Bouxières, La Côte, and Bois
Cheminot at 5 a. m. on November 11. The troops making the attack were
met by the strong artillery, machine-gun and infantry fire of the
enemy. However, by 7.30 they had reached the outskirts of Bouxières and
Bois Cheminot. Then a telephone message from headquarters, ordering all
hostilities to cease, stopped the advance of the 92nd Division, which
was sweeping the enemy before it. The opposing units engaged between
the Moselle and Seille rivers were the 86th and 30th Regiments of
infantry, the 31st Landwehr Brigade, and the 47th Infantry Regiment.
They were supported by one battalion of sharpshooters. East of the
Seille River were the 70th Infantry Regiment and the 6th Grenadiers.
In the report of the commanding general of the 183rd Infantry Brigade
on the offensive operations in this sector in the last engagement
during the Great War, Brig. Gen. Malvern Hill Barnum made the following
summary and conclusion:
“The advance of the brigade in this battle, most of which was made
on the east banks of the Moselle River was 3½ kilometers. It was
against heavy artillery and machine-gun fire and high concentration
of gas. In order to drive the enemy from their strongly fortified
positions all forms of auxiliary arms, such as machine-guns, Stokes
mortars, 37 M. M. guns, and rifle grenades, were effectively used
against them. The divisional artillery supported this attack with
a rolling barrage, which was well laid. It also placed a heavy
concentration fire on German machine-gun nests, completely routing the
enemy.
“A great part of this attack was executed over an open, sloping
terrain, heavily wired, which was completely controlled by German
artillery. The Bois Frehaut and Bois Voivrotte were woods protected
with heavy German wire and were filled with machine-gun nests, trench
mortars, light artillery, and infantry. The enemy was driven from
his strongholds with a loss of six prisoners and approximately the
following material: 1000 grenades, all types; 5000 rounds ammunition;
25 boxes M. G. ammunition, in belts; 50 rifles and bayonets; 10 pairs
field glasses; 4 machine-guns; 6 carrier pigeons; 1 signal lamp and
battery; 2 Very pistols; 3 carbide lamps; 100 helmets. Many overcoats,
boots, canteens, belts, and other articles of equipment were left by
the fleeing enemy.
“In this advance the brigade suffered the following casualties in the
365th and 366th Infantry and the 350th Machine-Gun Battalion: killed,
32; wounded, 119; gassed, 285; missing, 8; total, 444.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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