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artillery cut it up pretty badly, but still it was a pretty strong barrier against the advancing infantry. When we got tangled up in the wire, Fritz would play with his rifles. I've seen fellows get into a German trench with their uniforms flying in shreds."

'Scott, op. cit., p. 236.

CHAPTER 31

SERVICE OF THE 372ND REGIMENT

Occupation of Line in Argonne Forest-Trouble with Colored Officers-Discharge or Transference of Many Colored Officers-Occupation of Line in the Champagne Sector-Good Account of Themselves Given in the September 26th Offensive

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CCORDING to data written by Colonel Herschel Tupes:

"The 372nd U. S. Infantry was organized at Camp Stuart, Virginia, on or about January 1, 1918, from the following units of colored national guard troops:

Separate Battalion of Infantry, District of Columbia;

Separate Battalion of Infantry, Ohio;

Separate Company of Infantry, Connecticut;

Separate Company of Infantry, Massachusetts;
Separate Company of Infantry, Maryland;
Separate Company of Infantry, Tennessee.

"Upon organization these units retained their colored officers. The additional officers required for the field and staff and for the additional regimental units were supplied by the War Department and were white officers excepting the chaplains, dental surgeons and most of the surgeons, who were colored. The enlisted personnel assigned to the regiment were all colored. While upon organization the officer personnel of the regiment was largely colored the policy of replacements of the officer personnel of this regiment, adopted by General Headquarters of the A. E. F., in August, 1918, was to assign white officers in vacancies created by the necessary evacuations of the colored officers; and the result of this policy was that before the close of 1918 all combatant officers were white.

"Upon the arrival of the regiment in France it was permanently assigned to the French Army and was thereupon reorganized and equipped as a French regiment of infantry; but matters of clothing, pay, uniforms and administration generally continued under the A. E. F.

"After arrival at St. Nazaire, France, the regiment proceeded about April 18, 1918, to Conde-en-barrois, where it was trained under the supervision of the 13th French Army Corps.

"On June 1st the regiment was assigned to the 63rd French Division and from June 5th to June 30th, 1918, occupied the Sub-Sector Argonne Quest." 1

Early in June two battalions of the regiment were sent forward into the trenches. "Shortly after midnight on the fourth of June began the march to the front line trenches by these black defenders of Democracy, whose only knowledge of warfare was what they had read in histories and other books. The spectacle presented by this column was a most grim one. As far as one could see was a long line of soldiers, half bent forward with the weight of their French packs and other luggage. Ration bags filled with hard-tack and canned meat dangled from either side, while their gas masks, canteens and grenade carriers, axes and shovels which formed the rest of their equipment, occupied the remaining space so that very little of the individual could be seen." 2

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On June 27, the 372nd was marched to the Vauquois sub-sector of Verdun. This was a wooded region where there was little patrolling and "no attempts to make a raid on either side." " Here three colored officers were relieved from duty for insubordination. The morale of the regiment was bad, and the commanding general of the division. recommended the withdrawal of the regiment until the causes of the trouble could be removed. On July 13 the French and white American troops on this front made a successful advance, but, for reasons not apparent, the 372nd remained inactive," and on the 18th was moved back to Siory-la-Perche, eight miles from Verdun, for rest.

On July 26 the regiment was moved to Hill 304 near Montzeville, northwest side of Verdun. The trenches in this sector were thinly occupied on both sides. No hard fighting was expected and "patrolling was the most important function of this sector. . . . For two weeks no guns were heard on either side." Once, about August 8, the

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Notes furnished to the author, July 7, 1925.

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Mason and Furr, With the Red Hand in France, p. 56.

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slopes of Hill 304 were shelled, but in this instance no one was killed.9

Monroe Mason and Arthur Furr, colored men, writing of the 372nd, said: "During the entire seven weeks of our occupation in this sector we failed to take any prisoners." 10 Here at Hill 304 there was much friction between the men and the officers and between the colored and white officers. A military tribunal was set up to investigate the situation, and the colored officers were placed on trial. "Many officers were found inefficient for military duty, either because of a lack of mental capacity or of insufficient military training. In many cases a discharge was recommended, and in most of them transfers were ordered." 11

"From September 10th," says Colonel Tupes, "the regiment was again nominally in reserve but was actually being moved by marching, by truck and by train, together with the remainder of the 157th French Division, which was enroute to join the 9th Corps of the 4th French Army, under General Gouraud, on the Champagne front. (Hans.) Movements were made at night. Daylight hours were utilized in tactical training for open warfare, under the careful supervision of the commanders in our French Division. We drew so close to the enemy's lines that daylight training ceased on account of hostile observation. Then, on September 25, the French Corps Commander made the briefest of inspections. Coming up to the regimental commander he said: 'Colonel, you will join in the attack. I have the utmost confidence in your regiment.' And then he was gone. No tedious inspection of personnel and equipment. No question as to amount or kind of training, but just to tell us we had his confidence.'

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On the morning of September 26, two regiments of African soldiers. and the 369th regiment of American colored troops opened the attack on this front. The French together with these colored units leaped out of their trenches: "shouting like maniacs and pouring over the embankments, through the few remaining strands of barbed wire, charged the enemy positions, which had been literally torn to pieces by the hellish barrage of the preceding night. Many dead and wounded Germans were lying about, some still drawing their breath, while others.

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undertook to defend the remnants of their fortifications. Never was there a more appalling sight. The furious Africans plunged onward waving their arms and huge knives with fiendish glee, charging German machine-gun nests with absolute disregard of death and injury. Although their ranks were seriously depleted by the unerring machinegun fire of the Huns, they drove on, taking one position after another, leaving nothing but wounded and dead and utter destruction in their wake. The American blacks advanced in a more scientific manner, using the wave formation, which made it appear that there were double the number of men. They used shell holes and deserted and ruined trenches as a cover from the fierce and well-directed machine-gun fire of the Huns. They poured machine-gun fire and grenades into the Hun ranks, which were fast becoming thinner and more demoralized. Groans of agony, curses, prayers, and all manner of heart-rending cries rose up from the lips of the wounded and dying men, but this served as a stimulus. With shouts of hatred and vengeance these blacks pressed on and finally a heroic charge made a break in the Hun lines. Soon they were wildly retreating from the ruthless and unmerciful attack of these black men. All morning the battle progressed until every German had been driven from the village of Ripont and positions in that vicinity."

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At dusk on the same day fresh French soldiers and the American 372nd colored regiment were ordered forward. The Germans were rapidly retreating and their artillery fire was becoming more faint. Early on the morning of the 27th, the 372nd arrived at the village of Ripont, which had been captured the day before. This regiment had met on the way units of the 369th, and some of the Moroccan and French soldiers, going back for rest. Shortly before noon on September 27, the 3rd Battalion of the 372nd Regiment was ordered to open the attack on the new position occupied by the enemy on the Crête-des-Observatoires, north of Fontaine-en-Dormoise,

"Soon they approached the place where the signal was given to separate and deploy into assaulting waves. The Germans had evidently determined to make a stand here for they fought fiercely, giving back volley for volley, but the fierceness of the fresh troopers' attack and the timely artillery fire proved too much for the German morale, and the 'kultured' troops turned again and fled in disorder, followed by the bloodthirsty blacks. The stiffest resistance was met at Bussy Farms, which was a strong point in the German defense Mason and Furr, op. cit., p. 117.

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