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system, and it was here that many men of the 372nd were killed or wounded. The next day the attack was resumed with greater fierceness, and the third battalion, reinforced by the first battalion, renewed their attack on Bussy Farms. It seemed that the infantry could not get the Germans out of the town, and artillery was asked for... .14

"Huns had poured machine-gun fire into our ranks and the men fell so fast that it looked as if the attack would have to be abandoned until more help arrived. However, a number of nervy and brave non-commissioned officers reorganized their platoons and charged again. At the same time, a barrage opened up, for some new guns had been moved in behind our troops and their well-directed fire, together with the tenacity of our men, proved too much for the Germans, and they again retreated from Bussy Farms, and all along the division front. After taking this position the advance became more rapid for the next German stronghold was several kilometers away in the village of Ardeuil. Several smaller villages had to be taken before reaching Ardeuil, among which were Grateuil and Sechault. The town of Sechault was taken and lost several times before it finally rested in possession of our men. The German batteries poured such a hail of iron into the town that the troops were hastily withdrawn and took their position outside of the town. Here they were ordered to halt until the regiments on our flanks had caught up. sharp wedge had been driven into the enemy ranks and to go any farther might have meant capture or complete destruction should the enemy attack from either flank. The hardest part of the fighting was finished on September 30, when the village of Ardeuil was taken, together with enormous supplies and munitions. Our objective was Monthois, an important railway center and also a base of supply. The German resistance was completely broken, their morale was entirely destroyed and the few remaining days of our attack were of a much calmer nature. The village of Monthois was partly surrounded on October 3rd, and a stiff engagement ensued as the Germans evidently wanted to hold this town until they had moved most of their supplies. The artillery fire, however, made it impossible for either side to occupy the town. From then until the 7th of October there were many minor engagements, but the black heroes maintained the positions they had taken at such a sacrifice of blood and men. Finally, on the night of the sixth and the morning of the seventh of October, “Ibid., p. 122.

the men were withdrawn and were replaced by the 70th Regiment of French Infantry." 15

Sergeant Ira Payne of the District of Columbia, giving an account of the fighting of the 372nd at Sechault, tells us that "the Germans were picking off the men in my platoon from behind a bush. The Germans had several machine guns behind that bush and kept up a deadly fire in spite of our rifle fire directed at the bush. We did our best to stop those machine guns, but the German aim became so accurate that they were picking off five of my men every minute. We couldn't stand for that, so I decided I would get that little machine gun nest myself and I went after it. I left our company, detoured, and by a piece of luck got behind the bush. I got my rifle into action and 'knocked off' two of those German machine gunners. That ended it. The other Germans couldn't stand so much excitement. The Boches surrendered, and I took them into our trenches as prisoners."

During this general advance all combat units not a part of the attacking line were held in regimental support.

"During the operations September 27 to October 7, 1918," says Colonel Tupes, "the following battle casualties were sustained by the 372nd Infantry:

"Killed: seven officers; seventy-four enlisted men.

"Wounded: 32 officers; 435 enlisted men.

"Three officers died of wounds after evacuation.

"After these operations in the 4th Army the following approved citation of the 372nd Infantry was published in orders of the French Army:

"Gave proof, during its first engagement, of the finest qualities of bravery and daring which are the virtues of assaulting troops. Under the orders of Colonel Tupes dashed with superb gallantry and admirable scorn of danger to the assault of a position continuously defended by the enemy, taking it by storm under an exceptionally violent machine-gun fire. Continued the progression in spite of enemy artillery fire and very severe losses. They made numerous prisoners, captured cannons, machine guns and important war material.'

"Upon being relieved from operations with the 4th Army, the 157th French Division was sent to occupy a rest sector on the Alsace Front located several kilometers east of the village of San Die, in the Vosges, the 372nd Infantry occupying Sub-sector B. An aggres18 Mason and Furr, op. cit., p. 123.

16

Scott, The American Negro in the Great War, p. 251.

sive régime of patrolling resulting in valuable information of the enemy marked the occupation of the sub-sector by the regiment until the armistice."

Just prior to embarkation the French command decorated the regimental colors and Colonel Tupes with the Croix de Guerre with palm. Colonel Tupes finally says with characteristic modesty that: "no historian should ever mention the services of the 372nd Infantry in the World War without naming its commanders in the 157th French Division: Colonel Augustine Quillet, who commanded the Infantry of the Division, and Major General Mariano Goybet, the Division Commander. The success of the regiment was due to them and they will always be remembered with honor and affectionate regard by those who served under them." 17

Notes furnished to the author, July 7, 1925.

CHAPTER 32

SERVICE OF THE 92ND DIVISION

Taking Over of the St. Die Sector August 25-Transference to the Argonne September 21-Two Flights from the Front-Courtmartial of Leaders for Cowardice-Transference to the Marbache Sector October 5-Participation in the Final Allied Drive of November 10 and II

TH

HE colored troops from the various cantonments were organized under the 92nd Army Division in command of Major General Charles C. Ballou. The staff and field officers, the officers of the supply units, Quartermaster Corps, Engineer Corps, and artillery units, with few exceptions, were white. The remainder of the commissioned officers, comprising about four-fifths of the whole, were colored.

In May, 1918, the division was ordered overseas and the first contingent reached Brest on June 19. Later in the same month the other units arrived.

The infantry units of the division went into training at Bourbonneles-Bains in Haute Marne for a period of eight weeks, while the artillery brigade and the ammunition train went into training on the artillery grounds at Montmourillon, in the department of Vienne.

On August 25 the division took over its first sector at St. Die, the southeastern bend of the battle line stretching from the North Sea to Switzerland. Opposite the sector lay Alsace and behind it lay impenetrable mountains and forests. "The physical barriers," says Scott, "made extensive military movements impracticable and for this reason the sector was comparatively a quiet one and usually assigned to inexperienced divisions coming into the front line for the first time." The division was supported by the French artillery, since the artillery brigade of the division was still in training at Montmourillon.

The 6th Infantry of the American Expeditionary Force had been occupying a part of this sector, and, a few days before it was relieved by the 92nd Division, it had captured the village of Frapelle, and

'The American Negro in the Great War, p. 136.

extended its front-line trenches. The Negro companies ordered forward to occupy these trenches received their first baptism of fire and gas on August 25. The Germans had taken the offensive on account of the loss of Frapelle. The chief activities along this sector consisted of patrolling and raiding parties. On the night of August 31, an attempt of the enemy to retake Frapelle was repulsed, and the day following an attack upon the Negro trenches at Ormont was beaten back. During an enemy raid near Frapelle, September 4, Will Clincy of Birmingham, Alabama, belonging to the 366th Infantry, was operating with his teammate an automatic rifle when his partner was mortally stricken and he himself was very severely wounded. Nevertheless, Clincy continued to fire the rifle alone until the raid was driven back.

On September 14 a Negro raiding party captured a group of five German soldiers, the first prisoners taken by the 92nd Division. In the meantime, the Germans captured two Negroes of a patrolling party and thus learned that the forces opposing them were American Negroes.

On the same day, near Lesseau, Joe Williams of Acton, Alabama, belonging to the 366th Infantry, was wounded in resisting an attack by an enemy raiding party, which was advancing under heavy barrage and using liquid fire. The sergeant of the combat group to which Williams belonged was killed, and others of the group were wounded. Undismayed, however, Williams, with three others, fearlessly resisted the enemy until they were obliged to retreat.

On September 21 General Pershing ordered the 92nd Division to the Argonne sector, preparatory to the Allied drive scheduled for September 26. At this time the Germans had made their last drive, July 15, and were not only on the defensive but were being driven back. On July 18 General Foch had launched his first counterattack, directed toward reducing the Marne salient where the battleline projected within sixty kilometers of Paris. This offensive had caused a general withdrawal of the Germans from the Marne. The breathing-spell which this victory had brought to the Allies enabled General Pershing to assemble his scattered units, which had been operating under French and British commands, and to form a united army under his own direction. On September 12 he had, with the assistance of 70,000 French troops which had been placed under his command, launched an offensive and reduced the St. Mihiel salient. He was now preparing for the great Meuse-Argonne offensive which contemplated driving the enemy out of the Argonne and threatening

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