# History of the 305th Field Artillery/The Cost of Battle

XVIII
THE COST OF BATTLE
Somebody said they called our observatory at the Mont Saint Martin crossroads, Pittsburg, because it was so smoky. We inherited the name from the 16th, but there's probably something in it. Yet it is extremely doubtful if the Huns ever knew we had an observatory there. The instruments were behind a ruined garden wall, with a little foliage to protect them from airmen. The personnel was always limited and was taught to keep itself out of sight when aeroplanes appeared overhead. Against the heavier firing they sought refuge in an old wine cellar.
It was that crossroads that gave Pittsburg so much shelling. Our ambulances used the main road through Mont Saint Martin, tearing past Pittsburg and through the dismantled village, Always the Huns let them have it at the crossroads and through the town. That's really the reason the town was destroyed, for one fails to recall a definite bombardment of any of the buildings. After a time they tried carrying the wounded through on stretchers, but these seemed to draw as much fire as the ambulances.
The first aid station at the farm was a busy place. The ambulances would scurry up the road into the courtyard, unload, and hurry back again. Others would arrive empty and load up with men for the evacuation hospitals. Then we had a good many cases on the spot. For, as has been said, the shelling didn't let up until the enemy had retreated to the Aisne. The courtyard, perhaps because it ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/260 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/261 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/262 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/263 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/264 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/265 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/266 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/267 ​ Lieutenant Graham had returned to duty, although still suffering from his gassing of a few days before, and had relieved Licutenant Mac Vair at the infantry battalion command post.
On this evening he walked with Captain Belvedere Brooks of the 308th Infantry to a shelter ncar Ville Savoie, known as Cemenocal Cave. The Huns had not, apparcntly, fired on this point before. A number of other infantry officers stood near, and a large group of cnlisted men. This congregation seemed unsafe, and Lientenant Graham spoke of it.
A shell camc over and fell ncar the party, a dud.
Captain, afterwards Major, Breckenridge, cried: "Look out!"
There was a rush for the entrance of the cave. Graham and Brooks with the other infantry officers stood back to let the men in first. A second shell burst in the midst of the little group. Graham, Brooks, and a second infantry officer were killed. Lieutenant Bruce Brooks, Captain Brooks' brother, was at that time assigned to our regiment. Captain Breckenridge got word to him, and telephoned Major Easterday of Lieutenant Graham's death.
Lieutenant MacNair happened to be in the Second Battalion's command post. He was hurricd down to the infantry, while Lieutenant Ellsworth O. Strong was summoned from the echelon to replace Lieutenant Graham.
Corporals Hickey and Rice and Privates Golden and Aasgard, who were on duty with the infantry, carried Lieutenant Graham's body to Les Près Farın over heavily shelled roads. Chaplain Sheridan was summoned and the lieutenant was buried in the little cemetery on the Chartreuve Road where so many of our men lic.
Barbed Wire
A Tank
with that quiet and confident ability that characterized everything he did.
After that Lieutenants Klots and Brassel alternated on liaison. Lieutenant Klots was touched by a machine gun bullet in the arm, but fortunately the wound was not serious, and he was back at work within a few days. For the question of officers was growing daily more serious. An order came through requiring the regiment to send one captain, three first lieutenants, and five second lieutentants to America to serve with new organizations. The Colonel chose the following: Captain Fox; First Lieutenants Brooks, Dodworth, and Stryker; and Second Lieutenants Beck, Sawin, Schutt, Walsh, and Wenken. These officers left Nesles Woods on August 26th.
It was about this time, too, that the Chief of Artillery reminded Lieutenants Camp, Church, and Fenn of their recommendations at Souge. The first was sent as instructor to the Field Artillery School at Mệucon, the second to Valdahon, and the third to La Corneau.
The officers that remained, one can understand, didn't get much rest. An organization with two officers for duty was lucky.
One is reminded of the Battery Commander who was summoned to Division Headquarters to testify about some alleged short firing.
"On the day in question," he was asked, "did you have an officer with all your guns?"
He answered promptly:
"I did not, sir."
Oh the disapproval of those Olympians whose lot in war lets them ask such questions!
"And why not?" this Olympian demanded with an air of, “Young man you shall be tried."
​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/272 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/273 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/274 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/275 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/276 ​Page:History of the 305th field artillery (IA historyof305thfi01camp).pdf/277