Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-03
SAMMBES in FIELD
LEARN WAR TRICKS
Raw Recruits Of Pershing's
Force Quickly Nodded Into
Trained Soldiers
urDER BARRAGE FIRE
By HENRI BAzIN

men cor.sspendent Of the Eveninc LEDGER Nth
the Amertcdn Arrtv tn France
rhoiorraphs illustrstlns this article will b.
f,1id II che Pictorial section.
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. Sept. g.
This Is the story Of three days ana
nights OF life with a certai, battalion Of
certain regiment of American infantry
encamped in a certain village somewhere
IN France. It's, in some measure, "A diary
Of their life and their work. 1t should con-
vey in part how they have been nodded
into trained soldiers from raw recruits in
matter OF eight weeks.
When these troops debarked at a French
port, only the commanding officers, 10 per
cent OF the company commanders and most
OF the sergeants had ever seen any serv-
ice. The first and last designated had
served in the regular army. Most of the
company commanders with their officers
were Fort Leavenworth men from FIVE to
six months experience, 30 per cent OF the
rank and file and noncoms had seen reg
ular army service! The remainder of the
division had never handled a rifle before
they went aboard ship at home. Out OF
this outfit trained army has been born
in eight weeks. Absolute credit is due to
two things: First. the ability, earnestness
and patriotism with experience of the COM
manding officers and noncoms who have
seen regular army service second the real
stun IN the average NiIerlcah rOr tna, =
what has cropped out In these Sammees an6
spread all over the atmosphere OF this
camp.
BEHIND BARRAGE FIRE
Reversing the regular order Of tale telling
am going to describe the last day first, for
Il portrays genuine event in this entrain-
ing work. II was the first time American
troops had ever witnessed an actual bar
rage from 75's and $50 French guns dis
charging high explosive shells, followed
by an infantry advance under ma
chine-gun barrage. 1t was the real thing
save that the enemy was not on the job. If
he had been, he would have had to beat It,"
We were live correspondents, guests Of a
major with twenty years service. awakened
by an orderly while enjoying some of our
best sleep at 330 this morning. At we
were eating hot bacon sizzling in the pan,
with army white bread and molasses. washed
down by American coffee At 4:30 we were
on the march. We tramped six miles from
the billeting village through n lovely valley
and up three hills to an eminence COM
manding the country for miles around.
There we left our horses and advanced on
foot, while the battalion stacked arms
and rested. 1t was then $3.50.
Within an hour the two other battaions.
plus all the regiments comprising the troops
under command of General sibert, were on
the Job. The hills were brown with khaki
clad Sammees and they sure were a beau
tiful sight to see. During the tramp occa-
hlOndl SnelS pHSSeQ ONefneAu, fTencn 10 8
finding the range. AS we reached the top
we could see that they had long since To-
Gated Il.
Their objective was series Of trenches
built and dug by Sammees during these last
few weeks. These were $500 yards from
the batteries, which were thirty-siN in num-
ber. The range extended over two hills
with deep ravines between. Upon the Sec
ond hill stood General Sibert, with the mem.
bers OF his staff. every commissioned officer
under his nj Including "a nlirnbpr oi
brigadier generals. With them were Gen
eral -. commanding the French I'll
army, and three other French generals, will
their STATS.
ALL EYES ON SPECTACLE
At $3.50, after explanation of the prob
lern' the spectacle began, with every Amerl
can uniformed man eyes to the front. TIL,
American-dug trenches far ahead were II
the regular first, second and third lines
with communicators: They had been named
Mackensen," Won Kluck and "Rup
precht." Their distance apart was abou
zoo yards. The point was to barrage then
In series OF types succeeding each othe
and then make an infantry attack unde
the hnal barrage fire. had often seeI
this same thing on the actual front an'
became intensely interested in witnessing
without an enemy and certain safety for th
entire attacking force. This force. two bat
talions of Chasseurs Alpnes, were in from
Of us, deployed in attacking squads ant
lying nat on the ground ready to spring a
command. The trench lengths to be at
tackled were 700 yards.
At $3.50 sharp a French field telephon
directly behind me gave the order to com
mence firing. In forty seconds the frs
shell sang overhead in its familiar wic5e,
song. Ere 1t had struck It was followed b,
another and during the next ten minute
thirty-six shells per minute fell, or a tota
of $50. 'tMackensen" trench was demol
ished completely, as I have often seei