Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-14

SNSe'S'
quarters Co. were here killed by shell
fire. Trouble was also experienced
from gas. Each battalion made up
Of four companies. would hold the
front trench for sixteen days. four
days to a company. The Augusta
Company, being quarantined f5r a
time, because Of scarlet fever, mea-
sles, and mumps, had but little of
this front line work. Under the tute-
enemy raids, executed raids of their
own, captured prisoners, and ..st
very few men.
While the infantry were receiving
this instruction, the artillerymen
were learning to handle the French
rs guns. One night. when an Al.icd
raid was to be made for the purpose
of taking prisoners. the French al
lowed their American scholars to LAY
the barrage. The French rs is ca
pable of firing about six shots a min
ute without heating the gun. When
the word was given for the barrage,
the Americans, in their zeal to give
the Boche hell, fired some twenty-
three shots a minute, in spite of the
agonized Non. non, mons" of the *
cited Frenchmen. AS a result of this
usage, some four batteries, number
ing sixteen guns, were put out OF
commission, and had to be sent oack
for repairs. A German officer, cap
tured during this raid, asked, as a
last favor, before being sent to the
rear, to see the new automatic rs
that the French had been using
against them in laying the barrage.
About the 10th or Goth of March,
word suddenly arrived for the regi-
ment to hike out. as they supposed
for a re- area. Before they had all
left the vicinity, the big German drive
on the Chemin de Danes was under
way, and had this regiment remained,
it would in all probability have been
annihilated as were the French by the
German horde which overran and
took this powerful defense system.
AS it was, companies E, F. G and H,
comprising the Skowhegan, Dover
Foxcroft, Bangor and Waterville
boys, We're harried by hostile aviators.
The station at which they were to en-
train was destroyed by air-eraft
bombs, and the crew refused for a
time to operate the train. The Sec
ond battalion and Headquarters Com
pany were subjected to terrific shell
Gro =
the greatest of good fortune.
By rail the regiment was again car
ried to the southeastern part of
France, and detrained at .ar sur
Aube. from this place they linked
for five days across country to their
original training village. Liffol lie
Grande. Here they expected to re-
main for training purposes. to put
into practice what they had learned
from the French in the Chamin de
Danes area. Such was not the case,
however, for the regiment. after a
six days rest, was marched eastsrly,
and took up positions in reserve in
the Toul sector, south Of ST Mihiel,
in the vicinity Of st. Agmont, Apre-
ment, and Seichprey. The first all
day battle between C1riAan and
American troops took place in this
sector and the 103d saw some r4rce
fighting and won great distinction.
The 104th Massachusetts, met the
first real attack launched by the Ger
mans against the American troops,
and by their valor won glory and
decoration for the regiment, at Bois
Brule. They were relieved by tie
103d and it was here that the Maine
boys received their first real baptism
by fire and prove, their nettle. On
May Goth the Connecticut regiment at
Seichprey saw terrific fighting ind
town with the aid of the lois. Mas
achusetts troops.
1t was at Nivray, on June 18th that
the Maine boys distinguished them
selves in an action that should live long
in the history of this war. The Ger
mans had made great preparation for
an attack on the American lines. From
learned that the Germans planned 20
take American prisoners for informa-
ton purposes. and then push on
through Xivray to Toul and Bourcq.
their detectives. Nine artillery trains
were seen to pull into the German lines
on the afternoon preceding the attack.
and others were heard to arrive that
night. The assault was preceded by an
intense bombardment Of the town of
xivray and the back areas for a dis