The Republican journal., 1918-10-17

! it was, companies E, F, G and H, COM
prising the SkoWhegan, Dover-Foxcroft,
Bangor and Waterville boys, were har-
red by hostile aviators. The station at
| which they were to entrain was Destroy
ed by aircraft bombs, and the crew re-
| fused for time to operate the train.
The second battalion and Headquarters
Company were subjected to terrific she'll
fire, and escaped casualties only by the
greatest of good fortune.
By rail the regiment was again carried
to the southeastern part of France, and
detrained at Bar sur Aube. From this
place they hiked for five days across
country to their original training village,
! Biffol lie Grande. Here they expected to
remain for training purposes, to put into
practice what they had learned from the
French in the Chemin de Danes Area.
Such was not the case, however, for the
regiment, after a six days rest, was
marched easterly, and took up positions
in reserve in the Toul sector, south of
St. Mihiel, in the vicinity of St Agmont,
Agreement, and Seichprey The first all
day battle between German and Ameri-
can troops took place in this sector and
the 103rd saw some fierce fighting and
won great distinction.
The l04th Massachusetts, met the first
real attack launched by the Germans
against the American troops, and by
their valor won glory and decoration for
the regiment at Bots Brule. They were
relieved by the 103d and it was here that
the Maine boys received their first real
baptism by fire and proved their mettle.
On May Goth the Connecticut regiment
at Seichprey saw terrific fighting and
met with great losses, but took the town
with the aid of the 10lst Massachusetts,
troops.
1t was at Xivray, on June 10th that
the Maine boys distinguished themselves
in an action that should live long in the
history of this war. The Germans had
made great preparation for an attack on
the American lines. From German
officer captured later, it was learned that
the Germans planned to take American
prisoners for information purposes, and
then to push on through Xivray to foul
and Boucq, their detectives. Nine ar
tilery trains were seen to pull into the
German lines on the afternoon preceding
the attack, and others were heard to ar
rive that night. The assault was pre-
ceded by an intense bombardment of the
town of Xivray and the back areas for
distance of twelve miles, Following the
bonn bardment the Germans sent forward
some six hundred picked shock-troops.
Their engineers came ahead and blew the
barbed wire. Then came the liqufd-fire
men, followed by the machine gun men,
the infantry, and the pioneers, in the or
der named The supporting American
batteries caught sight of the advancing
Germans and laid down barrage behind
them, shutting off retreat to the German
lines or the bringing up of supports.
The attack was made on the village of
Xivray, held by the Eastport Company,
supported by the Houlton Company.
The Skowhegan Company also had some
part in the fight. Probably fifty men out
of these companies actually participated
in the fighting. The artillery and machine
guns opened up on the Germans at the
same moment. The American barrage
was wonderful Not shot went astray.
The laison work between the fighting
men and headquarters, between the in
fantry and the artillery was perfect, al
though all wires had been carried down
in the preliminary bombardment. The
Germans were literally mown down. Of
the six hundred picked troops who came
forward, but fifty escaped death. The
German dead lay four or five deep in
places. In front of one machine gun po-
sition, forty-five dead Germans were
strung along the wire. The attacking
body numbered many more than here
mentioned, this being merely the raiding
party. There were at least three times
as many men coming as re-enfOrements,
but they were held back by the fine work
of the lO2nd Artillery, assisted by the
1O3rd Artillery and the disposition of the
remainder of the regiment. Not Ger
man got by the wire and into the
trenches. Not content with waiting, the
Maine boys went out and mopped up
what was left of the Kaiser's best, who
had been told that the town was held by
a handful of Americans, and to GO and
get them"
At critical moment in the attack a
German machine-gun squad had entered
a road between the trenches that would
have allowed them to make flank at
tack and do terrific damage to the de-
tenders They were met by Verne Bout
lier of Houlton. He attacked the sd-
vancing Germans with an automatic rifle.
The rifle being put out of commission, he
went after the Germans armed only with
a bayonet grasped in his hand. He took
the machine gun single handed, and turn
ed it against the attackers, and for few
moments, alone, until his platoon came
up, he held the road and prevented what
would have been a disastrous flank at
tack. A liquid-fire squad of three men.
succeeded in entering the town. They
were seen by Captain Williams, who shot
with his revolver the man carrying the
tank. The bullet passed through the
mans body and into the tank which ex
ploded and destroyed the three flame
throwers.
The Germans took one prisoner, an
PASSPORT boy whose eagerness had carried
him too far in advance of his fellows,
and who had been wounded. Lieutenant
Irwin E. Doane of the Houlton Company,
observing the plight of this boy, called
for volunteers from his company to 20 to
the rescue. Every man stepped forward.
Choosing seven of his men, Doane went
after the Germans who were in charge of
this prisoner. Needless to say, he got
them and raleased the uz0undad Eastnort