South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-21
INDIANA TROOPS
IN TH|CKEST
Colonel OF Indiana Division OF
Rainbow Division EX-
presses Opinion.
Ncvs-Times Special Service

Ncws-Times Special Service:
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Aug Ell
col. Robert n. Tyndan. command
ing Indiana's contingent of the IA
nous rainbow division on the west
front in France, has just sent a let
ter TO Adjutant Gen. Harry 4. 5.
Smith. in which he enclosed a copy
of the French orders, citing the
l5Oth field rtillIery-Indiana's ar
tiIIery regiment which he com
mands.-for bravery and efficiency
In the great battle Of Champaign.
July Is The letter j. dated July
SO.
Parts OF his letter tell a wonder
ful story OF the part Hoosiers are
playing over there The letter
follows:
While VIC are unable TO get much
mail out We were fortunate in haV-
ing this brought up to where we are
located in the big push.
I'VE have been pushing the en-
envy back and he is putting up as
much resistance as possible-to
cause US the greatest possible loss
until ne reaches his prepared line OF
resistance.
This is open warfare, the kind
that meets with everyone's approval.
My big guns have been nicknamed
trench mortars' because We have
them so far up with our infantry
at one time being only one and
half kilometers back from our in
fantry front line.
We have suffered casualties in
all batteries and OF course the dead
are buried by the battery positions
out i'm the open. but our casualties
are nothing compared with those Of
our infantry. We have been through
two reiiefs of divisional infantry
and we have another relief coming
i'm today for the infantry, but OF
course the strain is not as great on
the artillery as on the infantry. who
have done some wonderful fighting.
Depend on AviatOrs.
we have been 'shelled and three
aViators had the nerve 10 come
down so close that I could almost
see their eyes and machine gunned
my p G. and then when we got un-
der the roof they dropped bombs
on US, but fortunately We are all
right so far.
II have just learned that the
French have made a big advance
on the left which Is encoura ging
and we made a big attack on the
right this morning and so it goes.
If we had fast planes and were as
well fixed in the air as we are for
artillery ir this drive there would
be nothing to it.
This regiment has now been in
the service for over a year without
a leave and has been on the line
fighting for five months and we
hope that when we drive the enemy
back to his strong line, or when We
/ have succeeded in this attack. that
we may be able to get a little much
needed rest. as we have been on a
strain. not only TO make good, but
shell fire puts a man under a strain
although he may not realize il.
"Just before We came up here
we we're fortunate in being a part
VI AAAE Amy mat iANlu tic NrEI MA II
offensive We opened fire one hour
/ before the attack and my regiment
alone put $500 rounds of big high
! explosive into the packed front lines
/ Of the enemy. and by doing this so
destroyed the division that was to
make the attack that the enemy
had to bring in another division.
In fact they exhausted their % di-
| visions opposite US without gaining
an inch. This holding the line made
! it possible to execute this attack
that We are now making, and we
were given credit for IT,
MY nephew. Robert r. Moore.
/ has been commissioned a second
Z lieutenant, having passed with the
( highest grade that has been made
! At the school he attended and is
now instructor at that school. He
reports that group Of officers sen.
10 this school who had just come
over from the states. have not been
instructed in the methods that We
use over here, and that they will
have TO start at the bottom"