Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-18
Hun Attempts
(continued from Pace ono)

other part Of the ship. When the
guard returned he found that
FISCHER had locked himself In n
room and that smoke was coming
from the openings along the door.
The guard yelled At Fischer and re-
ceived NJ response. He called MEM
beers Of the crew, who smashed down
the stateroom door and flooded the room
with water and chemicals. The bed
clothing and the woodwork In a corner
Of the cabin were burned. Fischer
was standing in the stateroom- appar"
emily un%concerned. Oficers were un-
able to obtain an explanation from him
Captain Charles c. Windsor Of the
Patricia said that tho first time 1t
noticed that Fischer was not
acting normally was when he threw
overheard a silver cigarette case
loaned him by an American captain.
The officer had offered the German a
cigarette. Fischer ran to his state
room after this act and returned with
a dollar bill which no attempted to
give to the American.
Later. Captain Windsor said.
Fischer violently abused anything
American. The Germans we're given
free run of the vessel, and. except COR
Fischer, caused no trouble.
The Patricia was met in the harbor by
naval vessels n craft carrying OIL
cial welcoming committees and relatives
Of soldiers. A delegation from Rhode
Island on board the ferryboat John II.
0s,11;,M- mat ryifh poicfoYfuno This
craft no sooner had reached the Pa
~tricia's side than the transport lifted
anchor from Quarantine and steamed
to it's berth at Commonwealth Pier. The
~ferryboat was unable to hold its place
in the parade Up the barber and fell
far astern. A band on board kept play
ing 1.-THE Gangs All Here"
in a drizzling rain and the atmosphere
was so heavy that it was necessary
to steam close to the Patricia to obtain
q good view # the hundreds OF troops
who leaned over the rails and shouted
that they were glad to be home.
Major Gen. Clarence r. Edwards went
down the harbo. on a scout patrol boat
to greet what he termed the suicide
squads of the 18th Division. The ship
brought home the 1920 and 103d Machine
Cunt Battalions. and members of all
the companies told of the sensation of
firing their guns into solid waves OF
advancing German infantry. At Xivray.
one gunner said. the Germans came
within 20 yards Of the machine gun
nests before they gave way before the
American fire.
I'VE sure did kick them over" said
Sergeant Joseph Harkin of New Haven.
Major John Il. Sanborn is in COM
mand Of the 102nd Battalion and Ma
jor Herbert L. Bowen Of the 103rd.
They reported that the first unit Of
machine-gunners to get into action
was Co. B of the 1O1st, which went
out for a raid on the enemy lines at
Grand Port (Chemin-d es- Dames).
Feb. 20. 1918. Like other units of the
divisions, it was at Chateau-Thierry
st. Mihiel and in the Argonne, that
the machine gunners engaged in their
hottest fights. The machine gun bat
talions were recruited very largely
from cavalry units of New England
National Guardsmen. Rhode Island
and Vermont are we'll represented in
the 102nd and Connecticut and Ver-
mont in the 103rd.
Col. W. j. keaville Of the 101st
Ammunition Train was in command
of the troops on the Patricia. He said
that the 1O1st Ammunition Train
supplied all units of the 26th Division
with ammunition and boosted that it
never lost a truck or a caisson.
Otner units represented on board
the Patricia were the 101st Field Sig
nal Battalion the 101st. 102nd and
103rd Field Artillery. the 101st Mobile
Ordnance Repair Shop. mail detach-
ment and sales commissary unit No.
Is. Besides the members Of the 26th
there were on board c23 casual off,
GERS and 81 civilians.
Members Of the'103rd Machine Gun
Battalion brought home an 11-year-
old French boy. Jean Birdi. of Imam
sarc, who Joined the outfit at that
town and fought with it. He was
wounded. Charles H. Spath of Kan
sas City said he would adopt the boy.
as his parents had been killed by
German shells.
Five casual officers brought war
brides.