The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-25
To-Day MARKS FIRST ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ANEUSE-ARGONNE DRIVE

,,eIy tho EOchc commander did not know
that tn" roads IN four directions were
literally swarmnG with artillery. or h"
could have stopped the drive for several
DAYS at least. Daylight found traffic
still damned in the road. with the head
Of the 3lAth Field ArtIllcrys column
resting at tho spo, where the cross road
was JammCd--and the Hun artillery
adding discomfort arlcnty by dropping
six inch shells intentionally close to
the road. To save the regiment from
being sacrificed nccdl"ssly. Colonel
Welsh ordered the regiment 10 turn and
Take cover for tho day on n wooden hill
lust in tho rear of Montzcvillc. Fog
covered Tin" mancuvcr and no serious
damage was done to tho Americans by
Fritz'S harrasSinG fire upon the cross
road.
AS soon as It was dusk. on the even
ing Of September "a. tho march was re-
yumcd. and the %lith Field Artillery got
into position on Dead Mans lilll early
the morning Of September ?5. then laid
under c"vc~ and waited for niGhtiall and
their first battle.
During the fore part Of the night Of
September IS. more briGadcs Of artillery
came into position in the horse shoe
shaped valley just in the rear Of Dead
Mans Hill. ard by eleven o'clock that
night every bush or tree that afforded
any defiladc at all screened gun the
muzzlc Of which pointed at the Bochc
first line.
At eleven o'clock that night. the
kitchens Of the %1ith Field Artillery
came up, tho men hastily dcvoured n hot
meal and waited for the opening Of the
attack.
Big Navnl Guns In Action
In tho meantime. pair Of big naval
guns. several miles behind the front line
badc jerry Good evening" dropping
fourteen inch shells at long intervals
over into German headquarters
The 3l4th Field Artillery was station
cd in n scmi-circlc around Dead Mans
Hill just below the crest which screen
cd the douGhboys from observation.
Their position gave them the opportun'
ity TO witness the fire of hundreds OF
tho bigger guns. and they had nothinS
10 do until $50 o'clock in the morning
but watch the six inch barragc.
At 1880 O'Clock tho signal TO open
tho drive was given. Hundreds Of guns
doomed forth tn ono doafcning vcEcy
and tho battle was on. simultaneously
the guns Of the corps on the left flank
tore loose. With the opening voll"y
tho earth seemed 10 leap forward. great
flares from the mu2zlCs Of hundreds Of
guns made the sky rs light as day and
tho burst Of shells in No-Man's land
added to tho din and brilllancy OF tht
spectacle.
Nearly every artillcryDan in that par
ticular sector WAS green at the gam"
and may have been 4 little nervous al
first. Eut signs Of fear and nervousness
soon wore off, for the Hun was taken &c
much by surprise that hc could scarcely
return the fire. Inhftccn minutes every
, rookie fclt like veteran. and they liter
ally whoopcd with delight as the fury
OF the attack grow.
Nv $50 o'clock in the morning Of
Scptcmhcr 81. tho fingers Of every hight
artillery gunner tinIlcd for the feel Of
. the firing lover. and when the boys Of
the 3I4th Field Artillery got the com
mand 10 fl:r. the cheers of the regiment
were heard above tho sharp crack Of
the French 75's.
An hour later. word came back from
tho infantry line ahead that tho dough
boys had gained their first objective. ant
when cease firing" was given at I:%l
; every objcCtiv" had been gained and the
! R0chcs were on the run.
Every artillcryman who participated
! in that battle VIII say mat he has beer
in longer and more terrific lombard
: mcn,s, hut that he never saw such
beautiful spectacle, from tho standpoint
Of soldier, than the battle Of p"at
Mans Hill.