The sun., 1919-03-20
LAST UNIT OF 9TH
DIVISION GETS HOME
Brooklyn Folks Out in Force
to Greet 104th Machine
Gun Battalion.
FORMERLY WAS TROOP c
Several Members Of 165th In
fantry Among Casual Troops
Who Arrive.

| tmsy be unlucky to be at sea thirteen
days, but on the word Of every member
OF the 104th Machine Gun Battalion, the
last to arrive Of the Twenty-seventh
Division, It is a heap unluckior to be at
sea fourteen days. Consequently, when
the cruiser Seattle came steaning into
port yesterday morning some hours
ahead OF her schedule. roars OF
protest from the superstitious machine
gunners aboard could not be heard above
the whoops OF Joy from relatives and
friends on board the welcome ships
Patrol and Correction.
| There were IL officers and SOS man OF
| the battalion on board-all Of whom had
beon in the thick OF the battles OF the
Twenty-seventh Division. Also on board
| for although the 104th Machine Gun
Battalion is some battalion 1t doesn't
rate a cruiser by itself--were six casual
companies, including one from New
York. which was composed OF men from
the Twenty-seventh and Seventy-seventh
divisions, who were sick or wounded or
otherwise separated from their own out
fits. The total on board was 81 officers
and 1895 men. some crowd for q cruiser.
but not equalling the 2,302 officers and
men brought In yesterday by the trans
philadelphia when a passenger vessel in
the American Line. The cruiser Charles
ton also got In, bringing 1.271 lighting
men.
Came From First Cavalry.
Lest the 1o4th Machine Gun Battalion
means absolutely nothing but the 104th
Machine Gun Battalion to readers It
should be stated here that the unit. be-
fore being rechristened and dismounted
and otherwise interfered with by the
Federal authorities, was q Brooklyn
contingent OF the First Cavalry. There
were enought friends and relatives
aboard the police boat Patrol and the
Correction who knew this fact to make
so much noise when the Seattle was
warping into her berth that every able
bodied man on board crowded over the
one side. And not even the missiles.
candy. fruit, cigarettes and things that
tho welcomers were hurting at the SOL
diers would drive them back. Conse-
ouently Capt. J. r. Y. Blakely. COM
mander of the cruiser. after taking a
long look at his lop sided ship, said
thinge in so naval a tone that every
man aboard burned leather in his prompt
effort to trim ship. Aside from that
everything was lovely-except the
weather.
In revenge for being restrained from
helping the cruiser to do what 10 known
In aviation circles as q BARREL roll' the
men aboard told what they considered a
great joke on the navy. At 10 40 on
March II. the lookout reported a float
Ing mine, and Capt. Blakely chopped the
ship so promptly the stern nearly
bumped into the bow. A gun crew
opened on the mine. and at the third
shot blew 1t Into a shower Of what
turned out to be cork. amid the ironic
cheers of the army. The mine was
nothing but bale Of cork. which comes
from Spain, which 70 neutral. and there
fore harmless. the army explained yes
terday between chortles. But--on the
word Of the 10Ith Machine Gun Bat
TALON itself-these navy men aboard are
such decent chaps it's a pity they aren't
in the army.
Brodsky Turns Historian.
The battalion was under command of
Major r. R Molyneux Of Syracuse yes
terday. although originally II had been
commanded by Major (now Lieutenant
Colonel) Charles II. King, who was
severely wounded with many Of his men
on October ~. Also on board was Capt.
John Brodsky OF 2s Van Buren, street,
Brooklyn, a lawyer. who might have
made a good newspaper man IL II hadn't
been for his legal twist. For Capt.
, Brodsky had the history Of the battalion
, all written down on one side OF the
paper. ready for publication. After ex-
| planning how Troop OF Brooklyn and
, Troop d OF Syracuse. both OF the old
First Cavalry, had been welded into one
unit and sent abroad to gun for Ger
mans, the history related how on Bastile
day in July of last year the Twenty
seventh Division was thrown into the
limo near Ypfes TO aid tho British hold
the Germans in their Channel drive
Now came front line work." the his.
tory says In telling OF this cooperation
with the British. "squarely opposite Mont
KENNEL. the battalion taking over on
August La Clyte-Scharkenberg sector
on the front line-a sector where to stir
by day meant death. where by night the
Germans harassed. bombed. raided and
strafed. The gun teams manning posi-
tions behind amid and in front of the
infantry suffered severe losses, but they
used the opportunities They repulsed
the nightly raids. they swept Boche
works with belt upon belts Of machine
gun fire. they played upon his roads and
tracks and dumps and continually
devilled his troops in their trenches. Sc
persistent grew this harassing by every
engine of destruction that the German
lines became untenable. Our infantry al
once attacked. In the engagement that
resulted on September Q in the capture
OF Vierstadt Ridge the divisional ma
chine guns played no part. however
being stationed at Abeele In reserve"
Decorations Tell the Story.
This is merely d sample OF the haz
ardous work done by the battaiion-it,
; work with the rest OF the division ID
, known and crosses and decorations arr
: worn by many of its officers and men.
On board the Charleston. which bea'
. the other cruiser into port by about ar
: hour, were the Twenty-seventh anC
= 147th Aero squadrons and seven casua
! companies. including two OF New Yorl
, men. Many OF the men OF the 165th In
fantty, most OF them from the old Sixty
, ninth New York. were scattered amonl
the wounded casuals. They brouEh