Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-05-22
RAINBOW DIVISION TOOK
PART In MANY BATTLES

Here is a concise record of the
Rainbow Division from the time of
their sailing to the time of their re-
turn to American ports:
The first elements of the division
arrived in France October IS, 1917,
the last December z, 1917, and NOV
ed to their training area for long
period of instruction.
On February II, 1918, the divis-
ion moved to Luneville and then par
ticipated in the fighting along the
Lorraine lines from Luneville to
Baccarat in conjunction with the
French. The. division taking charge
of the Baccarat sector the third
week in March, continued to hold it
during the month of April. 1t en-
gagged in considerable fighting, both
local and general, on its own account
on the front of the 7th French
Corps. During May there was much
patrolling and raiding on both
sides. In the raid of May goth the
Germans lost nine dead and five
wounded prisoners. On the same
ngiht the enemy launched a gas at
tack against the divisional front, u.s.
ing about 800 drums of phosgene
attack the American casualties were
light.
On June 81 the division was NOV
ed to the region east of Rheims,
where it was engaged against the
German attack of July Is to IS. In
bloody hand-to-hand fighting it re-
pulsed the enemy with heavy losses
In the last week of July the di-
let ~ an xTfa ~ ~
observation-disclosures, northeast of Cha
teau-Thierry, in order to participate
in the drive against the Crown
July 28th it crossed the Aurcq river
and after vigorous fighting captured
the village of Seringes and Nesles.
By nine a. M, the division has OBJ
tanned all its detectives, in spite of
heavy machine gun fire from the
ground and from airplanes, which
helped to stop the German offensive.
On the morning of August End,
the AID made another advance and
captured Hill 212, which had been
the scene of bloody combats for sew
eral days. Enemy machine gun nests
were strongly intrenched in the Bots
de la Nesles in this vicinity, and
they strongly resisted the American
advance.
By August Bird elements of the di-
vision had occupied the Cherry Char
treuse Marsuil-en-Dole and Cou-
longes. After a short rest the di-
vision was recalled on September IL
to take a main part in the reduction
of the st. Mihiel salient. On the
night of September % troops of the
AID made two highly successful
raids in Haumant and Marinbois
Farm and captured twenty-five pris-
oners belonging to two enemy di-
visions. About the middle of Oc-
tober the division Yves moved to the
Meuse-Argonne battlefront, where on
October 18th it captured Cote de
Chatillon.
During the following two weeks
the Rainbow advanced almost con-
tinuously against the enemy. until
on November 7th it seized the
heights south and southeast of Sedan
and the suburbs of that city lying on
the west bank of the Mouse.
After the armistice the 42nd was
withdrawn to Dreheville. II start
ed from there in the Bird Corps on
November goth, entered Germany on
December End, arrived at the Rhine
and was stationed after December
18th at AhTweeiler as a part of the
army of occupation.
The homeward movement of the
division began early in April, 1919
The troops travelled by rail to Brest.
where they embarked for various
American ports after the authorities
decided against their parading as a
unit in New York or Washington.