The sun., 1919-03-07


of its new lines In Belgium. the division
was withdrawn from Flanders and had
q short period of intensive training. 1t
was removed to the Somme sector OF
France 20 break the Hindenburg line.
The 105th Infantry captured the first
German prisoner to be credited to the
Twenty seventh Division. II was on the
of August 81, 1918. This man,
Sergeant Brumme OF the 135th Reserve
Infantry Regiment OF the Eighth Divi-
sion. was captured east OF Dickebusch
after he had been wounded on patrol
The authorized strength of the division
Is 2s.1o5 men, IT,: !. left France with
$4,000 men. No replace
ments were received by the Twenty
seventh until after the signing of the
armistice.
only $50 Infantrymen Left.
On the last day In the line the division
had $50 rifles left in the two infantry
brigades. The total casualties were
S,420 officers and men. of which S.10S
were suffered by infantry. 286 being
officers and 1872 being men. The total
number OF officers and men killed and
died OF wounds was 1879; that does not
include the deaths in the artillery.
In Flanders during the fighting there
the division. exclusive Of artillery, lost
1905 men, OF whom forty were officers.
In front Of Mont KENNEL and In the
engagement at vierstaat Ridge six Off
GERS we're killed. or died of wounds and
EOS enlisted hen we're killed or died
Of wounds.
The division took rs prisoners sew
enty-six officers and 2,s40 of other
ranks and lost less than 200 prisoners.
The ma jority of them had been wounded
and we're helpless. Twenty-Five OF the
prisoners escaped from the Germans and
returned to the American lines num-
Der OF others attempted to escape, but
were recaptured.
More than their share of booty was
captured by the division. A partial list
showed they captured SEQ machine guns,
3,4oo rifles. $500 steel helmets, liz anti
tank rifles, 1.4o0 bayonets, 400 ma
chine gun slides, carriers and packers
and so cases of machine gun parts.
Entire Train Captured.
Seventeen minenwerfers. $500 Leuger
and Mauser automatic pistols, $40 light
pistols, 5000 hand grenades, 1850 aero
bombs. $50 gas shells, / railroad train
OF locomotive and "a cars. 4 pieces OF
field artillery. 10000 rounds Of artillery
ammunition. 2 motor trucks with loads
2.4o0 tons of coal. 100000 rounds Of ma
chine gun ammunition. 100000 rounds OF
rifle ammunition, 10 cases of medical
stores, 500 shovels and axes. 4 bales OF
hospital paJamas, field kitchens, l can
teen complete, aero hangers, 400 rolls
OF telephone wire and $40 coils of barbed
wire were also taken by the Twenty
seventh.
A large amount OF this material was
salvased and used against the enemy
Four airplanes were brought down by
machine gun fire and rifle fire. Each OF
the aviators was killed.
While fighting the men restored APP
proximately 400 square miles TO France
Although most of the fighting was
through desolate lands more than 2,toC
French civilians were liberated. The
division received ESQ decorations up tc
the first of this month. These included
the Distinguished Service Medal re
Gently awarded to Major-Gen. Organ,
Medals OF Honor. Distinguished Ser
vice Orders tBritish), 3 CroiX de Guerre
~ Military Crosses British. SO Mill
tary Medals tBritish), i40 Distinguished
Service Crosses, of which 20 were
men. and IS Distinguished Conduct Med
ais.
Total Advance of Twelve Miles.
While in France the division travelle,
1.15c miles and advanced their from
line approximately IL miles. Accord
ing to the division postal officer the mel
were great letter writer's, sending 4.05S,
900 to the United States, in addition t,
5000 German helmets. The men re
ceived 100000 letters. and the hare
fighting doughboys found time to senC
$4,000 to their homes.
The Twenty-seventh was placed II
what was known as the middle sector o
the Hindenburg line, and this. accord
ing to captured documents. was consid
cred the strongest section of the who'll
system of fortihcaions upon which tn
Germans had staked their all.
One document that fell into the hand