New-York tribune., 1919-03-14
104th Thorn in Enemy's Side


was not as hard as it sounds"
1O4th Thorn in Enemy's Side
Colonel John j. Delaney, of 1878
Lexington Avenue, who commanded the
104th Field Artillery, said that his or
ganlzation was great thorn in the
side OF the enemy, and that the Ger
mans sought in vain to locate it's
position.
"Our. organization did great work
throughout its existence on the firing
line,'" he said, but it showed up as
particularly brilliant on November 4
at Crepion-M Morey, when it held two
German regiments in perfect check
They did their best to advance, but. we
had them under our thumb, and for all
their art in warfare they couldn't
budge. After the infantry went over
and brought in its prisoners there were
several German officers who talked
freely of what annoyance the 104th
had caused them We found papers on
these officers showing that our guns
hal inflicted 600 casualties. They ad-
mitted this, and said that they had
tried to locate our position throughout
several days and nights, but were
unable to find us.
from four batteries of the old New
York First Field Artillery and two bat
teries from upstate We are cited
twice and several of four men we're
awarded the D. S. c."
Colonel Stratford F. Corbett, of 1856
Alexander Avenue, the Bronx, brigade
surgeon of the 52d, who had been in
the National Guard for ten years, came
home with his organization, after
having been with them in every en-
gagement in which they participated.
Surgeon Lauds Ambulance Work
II saw many wonderful things in
this war;" he said, "but the one feat
ure that stands out conspicuously in
my mind is the work of the ambulance
service. Nothing seemed able to stop
it. 1t mattered not how many ambu-
lances were turned over or blown to
places and the work went on unceas-
ingly. Drivers drove like mad men to
get to the wounded and they did not
know what danger was or where it
lay. From observation I found that
in nearly all cases a wounded man
was safe in a hospital half hour
after he was picked up and taken from
the field"
When the America docked in Hobo
ken yesterday the artillerymen urged
reporters to get story from "Sully,"
"the guy that nearly missed the boat"
"Sully' was in hiding for nearly an
hour and when he finally limped
ashore he explained how he got the
nickname. His real name is Joseph
Sullivan, of III Fifth Avenue, Brook
lyn.
He had fought with his regiment
throughout its service in France with
the armistice, and then high ex-
plosive she'll got him, ripping up both
legs. He was transferred to a hos
pital near Brest in January and was
scheduled to come home some time in
April as wounded casual.
Wanted to Leave With the "Gang"
Word reached him that the Field
Artillery was on its way to Brest to
board the America and he pleaded with
the surgeon Of his ward to help him
get home with the gang" Sullivan
was doing nicely and was urged to
stay until his wounds had healed, but
he preferred to suffer and return with
his own organization. The surgeon
eleventh hour and he was hurried to
Brest, arriving a few minutes before
the liner steamed seaward.
Among the casual officers on the
America was General Edward A. Kreger,
who was recently appointed by Secre-
tary Baker to act as judge advocate
general during the absence of General
Crowder in Cuba. He will take the
place left vacant by the demotion of
Lieutenant Colonel S. T. Ansell. GEN
eral Kreger went to France several
weeks ago to review courts martial
cases in the A. Z. F. and to recommend
combinations of excessive penalties if
the cases warranted mitigation.
Battery 3 and winners Of the Distin-
guished Service Cross on the same
night, were pointed out with particular
pride by officers of the 104th.
The men credited with having saved
their battery from destruction by the
Boche are Corporal Ralph B. Sullivan,
1853 West 128th Street; Corporal George
A. Dupree, 100 East Eighty-eighth
Street: Mechanic Herbers VI. Brink,
8107 Bailey Avenue, and Private Will
lam j. Netto, 213 East Eighty-ninth
Street.
On tho night Of September ID, near
Montzeville, while the SD Artillery
Brigade was laying down barrage
for the Sd Division to advance, fire
broke out In the ammunition dump Of
Battery B of the 1O4th. The battery
was working under cover of a camou-
fagc which had so far protected 1t
from dlscovery. Not only wero several
gun crews In imminent danger OF be-
ing blown to atoms II tho fro touched
off tho stored ammunition, but tho
battery's position would have been re-
voalod to the Huns who was "Soeling