The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-02-07

able whipping on the tenth, and was to
have smashed him again at seven o.
clock on the morning Of the eleventh,
when news Of the signing of the arm
istice arrived.
The infantry regiment that was to
lead the attack got the word just 10
minutes before the III" or taking
off" hour; and the men actually were
disappointed that they did not have
chance to carry out their plan Of
giving the Kaiser's people a farewell
wallop.
That the reader may have some con-
ception of the kind of fighting the 32d
encountered some figures are present
ed. In scanning these figures bear in
mind that the authorized strength of
an American division is about $4,000
men. Bear in mind also that after
the first big fight the 32d never was
up to war strength, its losses always
coming faster than it's requirements.
Up to Dec. 13, when the 32d crossed
the Rhine to hold sector on the east
bank, its official records showed total
of 14,267 casualties in action, or more
than half its authorized strength, and
about the equivalent Of all its infan-
try This includes, killed, wounded,
missing and prisoners.
There were 73 officers and 1869 men
killed in action. Twenty-one officers
and 800 men ar known ton nhanvnnde
ad 800 men are known to have died Of
wounds. 1t is estimated that half Of
the 1000 officers and men listed as
missinng in action were killed, which
would bring the total of killed and
died of wounds up to 1857, or almost
10 per cent of the authorized war
strength.
There were 316 officers and IL ,164
men wounded. In addition to the 800
known to have died of wounds when
the records were last tabulated, it is
probable that others have succumbed
or will succumb, increasing the num-
ber of those who gave their lives to
perhaps 1850.
Only two officers and 72 men are
known to have been captured by the
Germans. In the three big actions,
that of the Marine Chateau Thierry
sector, Juvigny and the Argonne-
Meuse, two officers and one enlisted
man made up the total that the divis-
ion let the Boche carry off to prison
pens Y
The 32d took approximately 30 pris-
oners for every one it lost, the total
Germans falling into it's clutches be-
ing 40 officers and 2,153 men. OF
this number, 937 were garnered in the
six days on the scissors front.
In enemy material" the division
captured eight pieces of heavy artil-
lery, 13 pieces of light artillery, sc
trench mortars, 100 machine guns and
1900 rifles.
In general order published Dec.
"a, 1918, the division commander an
nounced list of 121 members Of the
32d who had been awarded the Dis
tinguished Service Cross Of the Unit
ed States Army.
i Ninety-four members Of the divis-
ion have received the Croix de Guerre
for valiant services performed while
the unit was under French command
Recommendation for several hundred
more Croix de Guerre have been sent
in by request Of the French govern
ment. There also will be few Le-
gion d'Honneurs awarded officers and
some Military Medals or "Medailles
Militaire," as the French call them.
And now for look into the history
Of the division from the day it was or
ganized until it crossed the Rhine, the
only National Guard division to have
that honor up to date, an honor that
the Michigan Wisconsin men share
with the more advertised First and
Second Regular Army divisions.
The SO division was organized Aug
3, 1917, with Camp Macarthur, Waco
Texas, as its headquarters and train
ing ground.
On Jan. 2, 1919, the first 80 division
troops left Camp Macarthur, bound
for France, and on Feb. s some Of
these men, 25 in all, lost their lives
when the Tuscania was sunk by sub
marine. Division headquarters ar
rived at Liverpool, England, Feb. Is,
arrived at lie Havre, France, four
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