The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-05-23

burning the towns as they evacuated
them. blowing up bridges and doing
everything to stop our advance, even
to laying traps in the road that wo lid
cave in and bury a whole gun and Sec
ton. 1t was a wonderful sight as ter
rible as it was, three towns in flames
ahead and shells bursting in and "a
round them. We gained our objective
with very little resistance, which was
within heavy gun range Of Metz.
Then we were shifted to another
part and made forced marches every
night for a week to large woods in
the Argonne where we met with some
stiff resistance and saw some real
fighting for about three weeks. We
broke Through the Hindenburg line
after Smelling it heavily for several
hours and used a great dea; Of gas
shells to get them out in the open.
Old Hindenburg had a wonderful DO
sition there, for all the trenches were
concrete, dug outs so feet deep and
wire entanglements like spider webs
all over. Also many concrete pill
boxes. We only gained about five
kilometers In the three weeks we
were there, and received plenty Of
shells and gas from Jerry. We were
also bombed by seventeen bombing
planes n evening and many of the
boys went west. We lost a great
many horses also. l had many mar
row escapes but never touched, but
got MIXED up with a little gas from
gas shells, but 1t was sneezing gas,
expected a deadly gas Such as chlorine
or mustard to follow, but we were
lucky 1t didn't for we never could
have kept our masks on after getting
a few breaths of sneezing gas. The
fighting On this sector was very bitter
and under hard conditions for the
American soldiers for 1t was cold and
rainy weather and hard to bring up
supplies for we were under obServa-
ton at all times we we're in the val
ley and they, the Germans, still held
the crest to our east and shelled US
plenty from the heights. We called
this point Of the line death valley, for
it was no nice place for a picnic. II
it wasn't shells it was gas, then
bombs for a change. Cur poor horses
suffered a great deal for waLt of food
and WEAKNESS. Our batteries were
FREEING continually as much as the
guns would stand. All our guns stood
it fine, though none of them bursted
like some did near by. The little old
Is is a wonderful gun, just as accurate
dS can be. The boys all say they could
drop a shell in a bucket at 5000 meters
of course they can't do that, but |
would not want to be near the bucket
just the same if they were ireing on
it, for the fragments would get you.
We used mostly all high explosive,
very little sharpnell, and a great deal
of gas shells. The Germans had a
great deal of trouble with faulty a.
munation, buds we call them. At
least ten per cent Of their shells fail
ed to explode, especially If We we're on
soft ground, we could notice more
buds than any other time, their fuses
were not as sensitive as ours.
Well, Fred, this letter is getting to
be more like a book than a letter,
though 1 will try and tell you about
our last drive in the Argone Forest to
the Muese river. We left France a
bout the lst Of the year and made a
forced march through Belgium to
Luxembourg to occupy and guard this
part of the line. We we're kind If
glad to get out OF the ruined towns.
We marched through hundreds If
villages and stopped in some over
night while at the front. You Cant
imagine how little is left of the towns
in the old battleHelds and the farms
and fields are full of holes and shell
craters, trenches and wire. 1t will
t Ike years and years to build up tie
ruined sections. 1t will be danger.
Gus for the farmers to plCw that land
for there are thousands OF unexploded
shells and grenades buried In the
fields.
Well Fred, we get good rumors
every day about leaving for home in
tn, near future, the latest Is we have
81 ling orders for April 18th.
Today We were inspected by cur
Division General. General Bell who
is in command of the 33rd Division.
Everything went smoothly and he
S ',emed pleased with the appearance
OF the man and material. Next week
General Pershing or "BlacK Jack" as
they have nicknamed him, will in
spect us before we leave. Fred, /
think he is the greatest General that
oyor liroI apd certainly has