The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-14

artillery gave little support and, on several
occasions, fired short as much as one kilo-
meter, causing losses to our troops.
Weather very bad. Muddy ground
Three Days Without Support.
The Decentralization of the men,
brought about, evidently. by the heavy
strain under which they had been
fighting for three days without sup
port is reflected in the following mes
sage from Captain Truman, addressed
to ca. 35th division:"
Our troops started to fall back in accord
ance with orders received from the brigade
commander to retire back to the position
gradually that was held last night. In
stead of doing ordered. the Officers
and n. e. O.'s ordered. they started to
break and rum it almost turning into a
stampede. Men of all regiments, officers
and N. c. O.'s were headed to the rear.
1t being critical moment l gathered a
few of my N. C. O.'s and observers about
me and stopped about three hundred at
now in a line of trenches as shown by
drawing. Everything is quiet at present
with the exception of heavy shelling and
machine gun fire during the day. Full re-
port will be made as soon as time can be
found to do
At 9:15 a. m. on the following day,
September 80, Captain Truman sent a
message stating the enemy was COM
ing over in wave formation, adding
he was unable to determine their
strength. The closing language in
this message reads:y
p
opened fire. Our artillery falling short
on our front and support line trenches
barrage should be raised three hundred to
five hundred yards.
Captain Truman's message later in
the day of September 80 indicated that
his troops were digging in and that a
plentiful supply of ammunition was at
hand. Under the head of "Miscella-
neous," the intelligence summary of
the captain contains the following
language:
During the entire day our troops were
continually pelted with fire of our own ar
tihery, well the fire of the enemy !;
the fire of our guns much more de-
structive to our troops than the fire of the
boche. That condition still exists today.
Our artillery laid down heavy barrage on
our front and rear lines at about Q 10 a.
In. today; repeated messengers and runners
have been sent TO notify the battalion of ar
tillery of the 10th F. A. and ask him to
see that the word was passed to the other
commanders l also showed him where our
lines are now located. Our airplanes have
been of little use to us in combating enemy
planes; so far as the good they have done
in that respect We had just well not had
them. In the subject of reports will state
l have done the best possibly could under
the circumstances.
Shellcd Own Men Five Times.
Under the heading, "Our Own Ac-
tivity," Captain Truman makes these
observations:
l have sent five different messages to the
artillery this morning to lengthen their
which they have shellad our men. 1t is do
ing more to decrease the morale of our
troops than if they knew the entire German
army was attacking them. The situation is
simply this: There is not a telephone i'll
any organization 1 know of, there are no
signal rockets left, no flares to shoot in the
Very pistols. What signal lights were in
the organization either lost or broken
and have practically way of communi-
eating with anyone except by runner. Our
| losses have been extremely heavy. Our
regiment, 10th infantry. on going into ac-
ton on the 10Th, had not to exceed one
thousand men: the other regiments of the
division are in about the same shape as
ours. We lost yesterday in officers killed
and wounded. Maj Murray Davis, Captain
Kennedy and Lieut. Compton: intelligence
officer of the LIST battalion killed. Wounded,
Captain Redmond. Lieutenant Gardner.
Lieutenant Wise, Lieutenant Spicer Lieu
| teant Thorpe, Lieutenant Keefner.
Major Is Heard, Also.
Various messages sent by Major Ma
brey. of the End Battalion, September
&c and 81, bear out in full the deplor-
| able conditions created by lack of
proper support as reflected in the
.. many urgent messages sent to the rear
by Captain Truman. For instance, at
1920 a. M, September g. Major Ma
brey reported the 13Sth infantry.
which was Immediately in advance of
/ the 140th, was held up by machine
gun fire and at 11:15 a. m. sent the
following appeal:
Cannot advance without artillery