New-York tribune., 1919-03-14
Battery Fire Was Deadly


The deadly work the l04th per-
formed by its retaliation fire" of ex-
plosive gas shells and the way the
Hun kept things hot for the New York
artlllerymen were told yesterday by
an offlcer attached to regimental head
quarters. He talked on condition that
his name be withheld, because "only
the men In the batteries deserve pub
licity"
eve left the rest camp at Bordeaux
on the 1st of September,'' he said, "and
were consolidated with the 33d Di-
vision, Illinois National Guard. at
Longeville, five kilometres from Bar lie
Due. On September IL we moved into
position at La Claire, near Montzeville,
within twelve kilometres of Verdun.
we were in time to take part in the
st. Mihiel movement and the big Of
fensive which began September Is. We
were in action forty-two days there,
moving up about every ten days.
"Then the 33d was ordered to a rest
camp and next time we reached the
front it was to support the 18th Di-
vision. We stayed in action with them
until the armistice was signed, finish
ing up at Samogneux. Our first series
of actions was on the west bank of the
Meuse. our second on the east bank.
Fifty-five Casualties in Regiment
"How we came out with only fifty
five casualties for the regiment, | do
not know. The enemy dropped an av-
erage OF 1900 explosive shells a day
in our vicinity, and some days there
would be no damage done at all. They
never seemed quite to get the range
"Our greatest effort against the
Huns was when, in response to a re-
quest from our infantry, we sent 1000
rounds of gas shells day for week
at the Boches by way of retaliation
for their use of mustard shells This
was done by six batteries, or twenty
four guns. We dropped 5000 rounds
into the little town of Crepion in a
single, night. Our batteries used
French seventy-fves."
No Mans Land became a second
home, officers say, to Corporal Claude
Seitz, of Bedford, Mass, one of the
casuals who returned on the America
yesterday.
Corporal Seitz is member of Com
pany E, 101st Regiment, 26th Division
He took part in the first American raid
Of the war, near Lunevile, when
small reconnoitring party captured
nineteen German privates and three
officers.
For his bravery on that occasion he
was awarded the Croix de Guerre by
the French government and was as
signed by his commanding officers to
special detail, with raiding for its ex-
elusive duty.
From then until he was gassed, No
vember 6, 1918, Corporal Seitz spent
most of his fighting time between the
Allied and German lines He is
twenty years old and when the United
States entered the war was q star
fullback on the Bedford High School
eleven.
Captain John Grabeau, of Buffalo, a
medical officer attached to the 10Sth
Regiment Of Field Artillery, was one
of the Distinguished Service Cross men
the America brought home.
On November 8, at Samogneux, near
Verdun, corporal was struck by
she'll while in an exposed position.
Hurrying to the assistance of the
wounded man, Captain Grabeau saw a
second shell kill him. Just as he
reached the body third shell struck,
wounding Captain Grabcau severely.
The five men who died during the
voyage from Brest were: Henry
Andrews, headquarters detachment,
1O5th Field Artillery, Binghamton,
N. Y; Edelbert Glen Walter 105th
Field Artillery, Little Falls, N. Y;
Sergeant Ralph Reed Malcolm, 105th
Field Artillery, Stoughton, Mass;
Felix Klenefski, 306th Infantry, Shen-
andoah, Pa, and Harry Warden