Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-04-26
1O3d Regiment Lost
ITO Men on Hill 100

Pershing, said that his regiment TOOK
part 10 the first American offensive
on July IS, 1915. in such = gallant
manner and so completely followed
up the initial success, that it was one
of the principal factors in causing
the boche to head towards home.
80 completely did my boys do the
job on July Is that we followed it up
on the 18th. and went after more"
said the colonel. THE 10th developed
into defensive. for the boche. en-
ragged at his crushing defeat. was de-
termined to try and come back. Ma
jor Southard, with the third battalion
Of the 103d. took Torcey on the 18th
just % minutes after the signal to
advance, and had dug in before the
Hun knew what had happened South
ard is now lieutenant colonel of the
104th. and he is a wonder. In addi-
tion to this work. he sent two units
and captured the town of BelieaN
The 1o4th is credited with this work.
but Sodthard got there before the
barrage of the 104th opened up, tool
4S prisoners and withdrew as the bar
rage OpeueU. 1H0U the lVftN Wdihcu
in and took the town.
No Support on Left
"On the night of the 18th we were
to take hill 100. and. believe me. we
had some job. We started off. minus
one party which was to have been
with US. and crossed railroad en-
bankment that was very steep. We
had nothing on our left support. as
we had been expecting our party
which failed to appear. / discovered
the boche was getting US on the left,
so swung one of my right platoons to
that side. We had As casualties in
less than half minute. l could not
locate the commanding officer Of the
supporting battalion. even after l had
sent % messages after him.
I'VE were driven back three times
in our attempt to get that hill but
We got it and drove the boche back.
We got it before dark. but it was
mighty hard going. OF $50 men who
went up that hill only 120 came back.
That is what it cost. The capture of
that hill was one of the turning points
of the war. according to a statement
OF Gen. Edwards. who knew what We
had accomplished.
I'VE were up against the famous
Xiveray Moivrasin. and we sure gave
them some shock, if they never got
one before. They had 40 new batter
les pounding away at our front lines
and our rear areas in terrific style
without ceasing. At $50 they launch
ed an attack against companies l and
L of the 103d. sending over three
waves, with 800 men in the first
wave. Company I was commanded
by Capt. Williams and company L by
Capt. Doane.
''The boche made a feint at COM
panies E and H. but were going at the
other companies. They thought at
first it was a working party. and did
not discover it was a real attack for
a moment or two. The troops Of COM
pany D of the machine gun battalion
opened fire at once. and at the same
time the infantry companies opened
fire. The boche was staggered by the
suddenness of the repulse. and as he
faltered Williams led his men over
the top with bayonets.
Annihilated 600 Germans
g. or Tered barrage laid behind the
first wave to keep their two support
waves back. and the boys went after
the boche. Three hundred Of our men
faced the 900 Germans. and when they
finished the job. there was no boche.
We had completely annihilated the
entire 600. and perhaps most of The
others through the barrage.
II am proud of my regiment. and
boast of it as one that has no peer in
the whole army. 1t has been cited by
the French and by Gen. 3ershing, and
they have made a most glorious rec
ord for themselves. Maine glories in
what her sons have done, and they
can indeed be proud of what the 1o3d
Names own has done for Uncle
Sam"
Lt..Col. Albert Greenlaw. assistant
chief of staff of the Goth division. was
generous in his praise of the food the
men received and lauded the system
of supply in France. 1T is the best
fed army in the world. The food is
Of the best. has been ever since the
start. I think the system of supply
organized by the quartermasters has
been one of the most remarkable fea-
lures Of the war. 1t is simply Won
derful how the quartermaste corps
accomplished the vast work 1t had to
do. We who were in the front lines
will never forget the men who were
responsible for the food that regular
ly came to us to keep us in fighting
trim.
I'VE had humorous incident when
We moved the division headquarters
from Chateau Thierry to Ducy- Bo- !
carge. Arriving at Luck Bocarge. or
plain Lucy as we called it. we found
not a single house standing. so We
went to the Grandrue farm. a short
distance away. and located house
shot to pieces. but with barn in fair
condition and possessing concrete
pigpens. It was in the concrete pig
pens that we established ourselves
for headquarters.
I'VE discovered the bodies Of seven
Germans which had been lying the~e !
for several days. We all wondered
who would accept the task Of burying |
them. but the difficulty was solved |
Danger Ahead ! Look Out!