Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-14
STORY OF llSTH INFANTRY
Interesting Information From Col.
Spratt'S Field Orders
LIST SHOWS HLRCIC WORK
Suffering of the Officers Was unusu-
ally Severe-But the Regiment
Broke the Hindenburg Limo and
Helped End the War.

SduciiS VI tHo SiuSo'S Vsoo SHeoe
ally Severe-But the Regimen,
Broke the Hindenburs Limo and
Helped End the War.
! Through the courtesy Of Lieut.. Col
Thomas B. Spratt. correspondent has
been privileged to examine copies OF
field orders covering the instructions to
the One Hundred and Eighteenth In
fantry, Thirtieth Division, composed OF
the troops from South Carolina, and
reports Of the operations Of the regi-
ment between the period from October
to October 20, the period during
which the Hindenburg line was first
broken by these troops and their OBJ
jectives obtained. There are also orig
inal maps which were used on the field
showing by annexation the progress
made by the troops as they went for
ward to their objectives.
The orders contain a wealth Of de-
tail which seem to cover every contin-
gency from the laying down Of the
first barrage to the disposition Of the
dead, wounded and prisoners, and
show the particular duty Of each arm
Of the service, including artillery, ma
chine gun detachments, aeroplanes
cavalry, water supply, food, first aid,
and all in such accurate detail that
the mind trained to the business should
find no difficulty in any contingency
The mass Of this information is stag
gering to the lay mind and indicates
the necessity for skillful training. The
orders originating with the high COM
mand come down by grades and are
written usually in all cases except by
the majors Of battalions who assemble
their company commanders and per-
sonally 90 through their orders.
Regiment Occupies Trenches
The regiment left le Mesnil, where II
had been stationed for two days fol-
lowing the operations at Bellicourt on
October and was moved by bus con-
voy to Ronssoy, marching thence to
the trenches southwest of Nauroy. On
the same night 1t proceeded to the vi
cinity of Montbrehain and took over
the lines Of the Twenty-first and the
Twenty-seventh Infantry Battalions
and the Second Pioneer Battalion, A.
e. F. The line was continually harass-
ed by artillery fire on both front and
fianks, but in spite Of this the posi-
tions were improved and the lines ad-
vanced in some instances, while few
prisoners were captured by raids on
enemy posts by parties from the Third
Battalion. On the following morning,
with the cooperation of the One Hun
dred and Seventeenth Infantry, on the
left, the regiment made an advance OF
LOO yards on 100 yard front with
the aid Of a creeping barrage. and suf-
fered few casualties in the operation
This operation was for the purpose OF
Strengthening out the line and provid-
ing jumping off place for an attack
planned for October 8.
The orders for this attack came late
and, in the absence Of Colonel Wolfe
were issued to the majors by Lieuten-
ant Colonel Spratt, who spent the whole
night in the preparation in order that
there should be no delay. However,
there was little time after the receipt
of the orders since the attack was to
begin at o'clock In the morning.
Break Hindenburg Line
Shortly after this hour the regiment
attacked with the Sixth British Divis-
ion on the right and the One Hun
dred and Seventeenth Infantry on the
left and breaking through the Hinden-
burg line advanced to depth Of $500
yards on a front Of $500 yards, cap
turing the village of Brancourt the
normal objective, and the high ground
beyond on a two battalion front, the
latter being the contingent objective.
The advance was assisted by tanks and
artillery barrage. The advance Of the
left battalion was steady, but the ad-
vance Of the right was held up tempo
rarily by fierce resistance in Brancourt.
The normal objective was reached by
the First Battalion about $50 in the
morning, while the contingent objec-
tive was reached about 1890 in the
afternoon. The enemy resistance was
mainly Of machine gun fire and artil-
lery, the latter in some instances firing
over open sights at the advai ing in
fantry. In this operation the regiment
captured 16 officers and 750 men and
six square miles Of territory. The regi-
ment suffered severely in casualties
owing to the difficulties to be over
come and to the spirit and enthusiasm
of the men who went forward to their
objectives with entire disregard Of ex-
posure or impediment.
The casualty list shows the names Of
the following commissioned officers
killed in action: Capt. A. Zane Pyles,
regimental adjutant; Capt. William w.
Jones Of Company L, First Lieut.. w.
A. Hudgens, adjutant Third Battalion;
First Lieut.. P. B. N. Earle of Company
M, First Lieut.. William A. Mulloy of
Company I, First Lieut.. George F.
Read of Company F, First Lieut.. Will
liam K. Krampton Of Company D, Sec
ond Lieut. Henry ]. Brown of Com
pany M, Second Lieut.. Roper E. Far
mer Of Company K, Second Lieut.. Till
man H. Smith Of Company F, Second
Lieut. William o. Stevenson Of Com
pany A, Second Lieut.. William M.
Jones Of Headquarters company and
Second Lieut.. Charles Roehrig Of Com
pany l.
Those wounded or gassed were Maj.
Hayward Mahon, Jr., commanding the
First battalion; Major J. H. Howell,
commanding the Third Battalion;
Lieut.. Paul E. Bradshaw, adjutant,
First Battalion; Lieut.. s. M. Willis OF
Company A, Capt. Louis L. Ligon OF
Company B, who commanded the First
Battalion after Major Mahon was
wounded; Capt Arthur Lee of Com
pany C, who commanded the First Bat
talon after Captain Ligon was wound.