New Britain herald., 1923-03-16
New Britain Soldiers Under Baptism of Gas Mar. l6, IS,
 In Chemin Des Danes Sector

Amidst the festivities accompany ing St. Patriek's Day, tho thoughts of many New Britain boys who serv- ed with the Yankee Division in France
 will go back to St. Patrick's Day,
 1918. to a front lino and support
 position in the vicinity of Fort Nal maison on the Chemin Des Danes sector. when the 102nd regiment was subjected to its first real test under
 fire, and 1t was recorded in the an-
 nals of the world war that the Amcri- can army had undergone the first bap- tism of gas at the hands of the Ger mans.
 The position occupied by the Am- erican troops on this memorable day was situated on the side of moun- tain chain at the top of which was the Malmaison fort. Dugouts which had been built by the invading Ger man forces in the memorable drive in 1914 dotted the hillside from the summit clear down the slope. while q maze of trenches zigzagged down until the level floor of valley was reach- ed where the front line positions were located.
 Here. plain stretched across for about quarter of mile to the front line positions of the Germans. The remains of small town, shat tered and battered lay like a skee- ton on the, plain and through the middle as far as the eye could reach, ran canal. On the other side was high hill, lined the same as the American side with maze of snake like trenches winding their way up the slope until on the very crest, could be seen the shell torn city of Laon, wherein something like 35,000 French citizens were being held as hostages and as safeguard against French fire.
 From the American positions, the city could be seen plainly and stand ing out among the houses and build-
 ing was the cathedral with two lofty spires. Battles, bloody and fierce, with an appalling loss of life, had been fought on these hills while now the French held them and then he Germans.
 Upon the arrival of the American .roops in this sector, the fun began. It had been known up to this time IS a rest sector and truly it can be said that it was comparatively quiet Ind peaceful. One day, it is said, the Germans would approach the canal h. the middle of No Mans Land to wash their lingerie" while the French did the same the next day.
 With the occupation of the front
 ines by the American troops a party of Germans, with their usual non- ,halance, emerged from their lines md came out into the open heading or the canal. A watchful sentry, seeing them. called the commanding ,fficer. and he ordering his company 0 their guns, waited to see what de- teloped. The band of Germans ap- preached the canal and started in to wash, but suddenly the American flies cracked and the machine guns and the Germans ran for over
 Puzzled by this sudden outburst rom the other side, body of the nemy a few nights after, sortied out inder cover of darkness, and com nenced a raid on the American lines n an effort to discover who was oc- upying the trenches. The raid was ruitless, for the attackers were met | y Company F, one of New Britain's | wn, and were driven back with heavy | osses. Here it was that the baseball | rms of the Americans first came into | isplay, for the attack was repulsed | y the use of grcnades and the dough- oys threw them with accurate aim. sft arm and in such quick succession hat the visitors decided to go back 'hile they were able.
 Then came the 1Gth of March At bout 6 o'clock that night, hundreds f German guns opened up on the illside occupied by the American -oops. Sirens blew and bells clang- Il, and the cry of Gas rose up from 1e hillside. Gas masks. held in readi- ess for the eventuality. were slipped yer faces and secured and the watch as doubled for fear of a surprise at | lck.
 All through that long night, the ] lells came over thick and fast, each elching out it's deadly fumes on the
 ready polluted air. Here and there, ,me soldier, choking for want of reath of fresh air, flung off the
 ask, only to draw it quickly on gain. The strain of the masks upon le faces began to tell and those who 'uld repaired into the dugouts to lie ,wn and suffer.
 Ingenuity is the Yankee's most re- 'eming trait, and soon, some of the ore daring lit fires in little trench owes and using tent pegs for fuel.
 themselves behind the ,mes and took chance at removing cir masks. As the fires burned errily in the stoves, the atmosphere
 the stuffy holes became clearer and
 was found that the flames were the gas fumes, All night long and all the next day : c 17th, the gas shells flew. The tire surrounding hillside was vered with a dark gray mist, the . s wave hanging low on the ground. le wait for the end of the attack !, emed interminablc, but the bom- ! rdment continued. Here and there ! figure dropped overcome with the adly fumes. and squads were put to ,rk, grotesque in the black night tn their mask covered faces, carry 7 the exhausted and sick back, les over a shell torn road, to places
 safety.
 soyaraI New Britain boys went