, 1923-07-14

hind the shells, but still the firing
continued. AS fast as German hat
teries were engaged in coimbat, and
counter battery fire successfully wag-
ed, new targets were assigned by reg
mental hcldluarters. n they in
turn engaged. The German was still
advancing, n lin artillery. while
stunned by the fierceness of the
American counter fire, still bathed
the American lines with shell. Caus-
alties piled IN in the regiment and
Battery E reported the loss of sew
eral men killed and wounded. and
several gassed. From the front. in
stead of a line OF allied troops NOV.
ing up. came a steady stream of am
balances n walking wounded sol
diers.
The situation had reached a serious
ness that became so acute as the
German army continued its advance.
that the order was given all troops to
form rear guard action retire. for
artillery to prepar to destroy their
guns, retire to new positions. where
new equipment waa awaiting them,
and take IN the opposing of the Ger
man advance. 1t was then that the
American commander made the reply
- tA1 1AAatt tAA1N VIII
smash down in history as n battle
cry of America. His reply, I'VE adj
init that h French are our masters.
(ommanders) but the American flag
docs not retreat. / could not explain
a retreat to my troops. We are coun-
ter attacking" What n glory Of
words and what an insp ration to
tho battle worn and jaded
of Americans standing firm. What a
gauntlet to throw to nm advancing
enemy. and what n tribute to those
fighting Americans. They did not re-
treat and they did counter attack.
With the artillery batteries throwing
a heavy wall ef fire along the Marine
river, firing their guns until gun
squads near dropped from fatigue of
four days uninterrupted battle. those
guns manned by the westerners.
shriiling shouting their battle cry of
Powder River aided their defiance
to a nation in IN wrong. The infan-
try counter attacked n pitiful thing
in numbers involved put an immense
thing 1 nits audacity. and It's results.
Cut off from fresh troops from their
rear lines. with their communications
cut to pieces with their artillery
smashed. and with their surviving
troops worn and tired. the Germans
gave ground.
BY the 18th of July not a German
remained south of the bank of the
hundreds of thousands thai had
reached there. AL had either been for.
tunate enough TO have penetrated the
shell fire along the Marine and Joined
their army, or were prisoners OF the
allies. The pick OF the German army,
those Prussian divisions hardened by
three years OF service. equipt with
new uniforms. with new guns, and
ready for their triumphal march. into
Paris. smashed by Americans. green
troops from the markets of trade OF
America. from tho ranches and stores
OF the west, from civilian life OF Wyo.
ming
At the height Of the German at.
tack. when It was thought all was
lost, n hat the fighting snariing
Americans must fall back against
such superior numbers, to await fresh
helping troops. petards were ssued
the batteries to be used in destroying
the guns. To the everlasting credit OF
the 14sth Field Artillery not a petard
was used. Blow up guns with fellow
Americans fighting in their front7
| Destroy those gums that could sim
throw their death into enemy ranks.
sven though that enemy had ap.
preached within a few thousand yards
OF those guns, and capture seemed
inevitnble2 The petards were never
used. In fact tho American can
noneers did not know how TO use
them. Their instincts, and their train
ing. their heritage and their desires
were TO fight a winning fight, and
they had not learned tho methods of
falling back, holding again, falling
back and giving ground.
The regimental flag stood just
where II was planted after four days
Of the bitterest fighting OF the
World war. on the morning OF July
18th, wal launched the Aisne-NTarno
offensive. the first offensive engaging
! American troops. Launched with no
preparation and by battle weary