San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-15
Ninth Infantry Won First
Hand to Hand Encoun-
ter Five Years Ago.
HONORED BY PERSHING
Under Artillery Fire for
Twelve Hours and Made
Gallant Stand.

4 a
most organizations at Fort Sam Hous-
ton with no special thought, such
was not the case with the personnel
of the Ninth Infantry, commanded by
Col. Robert o. VanHorn. Those
days were the fifth anniversary OF
that that regiments first engagement
with German troops in the late war.
The Ninth's brilliant defeat Of picked
enemy troops in its first engagement
five years ago brought forth special
congratulations from General Perish
ing. Although being under heavy ar
tillery fire for twelve hours, and tax
en- by surprise, the troops of the Ninth
were more than equal to the occasion.
| As the final chapter OF its training
| schedule, the Ninth Infantry on
March IA, 1913, under the command
/ of Col. l.. S. Upton, started entrain-
| ing for the front TO take over sup
posed sector from the French. The
| Second Battalion, under Maj. Joseph
J. Travis, entrained at Bourmont in
a French omnibus train, designed to
accommodate French battlion. This
| turned out to be an exceedingly diff
cult maneuver and great deal of
battalion property had to be salvaged.
! The First Battalion, under Maj.
Harry G. Bartlett, and the Third Bat
talion,' under Col. Hiram !. Bearse,
| left last with separate organizations
! of the regiment. The regiment de-
trained at Souilly and the troops were
marched to the towns of Amply, lilly,
Bocquemont and Camp Gibraltar,
along the Mouse river.
| Well Known Sector.
The sector to be taken over by the
Ninth Infantry was known as the
Sons Sector Rouvrois," and consisted
of two centers of resistance, the Cor
allie and the Marie Louise, each TO be
occupied by one battalion. The re-
naming battalion was to be held in
reserve at Camp Gibraltar. These
points were excellent for training.
The Second Battalion was relieved
in COralie by the First Battalion on
the night of March 2S and 20, the
Second Battalion going to Camp Glib
raltar. On the night of April ga. the
Third Battalion took over the Marie
Louise from the French, Company c
oof the Fifth Machine Gun Battalion
taking up it's position in this sector
also. On the night of April 1918. the
Second Battalion returned from Camp
Gibraltar and relieved the First Bat
talon in Coralie.
First Fight April H.
From the time the regiment entered
this training sector the enemy artil-
lery fire had steadily increased and
the sector had become a fairly active
one, and on the night of April 1914
occurred the Ninth's first real fight
with the Germans. On the morning
of April 10, German artillery be-
gan harassing fire, under cover of
which shots were placed, destroying
portions of wire entanglements along
the whole regimental front. That aft
ernoon the bombardment increased in
intensity, extending for several miles
on each flank of the regiment and
pounding the back areas. \ heavy
barrage at nightfall was thrown on
the left sector, creating a diversion
from the place actually contemplated
for the attack. At 10 ~ p. M, April
-, most of this fire was switched
TO the Marie Louise sector and a box
barrage laid over the area occupied
by Companies L and l..
The German attack was executed
by detachment of picked troops who
had been carefully rehearsed for sew
eral days behind their own lines. The
raiding force, according to statements
Of prisoners, consisted of 100 storm
troops, 40 pioneers, picked men from
three rifle companies and several ma
chine guns. The force was well over
500 men.
Enemy in Lines.
Under cover OF their barrage, this
party made its way through the wire
Falong the regimental front. Posing
as French coming to counter attack,
the Germans made their way deep
into the Ninths lines, capturing a
number of prisoners along the out
posts. When these troops found they
had been taken prisoner, they refused
to accept that status, and began the
attack upon the Germans, and in close
hand-to-hand fighting, made their way
back TO the body of the regiment.
Soon small groups of Americans were
going through the trenches attacking
the boche wherever found, with gren-
AIDES, rifle and bpvonets The raiders,
who had split into three groups for
the purpose of filtering through the
lines, were forced TO retire before a
junction could be effected, one of the
groups being completely annihilated.
The material and equipment the Ger
mans brought with them showed plain
ly that they had intended TO remain
and hold the position which they had
taken.
Win Hand-tO- Hand Fight.
In this fight the Third Battalion
lost five killed and eleven missing
the attacked machine gun company,
eight missing; the Medical Corps on
duty with the battalion lost one Off
Ger, Lieutenant Gordon, and six men.
; The enemy losses could not be ac-
curately checked. for he was able to
remove many of his wounded and dead
in the early part Of the action. How
ever, eleven prisoners were captured
and 81 German dead were buried in
the Ninth Infantry trenches.
This exploit, the first test Of the
: American soldier defeating in hand
to-hand fight picked German troops,
won the following praise from the
commander-in-chief, General Perish
ing:
4 ALLOW me to extend my warmest
congratulations upon the splendid
. spirit shown by the Ninth Infantry
in the recent encounter with the
enemy, especially to those men who
declined to accept their status as
e prisoners, but turned upon their can
r tors and DESTROYED them and returned