Evening star., 1937-04-04

the TASK or StOne-WalIlng 10 keep tne
Germans from crossing again For the
allies were still on the defensive
Foch's reserves were holding the
Fourth German offensive to the west.
Where would the Fifth strike? The
action of the German planes and guns
suggested that the Sd Division might
have to face 1t. and reports from
scouts Butts sent across the river at
night told him he had better look
forward to hot time.
River Bank Untenable.
The French favored placing our
men in force on the river bank, out
Butts was against this, and so was
Gen Joseph Dickman, the division
commander 1t was asking for mur-
der. Our men would be mashed into
the earth by the overwhelming Ger
man artillery fire.
One glance at Dickman was enough
to show that he was a real soldier.
Thick-set brusque, silent imperturba-
bic. the factual Dickman looked like
human rock himself He had been a
student of German military tactics
before the war, he had translated
German text books. His previous stud
les lighted the way to an understand
ing of the latest German tactics. He
and understood how to fight him.
From river bank to rear Butts went
over all the ground until he knew it
as farmer knows his farm. In the
3oth's sector we're the vital points of
the Aigremont wood and other wooded
hills. These must be held. Once the
Germans had them, the way was clear
up the Surmelin Valley to the open
and good going toward Paris.
Butts based his main defense on
Agreement. He placed companies and
platoons in rife pits forward. under
Maj. Walker, to cripple the German
attack before it could reach the vital
points The men in front were to
stick it to the death, as were the
men in the woods And when Butts
said to stick it, what else was there
to doo
McAlexa nder Vindicates Self.
Fortune also was good to us and to
France in having Dickman and in
having Cpl.-later Maj. Gen.-U. G..
McAlexander, in command of the 3sth
Regiment, on the 30th's right. Pre-
viously a division commander had
sent McAlexander back to the Service
of Supply, to count the beans in
stead of fight as incompetent for
front-line command-the cruelest Of
humiliations. Others in high places
concluded that he had been the victim
Of prejudice, and he was given the
command of the 38th The high
spirited McAlexander had his chance
now. He. too. passed the word that all
under him must stick it.
Now it was wait, day after day,
under the German artillery fire-five
to our one-of all calibers, including
gas shells, to soften us, while the Ger
man planes had complete control Of
the air to spot our rife pits and every
move.
Our men in the forward pits could
hear the hum Of German preparations
behind the heights on the other side
of the river. When the time came the
Germans would mass on the bank with
their boats under the cover of dark
ness for the crossing.
Its come!" said Butts shortly after
midnight on July Is. Twice the candle
in his dugout had been put out by the
gusts from huge explosions. 1t had
come because the enemy was putting
over an avalanche of high-explosive
shells Of big caliber. Now every man
must put on his gas mask and wait
long hours under this mauling until
he could see something to shoot at.
Wires Go Out.
Shortly before dawn the general
bombardment slackened. Fire was di-
rected to the river bank, where the
barrage made a swath of leaping
flames to protect the crossing Of the
Germans hidden by dense river mist
and smoke screen.
With bright light overhead Butts
looked down on cloud of smoke,
under which there was a tempest Of
machine gun and rifle fire. His wires
to brigade headquarters had been cut
and were to remain cut throughout
the battle No word came through
from the front line. Runners he sent
out and runners sent to him were
killed or wounded or unable to get
through the shell-torn woods or to find
their way along obliterated paths and
roads. German planes. flying low to
spot targets, had control of the air.
The enemy could see! We were fight
ing blind.
The last Of the 3d's Artillery units
arrived rs the battle began. 1t had q
gun destroyed before 1t could get into
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