CHAPTER XX.
ON THE ROAD TO BENOITE VAUX.
During the month of January it was reported in official circles that the 154th Artillery Brigade was to accompany the 79th Division into Germany as a unit of the Army of Occupation. The artillerymen were enthused with the prospects of joining their division and getting in the midst of the big scenery. The movement, however, never materialized. The outfit was forced to bear a disappointment like unto the shattering of expectations of getting in on the finale of the fighting.
As has been recorded, as early as October, 1918, the instructors had decided that the 311th artillery was in a position to take up active front-line duties. Several weeks previous the infantry and machine-gun regiments of the 79th Division had entered the fight and made their famous attack on Montfaucon, one of the most difficult positions to take in the Argonne sector. Twenty-seventh Division artillery had furnished the support at Montfaucon. The 79th Division artillerymen were eager to replace them and aid in the fighting of the division along the Meuse river.
After the holiday season Battery D spent its time in Blancheville with mounted hikes forming the mainstay of the schedule. Each day the outfit looked for orders to join the division and proceed to German territory.
The horses and mules brought to the regiment by the convoy, were distributed to the various batteries. Driver squads were immediately reorganized and great preparation attended all the hikes.
The latter part of January an official order was issued citing the individual members of Battery D as entitled to wear a gold service chevron, an indication of six months service on foreign soil. With the award of the gold stripe came the selection of the Lorraine Cross as the divisional insignia and the granting of leaves of absence to visit the beauty spots of France, with Paris included in the schedule as a possible three-day leave center. The first men left the battery on a fourteen day leave, at Blancheville. A waiting list was established and passes were issued in order of application. During the remainder of the battery's stay in France names were on the leave list.
The famous Mediterranean Riviera was the favorite leave center, although St. Malo and Grenoble were cited in official division orders. Many of the members of Battery D got the opportunity to spend a vacation in the Southern part of France, where the land is sheltered by the mountains from the North winds, and lit and warmed by a resplendent sun in a sky, the azure of which is seldom dulled by clouds. Nice, Monaco with its Monte Carlo and a trip across the Italian border near Menton, were included in the majority of the leave itineraries. While en route to the Southern clime it was customary for the soldier on leave to mistake trains; get on the wrong train and find himself landed in the City of Paris. This, in most cases, was the only opportunity the majority had of seeing the French metropolis, although a number of three-day leaves to the capital city were granted battery men.
Leave privileges in the A. E. F. kept the French railroads busy. The demand for furloughs became so popular that troop specials to the leave centers came into being and opportunity of individual travel was curtailed. Scores, however, took advantage of the troop specials to the land of vacation ease.
While Battery D was in Blancheville Lieut. Hugh M. Clarke was transferred to the Supply Company of the regiment and Lieutenant Leo C. Julian, of Lakeland, Fla., was attached to the battery.
The horses were the main care of the battery. Forage was scarce, which caused the animals to become mean-tempered as they gnawed at the hay-racks and discovered that about one pound of hay had to do each horse a day while the forage scarcity lasted.
Many of the battery members received severe kicks while attending to stable duties. The most serious injury through a kick was inflicted upon Private Frederick M. Bowen, of E. Rutherford, N. J., who was sent to the Base Hospital at Rimaucourt with injuries that separated him from the outfit and sent him home as a casualty.
When the hikes became a daily occurrence at Blancheville stable duties were set for the entire battery to share in. Watering and feeding was done immediately after reveille was dismissed each morning.
On January 3rd the battery was ordered to pack everything to take to the road. The rolling kitchen accompanied the battery caravan that left Blancheville to return again to the village after a 7 kilometer hike. A similar hike was held the day following, when it was announced the regiment was to move forward and join the division for the trip into occupation territory. The same day a detail of five men were dispatched to the new billeting area to make ready the new battery location.
It was decided that the battery would proceed to the new area by taking to the road in march-order. The battery was ordered to be ready to move by January 9th.
On January 8th another hike with everything packed was accomplished, the outfit getting back to Blancheville at 12:30 p. m. All the matériel was left out along the road leading from the village that night, so all that was needed for an early start the following morning was for the horses to be hitched to the guns, caissons and supply-wagons.
The battery left Blancheville at 7:30 a. m., Thursday, January 9th, proceeding to Andelot where the entire regiment assembled on the road for the journey. A detail of men were left at Blancheville to cleanup; overtaking the outfit later on single mount.
After leaving Andelot the route was through Vignes and Busson; halt for noon-mess was made at the latter place. A distance of 22 kilometers was set for the day's journey, terminating at the village of Epizon, which was reached at 3:30 p. m. The regiment parked its matériel and established its picket line in a large grain field, then had to wait for two hours until the supply train brought up the forage. The battery men found sleeping quarters for the night in the barns and sheds of the village.
The outfit was astir at 4:45 o'clock the next morning and was moving on the road at 8:30 a. m. Stop was made at noon at Soulaincourt, where the 311th passed the 211th motorized French artillery regiment, going in the opposite direction along the narrow road. In the afternoon the regiment passed through the town of Montiers and went into park for the night at 6 p. m., at Morley. The village furnished an abundance of haylofts for the artillerymen to crawl into the straw for the night.
Saturday, January 11th, found the regiment ready to resume the journey at 7:15 a. m. The trip continued through Le Bouchon, Serenier and Stainville, the latter place being the noon-mess stopover junction. Here the train of horses were watered by bucket. During the afternoon Bazincourt, Haironville, and Bullon were invaded in order. The horses were watered in the community watering trough in the village of Combles at 3:30 p. m., after which the regiment proceeded to Veel and stopped for the night. It rained heavy during the night, but the outfit was fortunate in locating a number of army barracks in the village that furnished a night's shelter.
Sunday, January 12th, it was raining when the troops answered reveille at 5 o'clock. The rain turned into snow an hour later when the regiment was ready to resume the journey. Under a canopy of snow the troops passed through the city of Bar Le Duc. After leaving Naives in the distance, stop was made at noon at Le Petit Rumont.
The cannoneers were forced to walk a great part of the distance. They were also compelled to wear their field shoes on the march instead of the rubber boots which the drivers wore. They trudged along the slushy road with wet feet, while it grew colder and more miserable. It was welcome relief when camp was ordered for the night at Violette and the troops assigned to old hospital barracks for the night.
A farming community, named Benoite Vaux, in the Department of Meuse, about twenty-five kilometers from the celebrated American battle sector of Saint Mihiel, was selected as the new billeting district for the regiment. Benoite Vaux was reached at noon on Monday, January 13th, after the regiment had been on the road for the day since 8 a. m., passing through Belrain, Pierrefitte and Courouve.
Benoite Vaux was a quiet hamlet of a score of peasant homes and an old stone church. The 2nd Battalion was stationed in and about the town; Battery D was assigned to barracks that formerly were used as a French army hospital. The 1st Battalion was scattered here and there on the hills and in the woods outside the village.