October 15th again brought us under shell fire. About 8:00 P. M. we left our positions and marched through heavy rains to relieve a unit of the 308th Infantry, west of La Folie Ferme. We took up our position about 3:00 A. M. and despite the fact that we were wet through, made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit, only to be awakened at 5:30 A. M. to prepare to advance at once. While preparing, Jerry saluted us with a barrage that, while it lasted, was very annoying and upset the new men exceedingly, this being the first time they had ever been under shell fire. This lasted only for a few minutes and after their baptism they all acted like seasoned veterans. This relief having been made during the darkness of the night, the units encountered great difficulty in keeping the men together. There was considerable mixup on the road that led to Chevieres; three columns of troops and a transport train trying to pass at one time. This caused a great deal of confusion and the result was that many of the new men became separated from the company and did not rejoin us until the following morning. On October 17th Sergeants Levy and Wilson left for Officers’ Training School. This morning we lost Sergeant Lehy; he was killed just one hour before he was ordered to leave for Officers’ Training School.
Oct. 18th: At 10:00 P. M. we took up a position in the front line to the west of Chevieres, relieving our 2nd Battalion. At 3:00 A. M. we stepped off in a line of combat groups in support of “C” company, and advanced through heavy artillery and machine gun fire. We reached our objective at daybreak and held same through the day under continual fire from the enemy snipers and machine guns. Enemy planes endeavored to locate our position and flew so low that the aviators were easily seen. Their object no doubt was to signal their artillery the location of our position, but judging from the heavy barrage that fell directly in back of us, their efforts were not crowned with success. We suffered quite a few casualties during this attack, among whom was Sgt. Welch, who had been recommended for a D. S. C. for bravery at St. Mihiel. He was wounded in seven different places by machine gun bullets, but refused to be evacuated until the other wounded men had been taken care of. Owing to our advanced position, and both the units on our flanks having failed to obtain their objectives, we were subject to such a heavy fire that it was impossible to evacuate our wounded until dark. Toward evening the enemy closed in on both flanks, and on our front, making our position untenable, and under cover of darkness drew close enough to drop hand grenades among our fox holes. This caused our officers to call for volunteers to carry a message to the Battalion Commander. After several runners had failed to get through, Sgt. White had volunteered to carry the message and reached Battalion Headquarters P. C. in safety and returned with instructions to have the company withdraw. He was awarded a D. S. C. for this brave act. His entire route was continually subject to heavy artillery and machine gun fire. By performing this deed he undoubtedly saved many lives and enabled the company to make an orderly retreat to the position they left that morning. He also assisted in directing the evacuation of the wounded; every man was removed without further casualties. During the activities the enemy continually sent up rockets and flares so that our movements could only be made during short minute periods of darkness. Too much credit cannot be given to both Lt. Lahey and Lt. Luhn. Their bravery and unselfish action in face of the enemy did much to keep up the morale of the men. We fell back to the position we had left that morning, and remained until 6:00 A. M. Then we fell back to railroad track running from Chevieres to Grand Pre, where we remained about four hours and then advanced again and took up our position along the River Aire. Here we remained for nine days and nights under continuous shell fire. While we suffered no casualties at this place from the enemy fire, several of our men were evacuated with influenza. One great difficulty that we experienced here was that of obtaining rations, as it was impossible to bring them up during the day, and at night Jerry threw over such a heavy shell fire that made the work of the ration parties extremely hazardous.
On Saturday evening, October 26th, we were relieved by the 310th Infantry and took up a position in Brigade Reserve in the Bois de Negremont. This day Lt. Luhn was transferred to “D” Company, and we were again left with only one officer. Having lost a great many men, it was necessary to reorganize the company again. There were only sufficient men left to form two platoons. This position was subject to intermittent shell fire which caused occasional casualties.
The night of October 29th-30th will be one that will be long remembered by those men who were present with us. The enemy had been shelling us the entire evening without causing any casualties. It was about 1:30 A. M. a shell, the last one he fired that night, struck a tree directly over our camp and exploded. It killed or wounded 14 men, and Lt. Lahey was also severely wounded. Lt. Lahey’s bravery at this critical period was such that his men never cease praising him. While wounded so seriously that he died two days later, he directed the evacuation of all the other wounded men and gave instructions to the non-commissioned officers left with the company, before he permitted himself to be evacuated. Sgt. Newell, then acting 1st Sergeant, was killed instantly by this same shell. Sgt. White was now in command of the company and did excellent work keeping the company organized until the arrival of Lt. Gardenier. The following day, October 30th, the enemy resumed their heavy shelling and we suffered several more casualties in killed and wounded. During our stay in the Bois de Negremont we were fortunate enough to get a bath by walking five miles for it, and a change of underwear, but seldom it was indeed that we received more than one meal a day, so continuous was the enemy shell fire.
Oct. 29th: The position of the company was still in the Bois de Negremont, in Brigade Reserve. Pvt. Koehler was killed by shell fire during the day. Toward evening the shelling let up and was fitful and erratic from that time on. Lt. Gardenier arrived in the evening and took command of the company which was at the time in charge of Sgt. White.
Oct. 30th: The morning was spent in reorganizing the company and issuing equipment preparatory to the drive which was to start the following day. The company was divided into two platoons, the first under Corporal Ahearn, and the second under Corporal Thomas White; with Sgt. White second in command of the company. Pvt. Koehler was buried at La Noua le Coq, near the chateau. There was considerable shelling during the afternoon, but there were no casualties, and the appearance of a big consignment of rations in the evening did much to hearten the men. Enemy shell fire had interfered with the rations considerably up to this time, as there was but one route the ration parties could take and it seemed to be quite familiar to the Boche artillerymen.
Combat packs were made at night and the company was ready to move early in the morning as the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were to attack at dawn. In the afternoon a pirate 75 was moved up behind our position and engaged in an artillery duel with a Boche battery until late at night. The only result being a fairly continuous shelling of our area.
Nov. 1st: At 2:30 A. M. the barrage preparatory to the launching of the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne opened. The sky behind us was a flickering, gleaming red. The roar was as of myriad drums rolling almost in unison, and the air overhead seemed almost alive with whistling visiting cards to the departing Jerry. The effect of this on the men who had heard little but shells coming in their direction was tremendous. The men walked about the hills whistling and singing and the erstwhile quiet forest was alive with conjectures as to what was happening when the winged death that was flying overhead arrived at its destination. After the firing had ceased there was extreme quietness and there was no activity during the night.
Nov. 2nd: The company was held in readiness throughout the day, and after mess in the evening packs were slung and the Battalion moved out. It began to rain just at the start, and the path we followed in the pitch black forest was steep and slippery. We progressed slowly over the plain between la Noua le Coq and the Aire River and entered the shell-torn town of Grand Pre. Passing through the ruins along the Kron Printz Strasse, we went north to the road fork between Grand Pre and Ferme des Loges. Here the company was detached from the Battalion, Lt. Conroy was placed in command and we waited for trucks to enable us to overtake the now flying enemy. Trucks were boarded about 11:00 P. M. and we bumped over the shell-torn road in the general direction of Germany, until our way was blocked by a mine hole not yet repaired. We debussed and hiked to Briquenay, where we found the 312th Infantry had the situation in hand and with the exception of about twenty men who formed an ammunition detail for the 309th Machine Gun Battalion, we turned into some German billets about 2:30 A. M. The infantry advance up to this time had been so swift that the artillery had been unable to catch up to us, having set up their guns three times without firing a shot.
Nov. 3rd: During the day the 2nd Battalion passed through Briquenay and we were held there. Most of the time was spent in improvising meals and exploring the debris left by the enemy in his hasty flight. Toward evening about 200 American airplanes in combat formation flew over going north. Lt. Conroy returned to Battalion Headquarters. About 5:00 P. M. the rest of the Battalion moved out and through a misunderstanding the company was left behind. When our plight was discovered we set out for Germond, and after passing a Battalion of the 308th Infantry on the road arrived just in time to get the last available billets. Germond at that time held the four Regimental P. C.’s of our division, one of the 77th and somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 troops.