Independence, VA 24348 The 1st Battalion consisted of Companies A, B, C, & D; the 2nd Battalion of Companies Thus, if the remainder of the infantry, 91st Division moved forward to join the advance elements at the American Army objective, there would remain insufficient support for the reamainder fo the 58th Field Artillery Brigade, still in the ravine south of Epionville, and the line of communication through Epionville and Very might be cut by German forces on our left, driving the 70th Brigade to Baulny, and the German forces in Bois Emont and Cierges on our right, which had repulsed and driven back the 74th Brigade, 37th Division. Co. 1st Infantry Regiment. B. McDonald decorated six officers and men with the Distinguished Service Cross and about 75 with the French Croix de Guerre. As machine guns come into action suddenly and their killing power is terrific they cannot be reduced by frontal attacks of waves of infantry, but must be either shelled out or held under our own infantry and machine gun fire until they can be stalked by little groups of determined men. It was necessary also to order some of them to watch the Flemish windmills, as the Corps Commander reported some of these were used by Flemish citizens to communicate with the Germans. The combat liaison detachment, Company L, 364th Infantry, and one machine gun company had inclined to the west, endeavoring to gain touch with the 35th Division, and fought their way north actually in the area of the 35th Division, and in front of that division throughout the day. Similarly one company of infantry with one machine gun company detached from the 181st Brigade was to cover the right flank of the 91st Division and maintain combat liaison with the 37th Division. Artillery and machine guns from the hill Anseghem were fired accurately from the right along the flank of the front line of the 362nd, while machine guns from Spitaals Bosschen were fired along the front line from the left. During the fighting of the 26th and 28th, while we were forcing our way up to and through the woods defending the rear of the Volker Stellung, the battle order of the enemy was much confused. That is why he created the defensive marches of the Rhine, which were always ready to throw back the ever-menacing, barbarous invasion, always ready by the force of arms to subdue the turbulent and pillaging Germanic tribes living on the right bank of the Rhine. The remainder of the Division was to remain in position west of the river. The 362nd Infantry after retiring from Gesnes had held the stone quarry between the 181st and 182nd Brigades and on the line of resistance the Division was ordered to hold. The Seventh Corps was directed to attack on the front between Warande and Heirweg, both inclusive. (Signed) MASSENET. This detachment spent one night at Louvain, entertained by a French division of the Seventh Corps. At noon, October 15, orders by telephone were received from Headquarters, First Army, directing the Division to move by rail to Belgium, entraining at three points, including Revigny, the following day. This position was being organized when notice came from Corps Headquarters that a barrage of army artillery might be laid down on the Eclisfontaine-Varennes road during the night. A Company B Company C Company D Company 383rd Infantry Regiment Newspaper. This is a nice book with good details and a roster of the soldiers in the Regiment and associated 347 Field Artillery Battalion, Co C of 316 Engineer Battalion and Co C of 316 Medical Battalion. The 363rd and 364th were claimed by California because of the large number of sons of the Golden State in those two organizations. The 91st Division was ordered to assemble as corps reserve at Bois de Very and Bois de Cheppy, south of the Cheppy-Montfaucon road. Instance Label History of the 363d Infantry, : one regiment of the 91st Division in World War II Title Colonel A. D. Cummings, joined October 20 and 21, 1918, and were then for the first time assigned to organizations of the 181st Brigade and other Division units. AT ELEVEN-THIRTY that night (23/12 oclock) the heavy long range guns of the army artillery opened fire on selected targets in the enemy country. Major Hanson, 347th Machine Gun Battalion, went forward with patrols after the artillery concentration and reported that no material effect had been gained against the defenses of Hill 288, only a few shells of small caliber falling on positions. During the spring offensives of 1918, the 117th was repeatedly used as a shock unit and each time acquitted itself well. This may be ascribed to the greater strength of the American divisions, as well as to the fact that they fought boldly in the open and advanced much more rapidly than the French. Under artillery-fire protection the 3rd Battalion, 361st Infantry, seized Hill 255, after fighting all afternoon, about 18 oclock and dug in. Although casualties had been heavy, especially in, company officers, the troops maneuvered with better liaison and under greater control by their leaders than during the Meuse-Argonne, showing the benefit of the experience they had gained in France. The replacements who had not yet joined the 181st Brigade followed on additional trains to overtake the Division in Belgium. After witnessing demonstrations from coast to coast, the men of the 91st felt that they were backed by an undivided nation. It usually requires more bravery to serve under fire, without returning the fire, than to discharge firearms at a visible enemy. It depended above all else for its success upon the holding of the pivot, and of the line in the vicinity of the pivot. To the south of Buanthe the French held the heights of Mont des Allieux and Cigalerie Butte, which gave excellent observation across and along No-mans-land. The withdrawal, when required, of the German forces was to be a vast pivoting movement based on Metz, having as its object a very considerable shortening of the front. This welfare work was very much increased after the armistice, and materially served to reduce homesickness and to render the officers and men contented while awaiting orders to return to the United States. Batteries of light field artillery were detailed to accompany the advance. They then moved on the Cheppy-Very road to Very. This hill, commanding as it did the valleys of the Aire and the Buanthe, was the scene of bitter struggles during the period of trench warfare. On September 24 the idea that our blow would be farther to the east still held. The sector assigned to the 91st Division ran almost exactly up the dividing line between the army group of the German Crown Prince to the west and the army group of General von Gallwitz to the east. 104th MOBILE ORD,29TH DIV-1ST HV MOBILE ORD REP SHOP. The Commanding General of the 181st Brigade at 15:30 oclock reported that the 74th Brigade (37th Division) had retired at 14:10 oclock south and east of Bois Emont. The leading battalion of the 363rd Infantry had almost reached the first objective, while the 362nd was still suffering heavy losses from Germans in front of the 41st Division. 54corps artillery.Schallmess Truppe No. A barrage was thrown over to cover the raid, and several men of the 91st were wounded during the raid against the 35th Division. However, during the night the following message was received from the Commanding General, Thirtieth French Corps: The G. A. F. telephone thus. A regiment of French infantry occupied the line of surveillance, which consisted of a broken line of dugouts hundreds of yards apart, with small combat groups between the dugouts. At the same time, some troops of the 182nd Brigade pushed forward to the north and patrols crossed the Gesnes creek and reached the south edge of the Bois de la Morine, close to the extreme left of the 362nd. No one in the Division was informed of the route to be followed, or as to the point of destination, except that Dunkerque was to be the regulating station for the Division after arrival in Belgium. More complete information on this collection and instructions on how to use it can be found in United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters - FamilySearch Historical Records, United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters - FamilySearch Historical Records, United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=United_States,_Enlisted_and_Officer_Muster_Rolls_and_Rosters,_Enlisted_Muster_Rolls_-Inventory&oldid=4516716. On the 25th the last orders were issued, designating September 26 as D day and 5:30 as H hour. THE 181st Brigade, having been left at the Bois de Cheppy the Commanding general, First Army Corps, was later on the night of October 6-7 under orders to report to placed, October 7, under the Fifth Army Corps. Later in the afternoon the 362nd forced an advance with considerable losses until it reahced the eastern extremity of Spitaals Bosschen. Service in Belgium was different from that in France Advanang in France, American troops encountered few French citizens, most of the population having been driven back before the Germans retreated. In this work the infantry and the guns of the 348th Machine Gun Battalion cooperated, and by noon the leading elements came over the hill and entered the wrecked village of Very, putting down the resistance of the Boche who remained and driving many more out of the houses and across the ridge to the northwest. TIENTSIN CHINA-RCT CASUAL DET VAN COUVER. The direction of the attack carried the 91st Division north of, through and south of a series of low hills on which there were nurseries and farms but which, according to most of the maps, consisted of a wood called Spitaals Bosschen, thence inclining slightly to the south toward the Scheldt River and the direction of Kleihoek-Audenarde. At any rate, a formidable center of resistance was encountered on Hill 288, running over the crest of this hill in a general east and west line, a horseshoe-shaped defensive position chiefly organized from a sunken road with sheer walls between twenty and thirty feet high; perfectly concealed machine gun positions, tunneled from the south slope to the road to the south slope of the crest, enabled hostile machine gun fire not only to sweep the line of the 181st Brigade, but to enfilade the lines of the 1st and 32nd Divisions on its flanks. Divisions will advance independently of each other, pushing the attack with utmost vigor and regardless of cost. The 91st Division obeyed this order on that memorable Sunday with renewed energy and inspiration, believing each division would be prompted by the same impulse to do or die for the Fifth Corps which inspired the 91st when assigned the important task of carrying the ball through the center of the First American Army. Division orders at 23:30 oclock directed heavy artillery fire on Gesnes, support of each brigade by a light regiment (75s), and advance by each brigade in its proper zone toward the American Army objective (line of hills north of the Gesnes-Exermont road). They had been caught in the jammed Avocourt-Very road behind artillery, trucks, etc. On the 13th, Commanding General, Thirtieth French Corps, received a review of the 361st Infantry at Audenarde. The 91st Division would resume its attack at 6:30 oclock. Four infantry regiments were to be made; three regiments of field artillery whipped into shape; trains for a division organized; two companies of military police trained; three machine gun battalions formed; an engineer regiment and a signal corps battalion made into efficient bodies; medical department and ambulance units established, and a hundred and one other preparatory steps taken, with the end in view of making from the material provided by the selective service laws a division destined to engage in battle with honor to itself and the States from which it drew its men. To the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade, under Brigadier General W. G. Price, were attached the 59th and 264th French Field Artillery Regiments. In spite of this, airplane photographs and the statements of prisoners showed the main German defenses in this sector to be composed of four lines. 1. The Germans attempted to move two companies up the ravine west of Bois de Bajilny, but machine gun fire turned down the ravine stopped the movement. Many men were suffering from diarrhea due to exposure for five days without warm food or overcoats and blankets. The 361st Infantry and the 347th Machine Gun Battalion advanced at 9:40 oclock, October 9, the right assault battalion reaching the base of Hill 255 under heavy artillery and machine gun fire from the two crests north of them. 255th Infantry regiment Back to the 63rd Division Headquarters Company 255th Infantry regiment 63rd Infantry Division 1st Battalion HQ Company 255th Infantry regiment 63rd Infantry Division The service of your Division with us will be remembered with pleasure and satisfaction. To the east of the 91st sector it encircled the fortress of Montfaucon and town of Ivoiry; within our zone of action it protected the towns of Epinonville and Eclisfontaine. To the east of this point the terrain is comparatively open, in general slopes toward the Scheldt River, and is in most part visible from the heights southeast of Audenarde. This man later died. On arrival, the 91st had been placed at the disposition of H. M. the King of the Belgians, commanding the Group of Armies in Flanders. A Medal of Honor was awarded him and delivered to his widow, for his heroic conduct above and beyond duty. From him it was also learned that on the right of his regiment lay the 1st Guards, a unit whose presence had been suspected ever since the finding, in No-mans-land, on September 20 of the dead body of a second lieutenant of that division. From that time until the 181st Brigade rejoined the Division on October 16, at Revigny, that brigade, as will be later described, served with the 1st Division, First Corps, and the 32nd Division, Fifth Corps, and later with the 1st Division, Fifth Corps. : 193rd regiment ohio volunteer infantry. Before this message reached Division Headquarters at Chateau-Stuivenberghe orders were received from the Seventh Corps Headquarters that, because other corps to the north were not yet ready to cross the line of the Scheldt, further advance would be suspended, the 9lst Division withdrawn to billets west of the Spitaals Bosschen, and the 41st Division, by extending its front toward its left, would cover the front then occupied by the 91st Division, namely, the city of Audenarde and the line of the river as far as Eyne.