General Headquarters to the effect that the entire action had been investigated and found creditable.

The casualties suffered from the raid, together with those resulting from the gas attack of June 24th, so depleted the Company as to make an immediate relief imperative and that same night Company L took over our sector.

A subsequent reorganization of the entire regiment distributed the men of the various companies so that all would have an equal strength. Our numbers were so few that we lost none of our men in this process but instead received increases not only from many of the other companies, but also from the 76th New England Division.

As tribute to those men whom we had lost, a Company B mass was held at the Catholic Church in Vacqueville at which Chaplain Father Walsh of our battalion officiated. The entire strength of the Company was present.

Another rest and another turn up front, after which the entire division was relieved by the 37th Ohio and Kentucky Division. Once again we crossed the Vosges, halting for three days at Seranville. Leaving there, we bivouaced for a night in the Forêt de Charmes and entrained at Charmes next morning, August 7th, at dawn.

The Advance from the Vesle to the Aisne

From the Vesle to the Aisne—August 10th to September 15th

Two days later, August 10th, we took transport on an immense train of motor trucks—"lorries" we called them, after the English. They were driven by Indo-Chinese serving under the French. After nine cramped but interesting hours—we passed thru Chateau-Thierry—our trip ended at Fere en Tardenois. For three days we camped in a small wood and then we moved to a position supporting the attack on Fismes. We were stationed in the Bois de la Pissotti, adjoining the Forêt de Nesle. While there we were engaged in digging a series of reserve trenches near Mont-sur-Courville.

On August 28th the battalion moved around Chéry-Chartreuve to a position east of Le Prés Farm. September 1st we again shifted, this time crossing the Vesle and relieving the Third Battalion, just east of Bazoches. Here we repulsed a raiding party, inflicting heavy losses upon the enemy. We were then moved to a ravine, which gave us the opportunity of taking a two-day rest.

Our next move brought us to face with the enemy just south of Merval, where we took a position in an exposed field, our only protection being the individual "funk holes" which had been deserted by the retreating German troops.

After three days of little water and practically no food, at 5:30 on the afternoon of September 8th—still brilliant daylight—we crawled from our funk holes and, each squad in single file in formation known as "squad columns", we advanced against German artillery in an effort to straighten the line. As we reached the outskirts of Merval we were subjected to an intense barrage of H. E.'s, suffering the loss of four men killed and five injured.

Our Path Thru the Argonne

No gain was made by this sortie and we drew back to our funk-hole position awaiting further developments.

Early on the morning of September 14th, supported by a barrage laid down by combined American, French, and Italian artillery, we attacked the enemy position that lay on the far side of the Ravine Merval.

The advance was made down the side of the valley in the face of a withering fire of enemy machine guns. Tho suffering heavy casualties, our progress was unchecked and we swarmed up the opposite slope with undiminished vigor. So rapid were our gains that we had to pause to allow our flanks to catch up. Our Third Platoon was so far ahead of the line of advance as to be mistaken by the commander of the cooperating French forces for a body of the enemy and it required considerable persuasion to correct his misconception. The day's end saw the German horde driven across the Aisne, and we were well beyond our original objective. But we had advanced true to form. Commenting on a previous attack made by another American unit, a French officer had remarked: "The Americans,—they are fools. Tell them to take one trench,—and they take three!"

We had been operating on the line of the Vesle with several divisions but the 77th was the only American division to drive its way to the Aisne.

Our gains were paid for with numerous casualties and when we received our relief it was thoroly welcome. It had been our longest consecutive stretch in the front line and we suffered not only from battle losses but we had also endured the utmost privation. Short rations, little water, exposed positions, and the constant necessity for watchfulness had undermined our strength to an unusual degree. We had been operating on the will to accomplish rather than on food and water.

An Italian unit relieved our Company and we withdrew to a reserve position in the Vesle Valley, east of Fismes. Here, on the night of September 16th, our division was relieved by an Italian division and we pulled out of the sector.

We looked forward to a period of rest, but it was not to be. Twenty kilometres of hiking brought us to the Arcis le Ponsart Forest, where we bivouaced for a day. Then into lorries for an all-night ride to Le Chatelier-sur-Marne, where our losses were replaced by a detachment from the 40th "Sunshine" Division. Two days of speculating as to our chances for a rest terminated when on the night of September 20th we were ordered to roll packs. We stepped off on a thirty-two kilometre hike at 1:00 A.M., via St. Menehould and Florent, and seventeen hours later we dragged ourselves into the Forêt de Maisons Petites where we were quartered in barracks at the edge of the Argonne Forest.

The Argonne—September 26th to November 11th

The memorable and decisive drive known as the Argonne-Meuse Offensive started on September 26th. That day found us entrenched near the main road at Florent,—a position in reserve of the 1st Army Corps.

Actual operations were started that night, when the entire cannon of half a hundred divisions poured forth on the enemy its scorching fire. Next morning we moved to a position north of Florent, and three days later we moved thru the town of Le Four de Paris into those trenches north of La Harazee that had been deserted by the 122d German Regiment of the 2d Landwehr Division.

The "Lost" Battalion

October 2d we left the reserve and assumed a support position. On that day the forces in the line drove forward, but in the execution of the advance Companies E, H, I, K, L, and M of the 308th Infantry and Company K of the 307th Infantry found themselves trapped by the enemy on a hill north of the Bois de la Buironne. These units were the only ones to reach their objective but by thus advancing ahead of their flanks, they gave the enemy an opportunity to surround them. In this hazardous position they struggled as the "Lost" Battalion.

U. S. Official Photo
Grim Business in the Argonne
A Unit of the 307th Infantry Waiting Orders to "Mop Up"

We went forward to their relief on October 4th, but were held back by the