Stories of the World War

I was young but influenced greatly by my great Uncle Will when he came to my parents house for dinner some evenings. His tales of the Great War was fascinating. In between tales, he would drag out his souveniers. The wool blanket with the bullet holes. The German Helment, the bloody sweater, the wool socks. Uncle Will was quite a souvenier hunter. He came back with German belt buckles, postcards, German shells made into ashtrays that was taken off a German officer's desk. He kept everything, even World War I era newspapers. He always had a story to tell about each one. Every thing including his helment was locked up in his two or three footlockers.
What bothered me most was his weeping. He would tell his stories and weep from the sheer terror of remembering.
One tale he told was of running through the lines to fetch water. As he reached a town plaza, he found a fountain to fill up the canteens he had with him. As he reached the fountain, he looked up and a German soldier was staring at him from across the fountain. He would begin to weep saying "He had the most beautiful blue eyes." The soldier was dead. He had died trying to drink from the same fountain.

Battle of St. Mihiel

St. Mihiel was fought between September 12-15, 1918. This battle involved the American Expeditionary force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions. The United States Army Air Force played a significant role in this action. The battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans. This attack on the St. Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the U.S. would break through the German lines and capture the city of Metz which was highly fortified. The attack caught the Germans retreating. Since the German artillery was out of place, this gave the Americans the advantage. The battle increased the stature of the Americans in the eyes of the French and British forces. The attack of Metz was not realized since the Germans refortified their positions. The Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensive. General Pershing believed that a successful attack in the region of St. Mihiel would have a debilitating effect on the Germans. If the Allied forces could clear the rail and road communications into Verdun and capture the German's railroad center at Metz then it would have been devastating to the German military. Afterwards, the Allies could have launched offensives into Germany.
The weather during the battle was rain during the parts of day and night. The wind was heavy and the roads muddy. In some parts of the road, the men were almost knee deep in mud and water. After five days of rain, the ground was muddy and was nearly impassable to both the American tanks and the infantry. Some tanks were stuck while others were wrecked due to water leakage into the engine. Infantry were showing the first stages of trench foot before trenches were dug.
Before the American operation, the Germans installed many in-depth series of trenches, wire obstacles, and machine gun nests. Three villages were nearby: Vigneulles, Thiaucourt, and Hannonville-sous-les-Cotes. Their capture would help accelerate the envelopment of the German divisions near St. Mihiel. The American's plan was to breach the trenches and then advance along the enemy's logistical road network. The Germans knew the date, time, and duration of the prepatatory barrage from a Swiss newspaper. Still, they lacked sufficient manpower, firepower, and effective leadership to launch a counter-attack against the Allies. They decided to pull out of the area and consolidate their forces near the Hindenburg line.

Men Mentioned In The Diary

I have looked up some names in his diary. It would be an impossible task to look up all of them and when I have they always lead to one place. The cemetary. For instance, there is a John W. Mckillip who is buried in Greenwood, cemetary in Muscatine Iowa. He lived until November 4, 1961. Most likely a very full life. One I looked up was also listed as a possible Spanish American War veteran. His name was Henry A. Martin. I am interested in finding out more about these men who served with Uncle Will Tubb. But will I ever hear their stories from their families? I am still hoping by some strange concidence that I will.

Saint-Mihiel And Billy Mitchell

The father of air warfare, Billy Mitchell, noticed how well air warfare influenced the outcome of the battle of Saint-Mihiel that he became convinced that he could use air power to influence the out come of succeeding wars. The multi colored airplanes whirring in the skies over head must have been a sight to see for the young Willie I. Tubb.

Re d'Italia Transport Ship

Built by Sir James and Sons limited, Sunderlund, England, 1907. 6560 gross tons; 430(bp) feet long, 52 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engines, twin screw. Service speed 14 knots. 2020 passengers (120 first class, 1900 third class). Built for Lloyd Sabaudo, Italian flag, in 1907 and named Re d'Italia. Italy-New York and Italy-South America Service. Scrapped in Italy in 1929.

End Of The War

Each town was luxuriantly decorated with French and American flags. Having heard so much of Luxembourg and knowing its population to be Germans we expected to be received with cold stares but much to our surprise we were received with open arms and as victorius troops. We arrived in the village of Kayle at 11:30 a.m. where we were billeted in cafes, private residences and some few in barns. The night we spent in Kayle will long be remembered by the soldiers who participated. We found plenty of cafes with plenty to drink, and many pretty Luxembourg maidens to tend our wants and after spending a night of eating, drinking, and dancing we escorted the Luxembourg ladies to their respective homes and then retired to try to sleep away the "schnapps." We awoke the next morning with dizzy heads to find that we had 11 kilos to hike,departing from our city of joy at 7:30 a.m. leaving our lady loves to settle once more into their daily routine of life of the small Luxembourg village. Our officers insisted that we hiked only 11 kilos but at 12:30 noon when we arrived in the village of Asphelt every soldier declared he had hiked 25 kilos. We departed from Asphelt 8:03 a.m. December 4th, arriving at Assel at 11:40. Here we rested the following day departing December 6th. at 7:40 a.m. marching through Remish, Luxembourg where we crossed the mosel which was the international boundary line into Nenning, Germany. Thus; settling our foot for the first time on German soil. Through the mistake of the infantry we marched some 28 kilos arriving at Cohren at 4:30 p.m. after marching 18kilos out of the way. We departed at 8 a.m. December 7th arriving at Coenen at 2:15 where we were again received as royal guests. We departed at 8:15 December 8th. arriving at Essel where we had a new experience in the line of billets. We had been in barns, private houses, churches, cellars, factories, saloons, and every conceivable place but in this little German village we were billeted in the " Temple of Knowledge", the local school house. We departed at 7:52 December 9th arriving at 12:05 noon. Here again as usual we were treated royally departing at 8:32 December 10th. arriving at Platten at 1:12 p.m. Here we were informed by our C.O. that an inspection of machine gun equipment and of our train would be made. The roads being very muddy and the weather being very bad our equipment was in bad condition but an inspection at this with our trip just half done, the roads still muddy, the weather continuing rainy, seemed an absolute folly to the weary foot worn soldiers of the 345 Machine Gun Battalion but we had long since learned that "orders are orders", and each man set to work to clean up his equipment, but "Generals will be Generals", and this inspection was not held until we had marched about 1 kilo through the mud and rain and our equipment looked fully as bad as preceding the cleaning, therefore an order was issued to clean our machine gun carts every day on our arrival at our destination and to wash and oil our helmets and to see that our leggings were free from mud as well. We left Platten at 8:00 a.m. marching 13 kilos arriving at Kinderburen at 12:00 noon on December 11th. We expected to renew our march the next morning but much to our surprise and enjoy ment, orders arrived late that night saying we would sit tight and not move as expected. This was indeed joyful news to men who had been enduring the hardships of soldiers sho have the honor of being among the troops of occupation, but let it be said here that during this unusual march that not a soldier has whimpered. The cooks being forced to march with their packs little felt like cooking when we arrived at our day's destination therefore: our meals were rather scant. During this march of 262 kilos we have not seen the sun shine a single day. The weather has been very bad, the roads muddy and plenty of high hills to climb. We left kinderburen at 8:00 a.m. December 16th. arriving at Gillenfeld at 1:10 p.m. where we went into billets expecting to stay here and do garrison duty but after two days rest we were ordered to move to Rachtig on the Mozel River. Here we spent Christmas and one the morning of December 27th. we hit the trail up the mosel through Berncastle to the village of Filzen A Co. at Dusemond. January 27th. we have been here one month drilling, going to Machine Gun school and snow balling and passing away the time as best we can.

The End Of The Second Diary

Continuation of Second Diary-End Of The War

That night we received orders that we would go over the top at 6a.m. Nov.11th and at 3:00 a.m. we received a message to set tight and not attack. At nine a.m. we received a rumor that the armistice had been signed and that the guns would cease fire at 11:00 which no one believed to be true but shortly afterwards we received an official order that firing would cease at eleven. Promptly at eleven November 11th, 1918, all firing ceased. There was much hollering and blowing of bugles by the Germans and white flags appeared all along their lines as they marched away in close order formation. We remained here for the balance of that day and night and on the morning of November 12th we returned to Ville rs France where we stayed three days and departed for Sulmory 1kilo away. Here we had the experience of being billeted in an old German bakery where we rested until Nov. 25th when we hit the trail with full packs and our faces toward the Rhine for Koblence Germany 332 kilos North East. We arrived in Marville France at 3:30 p.m. after having covered 25 kilos of ground recently evacuated by the Germans and the scattered equipment showed signs of hurried departure. We remained in Mrville seven days. During our stay here we visited Mount Des Mure and the cemetery and church of Holy Mure. It was while in this cemetery that we had the pleasure of visiting a vault that contained the remains of forty thousand men who passed away some six centuries before. The earliest date being 1321. After spending a couple of hours in this ancient place we returned to Marville and visited the Des Mure Cathedral which was built in 1441. The interior remains as when it was constructed but the interior decorations have been torn away by the Germans who had used this beautiful shrine for a stable. On the morning of November 30th we hit the trail again arriving a Constance farm at 2:30 where we were billeted in barns, and once more taking up the trail at 7:40 December 1st hiking 33 kilos to Vellerupt where much to our surprise we found we were to sleep in real beds, and you may depend that each man pounded his ears and dreamed sweet dreams of home, but alas! five a.m. was bound to come with that unpopular person, the bugler who got out his tin beer bottle and blew that call which is more dreaded than taps.
"First Call". We hit the trail at 7:31 December 2nd, crossing the boundary line of France and Luxembourg at 9:20 a.m. passing through the town of Esch where much to our surprise we saw the beloved face of our commander in chief staring from posters in every prominent building as well as Marshall Foch.