Continuation of Second Diary

The next morning orders arrived ordering us back to the front for the drive. We departed at 12 noon marching until 4:30 arriving in the woods to the left of our original first line position. We remained here until 10:20 p.m. when we were ordered to fall in and start a march through Montauville to a position one kilo to the right. Here we rested until morning when after being served with breakfast we went over the top. After moving forward for about 1 hour passing over the trenches that the night before were held by the Germans who had been forced to leave on account of our barrage. During the day we continued to pass over ground recently evacuated by the enemy and at 3:30 p. m. we came to the edge of a wood where we were forced to cross an open strip of ground to gain the German trenches. It was while trying to cross this open space we were sighted by the German artillery, and they began to drop large shells all around us. We were ordered into shell holes where we were forced to stay until nearly dark when we finally moved into the trenches vacated by the Germans. We remained here all night with shells landing very near and the swish of our own shells going over sounding in our ears. The next day was uneventful with the exception of heavy shelling on both sides. At 2 p.m. the following day, Sunday Sept. 16 we were ordered to move forward and take a hill which was 2,000 yds. in front of us. This hill was a German stronghold and we knew that we had a hard fight ahead. Promptly at 2:40 we went over the top passing through the town of Villers Sous Prenz. Fritz saw us coming and opened up with every thing he had, but let it be said here that not a man faltered although their comrades were falling on all sides. We reached our objective at 4:45 p.m. and dug in. After completing the job of digging in we were relieved and sent back as support. We remained in support six days when at 8:00 p.m. Sept. 22nd. we started once more for the line of defence arriving on the hill to the rear of Villers Sous Plenz. On the early morning of Sept. 27 our third platoon went over the top with two companies of the 2nd. Battalion 360 infantry with the intention of capturing a German Colonel with his staff who was reported to be in Pagny. On this raid we had several casualties and the Colonel escaped, but it was later learned we prevented a counter attack they were intending to make. After the raid we remained in the second line until the night of Oct. 1st. when we moved forward one and a half miles north of Villers Sous Prenz. Here we remained until the night of Oct. 7th. when we returned to Jacainville and rested one day leaving on the night of the 8th. for that long looked for rest we had heard so much about. Hiking 25 kilos that night arriving in the woods at what was known as S.V.A. barracks at 2 a.m. Here we remained for the rest of the night and in the morning set march for Toul. Every man looked forward to the rest he expected to get but when as usual about 2 p.m. Sunday Oct. 13th. we received orders to prepare for a move at four p.m. We hit the trail in a blinding rain, marching 5 kilos to Choloy arriving at 6 p.m. spending the night in the usual hay loft. On the morning of Oct. 16th. we left in trucks for a 70 kilo ride to the Verdun front. We arrived at Blercourt 6 p.m. Oct. 16th. and had to hike six kilos with full packs to some old shacks in the woods known as Camp St. Perrie. We remained here until the morning of Oct. 21st. when we hit the trail for the famous Argonne Forest. During this march we saw the famous Dead Man's Hill, where many soldiers had lost their lives. The farther we went into the forests the wilder the country grew. The trees were in shreds and the ground was literally torn up by shell fire. We passed the Montfaucon now famous as one of the strong points wrestled from the Germans. This town is situated on the highest hill in that part of France and it was from here that Kaiser Bill often times watched the battle of his troops. We continued our march through the woods to a portion just north of Nantillois, where we remained in shell holes until Oct. 30th. Here we recieved orders to advance and at 8 p.m. left this position, going through Romange, and taking up our position on a sunken road 150 yds. behind the infantry out posts. On the morning of Oct. 31st. a large shell struck right among our men causing the loss of the lives of several. On the night of Oct. 31st. we continued to press forward into a small wood just in front of the infantry line. This was for the purpose of throwing a machine gun barrage into a small woods and a near by town, both of which were numerously infested by German machine guns. On Nov. 1st. 1918, the greatest artillery and machine gun barrage that has ever been was delivered, lasting some three hours. At 5:30 a.m. under this barrage the 3rd Battalion 360 infantry advanced followed an hour later by the 2nd. Battalion and Companies D., G., and C. 345 Machine Gun Battalion. At 11 a.m. we reached our objective and had captured many prisoners who were constantly streaming in through our lines to the rear. While the Germans did not counter attack they retaliated with heavy artillery fire and it was during this shell fire that we suffered severely losing several men. At 11:a.m. the third battalion 360 infantry leap frogged us and drove the enemy some three kilos. We were temporarily relieved by the 179th Brigade of the same division who drove the Germans another 8 kilos. This left the 360 infantry and ourselves in the line of support where we remained under heavy shell fire until 6 p.m. Nov. 3rd. when we were once more starting forward marching until 11:30 p.m. when we pitched pup tents in the edge of the woods on one of the five hills known as five fingers or cat's paw. It was from these hills that our artillery did such effective work on the German railroad. On the night of Nov. 9th. we started on an all nights hike which ended in Mouzay the following day at 4 p.m. and in the afternoon of Nov. 10th. we took up our position on the side of the road about two kilos north east of Mouzay. We soon discovered that this was only about 150 yds. from the German front lines. It was while trying to reach this position that many of our men were gassed.