This was done by withdrawing the entirely exhausted 1st Guard and 117th Divisions, and by moving to the west the 5th Guard and 45th Reserve Divisions. GEORGE H. CAMERON,Major General, Commanding. Physical Address POST N.C. STAFF, FT DADE-DET FIN DEPT FT EUSTIS. Colonel, now Colonel, L. C. Bennett succeeded Colonel Coleman as Quartermaster. 10TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGT BTRY A- BTRY D. 10TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGT BTRY D- 11 TH FA HQ. The 181st Brigade was directed to occupy Audenarde with a strong detachment, making demonstration of purpose to cross machine gun fire at all the broken bridges, and be ready to cross to support the attack of the 364th from the northeast. Between October 19 and 20 a large number of men and some officers who had been wounded in the Meuse-Argonne were either forwarded by orders to Dunkerque by rail or escaped from hospitals in rear of the Argonne and reached Dunkerque. 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. After the St.-Mihiel attack the Boche, expecting a further drive on the stronghold of Metz, gathered near that place a number of divisions to assure its defense. N.C.S QMC APARRI CAGAYAN-DET FIN DEPT CHANUTE FLD. 329TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGT BTRY F-HQ CO 332ND FA REGT. He asked Major General Johnston to express his confidence that officers and men of the 91st would do their duty. 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. The troops were exercised along the roads and given leaves to visit Calais, Boulogne, Dunkerque, and the battlefield south of Ypres over which the British had struggled for four years. In addition to the lines established by the 316th Field Signal Battalion, the 181st Brigade found insulated German wire in the Bois de Cheppy and used that wire in its advance, as did the Division Commander for communication with the Division P. C. at Cte 290. We are a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The country lying between these limits is hilly and broken, and a large part of it is heavily wooded. Some additional equipment was received, but the wants of the 181st Infantry Brigade could not be ascertained as they were still three days march from Contrisson. TEAMSTERS&PACKERS SCH FORT SAM HOUSTON-DET FINANCE DEPT FT DIX NJ. The "Blood and Fire" division advanced northward and eventually crossed the Saar River into Germany in early February 1945. General Pershing, after the inspection and before review, personally decorated a large number of officers and men with the Distinguished Service Cross and two enlisted men with the Medal of Honor. Colonel F. C. Endicott) consisted of the 346th Machine Gun Battalion (motorized) and one battalion of infantry with attached machine gun company from each of the infantry brigades. Most officers and men had raincoats, and some had found German blankets in dugouts. Division Headquarters was established at Chateau-Iseghem. Instance Label History of the 363d Infantry, : one regiment of the 91st Division in World War II Title During the stay of the Division in the La Ferte Bernard area, the 160th Field Artillery Brigade (85th Division) was attached to the 91st Division and billeted south of La Ferte Bernard from February 14 to 20, when it was detached and returned to its proper division. Copyright 1998 - 2023 Grayson County Virginia Heritage Foundation Inc. and New River Notes. Although the attack was initiated, little advance was made; the defenses of Hill 288 proved too great an obstacle for the combined efforts of the 181st Brigade and the divisions on the right and left of it. Thousands of civilians cheered as each ship made its way to its berth, while several of the Divisions military bands played popular airs. After moving east about two days the two American divisions stopped and it seems probable that the Commander-in-Chief, American Expeditionary Forces, did not wish them to go farther toward the Rhine. The temporary confusion was quickly corrected and the regiment went forward, reaching shelter from view in Bois de Cheppy. Its morale, according to all available information, was excellent. Under orders from the First Army, the 91st Division will be relieved from the front line tonight and placed in Corps Reserve. Although the 363rd Infantry found no trenches sufficient for protection, and as, the night was warm them men preferred lying on the ground on the hill, no casualty occurred during the bombardment, as projectiles from the our own artillery passed well over the heads of the men. When the 91st Division attacked, September 26, its total strength, including noncombatant arms, was a little less than 20,000. While the Division served at La Ferte Bernard the following orders were issued to announce the name by which the Division was popularly known, the distinctive divisional insignia and motto: 1. HQ 3RD CORPS AREA -DET DEML ORGN RES HQ 317TH INF 3RD CORPS AREA. On October 25 the Division was moved to an area south of Roulers with Headquarters at Chateau-Rumbeke. Without the communication furnished by this Battalion within the Division and communication between the Division and other units, tactical control of unit of the Division would have been very much impaired, if not impracticable. Rain fell daily. It also announced that the Third Army Corps (U.S.) on the right attacks from the Meuse (exclusive) to Malancourt (exclusive), protecting the right of the American Army and assisting the advance of the Fifth Army Corps, later advancing in conjunction with the Fifth Army Corps. It announced also that The First Army Corps on the left assists the advance of the Fifth Army Corps, by cutting off hostile artillery fire, and observation from the eastern edge of the Foret dArgonne. 314th AMM TR, 4th MTR-316th AMM TR, Co E . Throughout almost all of the month of December the 91st Division was billeted in very uncomfortable quarters in Belgian and French villages south of Dunkerque. The 117th was rated as the best of the second-class divisions in the German Army. This was doubtless due to observation by the enemy that divisions on the right and left of the 91st had been relieved, and the enemy was undoubtedly shelling the entire front of the Fifth Corps as well as the First Corps to cover the withdrawal or break-up formation of the relieving divisions. Ten centuries after Charlemagne, after the wars of the Revolution and of the Empire, Napoleon made Aix-la-Chapelle the capital of a French department for the same reason. Our losses were 35 killed and 115 wounded, in one hour. 77TH FIELD ARTILLERY BTRY E-80TH FA HQ REGT. During this period, under orders of General Cameron, the French continued to hold the front-line trenches, it being considered inadvisable for the Americans to take them over until the night before the attack was to be launched. It was learned during the day that a portion of the British 2nd Army south of the 41st French Division bad forced its way southeast and east of the hill Anseghem, advancing along the road Courtrai-Audenarde. 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. Winter underwear was issued to the 182nd Brigade and the replacements. The French Commander decided to send only the Seventh French Corps to the Rhine, leaving one Frezich corps in Belgium and sending the other back to the vicinity of Dunkerque. Brigade Headquarters were established at Eclisfontaine. Later, about 8:30 oclock, message by telephone to the French liaison officer directed that the 91st Division make no offensive this morning. DET 157TH CO CAC FT JAY NY REDES 15TH CO CAC L.I.S.-DET A CAC L.I.S. With the first wave went engineers to throw bridges over the Buanthe creek. ANTI AIRCRAFT ARTY SCH FT DESTAINS FR-HQ DET 2ND CORP0S AERO SCH. Independence, VA 24348 Another covered the right flank, facing Bois Emont. The replacements who had not yet joined the 181st Brigade followed on additional trains to overtake the Division in Belgium. Orders were then sent to prevent the 361st and 364th advances, and to elements farther ahead to hold their positions. They are offered as reprints. Our interest in them, their past history and their fighting qualities became, therefore, a very lively one. The States which gave up their best to the 91st are California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and the Territory of Alaska. All of the colors with their escorts, their regimental and brigade commanders, with colors of Seventh French Corps, formed facing the cathedral at Aiz-la-Chapelle. The brigade was not to advance unless specially ordered to do so. Major Endicott was Division Machine Gun Officer. 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. CO C 3RD BN US GURAD-CO D 13TH BN CP DIX NJ. Just before news of this success (by runner from Major Bradbury near Gesnes) reached the Division Commander he received report from the 91st Division liaison officer at Headquarters, 35th Division (Cheppy), of the retirement of the 70th Brigade to Baulny, and that the Commanding General of the 35th Division was returning to Cheppy. It was very short of company officers, most companies of infantry having not more than two officers per company, although sixty second lieutenants recently commissioned after graduation from corps schools had joined the Division after it left the Meuse-Argonne. The zone of action of the 128th French Division on the north and the 41st Division on the south was so shaped that before arrival at the Scheldt (Escaut) River their zones disappeared, the 91st Division reaching the Scheldt River next to the 37th Division (American). 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. In the middle of October, the Division was attached to the Seventh French Army Corps of the Sixth French Army in Flanders. Very few casualties were suffered this day. The barrage lifted and rolled off through Cheppy Wood at the specified rate of 100 yards in every five minutes. You pay each year by check or PayPal. A number of cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers added further to the security of the convoy. Hostile artillery shelled the entire Division area from 10 oclock this day until 8 oclock the next day. Officers and men alike submitted to these examinations and any man found unfit was compelled to remain behind. 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. The men were able, in turn, to go back to the kitchens and get the first warm food they had had since the evening of September 25. Since the 41st French Division had failed to reduce the strong German position on the hill Anseghem, it was impracticable to cause the 362nd to move any farther. The 37th was relieved by the 117th Division during the night of September 12-13; on the 16th the 53rd sector was taken over by the 1st Guard Division. An Advance Center of Information was established on Hill 274 (La Cigalerie Butte), 700 meters east of La Cigalerie Farm. They was redesignated for the 363d Regiment on 24 Jan 1962. The personnel at that time included officers and men from nearly every State of the Union. Box 679 The German artillery fire directed against the general advance of the First and Fifth Corps caused fifty casualties in the 91st Division on October 4. History Of The Buna Campaign Part1. TIENTSIN CHINA-RCT CASUAL DET VAN COUVER. The expiration of ten months of intensive training found the 91st preparing for the long-anticipated journey overseas. In the British attack of August on the Somme the division had heavy losses, and was withdrawn to Sedan, where it rested and received replacements. During the second and third from positions near Very crossroads and Epinonville, the artillery materially assisted the infantry without being able to push accompanying guns to the front line. [2] Nevertheless, there was no indication of faltering or weakening on the part of officers or men. About 18 oclock (6 P. M.) twenty-eight German bombing planes made a raid on the Division Headquarters, 58th Artillery Brigade and some engineers in the ravine between Epinonville and Very. A smoke screen was laid along the north and south sides of Spitaals Bosschen, and it was contemplated by the Corps Commander that the two infantry brigades, advancing one north and one south of this strong position would isolate the Germans then defending it, and by the time they had reached the eastern extremity of Spitaals Bosschen, which was estimated to be one hour and forty minutes, the mopping-up detail under Major Aird would have little trouble in making prisoners of all left on those hills. The 74th Brigade, 37th Division, had been seen retiring about noon toward Ivoiry. The 181st Brigade was to attack in column of regiments, the 362nd following the 361st. It was checked at the road Tronsol Farm-Grange aux Bois Farm by fire from the latter place. General de Goutte was placed in command of the Sixth French Army, consisting of the Seventh, Thirtieth and Thirty-fourth Corps. Each night our patrols heard sounds of digging along the hostile outposts and each day air reports indicated new emplacements and deepened trenches. Some troops penetrated Epinonville, but the brigade was obliged to fall back to, the ravine south thereof for the night. It was arranged in four groups; One under Lieut. On request of the Commander of the 182nd Brigade, the 1st Battalion, 316th Engineers, was ordered to join that brigade by 4 oclock, September 29. So diligently did the officers of the 91st Division take care of equipping and clothing these casuals that by the time other organizations had left by train for the coast this casual battalion was ready to leave on one of the last trains. As with the other brigade, instructions were sent not to move the entire brigade down to the river, but to occupy a line of resistance on the high ground overlooking Audenarde, sending battalions forward to reconnoiter the situation. QMC DEPOT NEW ORLEANS-DET QM CORPS RENO QMD FT RENO. From September 26 to October 3 it was actively engaged in this offensive, making an advance of thirteen kilometers against strong opposition, capturing the towns of Very, Gesnes and Epinonville. The 1st Prussian Guard Division, as its name implies, belonged to the elite of the German Army. At the end of three days the St.-Mihiel salient had been obliterated from the war maps and there was no further need for holding the Division in reserve. A Company B Company C Company D Company 383rd Infantry Regiment Newspaper. The heroes of the great war are here to-day to prove it. The nest may consist of one or several guns, sometimes set in prepared emplacements, sometimes merely tucked away in bushes or in the ruins of a house. The 37th Division was later to be assigned to the Thirtieth French Corps. Lieut. It developed that, while the portion of the line turned over to the 181st Brigade by relieved elements of the 32nd Division was supposed to be the line from Hill 269 to Hill 255 (on American Army objective formerly reached by the 91st Division, September 29), the elements of the 32nd Division relieved were actually on a line one and one-half kilometers south of the line joining those two crests, both of which were highly organized and defended by machine gun nests. They are based on prisoner identifications, made during the fighting, the rapid questioning possible at the time, and upon certain inferences which may safely be drawn from the current of events. Machine guns of the 346th Machine Gun Battalion from the orchard near Epinonville frequently fired upon hostile planes. Marie area, with headquarters at Chateau- Michelbeke, a battery of the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade was sent to Bruxelles to represent the 91st Division. Colonel A. D. Cummings, who had been promoted just after the Meuse-Argonne and attached to the 361st, assumed command of the regiment. Still later, Major General de Goutte, who had resumed command of the Sixth French Army after the dissolution of the Group of Armies of Flanders, published the following General Order concerning the services of the 37th and 91st Divisions in Belgium:VI French Army H.Q., 11th December, 1918. While in Autrecourt the staff was acquainted with the big task ahead-the smash through the Meuse- Argonnand learned definitely that the 91st would go over the top in the coming drive. 34TH CO C.A.C FT CANBY-93RD CO C.A.C FT MISSOULA, 93RD CO C.A.C REGT 30-124TH CO C.A.C FT BANKS, 124TH CO C.A.C FT ANDREWS-5TH CO C.A.C FT SHERMAN, 5TH CO C.A.C CRISTOBAL FORMERLY 16TH CO CAC-9TH CO CAC FT RANDOLPH C.Z, DETS CAC CRISTOBAL CD PF PANAMA-4TH CO CAC DELAWARE, 4TH CO CAC DELEWARE FT HANCOCK-135TH CO CAC FT TOTTEN, 135TH CO CAC FT TOTTEN-82ND CO CAC FT TOTTEN, 82ND CO CAC FT SLOCUM-128TH CO CAC FT CROCKETT, 128TH CO CAC FT SAM HOUSTON-2ND CO CAC HONOLULU, 3RD CO CAC HONOLULU-132ND CO CAC FT MATTITUCK. Thus each of the six infantry battalions had with it throughout the action a machine gun company, excepting where orders required less than a company to be detached with liaison groups sent out on the flanks. A concentration of heavy artillery was put down for fifty minutes, 13 oclock to 13:50 oclock. During the day, while the 364th had been pushing to the north, the 363rd had been drawn more and more into a northwesterly course, into the zone of the 35th Division. 324TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGT BTRY B-DET#7 325TH FA REGT. The 63rd Infantry Division ("Blood and Fire" [1]) was an infantry division of the United States Army that fought in Europe during World War II. He later published the following order concerning the service of the 91st Division while attached to the Thirtieth French Corps: Thirtieth Army Corps H. Q. Nov.24, 1918General StaffFrom: The General of Division PEN~T, commanding the Thirtieth Army Corps.To: The Commanding General of the 91st Infantry Division, U.S.A. The Commanding Generals of the 37th and 91st Divisions rode with the Seventh Corps Commander, and the other American officers formed on the left of the French staff during the march toward the Rhine and the American detachments moved by motor transport, rejoining their divisions south of Dunkerque, after visiting such interesting points as Liege, Namur, Bruxelles, Bruges, and the battlefield of Waterloo. Brigadier General Henry B. Styer commanded the 181st, comprising the 361st and 362nd Infantry Regiments and 347th Machine Gun Battalion; Brigadier General Frederick S. Foltz commanded the 182nd Brigade, comprising the 363rd and 364th Infantry Regiments and 348th Machine Gun Battalion. After the 182nd Brigade had formed for the night march, orders were received from Headquarters, Fifth Corps, to detach one infantry brigade, leaving it in its present position and reporting it to the Chief of Staff, First Army Corps, for further orders. In every case the guns themselves were carefully concealed, and there was usually some form of protection for the crew. 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. P. C. was advanced to Cote 290 on September 20, the administrative staff remaining at Vraincourt. P.O. Although they were assigned on paper to various units, they were not permitted to join, excepting those for the 182nd Infantry Brigade. When last May and July, he gathered together his forces liberated from the East and threw them against us in a desperate effort, the soldiers of France again broke up their attacks in Champagne and on the doubly sacred river Marne. The line of resistance described above was ordered by the Headquarters, Fifth Corps, for possible defense against a strong force of enemy reported arriving at Exermont. 23RD BOMB SQ 5TH COMPOSITE LUKE FLD- 28TH BOMB SQ NICHOLAS FLD R.I. 28TH BOMB SQ AC NICHOLS FLD P.I- 22ND BOMB SQ 119TH BOMP GP LUKE FLD T.H, 72ND BOMB SQ AC LUKE FLD T.H- 10 CADET SQ CP DICK TEXAS, 11TH CADET SQ CP DICK TEXAS- 2ND OBSERVATION SQ AC, 2ND OBSERVATION SQ AC FT MILLS P.I. At least one thousand officers and men formerly wounded rejoined the Division during its stay in Belgium. Some of the men serving the kitchens were killed and wounded, and some men going to the kitchens for hot coffee were wounded, but the kitchens remained in the woods until the withdrawal on the morning of October 4. Sensing danger, they made the raids mentioned, to obtain information. A combat liaison group from the 182nd Brigade moving with a battalion of the 1st Division suffered heavy losses as it advanced. Although no tanks had been assigned to the 91st Division, a detachment thereof under Captain Ferrer, 348th Machine Gun Battalion, co-operated with some tanks in the attack near Cheppy, which resulted in the capture of a large number of Germans. A machine gun company of this regiment in position west of Tronsol Farm fired on the enemy in front of the 1st Division as it was marching up on the left of the position held by the 91st. On November 24, 1917, General Greene and the Chief of Staff left Camp Lewis for France to study the actual conditions with which the Division would be called upon to cope. 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. Some officers and men were sent to various universities in France and England to take special courses. 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. As the convoy entered the Irish Sea, the destroyers were augmented by British dirigibles and hydroplanes and submarine chasers. On the right the advance of the 32nd Division through the Bois Emont protected the 91st from machine gun and snipers fire, but all parts of the areas were subjected nearly all day to heavy artillery fire. Now that the goal has been reached, the pious of France, which future generations will perhaps recognize as greater than the Grognards of Napoleon and the Knights of Charmagne, come to give homage to the emperor named Charles the Great by the historians of France because he conquered the Germans. It also included observation posts occupied each by one company of French infantry, one at La Cigalerie Butte, on the western edge of the 91st Division zone, and the other on the Cote le Hermont, which was within the sector later occupied by the 37th Division. It was not until the fourth day that batteries were actually pushed to the front so as to have accompanying, guns with front line battalions. The movement went forward on one or two trains daily, troops sailing from St. Nazaire as fast as vessels were available. On the afternoon of Sunday, October 6, order were received for the Division to march to Dombasle and Jouy en Argonne, which places were south of the Fifth Corps Headquarters. Its trenches, and machine gun emplacements alone gave it great strength, but its principal value lay in the fact that it dominated broad stretches of rolling, open country and offered clear fields of fire down long, bare ravines. Considerable equipment, including machine gun carts and additional draft animals, was issued to the Division in Foret de Hesse. Some machine gun positions were at the mouths of tunnels opening out of the southern slopes of the hills. The remainder of the casuals, under Lieut. the typical Infantry Division was formed as a "triangular unit", which meant the division consisted of 3 Regiments. Each Brigade and Regimental Commander, with staff, followed by motor transportation as soon the elements of his command had been entrained. After the armistice two chaplains with divisional burial parties were sent back to this zone from Belgium by truck to search for graves of 6fficers and men still carried as missing. There were attached also to the Division twenty-five men of the French cavalry. After the armistice all colors were uncased and bands marched at the heads of their units and played while such units were passing through Belgian cities. To accompany these physical barriers the enemy had developed a remarkably efficient system of ground observation posts, connected by wire with all his battery and most of his machine gun emplacements; he was furthermore provided with balloon and aviation services, which, from the point of view of observation and liaison, left very little to be desired. REPAIR UNIT,321,SEC 11 MOTOR TRANSPORT DEPOT. Attached to the 91st Division were the following units: 58th Field Artillery Brigade; one regiment of the 158th Field Artillery Brigade; one battalion of the 65th Regiment Coast Artillery Corps; one battery of French artillery; Company B, First Gas Regiment, less one platoon; 104th Squadron, Air Service Corps, less one flight. The French Army of Belgium consisted of three corps, in line from north to south as follows: Thirty-fourth Corps; Thirtieth Corps, Seventh Corps. From Camp Lewis considerable correspondence was conducted with former members of the Division and with the War Department. Signal corps lines were well maintained in spite of heavy bombardment, and communication between Division and Corps Headquarters, and between the Division and Brigade Headquarters, was never better. Belgian forces held the sector to the north of the French Army of Belgium and British to the south thereof. 189th regiment ohio volunteer infantry. 62 Thirtieth Army Corps Headquarters, directed the 12th and 41st Divisions to continue the pursuit; that only one brigade of the 91st Division would pass through the French elements east of the river as soon as they met opposition, and thereafter pursue and maintain contact with the enemy. Wherever possible these patrols should be equipped with sirens with which to alarm the troops in support; we must look for a surprise attack. 339TH FIELD ARTILLERY BTRY A-BTRY E 340TH FA . 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. While the American staff was carefully checking up the roster of enemy divisions in line and in reserve and was perfecting the details of . Thus, this brigade of the 91st Division, after two days rest, found itself back in the line between the 1st Division and the 32nd Division, in front of the position formerly held by the 182nd Brigade. The noise of narrow-gauge railways, motor trucks, the unloading of heavy material, loud cries, sirens and claxons could be heard through the whole night. As a result of this information the resting battalions of the 3d Guard Regiment were brought up to points south of the Very-Montf aucon line. At 2:30 oclock, all the guns of the corps and divisional artillery, silent up to that moment, went into action together. The complete relief of the 181st, however, was not effected until 9 :30 oclock. This resulted in orders from the Division Commander to the 181st Brigade to take Grange aux Bois Farm, as mentioned above. Nothing happened there, but enemy planes flying by night far behind our lines reported an entirely abnormal traffic in the vicinity of Verdun.