MEMORIES OF BATTERY "E"

Battery "E," 314th F. A., made their first appearance in actual 
warfare September 25, 1918, at Dead Man's Hill.  The position was 
shelled lightly but the men were cool and collected at all times. As 
we were not to fire until 5.30 A. M. of the 26th, we spent all our 
spare time in making preparations to give the Boche hell. On the 
night of the 25th the heavy artillery in our rear opened up for the 
big drive and presented a wonderful scene which will be carried 
forever in the minds of those present. At the hour our guns fired for 
the first time against the Germans in the form of an offensive 
barrage supporting our 80th Division Infantry, who were near 
Bethincourt. There were several gas alarms, but these were false, so 
there was nothing to hinder the firing of the barrage, which was a 
success from the start to the finish two hours later. Several men 
were lost in this position. Corporal Kirkpatrick had his leg broken 
helping to move a gun, Private Dobbins and Cook Pultz were sent to 
the hospital with influenza.
     On the morning of the 26th we moved forward to Hill 277 where we 
went into action in old-time open warfare style. An O. P. was 
established on the hill and the guns fired without putting up their 
camouflage, for the infantry was being held up by machine guns. It 
was in this position we experienced our first air raid when ten 
German planes, flying very low, fired on us for nearly half an hour, 
but luckily no one was injured. The men also had their first 
experience in digging dugouts. They worked several nights on them but 
just when they were finished and ready to use we were ordered to 
move. Our kitchen had not yet come to us but the men were cooking 
their own meals, for we were getting rations daily. It was in this 
position that the men gathered a bunch of old and new German 
equipment and it was a common sight to see the men wearing German 
shoes. Some men also gathered up German blankets, but were sorry 
later, for they turned out to be inhabited extensively by cooties. 
There were numerous gas alarms given in this place and on one 
occasion an alarm given caused our Battery Commander to break all 
records for a kilometer dash for his gas mask, but it proved to be 
false. The machine gun section had an elaborate dugout, and when 
Lieutenant Forst took it over for an orientation room he did not take 
the good will of the section with him. Sergeant Vees found a keg of 
German beer in an old dugout which proved to be a healthy beverage to 
more than one of the Outfit; in fact, canteens carried very little 
water as long as it lasted. Private Hackett was sent to the hospital 
and Private Coleman Was very ill in an old German dugout. In the 
echelon Private Steil was injured and Private Schnelle's tent was hit 
by a shell, but he was not injured.
     From September 5th to the 10th we were in position about 500 
meters from the road running between Septsarges and Montfaucon near 
an old trench. We were shelled here quite often and Stanley, the 
battalion camouflage man, was injured the first day. A German 105 
shell hit the edge of the tranch about five feet from where Bugler 
Clover and Mechanic Burke were sleeping.  Luckily neither were 
injured, although pretty badly shaken up. This was a rather dangerous 
position, since the infantrymen returning from the front lines 
congregated in a trench near our battery and on one occasion several 
were killed. Then also the 42d Division put in a battery of 155's 
about 100 meters to our rear. They were shelled one evening and had 
four men killed and eleven wounded after going for nearly six months 
without losing a man. One of our machine guns was put out of 
commission here, being hit by a shell fragment. Sergeant Wolfe found 
one of his high explosive shells pierced by a machine gun bullet and 
Private Hartman had a bucket knocked from his hand by a bullet from a 
plane. Our battery fired gas from this position for the first time. 
The first and third pieces fired high explosive and the second and 
fourth fired gas, our first chance to give the Hun some of his own 
medicine. While here the men had the opportunity of seeing a 
wonderful collection of aeroplanes, when late one afternoon no less 
than 350 flew over our position.  Corporals Fetty and Stromp made a 
dangerous trip to the front lines from here, bringing back several 
fine souvenirs, such as iron crosses and one saw-edged bayonet. They 
started out early one morning under heavy shell fire, going through a 
badly gassed area, and instead of stopping at the front lines, ended 
up in No Man's Land. Luckily they returned, though Corporal Stromp 
had to go to the hospital on account of the trip. Captain Brown was 
sent to the hospital from here, Lieutenant Fiske taking charge, which 
he maintained throughout.
     From October 11th to 24th we were in two positions near 
Nantillois. We started in an old German position and the first night 
the battery was shelled continuously.  Sergeant Kleeh was seriously 
injured, dying later, Private Polaneczky was wounded and evacuated to 
the hospital and Corporal Fetty slightly wounded. The next day orders 
were received to move the battery back to the railroad, 500 meters to 
the rear. This proved to be a much better position, with the 
exception of the mud, for the men tore up the railroad tracks and 
built some very good dugouts. Here the first four gun crews were 
relieved by the second set and Sergeant Baer left us to attend school 
at Samur.
     From October 25th to the 31st we occupied a position near 
Rornagne, to the left of Madeleine Farm, where the Germans put up 
their stiffest resistance and many Americans and Germans were killed. 
Here we hit our first real gas attack in which we had to wear our 
masks for some time. Corporal Fetty was wounded near Cunel and 
evacuated to the hospital. Lieutenant Forst was sent away for duty as 
instructor and Lieutenant Bailey joined the battery. Sergeant 
Stumpp's gun went out of order and was not fired any more.
     October 31st to November lst. Hell on earth, or the Bois de 
Rappes. When coming from the Romagne position the battery was lost 
for a short time but after going through a small barrage, they 
arrived at the Bois de Rappes, where there were both artillery and 
infantrymen to help manhandle the guns into position. This was a very 
dangerous job, for the flares from the German front lines lit up the 
country and our horses and carriage's could be seen very plainly. The 
woods were shelled continually and thoroughly all night. Telephone 
wires were being cut by shells every minute and it was a difficult 
job to keep up communication. It was three o'clock before the guns 
were properly placed and even then they only fired fifteen rounds, 
Lieutenant Fiske acting as cannoneer. Corporal Falland was wounded 
while helping carry other wounded men out of the woods. Privates 
Smith and Nelson were seriously wounded, both dying later; Sergeant 
Howard, Corporal Graves, Privates Miller and Hart were wounded. 
Sergeant Wolfe's gun was hit by a shell and put out of commission. 
Lieutenant Robinson made a great impression on the men by his bravery 
in looking out for them all the time we were in this position. We 
were ordered out of here at one o'clock P. M. on November 1st with a 
Hallowe'en celebration in our minds that won't be forgotten for some 
time to come.
     From November 2d to 4th we were located southeast of Andevanne 
and this proved to be our easiest position. The nerve of the German 
aviators was displayed here when a German plane came over so low that 
Lieutenant Fiske said that if he ever saw the aviator again he would 
recognize him. In this position we received our first news of the 
proposed armistice and of Austria's defeat for the Allied planes 
dropped circulars of information. We moved from here, for the Germans 
were driven out of our range, and on this move the men forgot all 
about the armistice and Austria. We pulled out in the evening during 
a hard rain which had been coming down steadily for a day or so. It 
was very dark and shell holes of all sizes were numerous. The roads 
were unfit for traffic and in one place several trucks were broken 
down so we had to resort to the field on the side of the road. It was 
a tired and wet bunch that arrived in the Bois de Mont.
     November 4th to the 10th, Bois de Mont. After making our worst 
march we landed in the worst position for firing that we had during 
our period of service. Trees had to be cut down for the guns to be 
put into place and also to facilitate the delivery of fire. It was in 
this position that we first had a good look at the Meuse River, and, 
incidentally, also a good view of a hostile battery of 77's which was 
firing on the town of Mont devant Sassey. Battery "E" opened up on 
them promptly and in a short time the Boche lost all interest in the 
scrap and headed for Berlin.
     November 10th (?). We arrived at Mouzay, our last position. As 
we were going into Mouzay we were held up by a slight road jam. In 
reply to a question as to whom we were a machine gun sergeant from 
the 90th Division said, "Let them go through, they are the 314th 
Field Artillery and are fighting sons of --." We were backing the 
90th at that time and all of us felt that this was a tribute worth 
having.  After putting the guns into position about 500 meters out of 
Mouzay the men, with Lieutenant Bailey and Lieutenant Robinson in 
charge, were placed in houses in the town. Later Lieutenant Fiske, 
coming in from the position, expecting a corn bill breakfast, found 
Lieutenant Bailey and Lieutenant Robinson sitting before a big fire 
drinking champagne, which the old French lady had hidden from the 
Germans to give to the first Allied officers that entered Mouzay. It 
did not take Lieutenant Fiske long to impress upon her that he was 
one of them. We fired from here, but on November 11th, as we were 
getting ready to move forward to pick a new position, the message 
came in that the Armistice had been signed and that hostilities would 
cease at 11 A. M. On November 12th General Bryson inspected "E" 
Battery's material and found it to be in fine condition, especially 
Wolfe's section, to whom he paid a very fine compliment.

(Typed by LINDA FLUHARTY.)