Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center http://www.archive.org/details/officialhistoryoOOphil &&n ATTENTION! BAR-CODE AND LABEL ARE LOCATED ON INSIDE PAGE? f ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC UBRABV 3 183301291 3692 GENEALOGY 940.410 Aalth ' X-v^ Copyright 1920 bj The Historical Board ol the315th Infantr Philadelphia, Pennsylvania HISTORY OF THE 315™ y. S. INFANTRY THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE 315th INFANTRY U. S. A. Being a True Record ot its Organization and Training, of its Operations in the World War, and of its Activities Following the Signing of the Armistice. 19174919 COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY THE HISTORICAL BOARD OF THE 315™ INFANTRY MCMXX TO THOSE OF OUR COMRADES WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES THAT AMERICA MIGHT STAND TRIUMPHANT IN THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND HUMANITY THIS VOLUME IS REVERENTLY DEDICATED BY ITS MAKERS FOREWORD wpS^v \ publishing this history, it has been the aim of E)jI[x\ t'R" authors to preserve in permanent form for ^^) the members of the 315th [nfantry a record of the Regiment from the day of its initial organization to the day upon which it finally passed out of existence as an active military organization. The 315th [nfantry, as a combat unit of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, was privileged to play a glorious part in the greal world struggle for humanity; and tins volume deals largely with the achievements of the Regiment in that great struggle. The record of the 315th [nfantry, sot down in the pages which follow, stands clear-cut for all who may care to read. The information presented has been pains- takingly gathered bit by bit from the individual mem- bers (ii the Regiment itself. Each statement made has been carefully weighed and tested, and. although certain facts and figures may not agree in minor details with those ('i other official records, it is believed that the rec- ord here presented is as complete and accurate as it is now possible for human effort to make it. The compilation and publication of this official history oi the 315th Infantry has involved many months of thought and effort on the part of its authors, but the task has at last been completed, and if, in addition to serving as an historical record, this volume shall aid the mem- bers ot the Regiment in recalling the precious days of their brotherhood in arms and in knitting more firmly those ties i.t friendship horn of a common duty in a noble cause, its purpose will have been accomplished. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE REGIMENT BATTALION AND COMPANY ATHLETICS WELFARE FLARES AND DUDS The 515 th Infantry i — o- 0 I 0 i <>- Tage Eight The 515 th IiMFANnrny DIVISION AND BRIGADE COMMANDERS of the 79th Division and the 158th Infantry Brigade 79th DIVISION Major General Joseph E. Kuhn Brigadier General William J. Nicholson Major General Joseph E. Kuhn Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Brigadier General John S. Winn Brigadier General Andrew Hero, Jr. Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Major General Joseph E. Kuhn Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Major General Joseph E. Kuhn August 25, 1917, to December 1, 1917 December 2, 1917, to February 13, 1918 February 14, 1918, to January 19, 1919 January 20, 1919. to February 2, 1919 February 2, 1919, to February 3, 1919 February 3, 1919, to February 9, 1919 February 9, 1919, to February 28, 1919 March 1, 1919, to March 14, 1919 March 15, 1919, to March 31, 1919 April 1, 1919, to demobilization Note — During the period from January 20, 1919, to February 28, 1919, Major Gen- eral Joseph E. Kuhn served as Commanding General of the Ninth U. S. Army Corps. 158th INFANTRY BRIGADE Brigadier General Everard E. Hatch Brigadier General Otho B. Rosenbaum Colonel Oscar J. Charles Brigadier General Robert H. Noble Colonel Alden C. Knowles Colonel William H. Oury Colonel Alden C. Knowles Colonel George Williams Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Colonel Garrison McCaskey Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Colonel Garrison McCaskey Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson Colonel Garrison McCaskey Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson - August 25, 1917, to June 25, 1918 - June 26, 1918, to July 8. 1918 July 8, 1918, to August 13, 1918 August 14, 1918, to September 26, 1918 September 27, 1918 September 27, 1918, to October 12, 1918 October 12, 1918, to October 22, 1918 October 23, 1918, to October 29. 1918 October 30, 1918, to November 19, 1918 November 20, 1918, to November 23. 1918 November 24. 1918. to January 19. 1919 January 20, 1919, to February 2S, 1919 - March 1, 1919, to March 14, 1919 March 15, 1919, to May 9, 1919 May 10, 1919, to demobilization -o 1 0 e HI 1 Page Nine The 515th Infantry > Ih 9 0 Page Ten The 515 th Infantr TO THE MEMBERS OF THE 315TH INFANTRY. From the organization of the 315th Infantry in August, 1917, until its return to the United States in May, 1919, the rolls of the Regiment show the names of approximately ten thousand officers and men. Na- turally all these were not fortunate enough to be with it in action, but practically all got the Regimental spirit and now take a just pride in its organization, training, marching, fighting and splendid efficiency. The officers assigned to the Regiment at the time of its organization came mostly from civil life, after having completed the training camp course. A more loyal, willing, ambitious and high grade class of men would have been difficult to find. Each went about his duties cheerfully, eagerly and harmoniously, and early became so imbued with the im- portance of team work that the Regiment was soon noted for its ad- vancement and esprit de corps. To the men of the Regiment, also, is due full measure of credit for the development of the 315th Infantry into an efficient military organi- zation. Ever striving manfully and willingly to adapt themselves to their new life and new responsibilities, they made splendid progress and co- operated whole heartedly in the upbuilding of the Regiment. Until just before sailing for France, the men assigned to the 315th Infantry came from Philadelphia, and, as many of the officers were also from that city, the Regiment soon became known as "Philadelphia's Own." This fact filled the Regiment with pride and acted as a great in- centive to its members. It produced in them a determination to excel, and now they can justly glory in their past deeds. The regret of all is that many of our finest members, officers and men, paid the supreme sacrifice. May their dear ones take some com- fort in knowing that, to the living, they are the real heroes of the Regiment. This history of the 315th Infantry has been prepared under the di- rection of a regularly appointed board, and I am sure that every mem- ber of the Regiment will appreciate with thanks this praiseworthy work, which will be treasured more and more as time passes. The events re- corded are the plain unvarnished facts, which will bring renewed satis- faction with each reading and telling. In conclusion, let me voice the earnest hope that the records here presented and the traditions connected therewith will be instrumental in keeping alive that spirit of comradeship, sentiment of patriotism, and devotion to duty which burned so brightly when we were all serving in our magnificent Regiment. <*r7?- ^.<£- Colonel, U. S. Army. Page Eleven The 515 th Infantry > — < 5 I'nge Twelve The 515th Infantry HEADQUARTERS, 315th INFANTRY. Hi ( 9 Camp Dix, New Jersey, June 9, 1919. To the Officers, Nun-Commissioned Officers and Men of the 315th Infantry: The succeeding pages present to you the history of your Regiment, giving you something that you can treasure as one of your choicest possessions. No words of mine can convey to you the mingled emotions that overcome me as I attempt these parting words. My thoughts revert back to the time I came to you shortly after the arrival of the Regiment in France. I fully appreciated the great privilege that had been con- ferred upon me, I realized the great responsibility that was attached to this privilege, I had some conception of the mighty task that faced us, I realized also that the game we were to prepare for called for human lives in the winning ; and that unquestioned obedience, loyalty, strong bodies, alert minds, initiative and courage were indispensable factors in the game — a game in which every officer and man must become a mem- ber of, and work for the Team, his Team, his Regiment, so that it might in turn play its part creditably, successfully and honorably. With these thoughts in mind, the standard of the Regiment was placed high — a standard that had for its ultimate end a regiment without a blemish on the pages of its history, a regiment that each and every one of us would refer to with pride, and one the knowledge of whose exploits would remain with us forever, a cherished memory. Now that our task is done, I can freely acknowledge the pride that wells up in my heart whenever I think of you. You have by your devotion to duty, in all that that phrase implies, made for your Regiment an unblemished history. You have been privileged to share a mighty task in behalf of civilization, humanity and right, and you have done it faithfully, modestly, and well. You, who scan these pages may well be proud of the loved one whose name ap- pears in this volume. Proud that you had him to give, and that you had the strength to do it bravely. You have in no small measure suffered the anxiety and sacrifices that weigh so heavily upon those who remain behind, you have often times, even though your own burden was great, helped to make his lighter with cheering news. In these things you also have played your part. For you who have lost your all, I feel the most profound sympathy and respect. Never a word of hopeless grief, utter despair, or desolation, but a spirit reflecting ac- ceptance of the inevitable, in a way that could only spring from the heart of one who, although broken with grief, can yet find comfort and consolation in the knowledge that he died in a cause that called for the best blood and manhood of our country, and that his blood sanctifies the soil in which he was laid to rest, his courage and his example, an inspiration to his comrades who bring back to you the story of his valor. Whenever I think of the 315th Infantry, it will always be with the warmest affec- tion for those Officers, those Non-Commissioned Officers and Men who contributed to its splendid achievements and success. Faithfully. Colonel 315th Infantry. 0 ■1— ' Page Thirteen The 515th Infantry i — 1» o 0 > .1- Page Fourteen MILITARY BIOGRAPHIES COLONEL OTHO B. ROSENBAUM Born in Virginia, Aug. 20, 1871. Graduated from West Point and commissioned 2nd Lieut., Inf., June 12, 1894. Promoted 1st Lieut., 7th Inf., April 26, 1898. Served in Cuba during Spanish-American War, Santiago Campaign, June 23. 1898, to Aug. 20, 1898. Promoted Captain 20th Inf., Feb. 2. 1901. Served in Philippine Campaign against insurgents, April 18. 1001, to July 20, 1903. Professor Military Science and Tactics, West Texas Military Academy, April 23, 1906. to June 30, 1909. Regimental Adjutant, June 11, 1910, to Oct. 1, 1912. Regimental Quartermaster, May 12, 1914, to Nov. 15, 1915. Promoted Major, 2nd Inf.. July 1. 191(1 Detailed Inspector General's Dept., May 16 1917 to Aug. 25, 1917. ' ' Promoted Colonel, National Army, Aug 6 191* Assigned to 315th Inf., N. A., Aug. 25. 11117 Promoted Brigadier General, Nat'l Army, June 26.1918 Commanded 158th Infantry Brigade, June 26, 1918 to July 8, 1918. Commanded 173rd Infantry Brigade, July 15, 1918, to Aug. 24, 1918, at which time embarked with brigade for France. Served in France as Commanding General, 173rd In- fantry Brigade and 155th Infantry Brigade, Sept. 8, 1918. to May 29. 19111. COLONEL ALDEN C. KNOWLES Born in New York, N. Y., Feb. 9. 1873. Served in Cuba with 13th Inf. during Spanish-American War. Wounded in Santiago Campaign. 1898. Served as 2nd Lieut., 13th Inf., April 5, 1899, to Feb. 2, 1901. Promoted 1st Lieut., 28th Inf., Feb. 2. 1901. Assigned to 13th Inf., Dec. 3, 1901. Graduate, Infantry and Cavalry School, 190G. Graduate. Army Signal School. 1907. Promoted Captain, 30th Inf., Oct. 1, 1907. Assigned to Signal Corps. June 12. 1909. Assigned to 14th Inf., April 2, 1912. Assigned to 16th Inf., May 13, 1912. Assigned to 2nd Inf., Sept. 29, 1914. Promoted Major. Infantry. May 15. 1917. Assigned to 62nd Inf., June 29. 1917. Promoted Lieut. Col.. National Army, Aug. 5. 1917. Assigned to 316th Inf., National Army, Aug. 25, 1917. Assigned as Commanding Officer, 315th Inf., National Army, July 27, 1918. Promoted Colonel, 315th Inf.. Nat'l Army, July 30. 1918. Commanded 315th Inf.. throughout the entire period of its operations in France and until its final demo- bilization at Camp Dix, N. J.. June 9, 1919. Cited by Major General Joseph E. Kuhn. 79th Division, tT. S. A., for the Distinguished Service Medal and recommended for promotion to the rank of brigadier general for services rendered in the field. LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHARLES E. MORTON Born in Sidney Barracks, Nebraska, Mar. 14, 1874. Served with 19th Inf. in Porto Rico during the Span- ish-American War. Served as 2nd Lieut., 22nd Inf., Oct. 10, 1898, to Feb. 2, 1900, during which period served with regiment in Philippine Campaign against insurgents. Promoted 1st Lieut., 16th Inf.. Feb. 2, 1900. Promoted Captain, 16th Inf., May 25, 1906. Detailed Pay Dept., Jan. 27, 1908. to Jan, 27, 1912. Assigned to 11th Inf., Jan. 27, 1912. Assigned to Sth Inf. Detailed Major, Philippine Scouts, commanding 10th Battalion and Post of Iloilo, Panay, Feb. 13, 1915, to Jan. 31, 1916. Assigned to 16th Inf.. Jan. 31, 1916. Promoted Major. Infantry, May 15, 1917. Assigned to 61st Inf., July 26, 1917. Promoted Lieut. Col.. National Army, Aug. 5, 1917. Assigned to 315th Inf.. N. A., Aug. 25, 1917. Detailed General Staff Corps. June 11, 1918. Promoted Colonel, General Staff, July 30, 1918. Served as Colonel, General Staff, July 30, 1918, to Sept. 2, 1919. LIEUTENANT COLONEL NOBLE J. WILEY Born in Montgomery. Alabama, Aug. 1, 1878. Graduate Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Class of 1897. Graduate. Law School, University of Alabama, Class of 1899. Appointed 2nd Lieut., Infantry, Feb. 19. 1902. Served with 5th Inf., in Philippine Campaign against insurgents. May 29, 1902, to July 4, 1903. Served with Army of Cuban Pacification, Oct. 25, 1906, to Feb. 28, 1909. Promoted 1st Lieut., Sth Inf., Mar. 2, 1907. Professor Military Science and Tactics. University of Arkansas, July 21. 1912, to Ang. 2. 1914. Served in Panama Canal Zone, Nov. 28, 1914, to Aug. 30, 1917. Promoted Captain, 5th Inf., July 1, 1916. Promoted Major, National Army, Aug. 1, 1917. Assigned to 315th Inf., N. A.. Aug. 30. 1917. Detailed Commandant of Third and Fourth Officers' Training Schools, Camp Meade, Md., Jan. 1, 1918, to June 15. 1918. Detailed command Advance School Detachment. 79th Division, and embarked with Detachment for France, June 30, 1918. Attended Army General Staff College, Langres, Haute Marne, France. July 23. 1918. to Nov. 22. 1918. Promoted Lieut. Col.. National Army, Aug. 1. 1918. Served with Embarkation Service, Base Section No. 1. France, Nov. 24. 1918. to Feb. 28. 1919. Returned to United States Mar. 24, 1919, and assigned to duty with General Staff. LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANKLIN T. BURT Born in Kansas, Jan. 3, 1881. Served with 1st Artillery (6th Co., Coast Artillery) and 118th Co., Coast Artillery, May 18, 1899, to Oct. 17, 1902. Served as 2nd Lieut., 24th Inf., Oct. 17, 1902. to Sept. 16, 1908. Promoted 1st Lieut. 24th Inf., Sept. 16, 1908. Assigned to 27th Inf., March 24, 1915. Assigned to 23rd Inf.. Sept. 1. 1915. Promoted Captain, 34th Inf., July 1, 1916. Promoted Major. National Army, Aug. 5. 1917. Assigned to Service of Supply, American Expeditionary Forces, France. 1917. Detailed Quartermaster Corps. July 25. 1918. Promoted Lieut. Col., National Army, July 30, 1918. Assigned to 315th Inf., Oct. 30, 1918. Assigned to 304th Am. Tr.. Dec. 15, 191S. Assigned to 315th Inf., Jan. 15. 1919. Assigned to Embarkation Service. Base Section No. 5. April 25, 1919. LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN A. McKENNA, M. C. Born in Philadelphia, Pa., June, 1875. Graduate in medicine, Medico-Chirurgical College, Phil- adelphia, Pa., Class of 1897. Served as acting assistant surgeon, U. S. Army, during Spanish-American War. Appointed 1st Lieut., M. C, Officers' Reserve Corps, May, 1916. Ordered to active dutv at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., May, 1917. Assigned as Regimental Surgeon. 312th Field Artillery, National Army, Aug. 27, 1917. Promoted Captain, M. C, October, 1917. Promoted Major. M. C. February. 1918. Detailed Advance School Detachment. 79th Division, and embarked for France, June 30, 1918. Assigned to 315th Field Hospital. Aug. 25. 1918. Commanded Triage Hospital, 79th Division, Sept. 15. 1918, to Nov. 12. 1918. Assigned to Reg'l Surgeon. 315th Inf., Nov. 12, 1918. Promoted Lieut. Col., M. C, February. 1919. Retired from active duty upon demobilization of 31oth Inf., June 9, 1919. Page Fifteen The 515th Infanthtrv i — ,►. 0 THE HISTORICAL BOARD OF THE 315th INFANTRY On March 10th, 1019, a board of officers was appointed by Colonel Alden C. Knowles, commanding officer of the 315th Infantry, to prepare an official history of the Regiment. The officers designated as members of the board were Lieutenant Colonel John A. McKenna, M. C, Captain Alfred G. Harlow and Captain George L. Wright. Captain David E. Wil- liams, Jr., later joined the board as an ex-officio member. This board of officers, officially known as the Historical Board of the 315th Infantry, at once set about the preparation of a Regimental History, and, after several weeks of care- ful study, the plans which have resulted in the publication of this volume, were submitted to the Commanding Officer of the Regiment and approved by him. In order to facilitate the compilation of the Regimental History, the Historical Board divided the work involved among various members of the Regiment. An editorial and busi- ness staff was formed and each member of that staff was made responsible for the preparation of a definite part of the History. The photograph of the editorial and business staff appears at the top of this page and the personnel of the staff follows . Editorial and Business Staff 0 I II- Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Assistant Editors Athletic Editor Welfare Editor Photographic Editor Assistant Photographic Editt Art Editors Business Manager Lieutenant Colonel John A. McKenna Captain George L. Wright Captain Alfred G. Harlow Captain Ledlie I. Laughlin Captain Fred II. McClintock Chaplain Richard Y. Lancaster Captain Carl W. Wentzel Pvt. 1st Class James L. Brown ( Pvt. 1st Class A. Stanley Roberts / Private Hyman Pixkovitz Captain David E. Williams, Jr. Page Sixteen The 515 th I The Regiment PART I Organization and Training Page Seventeen » — ,h 0 The 515th Infantry Roster of Officers of the 315th Infantry (September 21, 1917) Colonel Otho B. Rosenbaum - Lieut.-Col. Charles E. Morton Capt. Samuel W. Fleming, Jr. Commanding Regiment Lieutenant-Colonel of Regiment Regimental Adjutant FIRST BATTALION Major Noble J. Wiley - First Lieut. John W. Stauffer Commanding Battalion Adjutant company c COMPANY D COMPANY A COMPANY B Capt. F. W. McL. Patterson Capt. John V. Bostwiek Capt. Charles H. Tilghman Capt. John H. Rkketson, Jr 1st Lt. James H. Carpenter 1st Lt. Fred H. MoClintock 1st Lt. Charles J. Hyde, Jr. 1st Lt. Seth C. Hetherington 1st. Lt. Benj. H. Pollock 1st Lt. Arthur L. Bagans 2nd Lt. Ross E. Stickle 2nd Lt. Lawson G. Bash 2nd Lt. Logan B. Gill 2nd Lt. John J. Conahan 2nd Lt. Francis A. Chidsey 2nd Lt. Frank A. Van Horn 2nd Lt. Charles S. Tiers 2nd Lt. Russell M. Willard 2nd Lt. N. S. Barratt, Jr. 2nd Lt. Conrad F. Nagel, Jr 2nd Lt. Lester C. Shearer 2nd Lt. George S. Barker 2nd Lt. William R. Mease SECOND BATTALION Major Norman E. Borden - First. Lieut. Coleman P. Brown company e Capt. Lucius A. Miller 1st Lt. John V. Murray 2nd Lt. Earl H. Gish 2nd Lt. Walter Hibbard COMPANY F Capt. John B. Mustin 1st Lt. William H. Sutphin 1st Lt. Walter Gallagher 2nd Lt. Thos. L. Ashbridge Commanding Battalion Adjutant COMPANY G Capt. Earle C. Offinger 1st Lt. Joseph D. Noonan 2nd Lt. J. Ferguson Mohr 2nd Lt. Herman D. Partsch 2nd Lt. Edgar J. Eyler 2nd Lt. John J. Borbidge 2nd Lt. John C. Snyder 2nd Lt. Wallace E. Hackett 2nd Lt. David A. Wiley 2nd Lt. John N. McDowell COMPANY H Capt. D. E. Williams, Jr. 1st Lt. Walter F. Hayes 2nd Lt. E. Morrow Sheppard 2nd Lt. George B. Althouse 2nd Lt. James S. McKeon 2nd Lt. Ralph J. Miller THIRD BATTALION Major Francis V. Lloyd - - - First Lieut. Benjamin Bullock, 3rd Commanding Battalion Adjutant company i Capt. Albert Friedlander 1st Lt. Orsen J. Graham 2nd Lt. Harry D. Furey 2nd Lt. George H. Trundle 2nd Lt. Ira B. Kellberg 2nd Lt. Raymond T. Turn COMPANY K COMPANY L Capt. George P. Scholes Capt. Ward W. Pierson 1st Lt. Chas. Arbuthnot, 3rd 1st Lt. George L. Wright 2nd Lt. Milton B. Goodyear 2nd Lt. Theodore Rosen 2nd Lt. David M. Wallace 2nd Lt. George S. Freeman 2nd Lt. Stanley A. Welsh 2nd Lt. Floyd S 2nd Lt. Charles F. Baer COMPANY M Capt. Wm. W. Van Banian 1st Lt. J. W. Darley 1st Lt. Carl W. Wentzel 2nd Lt. James Woods Strosnider 2nd Lt. Carl W. Andrews 2nd Lt. Henry D. Fausler SPECIAL UNITS 0 headquarters COMPANY Capt. Francis A. Awl 1st Lt. Robert H. Lafean 1st Lt. Ledlie I. Laughlin MACHINE GUN COMPANY Capt. Joseph G. Duncan, Jr. 1st Lt. Frank S. Crawford 1st Lt. Fred H. Lucas SUPPLY COMPANY Capt. Victor H. Moreau 1st Lt. J. Lambert Smith MEDICAL DETACHMENT Capt. Bertram Duckwald 1st Lt. Wallace Bulford 1st Lt. L. L. Blackburn 1st Lt. Samuel J. Marks 2nd Lt. Joseph G. Bingman 2nd Lt. Edward I'.. Maguire 2nd Lt. Ray ('. Lehman 2nd Lt. Robert P. Meily 2nd Lt. Alfn.i G. Harlow 2nd Lt. Ernest V. Becker The following officers joined the Regiment and were assigned to the companies indicated, October 1, 1917 1st i.i. Alfred L. Quintard to Company A 1st i.t. William A. Sheehan to Company F 1st I.t. Edwin L. Journeay to Company I! 1st Lt. Wilton M. Snowden to Company M Page Eighteen The 515 th Infa 0 0 ^ Camp Meade in the Making INTRODUCTION N April 6, 1917, the Government of the United States declared war against the Imperial Government of Germany and with that declaration set in movement forces which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the most powerful military force in the history of our people — the National Army of the United States. Of that Army was the 79th Division, and of that Division was the 315th Regiment of Infantry. The 315th Infantry, N. A., to give the Regiment its first official designation, had its birth-place in Anne Arundel Coun- ty, Maryland, where the Government, immediately following the declaration of war, had rented a tract of land comprising some fifteen square miles which the War Department purposed making into a national army cantonment to receive recruits from eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia. This cantonment was called Camp Meade, in honor of Major General George G. Meade, who in 1864 received the thanks of Congress for his services at Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. Camp Meade was selected as the place for the organization and train- ing of the 79th Division. THE FOUNDATION The order creating the various units of the 79th Division issued from the War Department on August 3, 1917. This was followed on the 11th by Special Order No. 186, which designated the officers assigned to the different organiza- tions of the Division. The 315th Infantry was organized provisionally on August 26. 1917, pursuant to General Order No. 2, Headquarters Camp Meade, Mary- land, assigning certain officers to the Regiment, and permanently organized Sep- tember 21, 1917, pursuant to General Order No. 9, Headquarters 79th Division. This latter order was issued in accordance with General Order No. 109, War Department, 1917. Such in brief were the orders upon which the Regiment was founded. 0 Page Nineteen T The 515th Infantry 5 The Regiment Gets Its First Recruits 0 The officers assigned to the 315th Infantry came in the main from the Second and Sixth Companies of the Fourth Provisional Training Regiment, U. S. T. C, the members of which had undergone a three months course of intensive military training at Fort Niagara, New York, in what has popularly come to be known as the "First Officers' Training Camp." This course of training, which was de- signed to fit men for officers' commissions in the new National Army, was com- pleted on August 15, 1917. Perhaps it was the practice of the War Department to seek to keep together men who had received a common training and in forming units to place them by groups taken from the same training camp. But whether policy or accident nothing could have been more fortunate for the speedy upbuilding of a regimental esprit de corps. It meant that the officers assigned to the Regiment had come to know one another and were able to bring into the field of their larger responsi- bilities all the qualities of friendship and respect, together with a just and sympa- thetic appreciation of one another's work. At this point it may not be out of place to make mention of two of the men most often spoken of as the days of the training camp began to take their place in the field of reminiscence. These men were Captain Wait C. Johnson and Cap- tain Archibald F. Comiskey, who commanded the Second and Sixth Companies, respectively, at Fort Niagara. Both were men of vigorous enterprise, clean sports- manship, efficiency and fitness. Their influence, in the beginning, moulded the thoughts and actions of the majority of the officers of the Regiment and was responsible in no small measure for the final development of the 315th Infantry into a fighting organization. Page Twenty The 315 Amid the disconsolate intermingling of sandy fields, broom sedge, unkempt orchards and woods of old field pine that was to develop later into the modern army cantonment of Camp Meade, those who had journeyed from the training camp on the shores of Lake Ontario found their first home down at the south- western edge of the reservation in barracks A-35. In this building, at that time one of the few completed buildings in camp, were quartered also the officers of the 316th Infantry. Here it was that the members of both organizations learned that the 315th and 316th Regiments of Infantry were to compose the 158th Infantry Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Everard E. Hatch. Here it was, also, that the officers of the 315th Infantry were welcomed as they reported for duty by Colonel Otho B. Rosenbaum. No one who was associated with the Regiment at that time will forget the masterly way in which all the affairs of the organization were handled by Colonel Rosenbaum. His influence and personality welded the Regiment into a unified machine, while his spirit domi- nated every aspiration for improvement and efficiency. A graduate of West Point, at the beginning of the war he was a major in the Inspector General's Department. His promotion to the rank of colonel came as a recognition of his ability, both in the field and in the technique of war. CAMP MEADE IN THE MAKING Of those whose fortune it was to be associated with the Regiment in the late August and early September days of 1917, there are few who will forget the sight of Camp Meade in the making. At that time it resembled, perhaps, nothing so much as a western mining camp in full blast ; workmen here, there and everywhere, with the whole world resounding to the buzz of saws and the clang of hammers as barracks after barracks sprang into being. In the evenings, HI 1 'Rookies" Page Twenty-one 0 The 515th"Infantry Men of the 315th Infantry Filling Bedsacks 0 when the laborers gathered together at the contractors' canteens, it was no uncommon sight to see on one corner of the street a hundred or more worshippers at the shrine of Chance engaged in what to all intents and purposes was a very prosperous crap game, while not fifty yards away a few of the more religiously inclined were assembled before a soap box pulpit, listening to a rough-and-ready lay preacher in blue overalls. The idea of the western mining camp lost nothing by the fact that the crap game seemed invariably to be the victor over the pulpit. For the officers who at that time formed the nucleus of the Regiment the days of early September proved busy enough, and long hours were spent acquir- ing the niceties of close order drill and in sketching interminable miles of country roads, while between times strenuous efforts were put forth to secure a bowing acquaintance with army paper work under the tutelage of Lieutenant Colonel Morton. With the week-ends came dusty tramps to Admiral or Disney, at which points were located stations of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Rail- way. Throughout the entire stay of the Regiment at Camp Meade, the "W. B. & A." remained a much reviled, albeit very necessary institution. Its sins were great, but whatever its shortcomings, it offered — with its friends, the jitneys — the only escape into the outer world. On September 15th, the Regiment moved from A-35 to buildings in Block R, which was destined to be its permanent home in Camp Meade. These build- ings were on the opposite side of the reservation from A-35, and, in accordance with good old army tradition, the move was heralded with no uncertain amount of grumbling. In the end, however, it proved to be a blessing in disguise, for ere the 315th Infantry had shaken the dust of Camp Meade from its shoes forever, Block R had seen grow up around it the Divisional Post-Office, the Camp Meade Terminal of the W. B. & A., the Y. M. C. A. Auditorium, the Liberty Theatre, the Y. W. C. A. Hostess House and the Camp Fire Department. Under the original cantonment plans, Block R was designed to hold a regiment of 55 officers and 1,900 enlisted men. In the early fall, however, new Page Twenty-two The 515th Infantry tables of organization were published, and in these the strength of an infantry regiment was set at 103 officers and 3,652 enlisted men. To take care of this increase in strength, half of Block S was turned over on October 23rd for the use of the 315th Infantry. In the two blocks combined, the buildings as- signed to the Regiment consisted of twenty large two-story buildings for the men and five smaller barracks for the officers. In addition to these, there was a separate building for regimental headquarters, one for the guard-house, an infirmary, three warehouses and six stables. East of the regimental area there was adequate space for athletic fields, and during the stay of the Regiment at Camp Meade every effort was made, consistent with the full daily drill schedule, to encourage out-door sports. In this connection a word ought to be said con- cerning the Y. M. C. A. plant in Block S, which was open to the men of the Regiment at all times. Its service of films, stationery, education and recreation was keenly appreciated by the men of the 315th Infantry, and for the officers it afforded a place of assembly upon the occasion of lectures given by officers of higher commands. THE FIRST RECRUITS After repeated delays, the vanguard of the men who were to make up the Regiment arrived on the morning of September 21, 1917. Several days prior to that date there had been assigned to the Regiment 37 men from the Regular Army to serve as a nucleus around which to build up the personnel of non- commissioned officers. However, as the organizations of the Regular Army had already supplied a great many of their best men for the new Regular regi- ments, fewer than half of these men assigned to the Regiment proved satis- factory, and the others were returned to their former organizations. The 361 recruits who arrived on the morning of September 21st all came from the city of Philadelphia, and with them came the news that the 315th Infantry was to be composed exclusively of men from the Quaker City. This circum- h» < 0 Cleaning Rifles 0 * > '" -* Page Twenty-three The 515 th Infant try 0 Men of the 315th Infantry Band (The First Band in Camp Meade) 0 stance gave rise to the title by which the Regiment has always been identified — "Philadelphia's Own" — and to the pride with which the 315th Infantry has ever borne itself as the representative of one of America's largest cities. On Sep- tember 22nd, the Regiment received from Philadelphia its second increment of men and found itself doubled in size. Day by day the recruits came in until, by October 15th, the 315th Infantry had a total strength of 2,731 men. One of the incidents of these early days from which the Regiment has always taken a great amount of satisfaction is the fact that the 315th was the first regi- ment in Camp Meade to have a band. Through the efforts of Colonel Rosenbaum and Captain Awl, ten musicians arrived on the 24th of September, and on the following day the National Anthem was played at retreat. This was the first music that was heard in camp, and, from all statistics available, it seems as though the Regiment had the first organized band in the entire National Army. The band leader was Mr. Joseph Painter, and the nine men who came with him were : — George W. Moyer, Harry A. Shoop, Edgar F. Hand, Harry Schoenman. Jerry McClay, Ralph Sieberling, William S. Lieberman, Harry Amnion and Charles F. Fanstermacher. These men all enlisted at Pottsville, Pa., for the express purpose of creating a band for the 315th Infantry. It is interesting to note the various occupations of the men before their enlistment, as it throws light on the cosmopolitan character and capabilities of the National Army's personnel. Two were miners, one a painter, one a printer, two were machinists and one other was a boilermaker. The same diversity would have been found in any other group of men who went to make up America's new army. Another note-worthy feature of the Regiment's early activities was its es- tablishment of the first canteen in the Division. This event was brought about largely by the energy of Major Noble J. Wiley, who came from the Regular Page Twenty-four The 515 th Army to command the First Battalion. Through Major Wiley's efforts, a tent was put up by men of the Regiment in the middle of Block R, a stock of supplies secured and all necessary arrangements made to open a regular army canteen, or "regimental exchange." The exchange was opened on the afternoon of September 25th and at once did a land-office business. On Septem- ber 26th, Second Lieutenant Russell M. Willard, of "B" Company, was placed on special duty as Regimental Exchange Officer, and from then on the regimental exchange became an established institution. Shortly after its opening, the ex- change was moved to building R-44, where it remained during the entire stay of the Regiment at Camp Meade and added increased profits month by month to the various company funds. Of the incidents which went to make up the life of the recruits during their first days in the army but little need now be said, as they are common knowledge to all. Each man in turn was lined up, interrogated and his complete history finally tabulated in the army's cross-index system. To each, with absolute im- partiality, the doctors awarded a "shot in the arm," and each experienced the rigors of the army's physical examination. In this latter connection it may be of interest to note that among the men of the 315th Infantry examined during the month of September, 1917, one recruit, thirsting for the blood of Germans, was found to possess a wooden leg and another a glass eye. Of the physical changes wrought by the army in men fresh from the city streets but passing mention need also be made. How the pallor of indoor life gave way to the bronze of life in the open, how the stoop gradually worked itself out of drooping shoulders, how, little by little, bulges at the waist-line became less pronounced and how slouchiness gave way to snap and vigor is a more or less familiar story to all who have witnessed the transforming power of military life and discipline. And with the changes in the men themselves came also changes in their environment. Only a few of the buildings were completed when the troops began m 5Ti f- '! The Bugle Corps Gets an Early Start for Reveille Page Twenty -five The 515th Infantry 5 Troops Returning From a Division Ceremony to arrive, but, before many weeks had passed, trees and brush had been cleared away, corn fields and sweet potato patches levelled, and in a section where there had not been any more than half a dozen isolated grey farm houses, there sprang into being a city, well ordered and symmetrically planned, capable of holding nearly fifty thousand men. 0 SECOND LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN The first big event in the early life of the Regiment was its participation in the Second Liberty Loan Campaign conducted by the Division from October 2nd to October 25th, 1917. The Regiment was out to make a "killin'," and in the homely vernacular it "brought home the bacon." The total amount sub- scribed in the Division was $1,607,800.00 and, of all the units in Major General Kuhn's organization, the 315th Infantry stood first on the list with total subscrip- tions of $233,700.00. This amount was not only the largest subscribed in the Division, but, with one or two exceptions, was the largest subscribed by any simi- lar organization in the entire American Army. In connection with the Liberty Loan Campaign, Senator J. Hamilton Lewis, of Illinois, on October 13th, addressed the assembled Division on Liberty Field, winch lay just north of the Divisional Post Office. This afforded the first opportunity for the Regiment to meet en masse its neighbors in the Division and full advantage was taken of the opportunity, with benefit to all concerned. As summer waned and fall wore on, the 315th Infantry gradually rounded into shape as a military organization. The men of ability began to stand out above their fellows, and many were the special orders issued from Regimental Headquarters "making" non-commissioned officers. During the fall and early winter months, numerous calls were made upon the Regiment to help fill up the Regular Army divisions then training in southern camps. Men were sent to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Regular Army Divisions, the 82nd National Army Division and to a host of smaller specialized units in various sections of the Page Twenty-six The 515 th Infantry United States. The largest single transfer was made on October 17th, when 1,000 men of the Regiment were transferred to Camp Gordon, Georgia, together with all necessary papers and equipment. This task was brought to successful completion with less than 48 hours notice. Thanksgiving arrived and was celebrated in true American style at every company mess. After Thanksgiving the days followed one another with in- creasing swiftness as the Christmas holidays approached. On December 17th, and the first few days immediately following, nearly a hundred officers with brand new commissions from the second series of Officers' Training Camps were attached to the Regiment for training and experience. With the depletions made among the rank and file of the Regiment through transfers to other organizations, it seemed for a time as though the 315th Infantry were to possess the distinction of being a fifty percent mixture of officers and men. Of these new officers, five were ultimately assigned permanently to the Regiment. The men in question were First Lieutenants William M. Carroll, Jr., John T. Ford, Jr., William H. Murrell, Walter M. Collins and Second Lieutenant James F. Delaney. The great majority of the newcomers, however, remained with the Regiment only until spring, when orders from the War Department called them one by one to new fields of endeavor. Nevertheless in their comparatively short stay at Camp Meade they left their mark on the 315th Infantry and their works hold a permanent place in its memory. Just at the opening of the Christmas holidays, on December 21st to be exact, a Christmas entertainment was given by the Regiment in the Y. M. C. A. Auditorium. The building was crowded to capacity, and the entertainment, which consisted of music and vaudeville numbers by the home talent of the fa** a^ 'Jf IwVH , Winter Bayonet Practice Page Twenty -seven The 515 th Infantry g o Regiment, proved to be a decided success. Through the generosity of friends of the 315th Infantry in Philadelphia, Christmas packages were provided for every member of the Regiment and these were distributed after the entertain- ment. In this connection, it is only proper that a word of appreciation be spoken concerning the interest taken by the people of Philadelphia in the Regiment and the unqualified assistance and support which they gave it at all times. Mrs. M. S. Taylor, representative and co-worker of a patriotic committee of ladies of Philadelphia, endeared herself to the Regiment through her substantial con- tributions and her devotion to the welfare of those left behind. Others promi- nent among those who devoted their time and resources to the welfare of the 315th Infantry were Mayor Thomas B. Smith, Judge and Mrs. Norris S. Barratt, Mr. Frank H. Moss, Mrs. J. F. Reynold Landis, and Mr. William F. Cochran. These and hundreds of others did much to provide for the recreation and com- fort of the men of the 315th Infantry and to them the Regiment owes an eternal debt of gratitude. SECRETARY OF WAR BAKER REVIEWS TROOPS On December 22nd, the Division was assembled in its entirety for the sec- ond time in its history. The occasion was a review of the Camp Meade troops by the Honorable Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War. The review, which was held on Liberty Field, provided a beautiful picture of life and movement, and, as rank after rank swept past the reviewing stand, one sensed fully the growing strength of America's new army. Immediately following the review, one-half the Regiment indulged in a wild dash for the first available exit from camp. This half comprised those who had been fortunate enough to secure passes home for the Christmas holidays, much to the envy of their less fortunate fellows. The unfortunate ones, however, were not overlooked, and in all the companies Christmas was celebrated by a sumptuous dinner with plenty of "seconds" for everybody, so although there were many who perforce had to spend the holiday away from home, there was no one who did not feel that it is an ill wind which blows no one some good. The men who did not get away on Christmas were given passes home to celebrate the New Year's holidays. In the succeeding months the weather was severe. Seldom had there been seen in that part of Maryland such continuous cold. The ground stayed covered with snow almost continuously until the middle of March. During this period, the greater part of the time was devoted to indoor instruction within the bar- racks, and the "push and pull' exercise, together with the sand table, reigned supreme. There was, however, a goodly amount of work in the open, and most can readily call to mind maneuvers and skirmishes through snow, often times knee deep, that involved stealthy attacks on Jackson's Grove and other inoffen- sive hamlets of southeastern Maryland. Throughout the winter months and early spring, also, numerous officers and men were sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and to schools located within the Division itself for instruction in the specialized weapons of modern warfare. With the coming of spring, however, indoor work lessened and work in the open became more and more the rule. As the month of March drew to a close, there grew within each man a determination, grimmer than ever, to fit himself for the part he was to play as a member of the United States Army. This determination grew from the momentous bits Page Twenty-eight The 515 th Infantr A "Pup Tent" Camp of news that filtered in from the battle-fields of Europe. The great spring offensive of the German Army had started and even then was threatening to engulf the Allied armies before America could get her forces in the field. THE FIRST CAMP The Regiment had its initial camp experience during the night of March 20-21, 1918, when a shelter tent camp was pitched down at the southern edge of the reservation about two miles south of Admiral and close to the tracks of the Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington railroad. The night was exceed- ingly cold, and as yet there has been no one discovered with the temerity to admit that his first night in a "pup-tent" is a thing of joyful remembrance, but the experience more than made up for the discomforts. Next morning camp was broken in the midst of a miniature cloudburst. Even this failed to dampen the ardor of men who were making the first steps toward becoming old cam- paigners, and the return march was made to the accompaniment of "The Old Grey Mare" and kindred soldier melodies. THE BALTIMORE PARADE The next event to loom large upon the horizon was the review of the 79th Division by President Wilson at Baltimore on April 6th, 1918, in celebration of the first anniversary of the United States' entrance into the war. To par- ticipate in the review, the Regiment left Camp Meade at 8:40 A. M. on the morning of April 4th, and camped that night at Baltimore Highlands, a suburb on the western outskirts of Baltimore. The night of April 4th-5th seemed, somehow or other, to have been one of those nights that missed its place in the calendar and arrived several months late, for morning found the entire Page Twenty-nine I ,H The 515 th Infantry 0 9 Page Thirty The 515 th Infantry camp covered with a heavy coating of frost, and stiff joints were much in evidence. On April 5th, the Regiment entered Baltimore, which was already gaily bedecked with flags and bunting. The streets were crowded with spectators, and from the windows of the tall buildings along the line of march, bright-eyed maidens of the 'city showered smiles and candy impartially upon the troops below. It was a gala occasion, and on that day at least, the doughboy stood forth in undisputed glory. The camping place selected for the 315th Infantry during its stay in Baltimore — Patterson Park — was reached about noon-time, and here the Regiment pitched camp until the morning of the 7th. The review of the Division on the 6th was a solemn and stately spectacle. As the men from Camp Meade, with bayonets fixed, advanced in seemingly endless procession through the historic streets of Baltimore, there was not one among them who did not hold himself a little straighter and lift his chin a little higher than ever before. Nor was there one who did not feel within him a spirit of pride in his Regiment, his Division and the great army of which both formed a part. It was in this spirit that the 315th Infantry — "Philadelphia's Own" — swung past the reviewing stand and rendered its salute to the President of the United States. The return to Camp Meade started before day-break on the morning of April 7th, and all that day the concrete highway between Baltimore and Camp Meade resounded with the tramp of marching men. It has always been a matter of pride to the members who at that time made up the 315th Infantry that, when the Regiment finally entered camp after its march of 22 miles, there was not a man missing from the ranks of those who had originally started. 0 ON THE TARGET RANGE Scarcely had the Regiment settled down after its return from Baltimore, when it started off on another trip ; this time to the target range on the southern edge of the reservation. Here the Philadelphia contingent remained in shelter tent camp from April 15th to 19th, inclusive, during which time the hills and valleys round about re-echoed to the sharp crackling of rifles and the Regiment got its first real smell of powder. Throughout those hot April days, all eyes were strained across the shimmer- ing sands of 'the range for glimpses of the elusive1 white disc by which each might gauge his prowess with the "Model 17." In the evening the scores of the day were again shot over at the gatherings on the pine-covered knoll behind the camp, where the ever-present "canteen" dispensed its wares to long lines of the faithful. When the last scores had been turned in and the final results tabulated, it was found that the Headquarters Company had acquired the right to championship honors in rifle shooting, with "H" Company a close second. With target practice completed, work was begun on the construction of a bayonet assault course just east of the Regimental area. Much time was also devoted to the game of open war. Up to that time the tendency of most of the training had been toward the methods of trench warfare, inasmuch as that sort of action seemed to predominate in France. But toward the beginning of sum- mer, the feeling was entertained on the part of higher commanders that, after all, the war would be decided by the tactics of open warfare, and detailed 0 Page Thirty-one n f T" I IH 0 The 515 th Infantry 0 - * if "TX- ^£k$< Troops of the 315th Infantry on the Target Range attention was given to this method of training. Frequent maneuvers were out- lined, and one heard much of "The enemy having landed in Baltimore" and that "Enemy patrols were last night reported in Severn." REGIMENT TRAINS 10,000 RECRUITS As the month of May passed and reports of developments on the Western Front came in, the Regiment became more and more impatient to meet the final test upon the battle-fields of Europe. This impatience was augmented by the knowledge that units of the National Army were beginning to play their parts in the world struggle. The 77th Division had already landed in France, the 78th. 80th, 82nd, 89th and 90th Divisions were getting under way. But day after day passed and still the 79th remained in Camp Meade, lying apparently forgotten in the back eddy, while past it swirled the great current of world events. Recruits came to the Regiment, were given a period of intensive training, and then transferred to swell the ranks of organizations who had secured the coveted places on the "priority list." By May 31st this condition had existed for nine months, and during that time the 315th Infantry had received and passed through the transition stage between civil and military life some 10,000 mem- bers of the National Army. With the coming of June, however, life took on a brighter aspect. The American Army had finally taken the offensive in Europe, the gallant First Division having taken Cantigny, and troops were being rushed to France in Page Thirty-two The 515 th Infantry increasing numbers. The Regiment received a large increment of new recruits and all had the feeling that important events were pending. With so much in the air, rumors began to fly thick and fast. One said this morning that "he had it on good authority that this regiment would be sent to Russia." Another solemnly avowed that he had it as "straight dope this after- noon that we would be sent to Mexico." One day we would be going to France "next week" ; the next "it was evident now that this regiment and division would be retained at Camp Meade as a training unit." Nothing more clearly reveals the ceaseless activity of the soldier's mind or his sense of humor than the con- stant production of rumors. On June 11, 1918, the Regiment sustained a sharp blow in the loss of Lieutenant Colonel Morton, who was called to Washington to become a member of the General Staff. His knowledge of military affairs and his engaging personality had won him the respect and admiration of both officers and men, and it was with real regret that the Regiment bade him God-speed as he departed to take up his new duties. As the June days lengthened, the future began to take definite form. The Division finally secured its place on the priority list, and preparations for de- parture overseas went on with increasing activity. During the latter half of the month, the entire Regiment went on a rampage of inspections, and inquiries as to Private Jones' missing shoestrings and the whereabouts of Private Smith's collar ornaments became quite the most important topics of the day. On June 27th, after nearly ten months of training for the battle-front, the first members of the Regiment started for France. These comprised an ad- vance detachment of 11 officers and 12 men who were sent ahead for a month's 5 A Moment's Rest at a Regimental Inspection Page Thirty-three 0 Hi 1 j l The 515th Infanttry 0 "Ken" Clark, Divisional Song Leader, Leading Regimental Singing course of schooling at the First Army Corps School in France with the idea of securing for the Regiment information as to the most recent methods of warfare. 0 LOSS OF COLONEL ROSENBAUM Coincident with the departure of this advance detail came news confirming what had heretofore heen merely rumor, namely, the promotion of Colonel Rosenbaum to the rank of Brigadier-General. This news was received with mingled feelings of joy and sadness; joy in the fact that the War Depart- ment had so fittingly recognized the merit and ability of a leader who had forever enshrined himself in the hearts of his men, sadness, because the Regi- ment must enter the field of battle without the services of him who had con- trolled its destinies from the beginning. With the definite assurance that Colonel Rosenbaum would be unable to accompany the Regiment overseas, command of the organization devolved upon Major Lloyd, commanding officer of the Third Battalion, as both Major Wiley and Major Borden, commanding the First and Second Battalions, respectively, were members of the advance school detachment. The 4th of July, 1918, was a notable occasion, because at that time it be- came evident that within the next few days the 315th Infantry would be under way. The day was celebrated by an athletic meet and the production of a musical farce comedy, "The Widow's Mite," at the Liberty Theatre by a troupe from the Regiment. Page Thirty-four The 515 th Infanthtry H« < On Sunday, the 7th of July, the final orders for movement at last arrived. One after another of the companies marched from the barracks in "R" block to Disney, where trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad were waiting to receive them. The first contingents left at 2 P. M., and by 5 o'clock that afternoon the entire Regiment was on its way to New York with the farewell greetings of Colonel Rosenbaum ringing in its ears. That night was spent in the yards at Jersey City. Early next morning the various units of tbe Regiment detrained and proceeded by ferry to United States Embarkation Pier No. 3 at Hoboken. The ship assigned to the 315th Infantry was the former Hamburg- American liner Amerika, renamed the America, and at that time the third largest transport flying the American flag. OFF AT LAST! The night of July 8th was spent aboard ship. Late in the afternoon of the 9th, the America, in a gray mist, steamed down the Hudson, passed tbe towered spear-head of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and sailed out into tbe Atlantic. The ship was one of a convoy of five steamers which carried a total of nearly 22,000 troops, at that time one of the largest, if not tbe largest, single shipment of troops ever made. The America carried abroad nearly 6,000 troops, a fact which resulted in great over-crowding. Even standing room on deck was at a premium, and the Regiment was divided into three shifts for sleeping. On the night of July 14th, at 11:50 P. M., the America rammed and sank a British freight steamer, the Indestructo. The ill-fated steamer The U. S. S. Leviathan, One of the Transports Used by the 79th Division Page Thirty-five 0 The 515 th Infantry Regimental P. C. at Esnoms was struck amidships, cut practically in two, and kicked off about fifty yards to the starboard, where it sank stern down in seven minutes. The night was very dark and bodi steamers were running without lights. The captain of the America ordered a brief stop, had life-boats lowered and succeeded in rescuing eleven of the forty-two who had composed the crew of the Indestructo. The remainder of the voyage, which, in all, lasted nine days, passed with- out incident, and on Thursday, July 18th, the America dropped anchor in Brest harbor. At seven o'clock that evening a lone lighter appeared in some miraculous fashion, and the First and Third Battalions, some 2,000 strong, crowded aboard and were ferried to the docks along the harbor front. 0 "BREST" Perhaps it was coincidence, or perhaps it was fate, but as the khaki-clad boys from the City of Brotherly Love swung up from the docks through the narrow, winding streets of Brest, the first sound to greet their ears was the familiar refrain "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," chanted shrilly by swarms of French youngsters who thronged the route of march. Intermingled with Philadelphia's good old rallying cry were to be heard piteous appeals for pennies, cigarettes and chewing gum, all of which seemed to be desired for "papa." The advance guard of the Regiment, after many twistings and turnings, finally reached its camping ground at midnight and pitched shelter tents in a driving downpour of rain. The following day the Second Battalion, Headquarters Company, Ma- chine Gun Company and Supply Company came ashore and followed in the footsteps of their brethren. Page Thirty-six The 515 th Infantry i — l H. 1 As long as memory holds, Brest, in the minds of the men of the 315th Infantry, will stand as a synonym for rain, mud and general discomfort. Dur- ing the three days which the Regiment spent in the fields outside the city, it rained almost continuously. Food, water and wood had to be carried on men's backs for a distance of two miles over roads that were ankle deep with mud. At all hours of the day and night, soldiers were to be seen strung out along the road staggering under loads of firewood, canned tomatoes, slabs of bacon, bread, and other articles deemed necessary by the Government to maintain the life and fighting spirits of the doughboy. During the journey from the Commissary to the camp, these articles, particularly the bread, acquired a generous coating of mud, the thickness of which varied in direct ratio to the number of stops made by the bearer. As a rest camp, Brest was not a howling success. As one home- sick doughboy disconsolately put it, "About the only thing you rest here is your stomach." However, all things have an end and so it was with Brest. On July 21st, the morale thermometer registered a jump that nearly blew the mercury through the top of the tube. The first movement toward the fighting line had started. At noon on that date, the First Battalion and Headquarters Company gleefully struck tents, and waded through the mud to a railroad siding near the dock, where a train was waiting to bear them, once for all, from the environs of Brittany's ancient city. Were tears shed at parting? Yes, gentle reader, but only by those who stayed behind. For those who went, no cloud could dim the future, not even when it was learned that the trip was to be made in box cars, which some misguided native of France had at one time or other in the dim The Village Square in Chatoillenot Page Thirty-seven The 515th Infantry ► — < 0 The Church in Leuchey past decided capable of holding forty men or eight horses. The "Homines 40 — Chevaux 8" idea sounds good on paper but nowhere else. If you don't believe it, ask any member of the A. E. F. The Second Battalion and Machine Gun Company followed in wake of the First Battalion on the morning of the 22nd, and the same afternoon wit- nessed the departure of the Third Battalion and Supply Company. 8 THE MOVEMENT INLAND Three days and three nights were spent on the trains traveling inland, dur- ing which time the Regiment passed through the cities of Rennes, St. Brieue, Laval, Le Mans, Tours, Bourges, Nevers, Dijon and Is-sur-Tille. The trip was a novel and refreshing experience for both officers and men and afforded the first insight into the lives and customs of a people with whom the Regiment was destined to spend the better part of a year. ( )n July 24th, the first section arrived at the detraining point, Yaux, which was also the Divisional railhead. The following day, the third section arrived, and these units were billeted in the surrounding towns as follows: Headquarters Company and Company "D," together with Regimental Headquarters, at Esnoms ; Companies "A," "B" and "C," with First Battalion Headquarters, at Courcelles ; Companies "I," "K" and "L," and Third Battalion Headquarters at Chalancey ; Company "M" at Vesvres ; Supply Company at Chatoillenot. The second section, carrying the Second Battalion and Machine Gun Com- pany, became more or less confused on route and did not arrive at its detraining point, Vivey-Chalmessin, until July 26th. The night of the 26th was spent de- training, and on the following day the companies marched to their billeting areas Page Thirty-eight The 515 th Infajstttry as follows: Companies "E" and "F" at Aujeurres ; Companies "G" and "H," and Second Battalion Headquarters, at Leuchey ; Machine Gun Company at Chatoillenot. REGIMENT TRAINS IN TENTH AREA The foregoing towns, allotted to the Regiment, were part of the Tenth Training Area, in which the Division was to spend the final period of training before going to the Front. This area lay some fifty kilometers south of Chau- mont, the General Headquarters (G. H. Q.) of the American Expeditionary Forces, and but twenty-five kilometers from Langres, the great school center of the American Army. On July 27th, just as the last of the Second Battalion was establishing itself in the new area. Lieutenant Colonel Alden C. Knowles was attached to the Regiment by order of the Division and at once assumed command. The new commander was well-known to most of the officers and men of the 315th Infan- try, having served as lieutenant colonel of the 316th Infantry during the entire stay of that regiment at Camp Meade. This circumstance smoothed away what- ever difficulties of adjustment might otherwise have existed. Colonel Knowles brought to the Regiment a strong will, a mind well versed in military strategy and a fund of wide and varied experience gained during his years of service in the Regular Army. On August 1st, his promotion to the rank of colonel was announced, and on the same date the order was issued from Division perma- nently assigning him as commanding officer of the 315th Infantry. A month and a half were spent in the Tenth Training Area in final prep- aration for the serious work to come. During this period, great stress was laid Second Battalion P. C. at Aujeurres Page Thirty-nine HI . r t 0 The 515 th Infantry Third Battalion Group at Chalancey With Chateau in Background 0 » ■>- A Street Scene in Chalancey Page Forty The 515 th Infantry HI 1 upon maneuvers, and everyone from general to private was drilled incessantly in all the whys and wherefores of his job. During this period, also, the Regi- ment became more or less familiar with the habits and customs of rural France. One learned, for instance, that next to "Compree" the word "Fini" was the one most frequently used in the French language, and again that it is entirely pos- sible, when one has become accustomed to it, to share one's habitation in perfect amity and understanding with the occupants of the barnyards. It's all in what you are used to, and everyone rapidly became conversant with continental ideas. Finally, after six weeks' training, the powers-that-were decided the Regiment was ready to take its place at the front, and on the 8th of September the 315th Infantry started on the journey that was to end at the edge of No Man's Land. The first stage of the journey was made by rail from Vaux to Revigny. The trip was made in four sections, the first section arriving at Revigny at midnight, September 8th, and the second and third sections during the morning and afternoon of September 9th. Upon detraining, the First Battalion marched to Bazincourt, followed by the Headquarters Company and the Machine Gun Company to Lisle-en-Rigault and Haironville respectively. The Second Bat- talion in turn proceeded to its billets at Brillon. The fourth section, carrying the Third Battalion, was the last to reach Revigny, and the Battalion upon de- training marched most of the night in a heavy rainstorm, not reaching its billets at Haironville until four o'clock on the afternoon of September 10th. The Regiment rested for two days in this area and on the night of the 12th embussed for the front on a French camion train. The trip lasted all night, the various units arriving at Rampont early on the morning of the 13th. The day was spent in camps in the general vicinity of Dombasle, and that night the 315th Infantry set out on the last stage of the journey to the trenches. A Street Scene in Vesvres Page Forty-one ' '- The 515th Iistfanttry > < 5 Roster of Officers of the 315 Infantry (September 1, 1918) Colonel Alden C. Kxowi.es - Commanding Regiment Lt.-Col. Noble J. Wiley - Lieutenant-Colonel of Regiment (On D. S.) Captain Samuel W. Fleming, Jr. - - Regimental Adjutant Captain Coleman P. Brown - - Regimental Personnel Officer Captain Alfred G. Harlow - - Regimental Intelligence Officer FIRST BATTALION Major Fred. W. McL. Patterson - Commanding First Lieut. Walter Gallagher ... Battalion Adjutant COMPANY A COMPANY B COMPANY C COMPANY D Capt. Joseph D. Noonan Capt. John V. Bostwick ('apt. Charles II. Tilghman Capt. John H. Ricketson, Jr. 1st Lt. James II. Carpenter 1st Lt. Arthur L. Bagans 1st Lt. Robert P. Meily 1st Lt. Seth ('. Hetherington 1st Lt. Alfred L. Quintard 1st Lt. Edward L. Journeay 1st Lt. Conrad F. Nagel. Jr. 1st Lt. Lawson G. Bash 2nd Lt. N. S. Barratt, Jr. 1st Lt. Benj. II. Pollock 1st Lt. Stanley A. Welsh 1st Lt. Frank A. Van Horn 2nd Lt. Logan B. Gill 2nd Lt. John J. Conaban 2nd Lt. George S. Barker 2nd Lt. William H. Mease 2nd Lt. Lester C. Shearer 2nd Lt. Austin E. Besancon 2nd Lt. Shepard F. Williams SECOND BATTALION Major Norman E. Borden - Commanding First Lieut. Wallace E. Hackett - Battalion Adjutant First Lieut. Richard V. Lancaster ----- Chaplain company e company f company g company h Capt. Lucius A. Miller Capt. Fred H. McClintock Capt. Earle C. Offinger Capt. David E. Williams. Jr. 1st Lt. Frank S. Crawford 1st Lt. William A. Sheehan 1st Lt. J. Ferguson Mohr 1st Lt. Walter F. Hayes 1st Lt. John V. Murray 1st Lt. William M. Murrell 1st Lt. John ('. Snyder 1st Lt. George X. Althouse 1st Lt. Edgar J. Eyler 1st Lt. Ralph J. Miller 2nd Lt. Herman D. Partscb 1st Lt. James S. McKeon 2nd Lt. Walter Hibbard 2nd Lt. Thos. L. Ashhridge 2nd Lt. Chester G. Stewart 2nd Lt. E. Morrow Sheppard 2nd Lt. John J. Borbidge 2nd Lt. David A. Wiley 2nd Lt. Charles S. Tiers THIRD BATTALION Major Francis V. Lloyd _____ Commanding First Lieut. Benjamin Bullock, 3rd - Battalion Adjutant First Lieut. George M. Bailey _____ Chaplain COMPANY I company k company l company m Capt. Albert Friedlander Capt. George 1". Seholes ('apt. Francis A. Awl ('apt. Wm. W. Van Banian 1st Lt. Orson J. Graham 1st Lt. (has. Arbutbnot, 3d 1st Lt. George L. Wright 1st Lt. Wilton Snowden. Jr. 1st Lt. Raymond T. Turn 1st Lt. Wm. M. Carroll, Jr. 1st Lt. John T. Ford 1st Lt. Carl W. Wentzel 1st Lt. George H. Trundle 1st Lt. Walter M. Collins 1st Lt. Theodore Rosen 1st Lt. Henry D. Pansier 2nd Lt. William B. Dodson 2nd Lt. Ernest V. Becker 2nd Lt. George S. Freeman 2nd Lt. Harry D. Furey 2nd Lt. Ira B. Kellberg 2nd Lt. Louis D. Labine 2nd Lt. Floyd S. Strosnider 2nd Lt. Carl W. Andrews SPECIAL UNITS headquarters machine gun supply medical company company company detachment g Capt. Ward W. Pierson (apt. Jos. G. Duncan, Jr. ('apt. Victor H. Moreau Maj. Robert B. Shackelford 1st Lt. Ledlie I. Laughlin 1st Lt. Fred H. Lucas 1st Lt. J. Lambert Smith ('apt. Wallace Bulford 1st Lt. John W. Stauffer 1st Lt. David M. Wallace 1st Lt. Chas. J. Hyde. Jr. 1st Lt. William F. Craig 1st Lt. Edward 1',. Maguire 2nd Lt. John X. McDowell 2nd Lt. Uoss E. Stickel 1st Lt. Ivor I). Fenton 2nd Lt. Francis A. Chidsey 2nd Lt. Charles F. Baer 1st Lt. Ralph A. Claridge 2nd Lt. Joseph R. Bingman 2nd Lt. James F. Delaney 1st Lt. Robert C Van Burcn 2nd Lt. Russell M. Willard 1st Lt. Marvin B. Campbell 2nd Lt. Joseph C Painter 1st Lt. Samuel Friedlander 1st Lt. Norman E. Gardiner 1st Lt. George L. Uracil V - ■" Page Forty-two > , .. The 515 th Infantry The Regiment PART II On the Western Front Page Forty-three — — — ~ - — - —"*** > ■►. The 515 th Infantry 0 9 Tage Forty-four The 515 th Infantry The Tattered Remnants of the Bois de Malancourt INTO THE LINE IT HE sector assigned to the 315th Infantry for its initial ex- perience at the battle- front comprised the right half of the Division's sector — "Sector 304." The half taken over by the Regiment was known as the Favry sub-sector, and, at the time of being taken over, was held by the 333rd French Infantry Regiment. The sector lay about 15 kilometers northwest of the great French fortress, Verdun, and during the spring and summer of 1916 had witnessed the bitterest and bloodiest struggles of the war, when the legions of the Crown Prince had attempted to smash the French line at the grim fortress on the Meuse. On the right of the Regimental sector, during the night of September 13th-14th, Company "E" entered the front line trenches on "Hill 304," where human skulls and bones still lay in mute evidence of the titanic struggles of the past. Eight hundred meters further back, Companies "G" and "H" took over the line of resistance with the latter company on the right. These companies lay at the head of "Death Valley," the graveyard of thousands of French and German dead. Beyond the mouth of this ravine was plainly visible "Dead Alan's Hill" (Le Mort Homme), the scene of numerous attacks and counter-attacks during the great German drive of 1916. Half a mile behind the line of resistance was located the Battalion P. C— P. C. Cannebiere, and here "F" Company was stationed in reserve. The left half of the Regimental sector was taken over by the First Battalion. "C" Company occupied the line of observation with the tattered remnants of 9 5 Page Forty-five The 515 th Infantry ► — <>- 9 Regimental P. C. (P. C. Caesar) on Hill 309 If the Bois de Malancourt in its immediate front and behind it Companies "A" and "B" on the line of resistance. "D" Company occupied the reserve position at Battalion Headquarters — P. C. Copinard. Behind the headquarters of the front line battalions was located the Regi- mental P. C. on "Hill 309," at which point were stationed also Company "I," of the Third Battalion, and the Pioneer platoon of Headquarters Company. A thousand meters behind the Regimental P. C, "K," "L" and "M" Companies, of the Third Battalion, took up position as the Regimental Reserve in Normandy Woods, in conjunction with the Supply Company. Headquarters Company es- tablished itself in Camp Civile. The Machine Gun Company joined and support- ed the First Battalion on the left of the Regimental sector, while Company "A," of the 312th Machine Gun Battalion, supported the Second Battalion on the right. So much for the disposition of the Regiment on its first entry into the line. While the 315th Infantry occupied its sector on the Allied line, it gained the knowledge that opposite it lay one of the most formidable positions on the entire Western front. Five hundred meters beyond the most advanced posts of the outpost line, across the waste of rusted wire and shell-torn ground that marked No Man's Land, ran the German front line. Here the Boche had lain for nearly four years, and here apparently he intended to remain. Just within his lines, in the sector opposite the Regiment, lay the nearly obliterated villages of llaucourt and Malancourt. Behind these the country rolled to the north in hills and valleys dotted with small clumps of woods and underbrush, and traversed by band after band of barbed wire entanglements. Behind all, far back on the northern horizon, rose the dominating heights of Montfaucon from which the Crown Prince had directed the assaults of his army two years before. This great citadel had been christened "The Little Gibraltar" by the German High Page Forty-six The 515th Infantry Command, and the boast had been made that it would never be taken by the Allies. Strong as the German position was by nature, it had been rendered still more formidable by artificial means. During the four years of their occupancy of the French soil north and west of Verdun, the invaders, at an immense cost of time and labor, had constructed and organized four successive lines of defense. The first of these was the prolongation of the famous Hindenburg Line, which at this point lay three kilometers south of Montfaucon. Then in order came the Hagen Stellung, the Volker Stellung and finally the last great line, the Kriem- hilde Stellung. At the point opposite "Sector 304," the distance between the first and last of these lines of defense was less than eighteen kilometers. Such were the positions opposite the 315th Infantry. The Favry Sub-sector was what the French would term a "tres bon" sector. The days and nights were quiet and, except for the whistle of an occasional shell, there was little to indicate that here lay the forces of two great nations engaged in war. THE FIRST CASUALTY On the night of September 15th, the Regiment suffered its first casualty in the death of Corporal Thomas L. Landenberger, of Company "I," who was fatally wounded at the Regimental P. C. (P. C. Caesar), by the explosion of an aerial bomb dropped from a German plane and intended for the Headquar- ters building. At the same time, two other members of the same company were wounded slightly. A switch was made in the positions of the various companies on the night of September 18th. Company "A" relieved Company "B" on the line of ob- P. C. Cannebiere Near Esnes Page Forty-seven The 515 th Infantry 0 Reserve Battalion P. C. in the Foret de Hesse servation. Company "B" having relieved Company "C" two nights before. The Third Battalion moved up from its reserve position and relieved the Second Battalion, which took over the place vacated by the Third. The Third Battalion established itself as follows: Company "K" on the line of observation, Com- panies "L" and "M" on the line of resistance, Company "I" in reserve. Com- pany "E" took over the place of Company "I" on Hill 309. During the time the Regiment occupied the sector, it had on its right the 129th Infantry of the 33rd Division, and on its left the 313th Infantry of the 79th Division. It was just at the time that the changes mentioned in the foregoing paragraph occurred, that the Regiment first became aware of unusual activity in its sector. ft® ■ ■ 0 lljjil '' •• nil* J Dug-Outs in the Foret de Hesse Page Forty-eight ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■Hi The 515 th Infantry P. C. COPINARD The first intimation came in the form of a group of French marines, who began the construction of large gun emplacements along the Dombasle-Montzeville Road. A day or two later, batteries of heavy howitzers took up position one by one in the vicinity of Esnes, a ruined village on the right edge of the Regi- mental sector. Still later, batteries of French 75's made their appearance just behind the line of resistance, and then it was settled beyond all question of doubt that an attack on a large scale was impending. With this fact assured, specula- tion became rife as to whether or not the 315th Infantry was to be included in the assaulting forces. Old-timers in the ranks scoffed at the idea of green Death Valley with Dead Man's Hill (Le Mort Homme) in the Background. The Ea< Slope of Hill 304 Can Be Seen at the Left Hand Side of the Picture Page Forty-nine The 515th Infantry 0 0 pi <o Page Fifty The 515 th Infant t^ry troops being sent against positions such as those lying opposite the Regiment, and the majority of the Regiment was of the opinion that the initial attack, at least, would be made by some of the more tried and seasoned divisions. Finally the question was settled. On the 23rd, orders were received that the attack would be made on September 26th, and that the 79th Division would form part of the attacking line as a shock division. The 313th and 314th Infantries, under the command of Brigadier General Nicholson, were to initiate the attack in the Divisional sector, which was to be narrowed to half its original width. The 315th and 316th Infantries, under the command of Brigadier General Noble, were to act as a support, the 315th Infantry following the 314th, and the 316th Infantry following the 313th. For the attack, the front of the Regimental sector was to be diminished to include only that held by the battalion on the right, at that time the Third Battalion. On the evening of September 24th, the sub-sector held by the First Battalion was taken over by troops of the 316th Infantry, the First Battalion taking up position in the Foret de Hesse. The following evening, the 314th Infantry passed through the Regiment from the rear and took over the front line trenches from the 129th Infantry, which had outposted two entire divisional fronts during the preceding 48 hours, in order that a series of Boche raids along the line might not disclose the fact that different divisions were being massed for an attack. The plan of action, as outlined in Brigade orders, provided that the 315th Infantry should support the attack of the 314th Infantry at a distance of 1,000 meters, advancing with two battalions in line and one in support, the latter to serve as a Brigade reserve. To carry out this plan, the First Battalion, during the night of September 25th, was brought over from the Foret de Hesse, and placed on the left of the Third Battalion in the Regimental attack sector. After the necessary changes of position had been accomplished, the Regiment was dis- posed in support of the 314th Infantry as follows: The First Battalion, under Major Patterson (who had succeeded Major Wiley when the latter was ordered to the General Staff College at Langres), occupied the front line on the left half of the Regimental sector; Company "C" in trench Delacroix, Companies "D," "A" and "B" along the Boyau Tournefiere. The Third Battalion, under Major Lloyd, was posted on the front line on the right half of the Regimental sector; Company "I" in trench Cant, Companies "K" and "L" in Boyau de la Cannebiere and Boyau des Zouaves, Company "M" in trench Raoul Duval. The last-named company was detailed as Regimental reserve. The Second Bat- talion, under Major Borden, had come up from Normandy Woods and taken position, with Companies "E," "H" and "G" just south of the road opposite P. C. Cannebiere, and Company "F" immediately behind the center of the First and Third Battalions to act as "moppers-up." THE BOMBARDMENT At eleven o'clock on the night of September 25th, a deep boom far behind the American lines heralded the beginning of the six-hour Allied barrage. It was the most terrific bombardment ever delivered upon a front of similar extent. Massed between the Meuse and the western edge of the Argonne, were three thousand pieces of artillery gathered from all parts of the Western front. Many Page Fifty-one The 515th Infantry 0 "Over the Toe' 0 of the pieces were still hot from action in the St. Mihiel salient, while others had seen service with the British in Flanders and with the French in the Champagne. There was an average of one gun for every eight meters of front, and, at certain points in the line where stiff opposition was expected, the average interval was much less. Opposite Montfaucon, in the sector occupied by the 315th Infantry, the artillery was literally lined up hub to hub. None, whose privilege it was to witness it, will ever forget the indescribable grandeur of the artillery barrage which preceded the great Meuse-Argonne Of- fensive. The somber hills guarding Verdun and the country to the west seemed rimmed with flame. The air was filled with the whistling of passing shells, and above all rose the thunder of the guns. Close at hand could be heard the sharp, staccato bark of the French 75's, farther back mounted the throaty roar of the six and nine-inch howitzers, while, in the distant rear, hills and valleys reverberated to the deep boom of the huge naval guns along the Dombasle road. Two hours after midnight the fire of the artillery seemed to double in inten- sity, and the metallic whiz of shells overhead merged into a continuous scream. The batteries had changed to drum-fire. It was the final barrage before the attack, and for three hours a deluge of steel and flame was let down upon the German positions ahead. Page Fifty-two The 515 th Infantry HI 1 OVER THE TOP At 5 :30 A. M. on the morning of September 26th, the first waves of in- fantry swept forward, and the American Army, with nine divisions on a 25-mile front, began the mighty offensive which ended only with the Armistice. The 79th Division advanced as the right flank division of the 5th Corps, which had been given the post of honor in the center of the attacking line. On the right of the Camp Meade division was the 4th Regular Army Division, and on the left, the 37th National Guard Division. In accordance with the plans laid down, the 315th Infantry started its advance across No Man's Land when the last elements of the 314th Infantry had passed a thousand meters beyond the jumping-off point. On its right was the 4th Division, on its left the 313th and 316th Infantries, the 313th Infantry on the front line. The 315th Infantry Machine Gun Company supported the First Battalion, and Company "A," of the 312th Machine Gun Battalion, sup- ported the Third Battalion. Scarcely had the leading units of the Regiment cleared their own wire, when they plunged into a dense smoke barrage which the First Gas and Flame Regiment had put over just prior to the advance of the front line. This smoke, combined with the mist which lay in the valley, made it extremely difficult for companies and platoons to keep touch with one another. About eight o'clock, the "put-put-put" of German machine guns could be heard in the mist ahead, as the 314th Infantry gained contact with the Boche machine gun nests in and around Malancourt. Shortly afterwards the first groups of German prisoners beean to file by, hands held high above their heads. Each group proceeded under the escort of a grinning doughboy, whose fixed bayonet served as an effective spur to lagging footsteps. Although the firing ahead had been in progress for quite a time, the advance went on rapidly. The Regiment did not come under direct fire until "I" Com- •rv • A Concrete German Pill-Box Near Haucourt Page Fifty-three The 515th Infantry • — ih 0 Some of the First German Prisoners Captured by Troops of the 79th Division pany, the leading company of the Third Battalion, reached the Forges Brook at the southern edge of Haucourt and the dismal swamp of the Bois de Malancourt. Here the men of the Third Battalion were subjected to the fire of German snipers who had taken up positions in the ruins of Malancourt. 0 LIEUTENANT TURN KILLED It was at this point that the first battle casualty in the Regiment was re- ported. First Lieutenant Raymond T. Turn, commanding the first platoon of "I" Company, was killed instantly just as he was about to lead his platoon across the Forges Brook. It is believed that his death was caused by a hand grenade which exploded in his pocket after being struck by a German sniper's bullet. ( >n the left side of the Regimental sector, the First Battalion went forward without resistance until it had crossed the Forges Brook, when its advance was held up by a rain of bullets from machine guns and snipers in the Hinden- burg trench, one and one-half kilometers north of Malancourt. At 12:30 P. M., an "S. (). S." call for assistance was received at Regimental Headquarters from Colonel Oury, commanding officer of the 314th Infantry, who requested reinforcements for his front line. Major Lloyd, of the Third Battalion, was at once directed to send forward two companies. Following the Page Fifty-four The 515 th Infanttry HI 1 issuance of this order, however, word was received from Division that no aid would be given the leading regiment at this time, and, in consequence, the orders for two companies to reinforce the 314th Infantry were immediately revoked. By three o'clock in the afternoon, the Third Battalion, despite the continuous fire of snipers from the front and flanks, had "mopped up" Malancourt and advanced a half kilometer beyond. But here its advance was held up by a storm of machine gun bullets, one-pounder shells, minenwerfers and the fire of a 77-mm. gun, a sacrifice piece, which was firing over the sights at the advancing troops. This fire swept in a southeasterly direction down through the draw leading into Malancourt. and came, in the main, from what were afterwards found to be specially prepared positions in the Hindenburg trench system. In the middle of the afternoon, the Third Battalion suffered another casualty in the death of Second Lieutenant Floyd S. Strosnider, of "L" Company, who was killed by a machine gun bullet while leading his platoon through the dense underbrush northwest of Malancourt. At almost the same time, the death of First Lieutenant William F. Craig, of the Medical Corps, was reported. Lieu- tenant Craig, who at the time of his death was attached to the Second Battalion, was killed instantly by the explosion of a German shell at the cross-roads in Malancourt. At three o'clock, the advance of both the First and Third Battalions had been halted by the overwhelming fire from the German trenches ahead. The A Truck Load of Wounded Americans on the Way to the Rear Page Fifty-five r f i in The 515 th Infantry 0 0 American Artillery Horses Caught in a German Trap Near Mon? Page Fifty-six The 515 th Infanttry HH— — | Traffic Jammed Up Behind the Advancing Troops in the Village of Esnes front line companies, however, held grimly to their task, and repeated attempts were made to advance. Gradually the line edged forward, and by six o'clock that evening the first wave of the 315th Infantry had crawled up the hill slopes and into the Hindenburg trench. Here the Regiment took up positions for the night ; Companies "I" and "K" of the Third Battalion, east of the Malaneourt- Montfaucon road; Companies "L" and "M" and the First Battalion, west of the road ; the Second Battalion in a system of trenches about 400 meters south of the Third Battalion ; and Regimental Headquarters one kilometer southeast of Malancourt. During the day, the Regiment had lost 3 officers and 9 men killed and 31 men wounded. A total of 61 German prisoners had been captured, 42 of these having been taken at one time by the men of "C" and "B" Companies in the woods one kilometer northwest of Malancourt. Owing to the stiff resistance encountered by both the 313th and 314th Infantry, the front line of the Division at the end of the first day was considerably behind the line established by the 4th Division on the right and the 37th Division on the left. THE ADVANCE OF SEPTEMBER 27TH Shortly after six o'clock on the morning of September 27th, Brigadier General Noble was relieved by the Division commander. Major General Kuhn, who reorganized the Division into two provisional brigades, one consisting of Page Fifty-seven H> ■ < 0 The 515th Infantry The Ruins of Montfaucon S Former Headquarters of the German Crown Prince in Montfaucon Page Fifty-eight The 515 th Infantttrv 0 The Shell Shattered Church in Montfaucon the 313th and 316th Infantries; the other of the 314th and 315th Infantries. Colonel Knowles was placed in command of the provisional brigade consisting of the 314th and 315th Infantries until such time as he could gain contact with his senior, Colonel (Jury, the commanding officer of the 314th Infantry. Orders were given for the Brigade to push forward with all possible speed, the regi- ments maintaining the same relative positions as on the preceding day. Reports had come into Regimental Headquarters, earl}- that morning, that conditions on the right of the Malancourt-Montfaucon road were such as to make it impossible for troops to move forward without being subjected to heavy machine gun fire from the direction of Cuisy. For this reason orders were issued to the Second Battalion to take up position immediately behind the Third Battalion on the west side of the Malancourt-Montfaucon road and there await orders. In the meantime, Colonel Knowles, accompanied by his Adjutant, Cap- tain Fleming, made a personal reconnaissance of the front line positions. This reconnaissance showed that an advance on the right of the road would not be so seriously held up as reported, and, in consequence, the Second and Third Battalions were at once ordered to reform on the right of the road and to push forward until contact was gained with the rear elements of the 314th Infantry. To Colonel Knowles fell the task of establishing lines of communication, plan- ning and co-ordinating the work of artillery and tanks in support of the attack and, in short, the general reorganization of the Brigade. Happily this was ac- complished without much loss of time and without his relinquishing command of the Resriment. 0 Page Fifty-nine The 515 th Infantry > — .>- 5 0 » ■"- S* v .; ■W t: 1 V* I I : '■ Page Sixty The 515 th Infanttr^t 0 German Aviator Hans Hejnrich Marwere, Etats Meaessinger Unter Officer, Who Brought Down Balloon Shown on Opposite Page, and Who in Turn Was Brought Down a Few Minutes Later by Anti-Aircraft Guns. The Wreck of Aviator Marwere's Aeroplane 0 — i. 1 Page Sixty-one The 515th Infantry » — "- f The Village of Nantillois Under Shell Fire 0 At 8:30 A. M., contact was gained with Colonel Oury and, by virtue of seniority, command of the provisional brigade automatically passed to the com- manding officer of the 314th Infantry. Both regiments had now started to push ahead, but the advancing troops were already beginning to get beyond the range of their light calibre supporting artillery, and the enemy was resisting with in- creasing vigor. At this juncture, the forward observation officer of the 147th Field Artillery reported to Colonel Knowles for instructions with regard to the placing of his batteries. The 147th Field Artillery, which had been designated as accompanying artillery for the front line regiments by Division order, was a light artillery regiment of 75's and at that time formed part of the 57th Artillery Brigade. This brigade, under the command of Brigadier General G. LeRoy Irwin, supported the advance of the 79th Division and was composed in the main of artillery units from the 32nd Division. The artillery officer was directed by Colonel Knowles to place one battery of his 75's near the road-fork, 2l/2 kilometers south of Montfaucon, and two batteries immediately north of Malancourt, for the purpose of supporting the advance by fire on Cuisy and a large patch of woods, the Bois de Tuilerie, due east of Montfaucon. Preparations were made by the artillery to carry out these instructions, but the movement was greatly hampered by the deplorable condi- tions existing on the road over which the artillery had to pass. From the outset, on the morning of September 26th, there had been but one road available for the use of both the 4th and 79th Divisions. This was the Esnes-Malancourt-Montfaucon Road. At the beginning of the action, on the morning of the 26th, from the head of Death Valley near Esnes to the outskirts Page Sixty-two The 515 th Infantry of Malancourt, there was nothing but a shell-pocked waste of earth and stone, the original road having been blotted out of existence by the explosion of thou- sands of French and German shells during the fighting about Verdun in 1916. During the first day of the American drive, the Engineers had worked wonders, but man could not achieve the impossible, and a single day was not sufficient to build a road capable of satisfying the transportation needs of two entire divisions. Under these circumstances, the morning of the 27th found the Esnes- Malancourt-Montfaucon Road buried under a hopeless jam of ambulances, artillery, supply trucks, and vehicles of all descriptions. The forward move- ment of artillery became well-nigh impossible, and, as the day wore on, the advancing troops were forced to rely more and more on the momentum of their own attack. THE TANKS ARRIVE During the afternoon of the 26th, word had come to Regimental Head- quarters that a number of French tanks were to be assigned to the 315th In- fantry as soon as it became possible to bring them up. These tanks finally arrived on the morning of the 27th, and comprised ten light tanks, of the Renault type, and two heavy tanks, each of the latter armed with a 75-mm. gun. At 11 o'clock, Colonel Knowles directed the tank commander to move his tanks to the edge of a small woods a kilometer southwest of Cuisy and there await orders for a farther advance. At this time, Regimental P. C. was established east of the Malancourt-Montfaucon Road just north of Malancourt. -o < 0 The Carcasses of Horses Killed by Shell Fire Along the Roadside Just South of Nantillois 0 Page Sixty-three The 515 th Infantry 0 A Large Tank Wrecked in the Attack on Madeleine Farm. Graves of Crew Shown in the Foreground S A French Renault Tank Wrecked in the Attack on Madeleine Farm. The Tank is Resting Directly on Top of a German Machine Gun Xest, Which it Succeeded in Destroying. Page Sixty-four The 515 th Infant try Meanwhile, the Division front had been pushed well forward. By eleven o'clock, the leading elements of the 313th Infantry were filtering through the battered ruins of Montfaucon, and the 314th Infantry had gained the southern edge of the Bois de Tuilerie. Here, however, the latter regiment was halted by heavy sniping and machine gun fire. As the First and Third Battalions of the 315th Infantry closed up on the line of the regiment ahead, they were ordered by Colonel Oury to hold their positions and await further orders. The front line of the 315th Infantry then ran east and west across the Malancourt-Mont- faucon Road, less than half a kilometer south of Fayel Farm, with the Third Battalion lying east of the road, the First Battalion west of the road, and the Second Battalion halted in rear of the Third. During the afternoon of the 27th, the 315th Infantry held itself in readiness, close up behind the leading regiment, awaiting orders to move, while the troops ahead slowly worked their way through the Bois de Tuilerie and the valley to the east. Finally at 7:00 P. M., the order directing the forward movement arrived, and, preceded by the light tanks, the Regiment advanced toward its next objective — Nantillois. Division orders provided that as soon as the 314th Infantry had taken Nantillois, the 315th Infantry would pass through and relieve it in the front line, the 314th falling back in support. It had been hoped that Nantillois would be taken before dark, but the strong resistance encountered by the front line troops during the day had so delayed the advance that the occupation of the town before night set in became impossible. Nevertheless, the troops drove ahead long after darkness fell, and by ten o'clock that evening the Regimental front line had been carried to a point nearly a kilometer beyond the Montfaucon-Septsarges Road. At that time, word was sent to the troops to dig in. This was done by the front line battalions, the First and Third, on the line just mentioned, while the Second Battalion took up position 200 meters in rear of the front line battalions. Regimental Head- quarters was established in the Bois de Tuilerie, east of Montfaucon. The advance of September 27th had cost the Regiment the loss of 9 men killed and of 4 officers and 76 men wounded, the majority of these casualties having been sustained by the First Battalion during the early hours of the morning. Between 10 P. M. and midnight, the enemy let down a heavy harassing artillery fire on the small plateau lying northwest of Septsarges. This fire fell in the area occupied by the right half of the Regimental front line and- caused the Third Battalion to change its position to a system of trenches just north of the Septsarges-Montfaucon road. At one o'clock on the morning of September 28th. the Regiment received word from Brigade Headquarters that the 4th Division, on the right, had estab- lished its left flank just one kilometer east of Nantillois. With this word, also, came the order that the attack would be resumed on the morning of the 28th, following the termination of the artillery preparation at 6:15 A. M., and that the 315th Infantry would relieve the 314th Infantry on the front line. This relief was effected' during the night, and the Regiment, warily on the alert, made readv to close with the enemy. The advance of the day before had pushed the front line far beyond the range of its supporting artillery, with the exception of the few batteries winch 0 0 Page Sixty five I 0- The 515 th Infantry 9 Forward Slope of "Suicide Hill." Bois des Ogons in the Background 9 Reverse Slope of "Suicide Hill" Showing Fox Holes Dug by Men of the 315th Infantry Page Sixty six The 515 th IisrFANrnrRY The Madeleine Farm as Seen From the Ground Which Marked the High Water Mark of the 315th Infantry Advance had reported to Colonel Knowles, and the artillery preparation on the morning of the 28th was pitifully weak — so weak, in fact, that the advance of the front line battalions was delayed until 7:30 A. M., in the belief that the preparatory barrage had not yet started. Finally, however, as the irregular, intermittent fire of the artillery grew fainter and fainter, and it became evident that the infantry must "go it alone," the troops moved forward. The Regiment maintained the same formation as on the two preceding days, namely, the First and Third Battalions on the line and the Second Battalion in support, following the center of the attacking bat- talions. Company "E" and one platoon of the machine gun company attached to the Second Battalion were detailed as a combat liaison group on the right flank to keep contact with the 4th Division. The advance of both leading bat- talions was to be directed against Nantillois, the First Battalion enveloping the town from the west and south, and the Third Battalion attacking directly from the south. Such artillery as was still available was to fire on the Bois de Beuge, southwest of Nantillois, and on the town itself. THE CAPTURE OF NANTILLOIS For the first few hundred meters the front line companies, "L" Company on the right and "D" Company on the left, advanced with little or no opposition, but as the first troops reached the crest of the ridge south of Nantillois, a terrific barrage was laid down by the German batteries on the slope leading down into Nantillois and on the ridge itself. Meanwhile, snipers and machine gunners in the Bois de Beuge and the Bois de Septsarges raked the ground lying south of the village and poured a withering fire into the advancing waves from the flanks. Page Sixty-seven The 515th Infantry 5 9 u u PQ Page Sixty-eight The 515th Infajvtttry Evacuating American Wounded Near Nantillois on the Nantili.ois-Montfaucon Road Despite the overwhelming enemy tire, the line struggled desperately ahead, and by 11 o'clock the leading battalions had forced their way into Nantillois, the Third Battalion having captured a German battery of six 77-mm. guns at the outskirts of the village on the Nantillois-Brieulles Road. Nantillois had been taken, but at a heavy cost. The front line companies had each lost a third of their men killed or wounded, and the other companies of the advanced battalions had sustained losses almost as heavy. The "mopping up" of the town was accomplished under heavy shelling of high explosives and gas, and the advance again taken up. The front line was pushed ahead to Hill 274, about one kilometer north of Nantillois, where the leading battalions halted and reorganized their tattered ranks. Five hundred meters beyond the crest of Hill 274 rose the grim outline of the Bois des Ogons, and behind the western edge of this natural bulwark lay the Madeleine Farm. This woods and farm had been organized as one of the outlying strong points of the Kriemhilde Stellung line, the last of the great German defensive lines. By 4:00 P. M., the First and Third Battalions had been reformed. The lone battery which now remained to the Regiment as its sole supporting artillery was directed to lire on the Bois des Ogons and the Madeleine Farm until 4 :30 P. M. At that hour, the tanks, which during the morning had followed behind the at- tacking wave, were brought up, and the Regiment launched itself against the woods ahead. The advance had barely gotten under way when a deluge of bullets from machine gun emplacements in the Bois des Ogons struck the advanc- ing line, and, at the same time, German batteries massed in the woods behind the Madeleine Farm opened up. A few minutes later, heavy calibre guns on the heights east of the Meuse joined in the action and enfiladed the entire south- ern edge of the woods with a storm of high explosive shells. The two heavy tanks were put out of action by direct hits almost before they had started. Two of the smaller tanks met a similar fate at the hands of the German one-pounders grouped in the neighborhood of the Madeleine Farm. Page Sixty-nine The 515th Infantry > — «>- 0 American Cemetery Just South of Nantillois, Where Many of the 315th Infantry Dead Were Buried 0 A German Cemetery Near Nantillois Tage Seventy The 515 th Infantry In defiance of the storm bursting around them, the troops, preceded by the remaining tanks, plunged forward and finally penetrated the southern edge of the Bois des Ogons. No sooner had they entered the bushes at the outskirts of the wood-line, however, than the German machine guns, escheloned along the entire front, opened up a murderous fire and let loose a criss-cross hail of flying steel in front of the advancing lines. The combined fire of the enemy artillery and machine guns was too powerful to overcome unaided, and the troops with- drew to the crest of Hill 274 to await the coming of reinforcements. By this time the Second Battalion had arrived on the hill, and the artillery was again directed to pound the Bois des Ogons in an effort to thin out the machine guns lying within its depths. At the same time, the one-pounders of the Headquarters Company, which up to this time had accompanied the Third Battalion, were ordered to direct their fire against what appeared to be a specially prepared strong-point at the southeastern edge of the woods. The artillery prep- aration on the woods ahead was so light as to be almost negligible, but at 6:00 P. M., without waiting for further support, the infantry made a second attempt to conquer the German stronghold. The second attack proved only to be a repetition of the first, and for the second time the battalions withdrew to Hill 274, where they were reorganized and ordered to dig in for the night. By this time, Regimental Headquarters had been moved up to the German dugouts 600 meters south of Nantillois. During the night, the Regiment clung doggedly to the southern slope of Hill 274, while the German guns ahead and on the flanks rained on it a continuous stream of shells, which, with the passing hours, took their toll of dead and wounded. It was during this night that Hill 274 came to be called "Suicide Hill" by the men of the 315th Infantry. The advance of the day had been costly. First Lieutenant Seth C. Hetherington, of "D" Company, was killed instantly by a high explosive shell in the attack of Nantillois, while First Lieutenant Alfred L. Quintard, of "A" Company, was mortally wounded at almost the same time. In the attack on the Bois des Ogons, First Lieutenant George N. Althouse, lead- ing the first platoon of "H" Company, received a wound from a German machine gun bullet which later resulted in his death at the evacuation hospital. When the last hour of September 28th had been rounded out, the losses of the day showed a total of 3 officers and 74 men killed, and 12 officers and 319 men wounded. A total of 23 German prisoners had been captured in Nantillois and in the subsequent attacks on the woods to the north. With them had been taken 5 machine guns. Shortly after midnight orders arrived at Regimental Headquarters from Division, directing another attack on the following morning. These orders contained the information that the 4th Division, on the right, had advanced its front line one kilometer beyond that of the 79th Division, thus affording security for the right flank of the 315th Infantry in its attack on the Bois des Ogons. The Division was requested to provide artillery support for the attack, but word came back that little assistance could be rendered and that the 315th Infantry would have to depend on its own supporting artillery. By that time the artillery supporting the Regiment was all but incapable of action. H> < Page Seventy-one The 515th Infantry 0 g Map Showing Daily Advances of the 315th Infantry in the Montfaucon Drive Page Seventy-two The 515 th Infantry H» < THE LAST ATTACK ON MADELEINE FARM At 7 o'clock on the morning of September 29th, the three battalions of the 315th Infantry moved forward in their third attack upon the Bois des Ogons and the Madeleine Farm. With them went the four remaining- tanks. That final attack will ever remain a bright page in the annals of the Regiment. Going forward to almost certain death, there was not one among the advancing ranks who faltered in face of the task set before him. Exhausted by lack of food and water, and strained almost to the breaking point by three days of continuous fighting, the troops gathered themselves together and with a cheer rushed upon the woods ahead. For the third time they gained the edge of the Bois des Ogons, and for the third time machine guns deep in the woods, supported by increased artillery farther back, let lose their annihilating fire, while shells from the heavy German guns east of the Meuse churned up the entire southern edge of the wood-line. It was discovered at this juncture that the reported position of the 4th Division's front line was entirely incorrect, and the right flank of the Regi- ment was exposed to a withering fire from the Bois de Septsarges. The hail of steel was too much for infantry to overcome alone, and, with its dead lying thick in the underbrush and bushes before the Madeleine Farm and along the southern edge of the Bois des Ogons, the 315th Infantry withdrew to its position of the night before, to await the coming of the artillery. But the artillery never came, and in the late afternoon the German guns along the Kriemhilde Stellung line to the north and on the heights to the east turned the full fury of their storm on Hill 274, and the troops sullenly withdrew to the road south of the hill. On the fields between the road and the southern edge of the Bois de Ogons extended a sea of fresh shell holes, and in their midst lay the wrecked remains of eight French tanks. On the trail leading from Nantillois to the Bois des Ogons, Company "E" still remained, functioning as a combat liaison group with the 4th Division, the front line of which was likewise held immovable before the forbidding positions ahead. The attack of the 29th of September had taken a heavy toll in dead and wounded. In the final assault on the Madeleine Farm, First Lieutenant William A. Sheehan was killed by a machine gun bullet while leading his men through the Bois des Ogons. First Lieutenant Edgar J. Eyler and Second Lieutenant Herman D. Partsch were both mortally wounded in the same attack. Late in the afternoon, Captain Joseph G. Duncan, Jr., and First Lieutenant Benjamin Bullock, 3d, were killed 'instantly by a vagrant German 77 shell on the roadway just north of Nantillois. At the same time, Second Lieutenant James F. Delaney received wounds which later resulted in his death. In all, the regiment lost 6 officers and 69 men killed, and 9 officers and 238 men wounded. During the fighting in and about the Madeleine Farm, 19 prisoners and 26 machine guns were taken. Early on the morning of September 30th, the 314th Infantry, under orders from Brigade, took over the front line and consolidated the positions along the roadside south of Hill 274, while the 315th Infantry established itself as the support regiment on a line running east and west through the southern edge of Nantillois. The First and Second Battalions occupied ground to the east of the Page Seventy-three The 515th Infantry 0 S Montfaucon-Nantillois road, and the Third Battalion took up its position west of the road. Here the troops received from the Supply Company, which had held its position in and about Nantillois under heavy shell fire for two days, their first meal since the beginning of the action. To the Supply Company of the 315th Infantry must be given everlasting credit for the way in which ammunition, food and water were forwarded to the men of the Regiment, despite almost insur- mountable obstacles. In the face of enemy gas and shells, officers and men of the company toiled day and night over roads hopelessly choked with the traffic of two divisions, and to them belongs no small share of the success attained by the Regiment as a whole. Credit must also be given to the officers and men of the Medical Corps who were attached to the 315th Infantry during the opening days of the Meuse- Argonne offensive. Without necessary supplies and equipment, oftentimes with- out ambulances, they nevertheless did a monumental work in the care and evacu- ation of the wounded. Much of their work was done under the direct fire of German snipers, machine gunners and artillery, but regardless of this they stuck to their tasks until the last of the wounded had been transported from their ad- vanced dressing stations to the hospitals in the rear. Their unflinching devotion to duty and utter disregard of personal danger afforded an inspiring example to the entire Regiment. 3RD DIVISION RELIEVES THE 79TH It was while lying grimly on their lines around Nantillois that the men of the 79th Division, worn to the point of exhaustion by five days and four nights of the bitterest fighting troops have ever been called upon to endure, were relieved by the 3rd Division. At the same time, also, the 37th Division, which, with the 79th, had been given the task of smashing the center of the German line in the American sector, was relieved by fresh troops from the 32nd Division. At one o'clock in the afternoon of September 30th, the first units of the 315th Infantry were relieved on the support line by the 4th Infantry of the 3rd Division. An hour later, the shell-torn and shell-raked fields along the road leading back to Montfaucon were covered with thin columns of exhausted men stumbling along on their way to the rear. That night the Regiment bivouacked just north of Malancourt, where the men, too tired to move, too tired to eat. too tired to care about anything in the whole world, lay on the open hillside and slept. During the period from September 13th to September 30th, these green troops in their first big fight had made for themselves a record of which the most seasoned veterans might well be proud. The 315th Infantry, going into action for the first time, had battered its way through three of the great German defensive lines, and had badly shaken the fourth. It had driven through ( ierman territory to a depth of ten kilometers, and in so doing had lost nearly 30 per cent, of its strength as casualties. In all, it had lost 188 officers and men killed, 11 missing, 3 captured and 740 wounded. It had captured, or assisted in the capture, of four villages, and had taken a total of 103 prisoners from four different German divi- sions. These divisions were the XVth, XXXVIIth, Vth Bavarian, and CXVIIth Landsturm. In addition, the Regiment had captured six 77-mm. field pieces (and Page Seventy-four The 515 th Infantry Hi 1 The Chateau at Thillombots (Regimental P. C. in Troyon Sector) assisted in the capture of four others), 38 machine guns, 1 minenwerfer, 2,000 hand grenades, and thousands of rounds of small arms ammunition. On the morning of the day following the relief of the Division, the units of the Regiment marched to the original positions held by them on September 25th, and two days later, October 3rd, were assembled in Normandy Woods. OFF AGAIN At 9:00 P. M. on the evening of October 3rd, the 315th Infantry again got in motion, and then began two days and two nights of the most gruelling march- ing. The 79th Division was being hurried over to relieve the 26th Division in the Troyon Sector, east of the Meuse. The men were pushed to the limit of their endurance, for fresh troops were being flung daily into the maelstrom on the American Front, and the roads behind the line had to be kept clear at all costs. The first night's march ended at three o'clock on the morning of October 4th, in the Foret de Souilly, one kilometer east of Senoncourt, the Regiment having passed through the towns of Dombasle, Rampont, Lemmes, and Senoncourt. By the evening of the following day, the troops had passed through Souilly and reached Recourt, and, on the evening of October 5th. had finally established them- selves in villages along the western bank of the Meuse, behind the Troyon Sector. The various units were billeted as follows: Headquarters Company and Ma- chine Gun Company at Lahavmeix, First Battalion at Bois Marcaulieu. Second Battalion at Camp Gibraltar, Companies "I" and "M" of the Third Battalion at P. C. Pierre, "K" Company at Dompcevrin, "L" Company at Les Parodies, Supply Company at Camp Gibraltar. At this time, the exposure and exhaustion, Page Seventy-five HI 1 The 515 th Infantry » — <►■ The Village of Thillot and the Plain of the Woevre 0 i n- Trenches Occupied by Company "L," 315th Infantry, in the Support Line on the Troyon Front Page Seventy-six The 515 th Infantry sustained during the drive and the march to the new area, made itself felt in an aftermath of sickness, which daily necessitated the evacuation of a large number of men to the hospital. During the first two weeks of October, several com- panies lost as high as fifteen percent of their total strength from sickness. On the night of October 10th, the First Battalion and Headquarters Company moved to Thillombois, while the Third Battalion was assembled at Boquemont. On the night of the 11th, "L" Company, of the Third Battalion, and the Machine Gun Company took up position in Woimbey, and the Supply Company moved to Boquemont. The Regiment maintained the dispositions as they then existed until the 15th of October, when "C" Company moved to Lavigneville to labor on an ammunition dump. H. < 0 COLONEL KNOWLES COMMANDS BRIGADE On October 12th, Colonel Knowles was placed in command of the 158th Infantry Brigade, which then included its original units, the 315th and 316th Regiments of Infantry. Command of the Regiment was placed in the hands of Major Lloyd, commanding officer of the Third Battalion. During the afternoon of October 15th, word was received that the Divisional sector had been widened, and that one battalion of the 315th Infantry was to take over half of the front then occupied by the Second French Cavalry Division, which held the line on the right of the 79th. At this time, the Divisional sector was divided into two parts, the 157th Brigade holding the left half (sub-sector Connecticut) and the 158th Brigade the right half (sub-sector Massachusetts). In the 158th Brigade sub-sector, the 316th Infantry had been holding the front lines since October 10th, during which time the 315th Infantry had occupied the reserve position on the west bank of the Meuse. The task of taking over the new front assigned to the Division fell to the Third Battalion, to which Captain Lucius A. Miller, 315th Infantry, had been temporarily attached as commanding officer. At 11 o'clock on the morn- ing of October 17th, the Third Battalion set out on its second trip to the lines. The four companies crossed the Meuse at Woimbey and proceeded through the towns of Lacroix, Seuzy and Dompierre to the Bois de Raquatet, where they bivouacked for the night. At 7:00 A. M. on the morning of October 18th, the Third Battalion relieved the 13th French Curassiers a Pieds on the main line of resistance in the Thillot sub-sector, which comprised the range of hills over- looking the plain of the Woevre between the villages of Thillot and St. Maurice. To cover the sector assigned to it, the Third Battalion was disposed with all four companies on the line of resistance. "I" Company on the left held the heights above Thillot; on the right of "I" Company, "K" and "L" Companies in succession held the hill-crests; on the extreme right, "M" Company was posted, with its line just west of the village of St. Maurice, partly on the hills and partly in the valley. The ground held by the 315th Infantry in the Troyon Sector had been wrested from the Germans but little over a month before in the St. Mihiel offen- sive. Already, however, the sector had been stabilized, and at that time pre- sented one of 'the most picturesque fronts on the Allied line. Perched high on the precipitous bluffs buttressing the right bank of the Meuse, the American line overlooked the broad, flat plain of the Woevre, which stretched as far as 0 Hi 1 Page Seventy-seven The 515th Infantry • — .»- 5 m i /■". ^ I ■ » ''v~ J&J r ■ 1 5 Page Seventy-eight The 515th Infantry "T ' HI 1 the eye could reach to a distant line of hills marking the main German line of defense. Thirty kilometers east of those hills lay Metz and its immense fortifi- cations. Far out on the Woevre, a good five kilometers from the protecting hills behind, the front line ran in and out between the tiny villages dotting the plain. Within the Allied lines lay the villages of Fresnes-en-Woevre, Champion, Saulx- en-\Yoevre, Wadonville, Doncourt-aux-Templiers, Avillers, and Woel ; within the German lines, St. Hilaire, Butgneville, Harville, and Moulette. By day, the low-lying expanse of the Woevre lay in solemn stillness, no life or movement visible on its broad surface, but at night came a miraculous change. The hills to the east became lit with the flash of Austrian guns, star shells rose and threw their weird light over the plain below, while overhead the German planes droned ceaselessly throughout the night. These were the surroundings under which the Third Battalion held the line from October 18th until the morn- ing of October 25th. During that period everything remained quiet except for a threatened enemy raid on the night of October 21st. To meet this, the First Battalion, Head- quarters Company and Machine Gun Company were ordered to take the alert position at 7 :00 P. M. along the Troyon-Lacroix Road below Troyon. while the Second Battalion took position in Woimbey. The Third Battalion on the line of resistance was ordered to "stand-to" all night in its trenches. The raid failed to materialize, and the units were returned to their former positions the follow-. ing morning. On the morning of October 23rd, the various units of the Regiment, with the exception of the Third Battalion and "C" Company, assembled at Thillombois, and from there marched to the vicinity of Recourt. The First Battalion estab- lished its headquarters at Pontoux Farm, while the Second Battalion, Head- quarters Company, Machine Gun Company, and Supply Company camped for the night in the woods one kilometer south of Recourt. On the morning of the 24th, Headquarters Company, Machine Gun Company and Supply Company moved to Camp Tamaris, one kilometer northwest of Recourt. During the afternoon of October 24th. news was received at Regimental Headquarters that the 33rd Division was to relieve the 79th in the Troyon Sector. The news could mean but one thing— the Camp Meade troops were again to take the offensive on an active front. The advance guard of the 33rd Division reached the Troyon Sector on the evening of October 24th. On the morning of the 25th, the' four companies of the 315th Infantry were relieved in the Thillot sub-sector by the first battalion of the 131st Infantry. The relief was effected at 7:00 A. M., and by one o'clock that afternoon the Third Battalion had reached the outskirts of Trovon on its way to rejoin the Regiment. Here it was joined by "C" Company, and the five companies were billeted in and about that town over night. The following morning. October 26th. the Third Battalion marched from Trovon to Camp Monthairons. two kilometers northwest of Recourt, arriving there at one o'clock in the afternoon. "C" Company joined the First Battalion at Pontoux Farm. At noon, Colonel Knowles assumed command of the Regi- ment Colonel George Williams. 316th Infantry, having taken command of the 158th Brigade. During the dav, 439 replacements were assigned to the Regiment to help fill up the depleted ranks. These men were assigned to the several com- panies in proportion to their strength. It was expected that a stop of several Page Seventy-nine The 515th Infantry 5 A Typical Trench Scene North of Verdun. 79th Division P. C. at Vacherauville days would be made at Recourt, and plans were laid accordingly. But in war the best-laid plans "gang aft a'glee," and by 6:00 P. M. the Regiment was again on the move, headed for the front. 0 THIRD BATTALION MAKES RECORD MARCH All that night the Regiment marched northward, and morning found it dis- tributed in the woodlands about the town of Fromereville. The dispositions were as follows : — First Battalion, in the woods two kilometers northeast of Fromereville; Second Battalion, in the Bois de Bourrus ; Third Battalion, in the woods two kilometers northwest of Fromereville; Headquarters Company, Ma- chine Gun Company and Supply Company at Choisel. It was during the march to Fromereville that the Third Battalion established what will probably stand for all time as the regimental record for long-distance marching. Starting from Troyon at 7:00 A. M., October 26th, it had marched six hours and arrived at Camp Monthairons at 1 :00 P. M. At 6:00 P. M., after a rest of but five hours, it had gotten under way again and marched continuously until 7:00 A. M. on the morning of the 27th. At that hour, it had marched, with full field equip- ment, nineteen hours out of the past twenty-four, and had covered, in all, 40 kilometers. At 5:00 P. M. on October 28th, the Regiment marched from the vicinity of Fromereville, through Germonville, Chattancourt and Cumieres, to the desolate Bois de Forges, on the west bank of the Meuse, one kilometer northwest of the crumbling heap of ruins that remained as the sole evidence of the town of Forges. Here the Regiment remained for the night. Page Eighty The 515 th Infantry On the morning of October 29th, the commanding officers of the First, Second and Third Battalions, Headquarters Company, Machine Gun Company and Supply Company crossed to the east bank of the Meuse near Brabant, and thence proceeded on a reconnaissance of the new sector about to be taken over by the 315th Infantry. EAST OF THE MEUSE At this time, the First American Army was engaged in a powerful offensive against the German positions east of the Meuse, in conjunction with its drive farther west. In the sector lying north and northeast of Verdun, the offensive was being carried on by the 17th French Army Corps, under the direction of the First American Army. Here the enemy had a maze of powerfully intrenched lines, partly surviving from the period of intense fighting known as the Battle of Verdun, in 1916, and partly of more recent construction, but amounting in effect to a close weaving together of all the defensive zones which, farther west- ward, were spread at wider intervals across the country. Directly north of Verdun and east of Consenvoye these defensive zones appeared to have con- sisted of at least six main lines within a depth of ten kilometers, the front line being called the Brabanter Stellung, which had behind it successively, the Hagen Stellung, The Volker Stellung, the Etzel Stellung, the Gisellier Stellung ( unfin- ished), and the Kriemhilde Stellung. A U. S. oad Gun Which Backed Up the Advance of the 79th Division East of the Meuse Page Eighty -one I — <- The 515th Infantry 0 Shells Fired by Gun Shown on Preceding Page S i n- *£ German Prisoners Captured by the 79th Division East of the Meuse Getting Their First Meal in Captivity Page Eighty two The 515th Infanhtry* A 155mm. Howitzer of Battery B, 106th F. A., One of the Artillery Units Which Supported the Advance of the 31oth Infantry in the Grande Montagne Sector Early in October, the 33rd, 26th and 29th U. S. Divisions have been placed under General Claudel, commanding officer of the 17th French Army Corps. On October 8th, the 17th Corps began its offensive, and by October 25th had broken through the first three of the German defensive lines. During that period, the 29th Division, in a series of furious attacks, had worked ahead through the Bois Plat Chene, to positions in the Bois de la Grande Montagne and along the ridge in the Bois d'Etraye north of Alolleville Farm. It was this sector which the 79th Division was about to take over. MOLLEVILLE FARM The sector which was to be taken over by the 315th Infantry was known as the sub-sector Gray, and was held by the 114th Infantry of the 29th Division (The Blue and Gray Division). This regiment had suffered terrific losses in the heavy fighting about Molleville Farm, and at the time it was re- lieved many of its companies contained less than 50 men. At 5:00 P. M. on the evening of October 29th, the Regiment moved out from the Bois de Forges to take its place again on the battle-line. In later days, the Regiment has always recalled with pride the fact that the 79th Division was one of the seven divisions that twice entered the line in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The crossing of the Meuse was made single file over a narrow foot bridge just south of Brabant. The way then led through Brabant, where the Supply Company established itself, on to the northeast over a narrow winding road, bordered on each side by numerous artillery emplacements. On the night Page Eighty-three The 515th Infantry I «H 8 Front Line Held by the 315th Infantry in the Grande Montagne Sector 0 > ,i- A 315th Infantry Front Line Battalion P. C. in the Grande Montagne Sector Page Eighty-four The 515 th Infantry The Ruins of Molleville Farm of the 29th, this road was choked with a moving mass of light artillery, and, because of this congestion, it was nearly midnight before the troops reached the Bois de Consenvoye and began the relief of the 114th Infantry. In making the relief, the First and Second Battalions took over the front line, while the Third Battalion took its position in support, at the southern edge of the Bois de Consenvoye. In the advanced positions, the First Battalion occupied the right of the Regimental sector, with Companies "C" and "D" in the front line, and Companies "A" and "B" in support. The Second Battalion held the left of the regimental sector, with Companies "E" and "F" in the front line, and Companies "G" and "H" in support. The Machine Gun Company supported the First Battalion, and Company "B" of the 312th Machine Gun Battalion, supported the Second. Regimental Headquarters was established on the Etraye- Brabant Road, just west of Molleville Farm. Headquarters Company took up position in the vicinity of Regimental P. C. At this time, the First Battalion was commanded by Major Ward W. Pierson and the Second Battalion by Major Samuel W. Fleming, Jr., both of whom had recently been promoted from the rank of captain. Tbe Third Battalion remained under the command of Major Francis V. Lloyd. The Molleville Farm Sector was supposed to be in the process of stabiliza- tion, but, for all that, the German batteries continued to rain high explosive shells on the entire Regimental area, and the enemy machine guns rattled unceas- ingly in the woods and underbrush along the front lines. Under the Boche straffing the casualty list lengthened day by day. During the period between October 29th and November 3rd, the Regiment grimlv consolidated its positions under the flood of enemy fire, while Page Eighty-five The 515 th Infantry 0 g Page Eighty-si* The 515 th Infantry its patrols felt out the strength of the German positions ahead. At this time, the Divisional front was held by all four infantry regiments on the line. On the left was the 316th Infantry, on the right of that the 315th Infantry, and then the 314th and 313th Infantry in order. The 26th U. S. Division held the sector on the right, while on the left the 15th French Colonial Division occupied the line. The 79th Division was supported by the 52nd Field Artillery Brigade, under command of Brigadier-General George A. Wingate. This bri- gade was made up of artillery units from the 27th Division. On October 30th, Lieutenant Colonel Franklin T. Burt, formerly on duty at the Headquarters of the Motor Transport Corps of the First American Army, was assigned to the Regiment and reported for duty on the day following. On the same date Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson was assigned to and assumed command of the 158th Infantry Brigade. During the night of November 2nd-3rd, the Second Battalion was taken out of the front line, and the entire Regimental sector outposted by the First Battalion. In the new disposition, the front lines were held by Companies "B," "A" and "D" in order from left to right, with Company "C" in support behind the centre of the battalion. The Second Battalion took up position on the line of resistance in the middle of the Bois de Consenvoye. Up to this time, the Third Battalion had acted as Regimental reserve and supplied ration and ammunition carrying details for the front line battalions. On the 2nd of November, the Third Battalion became part of the Divisional reserve, but retained its position at the southern edge of the Bois de Consenvoye. On November 3rd, Allied reconnaissance planes reported that the roads be- hind the enemy's line in front of the Divisional sector were covered with German troops and transport moving north. The continuous battering by American troops east and west of the Meuse was beginning to have its effect, and the German line was beginning to crack under the pressure. With the evidence of enemy withdrawal at hand, orders were issued from Division during the night of the 3rd, directing an advance of the entire Regimental front line at 6:30 A. M. the following morning. THE ATTACK OF NOVEMBER 4TH Promptly at 6:30 A. M. on the morning of November 4th, following a pre- paratory machine gun barrage, the First Battalion jumped off, with Company "D" on the right, then in order to the left ; Company "A," one platoon of Com- pany "B," supported by three platoons of Company "H," Company "C," and finally three platoons of Company "B" on the extreme left. Owing to the great number of machine gun nests, reported by patrols in the woods ahead, the ad- vance was begun by the infiltration of small combat groups advancing from shell- hole to shell-hole. For the first few minutes all went well, but no sooner had the enemy learned the extent and character of the movement than an avalanche of machine gun bullets, rifle grenades and trench-mortar shells struck the ranks of the advancing troops.' In vain the 315th Machine Gun Company and the Stokes Mortar platoon of the Headquarters Company, which were supporting the advance, attempted to quell the enemy storm. Lying deep within the thick underbrush, concealed in shell-holes, massed on fighting-tops in towering trees, German machine gunners Page Eighty-seven The 515 th Infantry » — <- 0 0 z z n u > Page Eighty-eight The 515th Infantry poured forth their deadly fire, while under the direction of a low flying aero- plane, German batteries hidden in ravines and gullies to the east enfiladed the American line with a hail of high explosive shells. Further progress was im- possible without ruinous losses. The attack had cost the Regiment a total of 96 casualties, 36 men killed and 60 men and officers wounded. The losses had been particularly heavy on the flanks, Company "B" having lost all its officers wounded. During the night of November 4th-5th, the Second Battalion moved up from the support position and relieved the badly battered First Battalion on the line. The First Battalion took position in reserve, while the Third Battalion moved up to the position in support vacated by the Second Battalion. At 3 :30 A. M. on the morning of November 5th, "K" Company was at- tached to the 316th Infantry. In front of the latter regiment rose the heights of the Borne-du-Cornouiller (Hill 378), the westernmost spur of the Grande Mon- tague. This eminence commanded all the country to the west and was des- perately held by the enemy to cover their line of retreat. On the two preceding days, November 3d and 4th, the 316th Infantry had flung its lines again and again against this stronghold, only to be beaten back each time with staggering losses. Now, spent and broken, the 316th Infantry was to be re-enforced by "K" Company, of the 315th Infantry, and the fight for Hill 378 continued. At 8 o'clock on the morning of the 5th, "K" Company, of the 315th Infantry, together with the remnants of the Third Battalion, 316th Infantry, composed in the main of men from "L" Company, the combined forces under the command of Major Manning, 316th Infantry, launched a fresh assault against the Borne-du- Cornouiller. Fighting their way forward inch by inch, the advancing troops succeeded in pushing their lines within 50 yards of the crest of Hill 378. Here, however, the fury of the German defense mowed down the oncoming lines before further advance could be made. With nearly half their number, among them Major Manning, lying dead on its southern slopes, the troops withdrew to the base of Hill 378 and there dug in as best they could. It was this attack which cost the life of Second Lieutenant John T. Owen, of "K" Company, 315th In- fantry. Another day had passed, and still the Borne-du-Cornouiller remained untaken. Its capture was the greatest problem facing the Division, and, as the next step in solving it, a provisional regiment, composed of the Third Battalion, 315th Infantry, and Second Battalion, 313th Infantry, was formed under the com- mand of Lieutenant Colonel Haedicke, 316th Infantry. This regiment was ordered to renew the attack on Hill 37S on the morning of the 6th. Early the following morning, the morning of the 6th, the Third Battalion, 315th Infantrv, worked its way through the Bois Plat Chene to support the Second Battalion, 313th Infantry, in the attack on Hill 378. In the support battalion, "L" Company held the right flank. "M" Company the left, and "I" Company followed in rear of the two leading companies. Company "B," 312th Machine Gun Battalion, supported the advance. The units of the advanced bat- talion, however, became more or less disorganized in the thick underbrush of the Bois Plat Chene, and the attack was postponed until the following morning, the troops at the base of Hill 37S being relieved by units of the 313th Infantry late in the afternoon. Meanwhile, in the sector of the 315th Infantry, the First Battalion took over the support position vacated by the Third Battalion, and on its relief from the H> < 0 5 ■ Page Eighty-nine The 515th Infantry i — 1»- 0 First Aid Station of the 315th Infantry in the Bois de Consenvoye 0 , ii- First Lieut. Nash, M. C, Caring for Wounded Men of the 315th Infantry in the First Aid Station Shown Above Page Ninety The 515 th Infantry :»*<: H» < 0 Ambulances and Men of the 79th Division on Road Leading Down Into the Etraye Valley line "K" Company moved into the same position, having been attached to the First Battalion. Throughout the day the sector was subjected to a heavy bom- bardment of gas and high explosive shells. During the afternoon of the 6th, the 2nd French Army Corps replaced the 17th, and thereafter the Division operated under the orders of the first named corps. THE CAPTURE OF HILL 378 Early on the morning of November 7th, the artillery began to pound the Borne-du-Cornouiller. At 8:30 A. M., in the dull gray mist of the morning, the Second Battalion, 313th Infantry, supported by the Third Battalion, 315th In- fantry, moved forward in the final attack on Hill 378. During the night of November 6th-7th, command of the provisional regiment had passed from Lieu- tenant Colonel Haedicke to Lieutenant Colonel Burt, 31 5th Infantry. The ad- vance was covered by a heavy machine gun barrage, laid down by the 310th Machine Gun Battalion. Pushing forward, determined to beat down the German resistance once for all, the troops swept past the base of Hill 37S, on up its slopes and finally over the crest. The stronghold which had cost so many American lives had at last been taken. With the Borne-du-Cornouiller at their backs, the men of the 313th and 315th Infantries pushed ahead toward the hill crests lying still further to the north, and after an all day struggle finally broke through the Clairs Chenes 0 Page Ninety-one The 515th Infantry 5 Efff.ct of Shell Fire in "Death Valley" Near the Moli.eville Farm trenches, near Sillon-Fontaine Farm, at 7 o'clock in the evening. That night the outpost line of the provisional regiment was held by "I" Company, 315th Infantry, the first company to break through the enemy defenses about the Sillon- Fontaine Farm. The line along the right flank, which had been greatly length- ened during the advance, was held by "L" Company, 315th Infantry, small de- tachments of the latter organization having been dropped off in the Bois de la Grande Montagne as the troops progressed. 0 Dead Americans Along Railroad Track in "Death Valley' Page Ninety-two The 515th Infajsttuv i» ..'•> . < ■ American Soldier Killed at Entrance to German Machine Gun Nest in Grande Montagne Sector During the operations of the Division in the Grande Montagne Sector, the divisions of the First American Army further west had broken through the Kriemhilde Stellung line west of the Meuse and by November 7th had changed direction to the east, after having seized the heights on the east bank of the Meuse as far north as Dun. Under these circumstances the 79th Division, on the night of November 7th, was ordered to divert its offensive on the morning of the 8th to a direction almost due east, with the idea of conquering the spurs of the plateau running out into the Woevre Plain. REGIMENT PUSHES EAST During the night of November 7th, the First Battalion of the 314th Infantry relieved the Second Battalion, 315th Infantry, on the front line of sub-sector Gray, in order that the latter organization might move to the western edge of the Bois de la Grande Montagne, where it was to support the advance of the First Battalion of the 313th Infantry. At different intervals throughout the morning and afternoon of November 8th, the various units of the 315th Infantry started to drive eastward. Little or no resistance was met, and by nightfall the front line of the Regiment had been pushed to the western edge of the valley of the Thinte River. At 7 P. M. that evening, thr Third Battalion had seized the heights just south of the town of Ecurey; the Second Battalion had established itself on the slopes southeast of Reville; while die First Battalion had taken up position on the hillside south- west of Etraye. During the day the Regiment had made an average advance of three kilometers. Page Ninety-three > ,K The 515th Infantry 0 0 i ih > W Page Ninety -four The 515 th Infantry f*~':, X H' < 0 0 -i> ' I Page Ninety-five » l» 0 The 515th Infantry S Dead of the 79th Division Ready for Burial Near Molleville Farm Burying 79th Division Dead at the Southern Edge of the Bois de Consenvoye Page Ninety-six The 515 th Infantry HI ( 0 On November 9th, at 8 A. M., the Regimental P. C. was moved from the point west of Molleville Farm to a point just southwest of Etraye, along the Etraye-Brabant Road. Orders were at once issued for a further advance. The First Battalion, supported by the Second Battalion, took position 200 meters north of Etraye and at 9 o'clock pushed forward toward the elaborately fortified and rugged line of heights east of the Thinte River. These heights comprised the Cote du Chateau, Cote d' Orne, and the Cote de Morimont. They had been organized as part of the great Kriemhilde Stellung Line and represented the last of the enemy's lines of defense. The advance of the First Battalion at once developed heavy enemy resist- ance, mainly in the form of artillery fire. By 11 o'clock in the morning, the enemy barrage had become so intense that the troops could no longer make headway, and the two battalions dug in on the ground they then occupied. At that hour, the front line extended along the railroad just east of the Damvillers- Azannes Road between Wavrille and the road-fork 300 meters south of Dam- villers. It was during this enemy bombardment that Major Pierson, command- ing officer of the First Battalion, was killed by the explosion of a 77mm. shell. On Major Pierson's death, Captain Lucius A. Miller, 315th Infantry, was placed in command of the First Battalion. During the day, the Third Battalion swung to the right, side-stepped four kilometers, and took up position as Brigade Reserve on the hill southwest of Etraye. The First and Second Battalions clung to their positions under a continuous shell fire throughout the remainder of the day and the night of November 9th- 10th. THE ATTACK ON COTE D' ORNE At 7 o'clock on the morning of November 10th, the advance was resumed, following an artillery preparation by the 105th Field Artillery. With the First Battalion in the line, and the Second Battalion in support, the Regiment pressed the attack against the towering height of the Cote d' Orne. Under a galling machine gun fire and artillery fire which combed the entire valley of the Thinte, the front lines battled their way across the stream and up to the lower slopes of the Cote d' Orne. At this point, however, the fire became so hot that the troops were forced to drop back to the shelter of the east bank of the Thinte River. A second attempt was made to storm the hill an hour later, but this, too, was repulsed by the desperate resistance of the enemy who were fighting with their backs against the wall to save their last line of retreat. Night fell with the First and Second Battalions holding their lines on the east bank of the Thinte, while the Third Battalion had moved up in reserve along the Damvillers-Azannes Road, near the roadfork 300 meters south of Damvillers. With the failure to take Cote d' Orne by direct assault, Colonel Knowles decided to reduce the position by an attack on the right flank and plans were drawn up accordingly. The machine gun company of the 316th Infantry was withdrawn from the front line, having suffered severe losses, and its place was taken by the machine gun company of the 315th Infantry. This move placed the 315th Infantry in its entirety on the front line. Early on the morning of November 11th, while the mist still lay heavy in the Thinte Valley, the three battalions of the 315th Infantry quietly moved southward, proceeded through 0 lJage Ninety -seven The 515th Infantry 0 This Picture, With the One on the Opposite Page, Gives a Panoramic View of the Ground Over Which the Front Line of the 315th Infantry Was Advancing at 11 A. M., November 11, 1918. The Hill in the Background is Cote d'Orne. 0 the ruined town of Gibercy, and took up position on the western slope of Hill 328. This change of position withdrew all troops from the enemy's immediate front, but the gap was closed by the 316th Infantry in reserve. The Regimental P. C. of the 315th Infantry was moved to a point on Hill 317, southeast of Etraye. On Hill 328 the Regiment was disposed with the First Battalion on the front line, the Second Battalion in support and the Third Battalion in reserve. A heavy artillery and machine gun barrage was laid down on Cote d' Orne and Cote de Morimont, and at 8 o'clock Company "D," of the First Battalion, moved forward against the northwestern slope of the Cote de Morimont with orders to develop the enemy's position. A thick mist covered the hillsides, and the advance, which proceeded slowly, was undetected by the Germans, who were appar- ently unaware of the flank movement during the night. Meanwhile, however, the enemy artillery, suspecting an attack from some quarter because of the Ameri- can artillery and machine gun preparation on Cote d' Orne and Cote de Morimont, let loose a terrific barrage on the northwest slope of Hill 328. Luckily this fell mostly in the unoccupied area between the First and Second Battalions and caused little damage. Pushing ahead up the draw between Cote d' Orne and Cote de Mori- mont, the front line company overran a German field-piece on the roadside north of Gibercy. This field-piece, captured as it was a few minutes before the close Page Ninety-eight The 515 th Infantry For Explanation of This Picture See Title of Picture on Opposite Page. The Hill in the Background is Cote de Morimont of hostilities, is probably the last hostile trophy of the war. It can now be seen in the City of Philadelphia, a gift from the Regiment to the city that calls the 315th Infantry — "Its Own." With the German cannon safely enveloped, the thin line of khaki-clad doughboys moved warily ahead and had progressed half way up the slope of Cote de Morimont when halted by a message from the rear. It was 11 o'clock and with the hour came the Armistice. THE ARMISTICE The coming of 11 A. M. marks an unforgetable event in the memory of those who stood on the front lines on November 11, 1918. In place of cheering crowds, maddened with joy, excitement and hilarity, one saw a motley array of unrecognizable men arising from the mud, slime and filth of the battle field, cautiously creeping from their shell holes and ditches, silently and wonderingly, without cheering or acclaim, but rather in the manner of men who had by some unlooked for act of Providence been delivered from inevitable death. The sudden cessation of the noise and turmoil of battle seemed to leave them stunned and uncertain, loath to believe in its realty, but with an expression of hope that it was not a dream from which they would soon be rudely awakened. The reaction from the terrible strain and nerve-racking ordeal was apparent ; the ten- dency to break down was evident. Nor is such a tendency to be wondered at in men gaunt and haggard with unbelievable hunger, thirst and exhaustion. Page Ninety-nine The 515th Infantry i — in 5 5 r o a in Cu < > ■»- Pa ^o One Hundred The 515 th Infantry When the news of the armistice was received at Regimental Headquarters, Colonel Knowles, who to use his own words "was struck numb with surprise and joy," at once dispatched runners in all directions to carry the news to the different units of the Regiment, and these runners proved that they belonged on the list of true heroes. Knowing that in a few minutes the firing would cease, not one hesitated in carrying out the important and dangerous mission to which he had been assigned. The courage which it took to traverse that shell-swept battlefield during the last remaining moments of the war was a courage born of brave men. With the armistice there came to the Regiment, as it watchfully main- tained its position on the last American battle line, an opportunity to review the closing days of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. From the 29th of October, the date on which the Regiment had taken over the lines from the 29th Division in the Grande Montagne sector, until the end of hostilities on November 1 1th, the 315th Infantry had suffered the following casualties : 154 officers and men killed. 4 missing, 9 captured and 336 wounded. It had pierced the enemy lines to a depth of 9^4 kilometers and in so doing had captured or assisted in the capture of three French villages, namely : Etraye, Reville and Damvillers. In the sector opposite the Regiment there had been identified units of four different German divisions, the CCXXVIIIth, CXCIInd, XXth and 1st Landwehr Divisions. All told, the 315th Infantry during this period had cap- tured 11 prisoners, most of whom came from the 245th. 192nd and 183rd Regi- ments of the CXCIInd Division. In addition to the prisoners taken, the Regi- ment had captured one 120mm. field piece, 15 machine guns, 2 trench mortars, 1 minenwerfer, 1 anti-tank gun, thousands of rounds of artillery and small arms ammunition of all calibres, and great stores of engineering materials. In the period between September 13th, the date of the first entrance into the lines, until November 11th, the 315th Infantry had been transformed from a group of green, inexperienced men into a veteran fighting organization capable of upholding the best traditions of the American Army. In this transformation its casualties had been 342 officers and men killed, 15 missing, 12 captured and 1,076 wounded. It had made a total advance of 19j/> kilometers against troops of eight different German divisions: the XVth, XXth, XXXVIIth, CXCIInd, CCXXVIIIth, 1st Landwehr, Vth Bavarian, and CXVIIth Landsturm. It had captured the villages of Nantillois and Etraye, and had assisted in the capture of Montfaucon, Haucourt, Malancourt, Damvillers and Reville. In addition, the Regiment had captured one 120mm. field piece, six 77mm. field pieces, 53 machine guns, 2 trench mortars, 2 minenwerfers, 1 anti-tank gun, 20,000 hand grenades, thousands of rounds of artillery and small arms ammunition, and engineering material to the value of more than a million dollars. Such, in brief, were the tangible results of the operations of the 315th Infantry on the Western Front. 0 Page One Hundred One 0 r t The 515th Infantry I yy. 0 8 Page One Hundred Two The 515th Infantry — . The Regiment PART III After the Armistice ♦ — i 0 Page One Hundred Three ■■ The 515th Infantry 0 0 Men of the 315th Infantry Assembled at the Company Kitchens in Gibercy ON THE ALERT ^ I IMMEDIATELY after the armistice had gone into effect, steps were taken to dispose the Regiment in such formation as to take up quickly either assault or approach formations in the event of an advance. The line of observation consisted of one company formed into cossack posts with active pa- trolling between these posts during the night, and in foggy weather, during the day. One company took up position in support and two companies position in reserve. The companies mentioned comprised the four companies of the First Battalion. The remainder of the Regiment was disposed in depth in rear of the First Battalion, with two companies of each battalion in the front line and two companies in the second line. The troops of the Regiment occupying the reserve positions were protected from hostile fire from the east by the natural cover of Hill 328. The dispositions outlined in the foregoing paragraph were completed be- fore noon on November 11th. Meanwhile the various company kitchens had been established in the ruins of Gibercy by the Supply Company, and at high noon on "Armistice Day," the men of the 315th Infantry received en masse their first hot meal in many days. During the day, numerous attempts were made by German officers and men to extend the glad hand to the khaki-clad dough- boys on the front line, but with the keen remembrance of its dead constantly in Page One Hundred Four The 515 th Infantry mind, there was little disposition on the part of the Regiment to receive over- tures of any kind, and orders against fraternization were obeyed to the letter. That night the German troops staged a celebration of their own defeat with a monster display of pyrotechnics along the entire front. As far as the eye could see in each direction along the lines, the sky blazed with German rockets, star- shells, and signal lights. Many of these were sent up in combinations of red, white and green, the nearest color combination the forces of the Kaiser could manage, apparently, in an effort to provide a red, white and blue display for their conquerors. The German troops continued to occupy their barracks on Cote d' Orne, Cote de Morimont and Cote du Chateau during the day and night of the 12th, but early on the morning of the 13th they gathered together their arms and equipment and silently set out on their return to the Fatherland. At noon on November 13th, the cossack posts of the 315th Infantry were withdrawn, and the Regiment moved from the vicinity of Gibercy, with the ex- ception of an outpost line established between Gibercy and Feuvillers. This out- post line was held by "E" Company. The remaining companies of the Second Battalion, together with Headquarters Company and Regimental Headquarters, established themselves in the town of Damvillers. The First Battalion, Third Battalion, Machine Gun Company, and Supply Company took over billets in Etraye. Just before the move was made into these new quarters. Major John A. McKenna, M. C, joined the Regiment, having been assigned as Regimental Sur- geon. With him came Major Jesse R. Langley, who had formerly commanded •the Third Battalion of the 313th Infantry and who had been wounded while HI 1 0 The 120mm. Gun Captured by the Men of Company "D," 31.r>TH Infantry, in the Closing Minutes of the War 0 -,. « Page One Hundred Five 1 Ik 0 The 515th Infanthtry A Street Scene in Etraye 0 The Entrance to Damvillers Showing Concrete Posts Put Up by the Germans as Tank Obstacles Page One Hundred Six The 515 th Infantry T 1 H. ( leading his battalion in the attack on Montfaucon. Major Langley was assigned to the First Battalion. On the 14th of the month, the outpost line held by the 315th Infantry was extended to the left, relieving that portion of the line which had up until this time been held by the 316th Infantry. This move brought the Regimental line into liaison with the right of the 32nd Division. When the Army of Occupation was formed, and the 32nd Division was preparing to move from its position on the left of the Regimental sector, the Regiment was called upon to furnish numer- ous officers to fill vacancies in the different organizations ot that division. Most of the officers transferred were new arrivals from the Officers' Training School at Langres who had joined the Regiment shortly after the armistice went into effect. Included in the transfer list, however, were several officers who had served with the Regiment ever since its organization, and in their case the parting came as a decided blow, both to them and to the Regiment. In addition to fur- nishing officers, the 315th Infantry was also called upon to help solve the trans- portation problems of the neighboring division, and more than a hundred draft and riding horses were turned over for the use of the Middle West division on its march to the Rhine. REGIMENT AIDS REFUGEES FROM GERMAN PRISON CAMPS In the period between November 13th and December 1st, large numbers of refugees from German prison camps passed through the Regimental lines. These refugees were of all nationalities, and Americans, French, English, Belgians, Ital- ians, Portuguese, and even some Chinese were given food and shelter by the Regiment as they made their way to the larger French towns in the rear. On some days, as many as two or three hundred of these liberated prisoners would pass through the towns of Damvillers and Etraye on their way to Verdun or some similar railroad centre. It was at this time that the collection of "souvenirs" became an important factor in the life of each member of the Regiment. Many of these souvenirs were obtained from the passing refugees, others were picked up in the abandoned Ger- man shacks and billets on Cote d' Orne and in the woods to the east, but for the most part they were gathered up by salvaging parties in the area over which the Regiment had fought. In this latter connection, the Third Battalion fur- nished details for the thorough salvaging of the area through which the Division had passed from October 29th to November 11th. This work was accomplished within two weeks and the amount of material picked up was sufficient to fill three large dumps. The outpost line was held by the Second Battalion until the 22nd of Novem- ber, when the posts were withdrawn. During this time the companies of the Battalion had alternated in these positions, reliefs being made from time to time The line had been extended to the right of Gibercy to include Chaumont- devant-Damvillers, and "H" Company had been sent to Gibercy to furnish the three outposts on the extreme right of the line. At the same time E Company had been sent to Chaumont-devant-Damvillers in order to furnish daily patrols, covering an extensive patrolling area. These patrols were charged with the duty of picking up any stragglers from divisions passing through to the Army ot Occu- 0 HI < Page One Hundred Seven The 515 th Infantry i — ih 0 General Kuhn Addressing Men of the 315th Infantry in Damvillers on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, 1018 pation and of bringing back any American prisoners released by the Germans as they withdrew from the front. Companies "E" and "H" were withdrawn from these duties on the same date that the outpost line was discontinued, and the whole Second Battalion was quartered in Damvillers. The Regiment remained in this area until December 26th, spending much time in drilling, hiking, and in weekly brigade and division maneuvers. 0 THANKSGIVING IN DAMVILLERS The village square in Damvillers was the scene of an interesting spectacle on Thanksgiving morning, November 28th, when the whole Regiment was assembled for Thanksgiving exercises around the historic old monument. Here the officers and men of the Regiment were addressed by General Kuhn, General Johnson, Colonel Knowles, Chaplain Lancaster and Chaplain Willis. Following the ad- dresses, the Second Battalion and Headquarters Company furnished a Victory Parade, so screamingly funny, so cleverly executed that it kept the spectators laughing constantly as the men passed by. Somewhere in one of his lectures the late William James had something to say about the "untapped level of energy in man." This unique celebration of Philadelphia's own regiment brought to light in a gratifying and surprising way the "untapped levels" of humor in soldiers, which neither the grim experiences of the battle-field nor separation from home and loved ones is able to extinguish or even permanently suppress. Horses, Page One Hundred Eight The 515 th Infantry wagons and water carts decorated with large German beer signs, Boche machine gun carts, wheel-barrows and all available forms of transportation were put into use, and the Victory Parade passed around the old monument between columns of laughing and cheering doughboys. Immediately following the parade, several tableaux were presented by the men of the Headquarters Company, depicting the more important events of the war. These were staged upon what had at one time been a monument to Marshal Gerard, one of the heroes of France, who played a conspicuous part in the libera- tion of Belgium in 1831, but, owing either to the contemptible rapacity of the Germans or their scarcity of metal, the bronze figure of Gerard had disappeared, all that remained being the stone foundation and the iron fence which sur- rounded it. During December, the Regiment received a salvo of visits from Division, Corps and Army inspectors. This circumstance gave rise to the report that the 79th Division, which at that time formed a part of the Second Army, was to move up into the rear eschelon of the Third Army, the Army of Occupation ; but the month drew to a close without any visible sign of movement, although at one time the Regiment did receive tentative orders for a move to the Stenay area, near the Luxembourg border. These, however, were countermanded almost as soon as issued, and finally it was learned that the Division was to move south into the Souilly area, with division headquarters at Souilly. This village had been the headquarters of General Pershing and the First American Army during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The area itself lay immediately north of the city of Bar-le-Duc. Early in December, Sergeant John H. Green, of "F" Company, was formally elected "Mayor of Damvillers." Two political parties had been formed by the men billeted in the village, "The Jambons" and "The Pommes." The delegates from each of these parties had held meetings at which the platform of the party was duly explained. At the eleventh hour, a dark horse party, "The Woof- Woofs, " entered the race, and its candidate proved to be the winner on election day. About the time of the mayoralty election, a theatre, formerly used by the Germans, was put in such shape that it afforded an excellent hall for the ap- pearance of several good shows which were put on by the V. M. C. A. and dif- ferent units of the Division. The decorations and stage settings were carried out in an artistic fashion by the use of Boche artillery camouflage. On Christmas Eve, the officers of the Regiment assembled in this hall to usher in the Yuletide at the festive board. This was the first occasion at which all the officers had been together since the arrival of the 315th Infantry in France. Major McKenna proved himself a most capable toastmaster, and during the evening toasts were responded to by Colonel Knowles, Lieutenant Colonel Burt, and several other offi- cers of the Regiment. THE MARCH TO THE SOUILLY AREA Christmas Day was spent by all the companies in packing up for the move south into the Souilly area. Very early on the morning of the 26th, the Regi- ment started out on the first lap of a three-day march. With a light covering of snow on the ground, the men marched all day. reaching Thierville at 5 P. M., Page One Hundred Nine The 515th Infantry 0 Regimental P. C. at Chaumont-sur-Aire 0 where the Regiment was quartered in the Jardin de Fontaine barracks, which had been constructed as part of a French military post just northwest of Verdun. The following morning the hike was resumed with Souilly as a destination, and there the night of the 27th was spent in the Triage Hospital buildings, one kilo- meter outside the town. After a short march in a downpour of rain on the 28th. the troops arrived in the new Regimental billeting area at noon and were quar- tered as follows : Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Machine Gun Company, "C" Company and "D" Company at Chaumont-sur-Aire ; First Battalion Headquarters, "A" Company and "B" Company at Erize-la-Petite ; Second Battalion at Neuville ; Third Battalion and Supply Company at Courouvre. In this area, training was resumed upon an extensive scale. The schedules consisted of drilling, hiking, terrain exercises and maneuvers. Great stress also was laid upon school work in specialized subjects, and both officers and men of the Regiment were given frequent courses of training at divisional and corps schools. After the armistice, the 315th Infantry had been shifted from the 2nd French Army Corps to the Ninth Corps of the Second American Army. It was under the Ninth Corps that the Regiment trained during the entire period of its stay in the Souilly area. Early in January much emphasis was laid upon target work. Ranges were built by each battalion, and at Chaumont-sur-Aire a large range was completed in three weeks. A competitive Divisional match was held upon this soon after its construction, for the purpose of selecting a team to repre- sent the Division in the Ninth Corps rifle matches. Beginning in February, a series of competitive horse shows were held by regiments, brigades, division and corps. The first competition for the Regiment was the Regimental show held at Courouvre, at which the best animals were chosen to be entered in the different classes at the 158th Brigade show. Page One Ten The 515 th Infantry HI < 158th BRIGADE HORSE SHOW On February 23rd, the horse show of the 158th Brigade was held on the aviation field near Issoncourt, in which competition the ,315th Infantry carried off a total of fourteen prizes. The Supply Company, Machine Gun Company and 37mm. platoon of the Headquarters Company furnished the entries from the Regiment. To those who saw this show, it became very evident, from the ex- cellent condition of its animals and equipment, that the 315th Infantry would be a serious contender for honors in the coming division show. The fol- lowing is a list of prize winners from the 315th Infantry Supply Company: First prize in Four Line Teams (mules), Six Line Chariot-de-Parc (mules), and One Line Carts (water carts) ; second prize in Two Line Carts, Four Line Teams (horses), Four Line Teams (mules), Six Line Chariot-de-Parc and One Line Carts (water carts) ; third prize in Two Line Teams ( four wheeled vehicles). In the competition for machine gun squads, the prizes were awarded to the entries having the best drilled squads, best animals and best equipment. Of the ten squads participating in this contest, the 316th Infantry Machine Gun Company's entry took first place, and second, third and fourth places were won by the 315th Infantry. In the class for 37mm. guns, the Headquarters Company, of the 315th Infantry, entered two guns and won first and second places in that class. DIVISIONAL HORSE SHOW The Horse show of the 79th Division was held at Pierrefitte, February 27th, and the 315th Infantry again carried away highest honors, receiving, in The Main Street in the Village of Courouvre Page One Eleven The 515th Infantry 5 Saint Anne Chapelle 0 all, four first prizes, two seconds and two thirds. The Supply Company entries won the following places : First prize in Four Line Teams (horses), Four Line Teams (mules), and One Line Carts (water carts) ; second prize in One Line Carts (water carts) ; third prize in Six Line Chariot-de-Parc (mules). The entries in the machine gun competition, consisted of one squad from the 315th Infantry, one squad from the 316th Infantry, and two squads from the 314th Infantry. The field was ankle deep in mud, and fast work was difficult. How- ever, the men of the 315th Machine Gun Company finished the contest in very good time, considering the conditions under which they were working, taking the first prize, with the 316th Infantry Machine Gun Company a close second. In the class for 37 mm. guns, the entry of the 315th Infantry came into the ring with perfect equipment and the men keen for competition with the rival Brigade. At the start of the competition both of the gun crews showed their training in their quick get-a-ways, and all through the action everything pointed to the 315th Infantry as a sure winner, the only question being which of the two crews would be given first place. Number 1 crew under the leadership of Sergeant McLaughlin finished first, with the crew of Sergeant Czarnecki finish- ing second. After a discussion by the judges, first prize was awarded to the gun crew of the 314th Infantry, the No. 1 crew of the 315th Infantry being awarded the second prize. Acknowledging defeat, the men left the field with the vow that the Ninth Corps Show would see them winners for first place. Page One Twelve- The 515 th Infantry NINTH CORPS HORSE SHOW At Lerouville, France, on the 21st of March, the Ninth Corps held a horse show for the championship of the Corps. In this show, as in the others, the 315th Infantry Regiment continued to add to its laurels by winning three first prizes and one third. The Supply Company took the following places : First prize in One Line Carts (water carts) and third prize in Four Line Teams (mules). The same contest as that held at the 158th Brigade show was carried out by the Machine Gun entries. In this class were two squads from the 350th Infantry Machine Gun Company of the 88th Division, one squad from the 316th Infantry Machine Gun Company, and one squad from the 315th Infantry. The contest proved very close, and the result remained in doubt until the judges had made a thorough inspection. At the end of this inspection, first prize was awarded to the 315th Infantry, and the second prize to the entry from the 88th Division. After the show, the senior judge made a statement that the entry from the 315th Infantry showed the best mule and equipment that he had ever seen in a machine gun organization. In the 37 mm. class, the competitors of the 315th Infantry consisted of en- tries from the other units of the 79th Division, 88th Division, and Ninth Corps Headquarters. The same contest was carried out, and the same method of judging, as had been in force at the other shows. A great deal of friendly rivalrv was shown between the 315th Infantry entry and that of the 314th In- fantrv, which had won out in the 79th Division show. At the finish, the judges. A Street Scene in Erize-la-Petite Page One Thirteen The 515 th Infanhtry 0 0 without any hesitancy, awarded first prize to the crew of the 315th Infantry, and second prize to the entry of the 314th Infantry. ( )wing to the move of the 79th Division from the Souilly area to Rimauconrt, during the first week in April, it was impossible to enter the Second Army Show, scheduled to he held at Toul on April 5th. This was very disappointing to the Regiment, for it were most confident of winning other blue ribbons at the Second Army Show, and perhaps, later on, championships of the A. E. F. REGIMENT PRODUCES SUCCESSFUL PLAY During the stay in the Souilly area, nearly every unit of the 79th Division turned its attention to home talent theatricals as a means of relieving the monotony of French village life. Many very successful shows were produced as a result, and a Divisional show circuit was established under the supervision of a Divi- sional entertainment officer. Each regimental and battalion show produced played its round on this circuit, which included all the larger organizations of the Divi- sion. By this arrangement each of the units within the Division was enabled to enjoy the entertainment produced by the Division at large. The 315th Infantry show, "Salvage and Souvenir," written and produced by Chaplain R. V. Lancaster, gave its premier performance on the night of March 7th. Upon this occasion the officers of the Regiment entertained General Kuhn and his staff as their guests at an informal dinner. The performances given by the Regimental show within the Division proved so successful that there was a popular demand for the show to tour the Second Army circuit. A month was spent on the road, the trip end- ing with two performances in Paris before enthusiastic audiences. It was during the months of January, February and March, 1919, that the officers and men of the Regiment had their first real opportunity to see France. Through a system of leaves and furloughs, members of the Regiment were enabled to visit Nice, Aix-les-Bains, Valse-les-Bains, Monte Carlo, Menton, and various other popular resorts in Southern France. Leaves and furloughs were also granted to Paris and various cities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Although traveling conditions were anything but comfortable, the change of scene and environment more than made up for the discomforts of travel, and there were few in the Regiment who did not enjoy their "Armee Americaine I'ermissionaire — Quart de Tarif" to the limit. While in the Souilly area, a great deal of attention was given to various kinds of athletics. Under Mr. George Burford, Y. M. C. A. athletic instructor of the Regiment, the 315th Infantry made an excellent showing in the athletic com- petitions which were held within the Division. This was especially true with regard to boxing. Under the management and tutelage of Mr. Burford. the 315th Infantry boxers made such good showings in their preliminary matches that six of them were taken to Souilly for training, in order that they might represent the Division in the competitive matches held each week in Paris. THE MOVE TO RIMAUCOURT ( )n the 28th of March, exactly three months after its arrival in the Souilly area, the Regiment moved out on what proved to be the longest march in which it had ever participated, the destination being Rimaucourt, 25 kilometers north- rage One Fourteen The 515 th Infanthtry T 1 HI 1 5 The Third Battalion on the March to Rimaucourt east of Chaumont, where the General Headquarters of the American Expedi- tionary Forces had been established. Five days were spent on the march, dur- ing which a total of 98 kilometers was covered. The first day's march was short and the troops were staged for the night as follows : First battalion, Headquar- ters Company, Machine Gun Company at Seigneulles ; Second Battalion, and Regimental Headquarters at Rosnes ; Third Battalion and Supply Company at Erize-la-Brulee. Fortunately, the second day's hike was another short one, as the troops were forced to march in a cold, driving rain, arriving at their billets soaked to the skin. The Regimental Headquarters and the First Battalion were billeted in Loisey ; Second Battalion in Gery ; Third Battalion and Supply Com- pany in Culey ; Machine Gun Company and Headquarters Company in Erize-St. Dizier. The hike was continued early in the morning of the 30th, and, with good, clear weather, the troops arrived in the third staging area shortly after lunch, with Regimental Headquarters, First Battalion, Second Battalion, Head- quarters Company, Machine Gun Company in Ligny-en-Barrois ; Third Battalion and Supply Company in Yillers-le-Sec. The fourth day's hike made up for the short ones of the three previous days, for on this day a distance of 35 kilometers was covered before the troops arrived at the fourth and last staging area. In this area Regimental Headquarters, Third Battalion, Headquarters Company, Machine Gun Company and Supply Company were quartered in Xoncourt ; the First Battalion in Sailly ; Second Battalion Headquarters with Companies "G" and "H" in Pancey ; Companies "E" and "F" in Aingoulaincourt. The fifth and last day's march was another long one, cov- ering 25 kilometers. Notwithstanding the distance they had marched in the past four davs, the troops arrived at Rimaucourt on the afternoon of April 1st in the finest 'kind of condition. Not a straggler was in evidence as the column swung over the road, and the Regiment finished the last lap of its long journey with songs and shouts. 0 Page One Fifteen I II. The 515th Infantry 5 OPtkAIIONS MAP 79THDIV..A£.F LEGEND "~— ~ ♦ — Seclor or Are* Limils ■»•— •— m* Front Line - Patrol Are* Limits ''%%%$ Captured Territory (1 Division landed at BREST U July 12-20.1918. *J 157th Bnqade arrived CHATILLON Cm APf A July 21-23. 1918 3 Division rejched PPAUTHOY APE A July 24-29. 1918 4 514,101) area around BOBEOT- ESPA6NE Sept 8 9.1918 5MONTFAUC0N oe 304 SECTOR Sept 16-30.1910. ff. TCOYON 3ECT0R Oct 8 26.1918 ^J GPANDE MONTAONE SECTOR T Oct 30-No. II. 1916. Area DAMVil LEGS toFRESNES-OTVJorvreuntil Dec 27.I9I8.MONTMEDY ABEA Dec 13 1918 Feb 4. 1919 SOUILLY ABEA Dec 27I9I8-Ap"l 1. 1919 ANDEIOTAPEA April 121.1919. JEBS/T O ""^Mouzon Caucourt y » <& \ Arlon **♦• ouzon •_ » ,•* ', Virton ST jSluxemboupg* Buzancy ^\IM0NTM£DY «V °j I* *♦*„" "A ^ /' i-M ' oLonauvon J* ' Q Lorxjuyon 7 Dun-3urMeuse / Audun- I* Pom.n THIONVIUCl j^randPr* ^ j||||arnv!llerS oSpincourt °\ O T ..enAnj.nn. x^Ap^U gChartiy EtairP\ .- «S_ | V'„ ' " ° I S x' enJirnisy ! JgXMETZ, *&&*& '6 /** ChaGmb,e^ Triaucourt J" X t- ^* Viqneulles- Vaubecourt © V O t "f" Thiaucourt C"pierrefiUe i ^>S' Mihiel Pont 4 M"""™ Pevicjny Vavincourt o ~*« „' COMMtRCr Domevre-en My °Colornbey ley Belle Vezehse Cousseyj S. f>NEUFCHAT£AU / Li o mitecoi/Kr @ / / Chatenoisu w o'Bhn Q • / 0Andelot^/ 4 ir*-*^^ Bourmonrv ulqnevTlle QV,ttel O Monlhureux ©sfHAUMONT Lamarche o Darney QChateauvillain ^N Nocjent -m Bassiijny IPsPiceySx- *--ss \ Monti'gnyleP, /^Mussey •«- sem^ / \ Bourbonne lo&m \ NeuilljorEveo,ae ^ Vauvillers ° Varenneb-sur Am»nce /I U°Forte- oJussey SurA-ance ^^O, I 0Fayl Billot / Combeaufontainc oPrauthoy"-' /* n. in VES0ULQ .+ .^.(aChaniplitte Selonqey 0Dampierre tw.s.i.n Pr.nted by Mo6>te Topographies! Unit 29th Engineers, t I'nge One Sixteen The 515 th Infant try HP « While the Regiment was en route between Souilly and Rimaucourt, Colonel Knowles and General Johnson, commanding general of the 158th Infantry Brigade, were called away temporarily to attend the Third Army school at Treves. With the departure of Colonel Knowles, command of the 315th Infantry devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel Burt. Colonel McCaskey, of the 316th Infantry, as- sumed command of the 158th Brigade in the absence of General Johnson. The Rimaucourt area was officially known as the Fourth Divisional (An- delot) Area, with Rimaucourt serving as the divisional railhead. When the 79th Division took over the area. Division headquarters was established at Reynel and the 158th Infantry Brigade headquarters at Orquevaux. The 315th Infan- try was billeted in Rimaucourt in buildings which had formerly been used by Base Hospitals Nos. 58 and 238. This was the first time since reaching France that the entire Regiment had been billeted in one place, and the large, airy barracks in which the officers and men lived suggested the former days at Camp Meade. Circumstances were such at Rimaucourt that it became possible to approxi- mate the conditions of cantonment life once more. A large parade ground in the middle of the hospital area furnished excellent facilities for close order drill and military ceremonies, so that battalion parades and formal guard mounts again came into their own. The establishments maintained by the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. both afforded wonderful service in the matter of welfare work, particularly in the case of the former organization, whose auditorium was the finest of its kind seen bv the Regiment abroad. GENERAL PERSHING REVIEWS DIVISION It was during its stay in the Fourth Divisional Area that the 79th Division was reviewed by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces, General John J. Pershing. The review, which was held on Saturday, April 12th, on a plateau in the hills northeast of Orquevaux, was probably the most impres- sive ceremony in which the Regiment ever participated. The day was cold and gray and drizzly, as French days so often are, but, in the eyes of the twenty thousand Americans drawn up before their commander-in-chief, the grayne-s of the air and the misty French hills in the background served only to intensify the dignity and solemnity of the occasion. Each unit of the Division had been turned out in full field equipment and with all available transportation, and each unit in turn was personally inspected by the leader of the American Expeditionary Forces. Following his inspection of the troops and equipment, and just prior to the review of the Division, Gen- eral Pershing decorated the various regimental colors and awarded the Distin- guished Service Cross, in the name of the President, to forty-three members of the Division. Of these forty-three, fifteen were members of the 315th Infantry. The review itself provided a wonderful picture of military power, a picture born of war-time conditions and impossible to reproduce at other times and in other settings. As the oncoming troops slowly emerged from the mist ahead, passed and then vanished into the mist once more, one received the impression of a moving flood of steel and with that an impression of irresistible force and power. None who saw it can ever forget the thrill of pride aroused by that picture of America's massed fighting men. Page One Seventeen 0 The 515 th Infantry General Pershing Inspects the 79th Division I 0 Several days after the review, the following letter was received by General Knhn : "American Expeditionarv Forces, Office of the Commander-in-Chief, ., T France, April 13th. 1919. Major General Joseph Kuhn, r Commanding 79th Division, American E. F. My dear Genearl Kuhn: It afforded me great satisfaction to inspect the 79th Division on April 12th, and on that occasion to decorate the standards of your regiments and, for gal- lantry in action, to confer medals upon certain officers and men. Your trans- portation and artillery were in splendid shape, and the general appearance of the division was well up to the standard of the American Expeditionary Forces. Throughout the inspection and review the excellent morals of the men and their pride in the record of their organization was evident. In the Meuse-Argonne offensive the division had its full share of hard fight- ing Entering the line for the first time on September 26th as the right of the center corps, it took part in the beginning of the great Meuse-Argonne offen- sive. By September 27th it had captured the strong position of Montfaucon, and in spite of heavy artillery reaction, the Bois de Beuge and Xantillois were occupied. On September 30th it was relieved, having advanced ten kilometers. It again entered the battle on October 29th, relieving, as part of the 17th French Corps, the 29th Division in the Grande Montagne sector to the east of the Meuse River. From that time until the armistice went into effect, it was almost con- stantly in action. ( )n November 9th, Crepion, Wavrille and Gibercy were taken, and in conjunction with elements on the right and left, Etraye and Moirey were invested. On November 10th, Chaumont-devant-Damvilliers was occupied and on November 11th, Yille-devant-Chaumont was taken — a total of 9T2 kilometers. Page One Eighteen The 515 th Infantry This is a fine record for any division and I want the officers and men to know this and to realize how much they have contributed to the success of our arms. They may return home justly proud of themselves and of the part they have played in the American Expeditionary Forces. Sincerely yours, John J. Persuing." On the Monday following the review by General Pershing, the Regiment was called to Chaumont to be reviewed by the Honorable Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. For this review, the Transportation Division of G. H. Q. provided the 315th Infantry with a train of 140 motor trucks, many of which had been brought from points as far distant as the Alsace-Lorraine and Swiss borders. This truck train transported the Regiment, with room to spare, to and from Chaumont. It so happened that Secretary Daniels, by reason of a delayed train, was unable to be present at the ceremony, and in his stead the troops of the 315th Infantry were reviewed by Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett and a number of the higher officers of the Navy. The third ceremony for the Regiment within a week was held on the parade ground at Rimaucourt on April 16th, at which time General Kuhn decorated the men of the Division to whom the Croix de ( hierre had been awarded by the French Government. The Second Battalion acted as the parading battalion on this occasion and the ceremony was carried through most successfully. During the week, beginning April 13th, the various organizations of the Divi- sion were entertained by Miss Margaret Wilson, the daughter of the President of the United States. Miss Wilson made her headquarters in Rimaucourt dur- ing her tour of the Divisional area and gave her entertainment for the men of the 315th Infantrv in the Red Cross auditorium on the evening of April 13th. HI i 0 General Persuing Awarding the Distinguished Service Cross tc Captain Earle C. Offinger, 315th Infantry 0 Page One Nineteen The 515th Infantry 0 ■■■'V - General Kuhn Awarding the Croix de Guerre to Officers and Men of the 79th Division at Rimaucourt, France, April 16, 1919 On Friday, April 18th, Miss Wilson and her party, together with General Kuhn and his staff, were entertained at a luncheon in the Regimental Y. M. C. A. build- ing by the officers of the Regiment. However, the stay at Rimaucourt was not on? undiluted round of military ceremonies and social functions. Much tim~ was spent in drilling, athletics and the cleaning and renovation of equipment. Work was commenced on the build- ing of a rifle range, under the direction of Lieutenant Carter, Regimental Mus- ketry Officer, but rftcr only two days' progress, orders were received to cease all construction work and commence a thorough policing of the camp, as a move into another area was only a matter of two or three weeks off. The first warn- ing orders were to the effect that the Division would be sent to the LeMans area, but a few days before. the date specified for the departure of the troops the plans were changed, and the Division was ordered to proceed to the vicinity of Nantes. On the 10th of April, the Division passed from the Second Army to the com- mand of the Commanding General of the S. O. S. On April 13th, the dav after the review by General Pershing, all horses and mules belonging to the Regiment were loaded on trains, whence they departed to parts unknown. At the same time all extra equipment was gathered together and turned into the Regimental Supply ( )fhccr for final disposition. 0 ■ "- IN THE VERTOU AREA Finally the date of departure from the Fourth Divisional Area arrived, and at 5:00 A. M.. April 21st. the first train pulled out of Rimaucourt, carrying the First Battalion, Headquarters Company and Supply Company. At the same hour on the 23rd, the second section moved out with the Second and Third Battalions. The Machine Gun Company remained behind until the 25th, when it entrained with the 304th Sanitary Train. The long trip was made in approximately 40 hours. Page One Twenty The 515 th Infantry Enroute the trains passed through Chaumont, Dijon, Paray, Moulins, Bourges, Tours, Angiers, and Nantes, many of these towns bringing back remembrances of the trip inland from Brest, some nine months before. The several trains brought the different units to Vertou, the headquarters of the Regimental area and situated on the Sevre River about ten kilometers southeast of Nantes. By Sunday afternoon, April 27th, the last unit of the Regiment had arrived, the various units being billeted in an area of small villages, each one within a radius of four kilometers from Regimental Headquarters at Vertou. When all had been billeted, the disposition of the Regiment was as follows : Regimental Headquar- ters, Third Battalion and Headquarters Company at Vertou ; First Battalion Headquarters, with Companies "C" and "D" at Le Chene; Companies "A" and "B" at Barbinierre and Portillon, respectively; Second Battalion, complete, at Beautour; Supply Company at Mandon and Machine Gun Company at La Gramoire. Just prior to the move to Vertou, Lieutenant Colonel Burt, in view of the impending return of the 79th Division to the United States, was transferred from the Regiment, in order that he might be reassigned to duty that would continue his service in France. With his departure, command of the Regiment passed to Major Lloyd, of the Third Battalion. The area in and about Vertou was undoubtedly the most attractive area in which the Regiment was stationed during its stay in France. The sunny skies, prosperous country-side and clean, well kept villages formed a decided contrast to the conditions under which the Regiment had been accustomed to live. The French people living in the area were more than cordial in their welcome to both A Scene in Vertou Showing Church and Regimental P. C. Page One Twenty-one The 515th Infantry 0 0 te Page One Twenty-two The 515 th Infantry officers and men, and the feeling grew that life in France had, perhaps, its at- tractive features after all. Nantes, a charming old city on the banks of the Loire River, lay only a few kilometers northwest of the Regimental area and was easily accessible to the members of the 315th Infantry, with the result that there was a large demand for week-end passes "to town." During the three week's stay in the Vertou area, the records and equipment of the various companies were carefully gone over, and evervthing was made ready for the inspections by the officials of the base port. At this time those officers who desired to continue in the service were transferred, one by one, to organizations which were destined to remain in France after the 79th Division had sailed. Each, as he left, carried with him a warm farewell greeting from the Regiment and its best wishes for the future. During the first week in May, the Regiment went through a round of inspections very similar to that endured prior to leaving the United States the year before. These inspections were all passed with flying colors, and everyone waited expectantly for the move to the port of embarkation. On May 8th, Colonel Knowles rejoined the Regiment and once more took over the direction of its affairs. Finally the long awaited orders arrived, and on Monday, May 12th, the 315th Infantry boarded trains for Saint Nazaire and began its last trip on French soil. The troop trains reached Saint Nazaire the same evening, and the Regi- ment at once marched to Casual Camp No. 2, where the night was spent. On the morning of the following day, the 13th, the Regiment passed through a series of physical examinations and then proceeded to Casual Camp No. 1, where it was initiated into the mysteries of the port of embarkation's delousing plant. The Regiment, having been put in immaculate sanitary condition, then estab- lished itself in the Isolation Camp, where it settled down to await the arrival of a transport. Conditions at Saint Nazaire were infinitely better than those ex- perienced by the troops at Brest the preceding July. Instead of living in *'pup tent" camps scattered at random through muddy fields, the Regiment was quar- tered in clean, well constructed barracks that afforded all possible comfort and convenience. Messing arrangements were excellent, and both officers and men were unanimous in their praise of Saint Nazaire as an embarkation center. Dur- ing the stay at the Isolation Camp, the Personnel Department put the finishing touches on all records and papers, and the entire Regiment was put in order for a quick trip to the "States." HOMEWARD BOUND The honor of being the first units to board ship for home and country fell to the lot of "L" and "M" Companies of the Third Battalion. These two com- panies, with light and eager tread, marched out from the Isolation Camp at one o'clock in the afternoon on May 15th and proceeded to the docks along the harbor front, where they boarded the U. S. S. Dakotan, a cargo vessel which had been converted into an army transport. During the afternoon, orders were received from the embarkation camp placing Major Lloyd, commanding officer of the Third Battalion, in command of all troops aboard the Dakotan, and he, ac- companied by his adjutant. Lieutenant Andrews, went aboard at 6:30 V. M. that evening. In addition to Companies "L" and "M", Captain Morris and twelve Page One Twenty-three The 515 th Infantry 0 Companies 'L" and "M," 315th Infantry, Arriving in Philadelphia on the U. S. S. Dakotan 8 men, comprising the Third Battalion Sanitary Detachment, also found quarters on the Dakotan. In all, a total of 25 officers end 1,631 men went aboard ship. In addition to the troops of the 315th Infantry, the Dakotan carried several small specialized units of the 79th Division, two base hospitals and a number of casuals. The remaining officers and men of the Regiment did not receive their em- barkation orders until the following day, May 16th. Early in the evening on that date, all of the members of the Regiment who had not been assigned to the Dakotan wended their way from the Isolation Camp to the harbor front and went aboard the U. S. S. Santa Rosa, which, like the Dakotan, was a con- verted cargo vessel. The Santa Rosa carried a total of 46 officers and 2,145 men, all of whom were members of the 315th Infantry with the exception of 1 officer and 26 men who comprised the 14th Photo Section of the Signal Corps. Owing to the lack of state-room facilities on the Dakotan and Santa Rosa, it was possible for only 51 officers of the Regiment to make the trip with the troops. These officers were selected from among those who had served with the Regiment since its organization. The remaining officers were organized into a casual detachment, which later proceeded to Brest and embarked on the Graf Waldersee, a former German liner. It was expected that the casual officers would rejoin the Regiment in the United States, but the expected never came to pass, so that Saint Nazaire witnessed the first big step in the parting of the ways for the members of the 315th Infantry. Page One Twenty-four The 515 th Infantry "T 1 HI 1 The Dakotan weighed anchor shortly after noon on May 16th and steamed slowly out of the harbor on its 3,200 mile trip to America. The Santa Rosa followed at five o'clock in the morning on May 17th, and with its departure the 315th Infantry bade a final farewell to France and the American Expeditionary Forces. The trip across the Atlantic was uneventful save for three days of ex- tremely rough weather in the Bay of Biscay at the beginning of the voyage. It was, indeed, the unevent fulness of the return trip which made it seem so different from the trip across during the preceding July, when it was a nip and tuck race be- tween American transports and German submarines. One missed the boatswain's nightly cry of "all hands darken ship," and missing also were the daily "abandon ship" drills of former times. However, the news sheet, published each day by the ship's wireless operators, helped relieve the tedium of the voyage, and, in this way the Dakotan and Santa Rosa were able to keep in touch with the outside world and with each other. It was not until the last two days of the voyage that the Regiment learned where it was to land. Then the news was received that both the Dakotan and the Santa Rosa would dock at Philadelphia, the city which the 315th Infantry has always called its home. The Dakotan, with its early start, was the first to reach port, arriving at the City of Brotherly Love on the afternoon of May 28th. As the transport steamed slowly up the Delaware toward its pier at the foot of Snyder Avenue, the men who crowded its decks received a wel- come unparalleled in all their former experiences. With the ringing of bells Troops on the Way to Camp Dix and Demobilization Page One Twenty-five 0 H- < The 515th Infantry 0 9 and the shrieking of whistles, with cheers and laughter and tears, the city wel- comed home its own in a spontaneous trihnte that will ever linger in the memory of those who witnessed it. Two days later, on the morning of Memorial Day, the Santa Rosa arrived and received a welcome as spontaneous and as fervid as that accorded the Dakotan. CAMP DIX AND DEMOBILIZATION Immediately upon the arrival of the transports at the dock, the various units of the 315th Infantry disembarked and boarded trains which carried them direct to Camp Dix, where the Regiment was to be demobilized. At Camp Dix, Regi- mental Headquarters was established in building 302, while the Regiment estab- lishes itself in the 300, 400 and 500 Blocks, between New York and New Jersey Avenues. Companies "L" and "M", together with Third Battalion Headquarters, were quartered in the 4000 Block, on the other side of Camp. It was at Camp Dix that the Regiment held its final ceremony. This oc- curred on the morning of June 2nd, when General Kuhn decorated some thirty officers and men of the Division with the Croix de Guerre, in the name of the French Government. The Second Battalion, as at Rimaucourt, was called upon to act as the parading battalion. That occasion marked the last appearance of the troops of the 315th Infantry as an organized unit. Before the final steps toward demobilization were taken, the Regiment was, for several days, held in readiness to participate in a "welcome home" parade in the city of Philadelphia. The people of the city were very anxious to have the 315th Infantry and other units of the 79th Division close their military his- tory with a parade similar to that given by the 28th Division the month before. On this subject, however, the members of the Regiment held far different feel- ings. The 315th Infantry had played its part whole-heartedly in the great struggle for civilization, its work had been accomplished, and, with its record clear cut in the annals of the nation, the Regiment was willing to rest content. In the end, the final decision in the matter was left to the troops themselves, and, in a vote taken throughout the Regiment, the parade was voted down by an over- whelming majority. With the moot question of a parade settled, demobilization proceeded at a rapid rate. Members of the Regiment who were to be discharged at camps nearer to their homes than Camp Dix one after the other joined special traveling detachments and passed out of the life of the Regiment amid the hearty fare- wells of their comrades. Those of the Regiment who remained at Camp Dix were passed through the discharge center there in rapid succession. On June 9th, the last members of the Regiment received their discharge papers, and the 315th Infantry passed out of existence as an active military organization. Page One Twenty-six The 515 th Infantry HI 1 0 Page One Twenty-seven I IH 0 The 515th Infantry Killed in Action Major Ward W. Pierson Field and Staff Officers First Lieut. Benjamin Bullock, ;1ri> First Lieut. Alfred L. Quintard Corp. Vincent J. Byrne Corp. Esterino A. Crudei.le Pvt. 1st cl. Reuben H. Duffel Pvt. Anthony Barbozcvricz Pvt. Carmine Capelluppo Pvt. Enrice Cicconni Pvt. Nicola Crispi Company A Pvt. Bryant M. Dolbow Pvt. Patrick Egan Pvt. Nicholas Forlinni Pvt. James Gaffney Pvt. Herman R. Hertzberg Pvt. John Ischi Pvt. Emmett G. Laub Pvt. Joseph J. Lenahan Pvt. Ernest Livingston Pvt. Elmer Ogden Pvt. Elwood G. Paul Pvt. Frank C. Richter Pvt. Salvatore Schimmenti Pvt. Nathan C. Shute Pvt. Edward F. Smith Corp. Henry E. P. Pritchard Bugler Henry J. Jacoby Pvt. Istcl. Frederick Buckwald Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Noctto Pvt. 1st cl. Albert F. Pflieger Pvt. John G. Boss Company B Pvt. Samuel Doris Pvt. Jacob Ehrlich Pvt. Harry Eichenberger Pvt. William Hawk Pvt. Grover C. Kook Pvt. Louis Lohmuller Pvt. George Moss Pvt. Ralph Salter Pvt. Carlo Scaglio Pvt. Raffaele Spiotta Pvt. Ceslaw Stepulkow ski Pvt. James Sword Sgt. Louis Oerlemans Sgt. John J. Read Corp. David P. Anderson Corp. George Danig Corp. Harry Friel Corp. George Horn Corp. Edwin R. Souders Mech. Edward Fleisch Pvt. 1st cl. Chas. E. Wrigley Pvt. Victor Antimary 1st Lt. Seth C. Hetherington Sgt. William Cunningham Sgt. Elmer R. Fox Sgt. Clarence Pancoast Corp. Fred Baumeister Corp. Isaac Cohen Corp. Peter Kerr Corp. Stormonth Pollock Corp. Edward Poyntz Corp. Abram Street Mec. Thomas Moore Mec. William J. Moore Pvt. Istcl. Henry Cantavespif. Pvt. 1st cl. Ormiil S. Cummings Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Curran Company C Pvt. John K. Bishop Pvt. Theodore C. Brown Pvt. Fred J. Fudala Pvt. Alexander Gilchrist Pvt. Leo Hart Pvt. Edward T. Kane Pvt. Erakle Kozman Pvt. James S. Mallus Pvt. Giovanni Paduano Company D Pvt. 1st cl. Charles Diehl Pvt. 1st cl. Stephen Esterly Fvt. 1st cl. Luigi Gagliaridi Pvt. 1st cl. Michael Kenny Pvt. 1st cl. James Kiileen Pvt. 1st cl. John McNamara Pvt. 1st cl. R. A. Sullivan Pvt. James Bain Pvt. Francis F. Carton Pvt. Lee N. Cook Pvt. David Diamond Pvt. George R. Hiil Pvt. James P. Kei i.v Pvt. Martin E. Kei i.v Fvt. Morris Ksieerman Pvt. William M. Paynter Pvt. Leo Raczkowski Pvt. Frank Santisiri Pvt. Nick Serago Pvt. Harry A. Shively Pvt. Paul J. Smith Pvt. Louis Stein Pvt. Leo J. Swartz Pvt. Stephen Terzitta Pvt. Frank Lewis Pvt. Alexander McClean Pvt. John A. Murray Pvt. Walter Mussack Pvt. Morris Nachitgal Pvt. Samuel Novick Fvt. Hulen W. Phelps Pvt. John J. Quinn Pvt. Charles Schnell Pvt. Benjamin Trafficax Pvt. Frank Trebino Pvt. Leonard Vecchione Pvt. Birch ard White Pvt. Joseph O. Yehi.e 0 > in Sgt. Apau Kau Corp. Raymond F. Kuhl Corp. David Sauberblatt Corp. Spencer H. Sauer Corp. Richard G. Weise Pvt. 1st cl. James P. Fa hey Pvt. Clarence J. Anderson Company E Pvt. Theodore Bcrqwski Pvt. Harry F. Diamond Pvt. George J. Dieterle Pvt. Michael D. Goonan Pvt. Charles J. Kelly Pvt. James J. Kinser Pvt. Stephen Mashk Pvt. Pietro Merola Pvt. Richard J. Rorke Pvt. Elwood E. Schlarb Pvt. Walter O. Skinner Pvt. Clinton E. Smith Pvt. Wm. T. Steinhauer Page One Twenty-eijiht KILLED IN ACTION Company F First Lieut. Wm. A. Sheehan Pvt. Charles O. Dozois Sgt. Leo Brazek Pvt. Joseph Fox Sgt. Nelson N. Herron Pvt. Wilbur A. Guthrie Corp. Pius J. Nau Pvt. Robert King Pvt. Charles Coyle Pvt. George B. Kolp Pvt. Benjamin F. Dietz Company G Pvt. Istcl.AmericoDiPasqualePvt. Guiseppe De Cellis Pvt. 1st cl. George M.Donahue Pvt. John Greenwood Pvt. Irving S. Roffis Pvt. Jesse E. Schaal Pvt. David Schi.ossberg Pvt. Theodore G. Scholler Pvt. John F. Stewart Pvt. Wm. Hetherington Pvt. Charles H. Pfister Corp. James L. Gallagher Pvt. Walter Atwood Pvt. John Carson Pvt. James S. Galloway Pvt. Henry R. Klenck First Lieut. Raymond T. Turn Sgt. Frank Hill Sgt. Samuel Trotta 2nd Lieut John T. Owens Sgt. Harry L. Greenwood Sgt. Andrew C. Shagren Sgt. William A. Sievers Sgt. Louis C. Symington Corp. John Ayre, Jr. Corp. Pasquale D'Amato Corp. Stephen G. Fritz Corp. David Gould Corp. Lorenzo Lobaccaro Pvt. 1st cl. Thos. W. Astbury Pvt. 1st cl. Bernard j . Casey Pvt. 1st cl. Russell T. Delker Company H Pvt. Morris Lipkin Pvt. Frederick Lippert Pvt. William J. McDonnell Pvt. Frank Pahls Company I Corp. Thomas Landenberger Corp. Frank Merriam Company K Pvt. 1st cl. William H. Duke Pvt. 1st cl. Edward F. McAleer Pvt. 1st cl. Robert R. Morris Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Quinn Pvt. Istcl. T. W. Rauschenberger Pvt. Ist.cl. Eugene G. Watkins Pvt. Giovanni Angelillo Pvt. Bernard Aspell Pvt. George D. Blaney Pvt. Albert Com maker Pvt. Charles J. Coyle Pvt. George Gonaff Pvt. Clyde Jacobs Pvt. Michele Picciolle Pvt. Clifford Pickering Pvt. Robert Ritchie Pvt. Benjamin Schwartz Pvt. John A. Barron Pvt. George Gastenweld Pvt. Charles M. Keeno Pvt. James M. Kinney Pvt. John L. Lynch Pvt. William P. Mann Pvt. Horace J. O'Donnell Pvt. Henry L. Rodes Pvt. Anthony Samkowitz Pvt. John J. Sartory Pvt. John V. Scudero Pvt. Clarence W. South Pvt. Joe Waters Pvt. Peter Zack 2nd Lieut. Floyd S. Strosnider Sgt. Reed Barnitz Sgt. Harry Polinsky Corp. Louis R. Berkowitz Corp. Harry Hahn Corp. Hugh Moy Pvt. 1st cl. George L. Kelly Pvt. 1st cl. W. R. Schoultz Company L Pvt. 1st cl. William Schwind Pvt. Harry T. Boyle Pvt. Thomas J. Cullen Pvt. Anthony M. Forsthoffer Pvt. Joseph T. Girmscheid Pvt. Walter J. Henderson Pvt. Jonathan E. Morgan Pvt. William A. Nash Pvt. William Reid Pvt. Wm. F. Scheideman Pvt. Wm. R. Scheulen Pvt. Wm. H. Stanley Pvt. Milton Stern Pvt. Michele Vetrono Pvt. Jesse Wooton Company M Corp John H Castor Pvt. 1st cl. Giacomo Moscariello Pvt. Harry Hirsch Mec." William A. Frey Pvt. 1st cl. Samuel K. Steever Pvt. Henry Klewe Pvt. 1st cl. Michael J. Joyce Pvt. Ray G. Gilbert Pvt. Bernard McGarry Pvt. 1st cl. Adolph Kurmin Pvt. Otto E. Grigull Pvt. Daniel F. Ioolan Headquarters Company Pvt. 1st cl. John A. Eisele Pvt. Joseph Haines Pvt! 1st cl. Charles A. Keating Pvt. Walter J. West Sgt. William H. Carroll Sgt. Paul B. Jenkins Capt. Joseph G. Duncan Jr. Sgt. Robert P. Black Sgt. Howard Hoesle Machine Gun Company Sgt. James W. McCartney Pvt. Clerk Maurer Pvt. Harry W. Mitchell Pvt. Elton N. Reid Pvt. John Q. Robb 0 HI 1 Page One Twenty-nine > ,K- 0 The 515th IisrFANnrnY Wag. Theodore Carro KILLED IN ACTION Supply Company Wag. William P. Cotter Medical Detachment First. Lieut. William F. Craig Wag. Jesse W. Soby Pvt. Richard Owen Died of Wounds Company A Pvt. 1st cl. Chas. J. Dougherty Pvt. John Heineman First Sgt. Philip G. Melick Corp. Howard C. Bainbridge Corp. Leroy B. Hinton Corp. Ronald H. McCaughey Pvt. Blaine Barshinger Bugler Edward L. Archer Pvt. Joseph Cherry Pvt. Robert D. Cook Company B Pvt. Lloyd C. Baughmann Pvt. Arthur M. Brion Pvt. Walter Durieu Pvt. David Gollmer Pvt. William Welker Pvt. William W. Herrman Pvt. Thomas Ianuzzi Pvt. Harrison Lever Pvt. Sam Silvestri Company C Pvt. Frank W. Corbett Pvt. Clifton W. Tibbels Pvt. Guiseppe Di Benedetto Pvt. Theodore Tiedeken Pvt. Joseph Lewis Company D None 0 First Lieut. Edgar J. Eyler Corp. William B. Hughes Pvt. John J. Coen Corp. Mitchell Sargen Mec. James S. Ross Company E Pvt. James M. Gibson Pvt. Edward Huss Pvt. Ira B. Righter Company F Pvt. Carl J. Albrecht Pvt. Thomas T. Bray Pvt. Frank Scheid Pvt. Harry Schmalexberger Pvt. John W. Manning Pvt. Paul G. Schneider Company G 2nd Lieut. Herman D. Partsch Pvt. 1st cl. Peter J. Conway Pvt. Gioachinno Spagnuola Sgt. William J. Lyshon Pvt. Panteleone Cramsta Pvt. Max A. Trumpa Corp. William M. Smith Pvt. Kenneth A. MacKenziePvt. Richard B. Ward Company H First Lieut. George N. Althouse Pvt. Raymond Bolte Pvt. Stephen Michalski Sgt. John M. Ross Pvt. Charles Frank Pvt. John Halbig Corp. Joseph M. Hellings Company I Pvt. Harry Sandrow Pvt. Herman P. Saylor Corp. Charles McCauley Pvt. James White Company K Pvt. 1st cl. Joseph A. Coyle Pvt. William A. Nichols Company L Pvt. Maury Lieberman Pvt. Michael A. Stieflein Pvt. Charles H. Reichert Company M Corp. Charles C. Hogan Pvt. 1st cl. Alexander Friedel Page One Thirty The 515 th Infanttry DIED OF WOUNDS Headquarters Company Corp. Earnest Stead Pvt. Wilbur Hoeltzel Pvt. Thomas Malloy Pvt. 1st cl. Walter E. Lambs pVT. Norris B. Mentz Machine Gun Company 2nd Lieut. James F. Delaney Pvt. 1st cl. John A.Millard Pvt. 1st cl. Frank H. Parker Supply Company None Medical Detachment None 5 Died of Accident or Disease Mec. John Herrman Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Crone Pvt. 1st cl. David J. Dougherty Company A Pvt. Edward J. Cantz Pvt. Pvt. Frank Fox Pvt. Pvt. Joseph A. Hughes Pvt. Frank Kister Arthur T. McCrory Charles G. Murphy Pvt. Samuel George Company B Pvt. Jonathan Kramer Pvt. Charles H. Shide Company C First Sgt. Hugh D. MacDonald Pvt. Lawrence F. Callahan Pvt. Corp. Edward F. Ma her Pvt. Angelo Consorte Pvt. Corp. George A. Wolfe Pvt. Elmer W. Fickeissen Pvt. Pvt. John J. Burke Company D Corp. Paul M. Hermann Corp. Howard C. Keiper Corp. Joseph L. McKee Pvt. 1st cl. Earle G. Hilton Pvt. Pvt. Walter F. Scheible Pvt. Company E None Daniel Lee Pasquale Schiavo Edward A. Smith Michael G. Schoenholz Edwin D. Spare Pvt. Howard R. Duncan Company F Pvt. James McCutcheon Company G Pvt. Chas. H. Herchenrider Pvt. George B. Rath Company H None Company I Pvt. 1st cl. Andrew W. Mayer Pvt. Pietro Cerone Pvt. Frederic Pvt. William Sgt. Christopher W. Kelly Company K Pvt. 1st cl. Einar S. Hanssen Pvt. Company L Corp. Harry Murphy ROSENBLATH T. White 1st cl. Pabor Livingston Company M Pvt. John H. Lynch S Page One Thirty-one The 515th Infantttry » — 1>- 8 DIED OF ACCIDENT OR DISEASE Headquarters Company Muse. 1st cl. John W. Stahl Pvt. Henry Krick Pvt. Frederick Knott Machine Gun Company Pvt. Nicholas Larkins Pvt. Fred YVivel Pvt. 1st cl. Edward Hitner Pvt. Harry Herter Pvt. George R. Lockhart Pvt. Edwin G. Powell Supply Company First Lieut. Charles Hyde, Jr. Medical Detachment Pvt. John T. Thompson Pvt. Joseph Gorski Missing in Action Company A Pvt. Anthony Koinski Company B Pvt. John J. Dalton Pvt. Joseph C. Rice Company C None Company D None Company E None Company F Pvt. Jan Citko Pvt. Frank Mauceri Pvt. Harry Sm Company G Pvt. Carl Ginther Company H Pvt. James Connery Pvt. Charles Staehle, Jr. Pvt. Pvt. Earnest A. Stout Stiney Werzedeke Company I None 0 Company K Pvt. Bernard Z. Sedlmeyer Company L Pvt. Charles F. Randall Company M Pvt. 1st cl. George F. Reedy Headquarters Company None Machine Gun Company None Supply Company None Medical Detachment None Page One Thirty-two The 515 th Infantry Pvt. Morris E. Glass Pvt. 1st cl. John P. Holden Captured Company C Pvt. John Fetcho Company F Pvt. William E. McClain Company H Pvt. Joseph J. Hipp Company I Corp. Roland B. Cassels Company K Pvt. 1st cl. Frank Tumasz HI 1 0 Pvt. Roman A. Wojczynski Company L *First Lieut. Theodore Rosen *Pvt. James B. O'Donnell Note: Asterisk before name indicates— wounded when captured. Pvt. Henry W. Switzer Pvt. Abraham Supperstone Wounded in Action Field and Staff Officers Major Samuel W. Fleming, Jr. Major Fred W. MacL. Patterson Captain Ledlie I. Laughlin First Lieut. Robert P. Meily 1st Lieut. James H. Carpenter Pvt. 2nd Lieut. Edward J. Schrier Pvt. Sgt. Thomas V. Houlihan Pvt. Sgt. Edward K. Ketcham Pvt. Corp. William P. Cheatly Pvt. Corp. John J. Dillon Pvt. Corp. John N. Horning Pvt. Corp. Robert Marks Pvt. Corp. George H. Mowrer Pvt. Corp. Edward S. Murphy Pvt. Corp. John F. McCann Pvt. Corp. William Schneider Pvt. Corp. Charles J. Walde Pvt. Corp. Benjamin Wentzell Pvt. Mec. William P. Sorber Pvt. Mec. George J. Toomey Pvt. Mec. Joseph Weiss Pvt. Bugler William P. Bahrenburg Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Frank H. Acker Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Duffy Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Albert J. Winkle Pvt. Pvt. Walter Adamceski Pvt. Pvt. William J. Albert Pvt. Pvt. Oscar J. Bachert Pvt. Pvt. Walter L. Biegeman Company B Captain John V. Bostwick First Lieut. John J. Conahan First Lieut. Arthur L. Bagans 2nd Lieut. Austin E. Besancon First Lieut. Ed. L. Journeay Sgt. George E. Brown First Lieut. Benj. H. Pollock Sgt. Eugene M. Buckley First Lieut. Lester C. Shearer Sgt. William J. Clair Company A Howard M. Christman Harry Dankelman James J. Dixson Benjamin R. Dolan William E. Dwyer Frederich Eichel William C. Eichler Antonio Frorenza William C. Galloway Hagop Garabedian Joseph M. Grohol Walter Halonski Chester A. Harbach Edward Hepp Isidore Horen John A. Janshock Albert J. Jemison Harold M. Jordahn Louis J. Kane Harry P. Kenesky Frank Kessler Bernard Kidzon Charles J. Klotzbucher George Knox Pvt. Hubert S. Krieger Pvt. William Lytle Pvt. Enoch McClosky Pvt. Morris J. Mahoney Pvt. William Martoski Pvt. Giovanni Mazzocchetti Pvt. Percy R. Medlicott Pvt. William A. Mehler Pvt. Daniel A. Merrigan Pvt. John Mink Pvt. Charles V. Mount Pvt. Abraham Neuren Pvt. Albert D. Oliver Pvt. Boleslaw Olzewski Pvt. Joseph Ormsby Pvt. Nester Robochock Pvt. M. A. Ruczki Pvt. George Schollenberger Pvt. Elmer E. Scheckler Pvt. John H. Shultz Pvt. Charles R. Snyder Pvt. William L. Wieder Pvt. Elmer F. Zerbe Pvt. Joseph Zitomer Sgt. Edward A. Davies Sgt. Thomas Dickson Sgt. Joseph Fitzgerald Sgt. Charles H. Lynn Sgt. Charles Reinhardt Page One Thirty-three The 515 th Infantry » O- 0 WOUNDED IN ACTION Sgt. Edward Welsh Pvt. Corp. Arthur E. Alker Pvt. Corp. Alexander Bailey Pvt. Corp. Benjamin Blair Pvt. Corp. Frank Bohrer Pvt. Corp. Norman Bowers Pvt. Corp. William E. Devine Pvt. Corp. James Drumgool, Jr. Pvt. Corp. Joseph Edgar Pvt. Corp. William J. Killian Pvt. Corp. Theodore S. Lauer Pvt. Corp. John Mayer Pvt. Corp. Francis C. Nolan Pvt. Corp. George Parkin Pvt. Corp. Frederick Paul Pvt. Corp. James P. Quinn Pvt. Corp. David I. Scanlon Pvt. Corp. Louis C. Ziegert Pvt. Mec. Thomas F. Cassedy Pvt. Mec. Harry W. Tibbins Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Chas. J. Batzel Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Edward Johnson Captain Chas. M. Tilghman Pvt. First Sgt. Joseph A. Conway Pvt. Sgt. George J. Ambacher Pvt. Sgt. Francis S. Carey Pvt. Sgt. George R. Thompson Pvt. Sgt. Cornelius C. Walter Pvt. Corp. Philip Corrado Pvt. Corp. William Frey Pvt. Corp. Clayton W. Groff Pvt. Corp. Lelon E. Lednum Pvt. Corp. Samuel N. Lowey Pvt. Corp. Edwin R. McQuay Pvt. Corp. Joseph H. Rieger Pvt. Corp. James C. Spurry Pvt. Corp. Joseph H. Tinney Pvt. Corp. Harry J. Walsh Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Frank H. Buck Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. John McKay Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Edward E. O'Neil Pvt. Pvt. Antonio Alteri Pvt. Pvt. Charles J. Bauer Pvt. Pvt. John Blouchogk Pvt. Pvt. Charles W. Brey Pvt. Pvt. Carlino Calogero Pvt. Pvt. Cesare Capone Pvt. Pvt. Francesco Ceromi Pvt. Pvt. Stanley Chesko Pvt. Pvt. Harry D. Cotner Pvt. 1st cl. John Veight Pvt. Joseph Bagdasarian Pvt. Howard Bergmann Pvt. Jacob Birnbaum Pvt. George J. Censky Pvt. Antonio Del Sordo Pvt. Fred J. Dorfus Pvt. Peter F. Draugel Pvt. Sarkis Dividian Pvt. Charles T. Feyhl Pvt. Samuel Garmisa Pvt. Raffaele Genitempo Pvt. Harry F. Ford Pvt. Charles H. Harley Pvt. Grover C. Harrison Pvt. Floyd Y. Hawthorne Pvt. Adam Hoffmayer Pvt. Harry Hurst Pvt. Warren M. Leeser Pvt. Jacob Levindefski Pvt. Clarence A. Littlefield Pvt. James C. Lonabaugh Allen J. Loom is James J. McClay vlncenty markarewicz Leroy Morrison Harvey Nobles Myer Padolsky Emil Pandolfini Harry C. Preine Harry J. Quinn Frank Richardson Sidney D. Richmond Josph F. Rooney John B. Simonton Graham Stevenson Norman J. Stevenson Roy S. Stidham Rosario Valerio John M. Wallace Marshall Willingham John Wittko Company C Alun W. Davies Pvt. Germ a no De Meo Pvt. Charles Donaghue Pvt. Victor J. Donohue Pvt. Ralph D. Dundore Pvt. John F. Flail Pvt. Joseph Fogel Pvt. Hyman Gell Pvt. Enrico Giaquinto Pvt. Hugh J. Glennon Pvt. Alfred A. Gordon Pvt. William C. Grauer Pvt. James C. Hartman Pvt. Harry A. Herbst Pvt. Howard J. Hoffman Pvt. Martin Jessee Pvt. William F. Keck Pvt. Michael J. Lawler Pvt. Frank A. Leininger Pvt. Harry J. Lentz Pvt. Jacob S. Levine Pvt. Edward J. MacKenzie Pvt. Ray H. Malick Pvt. Harry C. Mandell Pvt. Walter Manning Pvt. Cesare Michel Pvt. William A. Millheim Pvt. Donato Orlando Pvt. Herman Ott Pietro Pizzuti William H. Ralph Charles V. Reardon William W. Ridenolr Edward P. Schimpf Henry F. Schroeder Chester F. Schwall DOMINICK O. SdALLA Godfrey Siegrist Harry F. Simon Frank P. Sirvault John C. Spencer Frederick Steffens Frank B. Steiner Andrew Stonage Joseph F. Tracy Charles J. Turner boleslay uminski John Urbanowicz Perry Vassailiades Michael D. Vicchia Chris Vogel Henry Wennmacher Walter A. Wickstrom Albert F. Wiedmann Theodore H. Wirbatz Antonus J. Zukauskas S First Lieut. Lawson G. Bash Corp. First Lieut. F. A. Van Horn Corp. 2nd Lieut William R. Mease Corp. 2nd Lieut. S. F. Williams Corp. Sgt. Robert F. Dawson Corp. Sgt. Robert H. Gallien Corp. Sgt. Jerome B. Levi Cook Sgt. Domenico Pescrilli Mec. Sgt. Everett W. Wanner Pvt. 1 Corp. Ellwood L. Kerkeslager Pvt. 1 Company D Richard C. Larson Pvt. 1st cl. Pasquale Panichelli Pvt. 1st cl. Edward Rein Pvt. 1st cl. Joseph F. Smith Pvt. 1st cl. Louis L. Warren Pvt. 1st cl. James Young Pvt. 1st cl. Charles P. Macauley Pvt. 1st cl. Samuel McKown (2) Pvt. Willie st cl. W. I. Beringer Pvt. Joseph st cl. Joseph J. Bulkes Pvt. Marsh Elwood L. Clark Chas. H. Clifton Chris. J. Hartman Oral R. McCi.eery Alfred A. Nagler Warren L. Stroud William Talarico C. Adams Adelman all S. Agnew Page One Thirty-four The 515 th Infantry Pvt. Khoren Aslanaiam Pvt. George W. Baumert Pvt. William Bradley Pvt. Walter E. Breese Pvt. Willie Burch Pvt. William R. Butler Pvt. Samuel Calloway Pvt. Patrick Comer Pvt. Frank H. Cooper Pvt. Joseph Corseneti Pvt. Frank Counterman Pvt. Demetry Dacek Pvt. Antonio Di Placido Pvt. Irvine Eversole Pvt. Morris Feldman Pvt. Frank A. Fitzgerald Pvt. Thomas F. Fitzgerald Pvt. Cash W. Forbus Pvt. Rhea B. French Pvt. Merwin C. Fuss . WOUNDED IN ACTION Pvt. Alva L. Gorrell r\T. W illiam Hansofsky Pvt. Frank Hartman Pvt. Henry G. Hoffman Pvt. Samuel F. Kastner Pvt. John J. Keirxan Pvt. Edward Kroll Pvt. Maik Kruk Pvt. Charles Lake Pvt. Ignatz Lochsofski Pvt. Joseph Lottersteix Pvt. John Mauro Pvt. Edward J. Morax Pvt. Carl M. Muhlschleoel Pvt. Walter H. Nieber Pvt. Dennis O'Connor Pvt. Oscar A. Olson Pvt. David Polakof Pvt. Dayton Preeley Pvt. Morris Rabixowitz Pvt. Mario Rio i Pvt. Robert C. Richards Pvt. Henry H. Robbins Pvt. Harry Rubensteix Pvt. Albert Ryan Pvt. Samuel J. Saylor Pvt. Louis Sinacore Pvt. Walter T. Smith Pvt. Dethridge Snead Pvt. Albert E. Stevens Pvt. Charles Taylor Pvt. Robert B. Thompson Pvt. John Topoleski Pvt. Earl Van Why Pvt. Richard H. Watts Pvt. Samuel Weisemax Pvt. Herbert R. Williams Pvt. William Zink Pvt. Nicholas Zywno Sgt. James A. Granahan Pvt. Corp. Oscar G. Callem Pvt. Corp. Benedict Conroy Pvt. Corp. Thomas J. Dawson Pvt. Corp. Robert Epstein Pvt. Corp. Alexander Kun Pvt. Corp. John F. Lynch Pvt. Corp. Walter C. Meyers Pvt. Corp. Herbert J. O'Connor Pvt. Corp. William J. Scott Pvt. Corp. Frederick G. Wilde Pvt. Mech. Thomas J. Powers Pvt. Bugler Joseph A. Nichols Pvt. Pvt. 1st. cl. Harry P. Wevmann Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Ernest P. Widmaier Pvt. Pvt. Clarence J. Anderson Pvt. Pvt. Raffaele Avato Pvt. Pvt. William H. Broughton Pvt. Pvt. William J. Burke Sgt. Lloyd L. Klein Pvt. Sgt. Reuben Master Pvt. Sgt. Onello Raimo Pvt. Corp. George A. Harbaugh Pvt. Corp. George A. Harrington Pvt. Corp. Harry E. Keefrider Pvt. Corp. Charles W. Palardy Pvt. Corp. Zygmunt Slusarczyk Pvt. Corp. Harry A. Walsh Pvt. Corp. Philip B. White Pvt. Bugler Francis Graff Pvt. Pvt. John Adolph Pvt. Pvt. William Billington Pvt. Pvt. Leo C. Blickley Pvt. Pvt. Leopold Bodaich Pvt. Pvt. Thiofolos Bogianges Pvt. Pvt. Edward J. Bullock Pvt. Pvt. Bortolo Coletti Pvt. Company E Charles A. Chamberlain- Charles A. Dougherty Leroy Dubbs Thomas J. Esbensen Joseph M. Fairo William Fierick Morris Goldstein Jacob P. Goshorn Charles J. Glie William C. Hanna John Herron Hugh F. Jones Charles J. Kane Edward B. Karv Charles J. Knoeffle Peter Lazowski John Lopiepero John W. McGahie Company F Charles F. Deeney Albert T. Dick Thomas S. Donahue Roscoe D. Ealy Julius Goldberg Thomas J. Grogan Hrent Hovsepiax Philip A. Jacoby Edward V. Kelly Frederick L. Krauss Patrick L. Leahy William Lumpp Thomas H. McCool William J. McMahon Vincent Martixes George Max Emanuel B. Newman- Henry F. Ney Pvt. Peter J. Maguire Pvt. Oliver Mills Pvt. Thomas A. O'Brien Pvt. William R. O'Hea Pvt. Thomas C. O'Neil Pvt. Domenico Petrisino Pvt. Joseph Pines Pvt. Charles Placido Pvt. John J. Powers Pvt. Elmer L. Ritchie Pvt. Samuel A. Robb Pvt. William Rowen Pvt. Edward A. Smith Pvt. Isidore Smith Pvt. John F. Sweeney Pvt. .Michael Varley Pvt. Michael Weigand Pvt. Patrick Wynne Pvt. James Pagliaro Pvt. Ben W. Powers Pvt. John Rawa Pvt. Carroll Roshon Pvt. Mike Rutkofski Pvt. Edgar Scott Pvt. William Shields Pvt. Frank J. Smith Pvt. Peter Sopagee Pvt. Charles Stohrer Pvt. Ernest A. Steudle Pvt. Joseph Thomas Pvt. Gaetano Tommaso Pvt. Thomas F. Treacy Pvt. Sotirios Verras Pvt. Gustavo Virgini Pvt. Burton Watters Page One Thirty-five S , < r- 1 1 The 515 th Infantry < » « 0 WOUNDED IN ACTION Company G Captain Earle C. Offinger Pvt. 1st cl. George Lucas Pvt. James McHale First Sgt. Lamar D. Rice Pvt. 1st cl. Salvatore PerciaPvt. Nathan Minders Sgt. John E. Fallon Pvt. Istcl. LeRoy P. Sharadin Pvt. James Murphy Sgt. Patrick J. Lynn Pvt. 1st cl. H. W. Thomas Pvt. William C. Murray Sgt. Peter McHugh Pvt. John L. Ackley Pvt. James L. O'Donnell Sgt. Carl E. Olson Pvt. William Allen Pvt. Ray E. Parker Sgt. Charles F. Wahl Pvt. James F. Clancy Pvt. James Pinto Corp. Theodosis Demetris Pvt. Stiney Daniel Pvt. Timothy A. Reardon Corp. Mellor Dunkerly Pvt. William DeFebba Pvt. John Rosso Corp. John C. Evans Pvt. Capriele Di Michele Pvt. Thomas Rowe Corp. Roger A. Foley Pvt. Walter Fox Pvt. Martin A. Sadlier Corp. William J. Frasch Pvt. Samuel Gabralovich Pvt. Edward H. Schroeder Corp. Eugene Griffin Pvt. William Gallaun Pvt. Joseph Sempeto Corp. Howard M. Jacobs Pvt. Harry C. Glattle Pvt. Didore Shuster Corp. George McCool Pvt. Christopher Hannon Pvt. Harry R. Smith Corp. James Moucheck Pvt. Virgie Head Pvt. Benjamin Sutter Corp. Oscar M. Nelson Pvt. Kitt C. Hughes Pvt. Santo Trolio Corp. Myer Pressman Pvt. Angelo Ioannucci Pvt. Chas. R. Van Iderstine Corp. James Redmond Pvt. Albinus N. Jesperson Pvt. Cicero Waites Corp. Louis I. Rosen Pvt. Leonard L. Joseph Pvt. Lloyd C. Ward Corp. Charles J. Soderlund Pvt. Herbert E. Kenworthy Pvt. William J. Weiland Mec. William Jaeger Pvt. John J. Leahy Pvt. Frank E. Witt Pvt. 1st cl. Nicholas Di Stefano Pvt. Oscar Levine Pvt. Otto Zeibig Pvt. 1st cl. William B. Hughes Company H First Lieut. James S. McKeon Pvt. John J. Berrigan Pvt. Sam Miller Sgt. Michael Connolly Pvt. Oscar F. Boehner Pvt. William Monter Sgt. David Kolinsky Pvt. Hugo F. Bruder Pvt. Elmer E. Most Sgt. Carl C. Lenz Pvt. William Buchter Pvt. Francesco Natuzzi Sgt. Joseph W. Orbell Pvt. Benjamin F. Childs Pvt. Harry Nefsky Corp. Robert E. Blessing Pvt. Henry Faller Pvt. William O'Connell Corp. Earl W. Bradley Pvt. George W. Franck Pvt. Virgil Overton Corp. William J. Henry Pvt. William E. Gee Pvt. Maciej Paluh Corp. Walter V. McConeghy Pvt. Meyer Goodfriend Pvt. Peter W. Poda Corp. John J. McGuinness Pvt. John R. Gregerson Pvt. George E. Rambo Corp. John J. McLaughlin Pvt. Joseph F. Grimaldi Pvt. Joseph Rietz (2) Corp. Harry S. Podolnick Pvt. Joseph J. Hipp Pvt. Morris Rosenblum Corp. Henry Sunderman Pvt. Gabe Hughes Pvt. Joseph Sanzone Corp. Walter J. Tyson Pvt. Jack Indenbaum Pvt. Pietro Scarpinato Pvt. 1st cl. Harry E. Case Pvt. Benjamin Isaacson Pvt. Barney Scirica Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Deeney Pvt. Clark V. Jacobs Pvt. John F. Schebler Pvt. 1st cl. Niel Gallagher Pvt. Christ F. Kiefer Pvt. John Skachilish Pvt. 1st cl. Adolph C. Grimmer Pvt. Joseph F. Kohlman Pvt. Morris L. Sperling Pvt. 1st cl. Thomas J. Jones Pvt. William F. Koster Pvt. Albert Steinhauser Pvt. 1st cl. William Lentine Pvt. Walter Kowalski Pvt. George J. Storz Pvt. 1st cl. Samuel D. Lindeman Pvt. George V. Krombach Pvt. Elwood Stremmel Pvt. 1st cl. Thomas J. McCarthy Pvt. Frank A. Kuntz Pvt. Wm. H. Sundermann Pvt. 1st cl. Vincenzo Mammucaki Pvt. Harry Labold Pvt. Boleslaw Swickla Pvt. 1st cl. Edward C. Moran Pvt. CiUSTAVE J. L.\NGEN Pvt. Samuel T. Truss Pvt. 1st cl. William W. Williams Pvt. Antonio Laudanski Pvt. John A. Ulrich Pvt. 1st cl. Thomas S. Wylegala Pvt. Samuel Lichtensteix Pvt. Flori Va lento Pvt. James A. Abruzzi Pvt. Frank A. Maglire Pvt. Charles Waiting Pvt. Oscar F. Alben Pvt. Nickolas Maicher Pvt. Frank Walker Pvt. Charles F. Bates Pv.t Michael Mala Pvt. John I. Westerberg Pvt. Niel K. Bech Pvt. William Michalkiewicz Pvt. Peter Yager Pvt. Abe Berman Company I First Lieut. Orson J. Graham Sgt. Arthur J. Curning Sgt. Charles H. Peck First Lieut. William B. Dodson Sgt. Peter J. McFarland Sgt. Elmer J. Smith 2nd Lieut. Ira N. Kellberg Sgt. Harry J. McGeoghegan Sgt. Herbert H. Williams g Sgt. Raymond A. Block Sgt. Henry A. Miller Sgt. Theron M. Woolson Page One Thirty-six L , ■ The 515 th Infant try WOUNDED IN ACTION Corp. William E. Cassedy Pvt. Corp. Clarence S. Cecil Pvt. Corp. George V. Cummings Pvt. Corp. James Doyle Pvt. Corp. James H. Farrell Pvt. Corp. Frederic R. Gillen Pvt. Corp. August J. Heusser Pvt. Corp. Russell Kern Pvt. Corp. Charles Kloth Pvt. Corp. Henry F. Krause Pvt. Corp. Hamilton H. McCleery Pvt. Corp. Raymond A. Miller Pvt. Corp. William F. Mullen Pvt. Corp. Thomas F. Patterson Pvt. Corp. James J. Reid Pvt. Corp. James W. Rogers Pvt. Corp. James Sloan Pvt. Corp. Walter Snyder Pvt. Corp. Louis Trapp Pvt. Mec. Robert Anderson Pvt. Mec. James G. Coon Pvt. Mec. Harry F. Dwyer Pvt. Mec. John S. McIntyre Pvt. Mec. Niles A. Pearson Pvt. Mec. Edward R. Trout Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Andreas Cagoulides Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Salvatore Checchia Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Charles Farrells 1st cl. John F. Gumbman 1st cl. Jacob Haun 1st cl. Charles Schuon 1st cl. Leo N. Staskel 1st cl. James C. Suloff 1st cl. Pasquale Tomeo 1st cl. Rudolph TrinkwaldPvt. 1st cl. Joseph J. Witsch Pvt. 1st cl. Daniel Woods Pvt. John M. Bevan Pvt. Edward Burguess Pvt. John Carroll Pvt. Vertal Caton Pvt. David Crawford Pvt. Robert Crombie Pvt. Michele D'Aulerio Pvt. Herman F. Dahlgren Pvt. Edward S. Deemer Pvt. Walter C. Domhoff PVt. Marvin English Pvt. Oscar Erickson Pvt. Emil J. Ehrle Pvt. Arthur Fletcher Pvt. Charles Gruhn Pvt. Joseph Hinkle Pvt. Charles Hock Carmine I m peri ale Guy E. Kaufmann Adam Knecum Frank Kossakowski Frank Kwasneski John Lebitske Peter McBride Francis McGahan Joseph P. Marro Morris Meaca Aaron Miselson Herbert H. Ochs Harry F. Ogden Thomas H. Reese John J. Robbins Luciano Salemi Carl Schneeweis Frederic Schmitt Walter Sherwood Laurits C. Sorenson Svlve P. Siravo Walter Staniszewski Samuel D. Strain Alfonso Tedischi James A. Ulrich John A. West Hi ( 0 Captain George P. Scholes Corp 2nd Lieut. Ernest V. Becker Mec. 1st Sgt. Joseph F. Kilroy Mec. Sgt. George G. Bewley Mec Sgt. Thomas F. Clynes Pvt. Sgt. Joseph F. Cumiskey Pvt. Sgt. James M. Garrish Pvt. Sgt. William L. Jenkins Pvt. Sgt. Louis Knudsen Pvt. Sgt. Francis A. McCloskey Pvt. Sgt. Maxwell McMichael Pvt. Sgt. Arthur W. Olanson Pvt. Sgt. Joseph D. O'Toole Pvt. Sgt. Louis A. Seese Pvt. Sgt. Matthew Sydlowski Pvt. Sgt. Clifford T. Weihman Pvt. Corp. Francis E. Duffy Pvt. Corp. William P. Flynn Pvt. Corp. Ben W. Holub Pvt. Corp. Fred Huenerfauth Pvt. Corp. Joseph B. Hursh, Jr. Pvt. Corp. William Klais, Jr. Pvt. Corp. Augustus P. Lord, Jr. Pvt. Corp. Harry Marshall Pvt. Corp. Louis Milligan Pvt. Corp. John O'Donnell Pvt. Corp. Oscar M. Oliker Pvt. Corp. Nathan Salvin Pvt. Corp. Chester C. Schuyler Pvt. Corp. Jacob Snyder Pvt. Corp. Theodore Sweriduk Pvt. Company K William J. Vondran Pvt. Marion G. Blizzard Pvt. Robert J. McKenna (2) Pvt. Nathan M. Pollack Pvt. 1st cl. Waclaw Balerowski Pvt. 1st cl. William S. Birnie Pvt. 1st cl. Harry J. Bernstein Pvt. 1st cl. Hugh Blair Pvt. 1st cl. Clifford S. BuckleyPvt. 1st cl. James A. Clark Pvt. 1st cl. William Clothier Pvt. 1st cl. Eugene Deelev Pvt. 1st cl. Stanley Diamond Pvt. 1st cl. Mahlon T. Foust Pvt. 1st cl. William T. Gregory Pvt. 1st cl. George E. Hile Pvt. 1st cl. H. A. Hollings Pvt. 1st cl. Wm. P. Kennedy Pvt. 1st cl. Frederick P. Kuhn Pvt. 1st cl. C. T. Kuykendall Pvt. 1st cl. Harry H. Losee Pvt. 1st cl. Harry J. Lynd Pvt. 1st cl. Walter McArthur Pvt. 1st cl. P. H. McGeever Pvt. 1st cl. Romer B. Markle Pvt. 1st cl. Antonio Moscufo Pvt. 1st cl. John H. Rice Pvt. 1st cl. John M. Steger Pvt. Frank Czarnecki Pvt. Russell Diehl Pvt. Ignacy Dybalski Sam Fuhrman Joseph Gabriel Richard B. Gillis Maurice F. Ging Fred J. Gramsey Alexander Halgas Douglass Heller Edward C. Hoover John H. Horn John Kiesling, Jr. George A. Leetch Harry S. Lennox James P. Leonard Paul Lerke James McGinnis John P. McHugh William McLehose John J. Maresca John M. Mariner Joseph Making Joseph Marino Giovanni Marra John E. O'Xkii. William Richards Bronislaw Rochowicz Fred Rufrano Eugene H. Shaw Francis Urbanis Harry Wallace Harry C. Wilkins S HI . Page One Thirty-seven The • 515th Infantry . j 5 ► ...... WOUNDED IN ACTION ^^ Company L Captain Francis A. Awl Bugler Charles S. Pleasants Pvt. Alphons H. Helmig First Lieut. John T. Ford Pvt. 1st cl. Frank J. Beck Pvt. Fred R. Hensling First Lieut. George S. Freeman Pvt. 1st cl. Aloysius J. Duffy Pvt. Jacob Kees First Sgt. Charles E. Weir Pvt. 1st cl. Carl F. Ehmann Pvt. Samuel Kivitz Supply Sgt. Carl A. Oesterle Pvt. 1st cl. James A. HaldemanPvt. Charles F. Lieb Supply Sgt. George W. Weaver Pvt. 1st cl. Edmund C. Heyne Pvt. Michael A. Liebowitz Sgt. Emil F. Beck, Jr. Pvt. 1st cl. Charles W. Hoog Pvt. Vincenzo Liporace Sgt. Ellvvood Carmean Pvt. 1st cl. Tony Kardas Pvt. Hugh J. McFadden Sgt. Patrick Dolan Pvt. 1st cl. Jos. L. Kleinhans Pvt. William T. Murphy Sgt. Arthur G. Jones Pvt. 1st cl. Wm. J. O'Toole Pvt. Harry L. Newton Sgt. David Levine Pvt. 1st cl. Natan Ptashkan Pvt. William Nickles Sgt. James V. McGarr Pvt. Istcl. Sarafin Pucalowski Pvt. George H. Noll Sgt. Jacob C. Radel Pvt. 1st cl. Robert M. Reed Pvt. John J. Oestrich Sgt. Joseph M. Tinsman Pvt. 1st cl. Charles P. Ripa Pvt. William Pasley Corp Nicola Bionti Pvt. 1st cl. George Ruderick Pvt. Michael Popp Corp. John A. Brannelly Pvt. 1st cl. Julian H. Salomon Pvt. Bernhardt Rausch Corp. Cornelius Breslin Pvt. 1st cl. Chas. E. Stewart Pvt. Stiney J. Savakus Corp. Rembert T. Edsall Pvt. Rocco Alba.no Pvt. Gedialla Scheinfeld Corp. Abraham Frankel Pvt. William F. Ale Pvt. Harry Schill Corp. William J. Huttner Pvt. Natale Ardissono Pvt. Peter C. Schindler Corp. Richard L. LeFevre Pvt. John A. Bosnick (2) Pvt. Louis C. Schnitzler Corp. Henry W. Loveless Pvt. William J. Bradley Pvt. John H. Schulden Corp. Hugh H. McCormick Pvt. George C. Brothers Pvt. Samuel Sczerbicky Corp. John J. McMonagle Pvt. Eduardo Carrulo Pvt. Louis H. See Corp. John P. Murray Pvt. Frank Castiglione Pvt. Samuel C. Segal Corp. James S. O'Donnell Pvt. Walter F. Cavanaugh Pvt. Charles E. Siggins Corp. Otto F. Stegmaier Pvt. Francis R. Coyne Pvt. Oscar W. Spear Corp. Mataus Unchis Pvt. John Engel Pvt. Edward J. Springer Corp. Charles F. West Pvt. Louis Esterhai Pvt. George E. Stein Corp. George Zeumer Pvt. Elmer J. Evans Pvt. Bernard Stern Mec. James H. Cowan Pvt. Stefano Franceshini Pvt. Ed. M. Stephenson Mec. Edmund H. Schneider Pvt. John J. Gill Pvt. Joseph Szahewicz Mec. George A. Spahn Pvt. Hugh P. Gormley Pvt. James C. Yesuras Bugler Leonardo Massetti Pvt. William J. Gregory Company M Pvt. Fred Youst Captain Wilton Snowden, Jr. Pvt. 1st cl. Albert W. Lord Pvt. Antoni Kazmirski First Lieut. Carl W. Andrews Pvt. 1st cl. Cristofaro Masciole Pvt. Julian Krasnicki First Lieut. Henry D. Fansler Pvt. 1st cl. Donato Masciole Pvt. James B. Logan First Lieut. Harry D. Furey Pvt. 1st cl. Giuseppe Militti Pvt. Raymond E. Louden First Lieut. Lloyd B. Palmer Pvt. 1st cl. Achilles V. Scache Pvt. John F. McGlynn Mess Sgt. Edward P. Hill Pvt. 1st cl. Wm. E. Shubert Pvt. Robert Martinek Sgt. Edward Gallagher Pvt. 1st cl. Alex. Skulimosky Pvt. Joseph Meskiunas Sgt. Frederick G. Silber Pvt. Joseph H. Barton Pvt. Louis J. Miller Sgt. Joseph A. Vanarsdale Pvt. Isaac L. Bedwell Pvt. Mikolai Ogonowski Corp. John Barrett Pvt. Harry M. Berlin Pvt. Domenico Pagliarone Corp. Clayton E. Bordner Pvt. David J. Bowman Pvt. Harry Place Corp. Thomas C. Catanach Pvt. Charles F. Brownstein Pvt. Robert A. Reith Corp. John J. Collins Pvt. John S. Buebeis Pvt. Mitchell L. Robertson Corp. Henry A. Cotter Pvt. James Burns Pvt. Otto W. Salo Corp. John A. Doody Pvt. Joseph P. Byrne Pvt. Harry W. Senderling Corp. Felix Flegel Pvt. Nugino Crechio Pvt. Louis J. Seybold Corp. Thomas A. Kelley Pvt. Francis P. Donnelly Pvt. Frank Sinardi Corp. Patrick M. McKearney Pvt. Dennis J. Gilmore Pvt. Albert A. Smith Corp. McKeever J. Phillips Pvt. Floyd H. Green Pvt. George Staigele Corp. Cecil A. Potts Pvt. Vincent S. Hanna Pvt. Lawrence F. Stewart Corp. Daniel F. Wookey Pvt. Harry Hauptfuhrer Pvt. Harry B. Thrush Cook Alfred D. Carson Pvt. William Hayes Pvt. Ezra Tolchinsky Mec. Vivian Rutherford Pvt. Charles F. Hevener Pvt. Harry S. Tomlinson Pvt. 1st cl. Trofim Dreg a Pvt. Edward F. Hogan Pvt. Samuel Weiss Pvt. 1st cl. John Gauris Pvt. Frank Holmes Pvt. William J. Whalen Pvt. 1st cl. Hallie H. Hartman Pvt. Frank Johnson Pvt. Henry J. Williamson 0 Pvt. 1st cl. John King > Page One Thirty-eight The 515 th Infantry WOUNDED IN ACTION Headquarters Company First Lieut. Edward B. Maguire Pvt. First Lieut. Russell M. Willard Pvt. Bn. Sgt. Mjr. Anthony Davitt Pvt. Sgt. Bernard F. Sweeney Pvt. Corp. Charles J. Keller Pvt. Corp. John F. McCann Pvt. Corp. Harry G. C. Williams Pvt. Wag. John B. Dempsey Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Harry H. Boland Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Robert H. Davis Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Edwin M. Donohoe Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Chester A. Fasick Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Joseph J. Friday Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. John Garraty Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Patrick R. Griffin Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. John C. Groom e Pvt. 1st cl. John F. Kremutes Pvt. 1st cl. John Leamey Pvt. 1st cl. George A. Mulvey Pvt. 1st cl. Ralph Peters Pvt. 1st cl. Edward M. Reese Pvt. 1st cl. Alvin Rutter Pvt. Harry T. Althofer Pvt. Horace Bumm Pvt. Anthony Clapper Pvt. Todd A. Crofford Pvt. Charles G. Dewees Pvt. John Friel Pvt. Clyde Hahn Pvt. Roland K. Hamilton Pvt. Adolph E. Horan Pvt. William Hunt Pvt. Andrea Innaurato Samuel Kosmin George Kraemer Valentine A. Laufer William McGlynn Frank L. McGrath Frederick P. Morgan Albert H. Pfaff John A. Quinn Herbert Smith Louis J. Trueter William Wagner Thomas Walker Charles J. Wicker William R. Wilson George Wood Machine Gun Company First Lieut. David M. Wallace Sgt. Michael J. Dugan Sgt. Clarence H. Grotefend Sgt. Ludwig J. Nachtman Corp. James H. Alcorn Corp. Oscar Corson Corp William O. Gruber Corp. Leon J. Kolamkiewicz Corp. Howard A. Miller Corp. Byron F. Reilly Bugler Joseph A. McFadden Pvt. 1st cl. Caleb B. Cope Pvt. 1st cl. Harold Crowe Pvt. 1st cl. Joseph Curran Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Jacob L. Freedman Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Ralph A. Gray Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. C. J. McBride Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Lonie P. Murrell Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Thomas O'Neill Pvt. Pvt. 1st cl. Thos. B. Whittle Pvt. Pvt. George F. Biederwolf Pvt. Pvt. George Eckert Pvt. Pvt. George Edelman Pvt. Pvt. Sidney Foster Pvt. Pvt. Joseph F. Hewitt Pvt. Supply Company First Lieut. George H. Trundle Wag. John Finnegan Reg. Sup. Sgt. Chas. M. Haines Wag. Francis Friel Wag. Charles Eberhard Wag. Louis A. McCann Wag. Thomas Evers Wag. Michael Rowan Charles H. Leib Anthony R. Maurer Russell H. Mousley David J. O'Connell Henry E. Ricketts Jacob Rubinstein Joseph Schukalski Joseph P. Smith Raymond J. Stabile Stephen J. Tassi John M. Wills Eldee T. Wood Wag. Nelson Tyler Pvt. 1st cl. John J. Meara Pvt. Leopold S. Jesoloski Major Robert B. Shackelford Captain Robert C. Van Buren First Lieut. Norman E. Gardner Sgt. William M. Boyd Pvt. 1st cl. Edward F. Kane Pvt. Herman Finkelstein Medical Detachment Pvt. Viggo Jorgenson Pvt. Casimer Jovais Pvt. Edward F. Kane Pvt. Haydon O. Merrill Pvt. Paul Nangle Pvt. Henry Nassberg Pvt. Albert Rehovich Pvt. Anthony Saccomano Pvt. John J. Schneider Pvt. Joseph B. Sexton Pvt. Harry Tregear 0 Page One Thirty-nine ' < Ti Infantttrv . 0 * "5 CO CM ^ rH CO r^ MHCOrt ,-[__,- i-H as oo 'S" as o 0 O rH CM CO co 00 00 OOrH cc ococoas C~ lO -<9> rH rH ■* 0) c H 1— 1 1— 1 rH rH w rH 00 r-C i— 1 rH "* IP4 T3 CO o o c 3 0 ^ CO OS ^* OS IQ WCOOH as CM CM CM as ia 00 C-rH t- 00 CO ._, .2 c C-C- 00 00 M to to t- as CO CM as as o c- CO 00 ■*cohh +J o "2 to rl ca g O co u 3 0. si O OOrH O i— I O CO O rH ■** i-* co co o t- oooo o N O PQ X O MHOO *r OMHTf 00 OHHH 00 oooo o 10 4-> s »H o -a CN t CO a> CM tr- 00 CN lO lO o CM -H00 LO CC rH rH CO CM «r- 5 CM CO CO ^ ee NNi-ih JO rH ■>* CM i—l OS rH f— 1 M „ CD rt Tf CM CO CM •<* t> as CM CM OS CO co o o co as CM co C o co t rf co CO ■** co cm co CC CO CO CM CM T co i—t to o >* Go 1-1 1-1 rH u 4-> C 03 .03 K CO B 3 co OS WOXN o (OOt-H -f CM tr- CM OS o CO <«»-i .-i cocmcm JS CM CM rH CM as CM CO C^ CM o CM •^< P0 c «-* 3 O ~ C*5 XJSfcl CP £ J2 gos — 4_> «-> <U a> O 3 in the G or and th last of th> 3 O cS o O OOrHO ^H OCOOrH TT OMHO "* OOOO o O) tag 4—1 S-£w " c o-h oo i— ( O OOCM CM OHO o rH oooo o ^t M-. ■+3 o> -— 0 CO 3 CO cd s _(U lONt-C- ~H Hcncot- CO CO OOrH CM t> oo co-- o CM 10 4-> O I— I rH rH I— 1 co CN Tf CM oo — 1 03 3 M „ 00 cd ex O CO U3 TJ" U3 r— as cm ■* CM CO iO lO CM to OS OOrH o 00 CN cd 0 C- CO C- OS 3 co tp co t> CM t-C-©C- CM CM CO rH rH 00 Tf u 0) T3 H M CM 1—1 00 OS ■a Tj C « 0) a 3 co t> co tr- CO O CO CM ■>* as CO CM U5 00 _, co o as oo CO o 03 "* 2 io ^ lO CO CM co co io co t> co co e- us CC CM CO c- "<t PQ o c co ,0) 3 ° f£ 1^ 9) u c TO o 3 c o o oo O oooo o HONO CO OOOO o n 0, - 3 .5 cd «H CO +J CJ bj 0) c G '■3 ^ GO c coo oo SO O CO rH CM CO O O rH rH ^ oooo o «-i ■a a 3 CO cd s rm T3 O * rH CSJ 35 f- co c- co as oo l> CO CO t— CO Oi 00 00 CM CM tO 00 00 3 r^ rl ri CM c- co rH CM rH tO : c • • ■ • c • • • • c ■ • • • CO *-) %o o a . . . . +J c 5t= 13 4-> 13 4-> -4J >» • >, '■ = C >»CJ3 r-J <D £ -u 4J 4-> cd C cd cj "So Cd cd cd cd O. cd a. cd -3 C Q. c 4J .2 « C fc ® O 6.6° S. '5 s <0QOQ W WfcOK m «^J§M M & "S " S>i >1 >j >> rr, >>>> >> >> V, cccci cd cd cd cd w >>>.>.>,? t- E a c c c c ™ a c c c i cd cd cd cd ™ .^^w o CO ^ cd cd ca cd T3E 3C o. a. a a— « a a&a — ftaaa- dqrs [. G. uppl [edic otal pa4 £ £ £ £ .2 £ E £ £ 5 £ £ £ E B cd Ml o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 5 £ UOUO H OOOU H UUUU H K2W2 H H Page One Forty b i 1 > : The 515 th Infantry - r - - -i TO — c « — \ ' < 0 CO HHCOTf 1H1HHH COOlfllH oo jo oo i— i i-H LO CO O O LO CD i— i i— i _ X CO LO i-H CM LO 00 OS ft CO .2 c O Xt>OiO o o co oo f— 1 1— 1 1— 1 f— 1 = X CM i— 1 l> OS oo oc oo o 3S LO LO C- Oi-H O CO CO Oi CO -r CM OS CO CO CO^rHrt c -1- ft rt^- o 2 pH CO Si 173 o O «o CO t-i-H LO CO i-Hi-Hcqcg CC f* CO LO LO t- i— i CM CO CM "* ^ CO in 0 o >-H CM CO LO t> fc- oo oo -H IOOJ050 LO LO CO Oi fc- aoai^c 00 OS 03 t~ CD CD O ■<* ■*WHH CO T3 CM CO G 3 O h O o e o f# CM t> i— 1 Tt1 «t OOrH H CM CO CM CO LO CO — NhhM t- o ft Jh c o C-iOt-O 35 C- oo ooo ™ CD t-i-H C- 1— 1 CO o ft 4-> s CO i— 1 NCNlHrH 39 rHTfCCH -1 CO cd o3 co M-2 "S rt CI C h— 1 £<-> IM i-H O O i-l M ft HHNO ft ONHH -r co 4-1 m ~o o c O O i-H o rH O CO Oi-H -t i-H CO CM o X OOOO o !■* T— 1 0) s PH CO t-l CQ 4-> 03 O 0) o c oo oo O oooo c: O Or-H O - oooo ~ 1—1 *+H o w CO <U o c MHOO ft O CO i-l Tf X OHHH CO oooo — 1ft bfl *s PKt 4-J c 03 'co 3 u CO s o c o ooo © oooo - OOOO - oooo — o rt <£ u rt 4-1 o I. o CI o cjjcoot- 33 OhMO f* ff CO H i— 1 o LO Tt O i— 1 c N o "£ CO - s «o H3 CD cp 0> T3 co s -M If) ■s. Q £Q CJ c o o o o — oooo O oooo - O OH O H 1— < O T3 c c lOrHCCM Iffl t-l-H ^ ft cc HOt-lO re i-H o co^h ■* 00 s cm co co rf SO CM CM .-H rH t> HTfNiH — OJ M » ID O (H = 5£ o <N HOOrt CM , , _ -T i-H i-Hi-H O CO ONOH CO ft M O • • • c • • • ■ c c . . . . co 4^ ~ ;; - c "3 "« "rt c>iCj:3 0) £ Hi ■u 03 C 03 CJ b£ cu Pi o 03 03 ed ri Oh 03 O. 03 ^ 'S t3 any A any B any C at y D 1st B any E any F any G any H 2nd B any I any K any L any M 3rd B Hdqrs. Com M. G. Comp Supply Com Medical Det Total Speci 2£ £ £ £ £ 5 o o o o o UOOO H ftftftft- £ £ £ £ 5 O o o o o OOOO H D, O- D. o. —j £ £ £ £ -2 o o o o o OOOO H 03 O -H 0 ' ( > Page One T 'orty-one ' L - I IK 5 The 515th Infantry Awards and Decorations The following are awards made to members of the 315th Infantry for gallantry in action: Distinguished Service Cross MAJ. WARD W. PIERSON, 1ST BN. CAPT. CHARLES H. TILGHMAN, CO. C ('APT. GEORGE L. WRIGHT, CO. L 1ST LIEUT. BENJAMIN BULLOCK, 3RD, 3RD BN. 2ND LIEUT. JOHN T. OWENS, CO. K 1ST SOT. JOSEPH E. KILROY, CO. K SGT. JACOB RECTEXWALD, CO. C SGT. HARRY L. GREENWOOD, CO. K SGT. ARTHUR W. OLANSON, CO. K CORP. FRANK H. FLEGEL, CO. L PVT. 1ST CL. GIACOMO MASCIARELLI, CO. L PYT. CHARLES W. PALARDY, CO. F PVT. WILLIAM BRYSON, CO. I PVT. GUISEPPE SPADAFORA, HQ. CO. MAJ. SAMUEL W. FLEMING, JR., 2ND BN. CAPT. EARLE C. OFFINGER, CO. G CAPT. WILLIAM M. CARROLL, JR., CO. K 1ST LIEUT. THEODORE ROSEN, CO. L 2ND LIEUT. BRYAN BBCKWITH, CO. B SGT. JOSEPH A. KEENAN, CO. L SGT. PAUL B. JENKINS. HQ. CO. SGT. BERNARD F. SWEENEY, HQ. CO. SGT. LUDWIG J. NACHTMAN, M. G. CO. PVT. 1ST CL. FRANK LOMONOCO, CO. K PVT. WALTER O. GOODMAN, CO. E PVT. AMERICO DI PASQUALE, CO. G PVT. EUGENE C. WATKIXS, CO. K PVT. WILLIAM H. SWEARIXGEX, MED. DETACH. Medal of the Legion of Honor (Chevalier) MAJ. SAMUEL W. FLEMIXG, JR., 2XD BN. CAPT. GEORGE L. WRIGHT, CO. L CArT. WILLIAM M. CARROLL, JR., CO. K Croix De Guerre (With Palm) MAJ. SAMUEL W. FLEMIXG, JR., 2XD BN. CAPT. GEORGE L. WRIGHT, CO. L CAPT. WILLIAM M. CARROLL, JR., CO. K Croix De Guerre (With Gold Star) MAJ. WARD W. PIERSON, 1ST BN. CAPT. EARLE C. OFFINGER, CO. G SGT. JACOB RECKTENWALD, CO. C SGT. ARTHUR W. OLANSOX, CO. K SGT. JOSEPH A. KEEXAX, CO. L CORP. FRANK H. FLEGEL, CO. L PVT. 1ST CL. GIACOMO MASCIARELLI, CO. L Croix De Guerre (With Silver Star) MAJ. SAMUEL W. FLEMIXG, JR., 2XD BN. 1ST SGT. JOSEPH E. KILROY, CO. K CORP. BEXJAMIX A. EVANS, CO. I PVT. 1ST CL. HARRY TIGNOR, HQ. CO. Croix De Guerre (With Bronze Star) 1ST. LIEUT. WALTER HIBBARD, CO. E SGT. BERXARD F. SWEEXEY, HQ. CO. SGT. PAUL G. KOCH, SIP. CO. CORP. FRAXK J. HOLLAXD, SUP. CO. PVT. WILLIAM BRYSOX, CO. I PVT. GUISEPPE SPADAFORA, HQ. CO. SGT. CLARENCE G. WEISE, CO. I SGT. LUDWIG J. NACHTMAN, M. G. CO. CORP. LEROY HAUGE, CO. D PVT. 1ST CL. FRAXK LOMONOCO, CO. K PVT. WALTER O. GOODMAN, CO. E PVT. WILLIAM H. SWEARINGEN, MED. DETACH. Italian War Cross 1ST SGT. JOSEPH E. KILROY, CO. K 5 G. H. Q. Citations CAPT. GEORGE H. TRUNDLE, CO. H SGT. PAUL G. KOCH, SUP. CO. CORP. FRANK J. HOLLAND, SUP. CO. Page One Forty-two Divisional Citations S The following members of the 315th Infantry were cited in Division orders for eal lantry in action : B Field and Staff Officers COLONEL ALDEN C. KNOWLES LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANKLIN T ri-rt MAJOR FRANCIS V. LLOYD CAPTAIN DAVID E. WILLIAMS TR CHAPLAIN RICHARD V. LANCASTER Company A SERGEANT SAMUEL Z. COLE SERGEANT JOHN J. DAVIS SERGEANT CLARENCE GLENN SERGEANT JOHN P. FILLER SERGEANT WILLIAM J. LARMOUR SERGEANT GEORGE R. SPIELP.ERGER CORPORAL FRANK P. BRADLEY CORPORAL MICHAEL F. DUFFY CORPORAL JOHN F. McCANN CORPORAL FRANK MCLAUGHLIN CORPORAL MAURITZ W. NORDSTROM CORPORAL GARRETT W. JOHNSON CORPORAL GEORGE J. TOOMEY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS AMEDEO SPINOSI PRIVATE JOHN F. ARMSTRONG PRIVATE MICHAEL DE VIETRO PRIVATE EDWIN F. LAMBERT PRIVATE ELMER F. OGDEN PRIVATE NATHAN C. SHUTE Company B FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN J. CONAHAN FIRST LIEUTENANT LESTER C. SHEARER FIRST SERGEANT ALBERT M. YOUNG SERGEANT PHILIP G. MELICK Company C SERGEANT JOHN T. CAMBURN SERGEANT EUGENE M. FAGAN SERGEANT JOSEPH J. FEELEY SERGEANT JOHN J. READ SERGEANT CORNELIUS G. WALTERS CORPORAL FRANK J. DeVAUX PRIVATE FIRST CLASS VICTOR J. DONOHUE PRIVATE FEODOR KOSHOWITZ PRIVATE JOHN McKAY Company D FIRST LIEUTENANT GEORGE S. BARKER SERGEANT ELMER R. FOX SERGEANT JOHN T. HOLT SERGEANT JOHN LEACH SERGEANT CLARENCE PANCOAST SERGEANT THOMAS F. PRICE PRIVATE HARRY BEYER PRIVATE EDWARD T. RAYER Company E CAPTAIN LUCIUS A. MILLER FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN J. BORBIDGE FIRST SERGEANT ALBERT COURCIER SERGEANT JOHN I'. O'DONNELL SERGEANT HAROLD S. PARIS CORPORAL BERTRAND L. BEYERLE CORPORAL MAURICE J. CORSON CORPORAL BRUCE LORD PRIVATE FIRST CLASS RUSSELL H. ADAIR PRIVATE FIRST CLASS NORMAN T. BOEHM FRIVATE FIRST CLASS CHARLES MERCER PRIVATE JOHN SURDI Company F CArTAIN WILLIAM M. MURRELL SECOND LIEUTENANT ELTON B. McGOWAN Company G FIRST LIEUTENANT J. FERGUSON MOHR SERGEANT PETER MoHUGH SERGEANT ROBERT P. MASON Company H SERGEANT MORRIS C. ROSSMAN CORPORAL HENRY J. SCHAEFER PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALEXANDER KAELLIS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM LENTINE PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JAMES A. MORRIS PRIVATE ERNEST A. GOEHNS Company I CAPTAIN CARL W. WENTZEL FIRST LIEUTENANT RAYMOND T TURN FIRST LIEUTENANT WILLIAM B DODSON SECOND LIEUTENANT IRA N KELLBERG FIRST SERGEANT ELMER J. SMITH SERGEANT FRANK E. HILL SERGEANT HENRY A. MILLER SERGEANT SAMUEL J. TROTTA SERGEANT CLARENCE B WEISE CORPORAL WALTER F. BRZOZOWSKT CORPORAL JOSEPH L. HENRY CORPORAL RUSSELL KERN CORPORAL CHARLES KLOTH CORPORAL THOMAS LANDENBERGER CORPORAL EDWARD LASH CORPORAL FRANK MERRIAM PRIVATE FIRST CLASS MICHAEL FERRICK PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JAMES WHITE PRIVATE THOMAS FOLEY PRIVATE FRANK GRAMMICH PRIVATE JOSEPH MrOOWELL PRIVATE THOMAS PIETRASKO Company K SECOND LIEUTENANT ERNEST V BECKER SERGEANT GEORGE G. BEWLEY Llvi!/K SERGEANT THOMAS F. CLYNES SERGEANT DONALD N. Ma<-KURBIN SERGEANT HARRY W. STORCK SERGEANT MATTHEW SYDLOWSKI SERGEANT LOUIS C. SYMINGTON SERGEANT CLIFFORD T. WEIHMAN SERGEANT FRANCIS A. MeCLOSKEY CORPORAL FRANK V ('OWENS CORPORAL CHRISTOPHER DAVIS CORPORAL OSCAR M. OLIKER PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM H. DUKE Company L FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN T. FORD FIRST LIEUTENANT GEORGE S. FREEMAN FIRST LIEUTENANT THEODORE ROSEN FIRST SERGEANT KARL G. LEY SERGEANT PATRICK DOLAN SERGEANT FRANK J. KIRK SERGEANT ADOLPH J. KTJNZE SERGEANT CARL A. OESTERLE SERGEANT HARRY POLINSKY CORPORAL LOUIS A. BERKOWITZ CORPORAL PATRICK MALONEY CORPORAL MATAUS UNCHTS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOSEPH SZALKOSKI Company M CAPTAIN WILTON SNOWDEN. JR. FIRST SERGEANT JOHN F. O'DEA MESS SERGEANT EDWARD P. HILL SERGEANT ELVIN R. RAKER CORPORAL JOHN BARRETT CORPORAL THOMAS C. CATANACK CORPORAL JOSEPH M. HEELINGS BUGLER STANLEY ZALECKY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HALLIE II. HARTMAN PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HERMAN ZIEGLER Headquarters Company PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM A. LEWIS PRIVATE R. B. SPRINGER Machine Gun Company SERGEANT MICHAEL J. DUGAN CORPORAL GEORGE H. ARCHIBLE CORPORAL JAMES E. BROWN „,„„„ PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM McK. A I\ EN Medical Detachment CAPTAIN IVOR D. FENTON SERGEANT GEORGE N. CHURCHILL The 515th Infanttry 0 HEADQUARTERS 79th DIVISION AM. E. F.. FRANCE A. P. O. 771 17th April, 1919. Colonel A. C. Knowles, Commanding 315th Infantry, My dear Colonel: I am very glad to comply with your request for an autograph letter to form part of the Regimental History. At the end of the first day of the Montfaucon drive a group of German prisoners was brought to the division P. C. near Esnes. I questioned one of the two privates forming the escort as to his organization. His reply wras : "Company L, 315th In- fantry, the best company in the Regiment." Small as the incident may appear it speaks volumes for the esprit and pride of your regiment. When a simple private is proud of his company and claims it as the best it speaks well for his entire organization, and I know that the 315th Infantry has tried to be the best Regiment in the Division. I will only add that the loyalty and faithful service of the Regiment at all times and all places have been noted by me and that I wish you and every man in the Regiment all possible success for the future. Very sincerely, JEK-ep Major General U. S. 0 HEADQUARTERS 158th INFANTRY BRIGADE ISSONCOURT. FRANCE March 23, 1919. Colonel A. C. Knowles, U. S. Army, Commanding 315th Regiment Infantry, Chaumont, France. My dear Colonel: You are kind enough to say that you desire an autograph letter from me for your regimental history. I take this occasion to repeat what I have made of official record, my appreciation of the gallant conduct of you, your officers and men during the diffi- cult fighting north of Verdun from November 2nd to 11th, 1918. It is a record of which you all may be proud. Very sincerely, EMJ-ep Brigadier General, U. S. A., Commanding. Page One Forty-four evtfcxlioiv mparc The 515 th Infantry <> — < REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS o Page One Forty-five The 515 th Infantry > — .►. 0 S , < / « .1 . — " 1 • \ >■ XJ >■ as 1 * i ' ■ v, . 1 ■1 112 r l » * 1 f i 1 I «* • 'T 1 ' I: * J .Sir' . | u o Page One Forty-six The 515 th Infanthtry Colonel Rosenbaum and Staff, Camp Meade, March 20, 1918 Regimental Headquarters The following is a brief outline of the personnel of Regimental Headquarters during the different periods of its history: Commanding Officer Colonel Otho B. Rosenbaum From Organization to July 6, 1918 Major Francis V. Lloyd (Acting) - - July 7, 1918, to July 26, 1918 Colonel Alden C. Knowles July 27, 1918, to October 11, 1918 Major Francis V. Lloyd (Acting) - - October 12, 1918, to October 25, 1918 Colonel Alden C. Knowles October 26, 1918, to December 1, 1918 Lt. Col. Franklin T. Burt (Acting) December 2, 1918. to December 7, 1918 Colonel Alden C. Knowles December 8, 1918. to January 10, 919 Lt. Col. Franklin T. Burt (Acting) - January 11 HUMo January 24, 1919 Colonel Alden C. Knowles January 25 1919 to March 31, 1919 Lt. Col. Franklin T. Burt (Acting) Apr, M 1 91 to April 21, 919 Major Francis V. Lloyd (Acting) - April 22 1919, to May 7, 1919 Colonel Alden C. Knowles - May 8, 1919, to Demobilization Lieutenant Colonel .... Lt. Col. Charles E. Morton - From Organization to June 11 1918 Lt. Col. Noble J. WiLEY-August 13, 1918. to September 8, 1918. On D. S. during this Lt CeoL°FRANKLiN T. BURT-October 31, 1918, to December 15, 1918. Also from January 8, 1919, to April 21, 1919. Regimental Adjutant Captain Samuel W. Fleming. Jr. From Organization to October 29, Captain David E. Williams, Jr. - Ofober f^n n \^ F^bruarv 17 9 9 Captain George L. Wright (Acting) February 4, 1919 to ™^hfe£™ Captain David E. Williams, Jr. - February 18. 1919, to Demobilization Regimental Intelligence Officer t- t r> „ u t imf.„ . - From Organization to July 6, 1918 First Lieut. Robert H. Lafean - - ,mo V a „„o+ k 1Q18 a« Tantain Captain Alfred G. Harlow-As First Lieut., July 7, 1918, to August ... 1918. As Captain, August 6, 1918, to Demobilization. Regimental Operations Officer r t w t^t - - January 25, 1919, to Demobilization Captain George L. Wright - ■> Page One Forty-seven The 515 th Infantry 0 Colonel Knowles and Staff, Camp Dix, June 1, 1919 0 Regimental Personnel Officer Captain Coleman P. Brown - From Creation of Office to October 23, 1918 Captain Ledlie I. Laughlin - October 24, 1918, to Demobilization Regimental Gas Officer First Lieut. Theodore Rosen - - From Creation of Office to November 4, 1918 First Lieut. E. Morrow Sheppard - - November 5, 1918, to January 25, 1919 Second Lieut. Quincy O. Lyerly - - January 2(5, 1919, to May 17, 1919 Regimental Munitions Officer Captain Ward W. Pierson - August 25, 1918, to October 24, 1918 Captain Joseph D. Noonan - - October 25, 1918, to November 30, 1918 Regimental Musketry Officer First Lieut. Earl P. Carter ... - January 20, 1919, to May 17, 1919 Regimental Athletic Officer First. Lieut. Orson J. Graham - - From Organization to September 27, 1918 First Lieut. Lawson G. Bash - - January 25, 1919, to March 1, 1919 First Lieut. Russell M. Willard - March 2, 1919 to Demobilization Regimental Surgeon Captain Wallace Bulford, M.C. - From Organization to June 25, 1918 Major Charles M. Williams, M.C. - - - June 26, 1918, to August 5, 1918 Major Robert B. Shackelford, M.C. - - August 6, 1918, to November 9, 1918 Captain Wallace Bulford, M.C. - November 10, ]918, to November 12, 1918 Lieut. Col. John A. McKenna, M.C— As Major, November 13, 1918, to March 20, 1919. As Lieut. Col., March 21, 1919, to Demobilization. Regimental Chaplain First Lieut. Richard V. Lancaster - - From January 15, 1918, to Demobilization Liaison Officers (French) Captain Alfred Du Conte - August 1, 1918, to November 20, 1918 First Lieut. Stephen Knocker - August 1, 1918, to September 8, 1918 Second Lieut. Edouard Cauchois - - October 26, 1918 to December 15, 1918 Non-Commissioned Staff (Regimental Sergeant Major) Sergeant Raymond Vanderbroek (Acting) - From Organization to September 30, 1917 Color Sergeant Seymour Stern - October 1, 1917, to October 28, 1917 Regimental Sergeant Major Norman E. Humphreys — As Sergeant, October 29, 1917, to December 10, 1917. As Regimental Sergeant Major, December 11, 1917, to May 31, 1918. As Personnel Sergeant Major, June 1, 1918, to Demobilization. Regimental Sergeant Major Samuel H. Adams - - June 1, 1918, to Demobilization Page One Forty-eight The 515 th Infantry 0 FIRST BATTALION Company A Company B Company C Company D o Page One Forty-nine The 515 th Infantry First Battalion Officers at Le Chene, Loire Inferieure, France First Battalion Headquarters The following is a brief outline of the personnel of First Battalion Headquarters during the different periods of its history. Battalion Commander Major Noble J. Wiley - From Organization to January 15, 1918 Major Joseph R. Holmes (Acting) - - - January 16, 1918, to April 30, 1918 Major Fred W. McL. Patterson— As Captain, May 1, 1918, to August 12, 1918. As Major, August 13, 1918, to September 28, 1918. Captain Joseph D. Noonan (Acting) September 29, 1918 to September 30, 1918 0 Major Noble J. Wiley Major Frederick W. McL. Patterson Page One Fifty The 515 th IrsFFAJsr^rR^r Major Ward W. Pierson Major Jesse R. Langley Major Ward W. Pierson— As Captain, October 1, 1018 to October 24, 1918. As Major. Oc- tober 25, 1918, to November 9, 1918. Captain Lucius A. Miller (Acting) - November 9, 1918, to November 15, 1918 Major Jesse R. Langley - - - November 16, 1918, to March 20, 1919 March 21, 1919, to April 20, 1919 April 21, 1919, to Demobilization Captain John H. Ricketson, Jr. (Acting) Major Jesse R. Langley Battalion Adjutant First Lieut. John W. Stauffer - - From Oranization to August 12, 1918 First Lieut. Walter Gallagher - - August 13, 1918, to October 24, 1918 First Lieut. Robert P. Meily - - - October 25, 1918, to November 9, 1918 First Lieut. John J. Borbidge (Acting) - November 10, 1918, to November 15, 1918 First Lieut. Henry D. Fansler - - - November 16, 1918, to Demobilization Battalion Intelligence Officer First Lieut. George S. Barker - From Creation of Office to Demobilization Battalion Gas Officer First Lieut. Lawson G Bash First Lieut. Austin E. Besancon From Creation of Office to September 28, 1918 September 29, 1918, to November 9, 1918 Medical Officers Owing to the constant shifting of medical officers which occurred within the Regiment, it is impossible to state definitely the exact assignment of such officers. However, the fol- lowing served in the main with the First Battalion : Captain Ivor D. Fenton, M. C. First Lieft. Marvin B. Campbell, M. C. Non-Commissioned Staff (Battalion Sergeant Major) Bn. Sgt. Maj. Russell M. McMahon Bn. Sgt. Maj. Andrew Wollersheim December 10, 1917, to October 8, 1918 - October 9, 1918, to Demobilization Page One Fifty-one The 515th Infantry 0 0 OMPANY A Upon the arrival of some fifty stalwart sons of Uncle Sam at Camp Meade, Mary- land, on September 21, 1917, we find the birth of Company "A," 315th Infantry, according to those same noble sons. The real birth of the Company, however, occurred four days before, on September 17th, when Captain Frederick W. McL. Patterson, First Lieu- tenants James H. Carpenter and Benjamin H. Pollock, and Second Lieutenants Logan B. Gill and Charles S. Tiers were assigned as the officer personnel of "A" Company by Colonel Otho B. Rosenbaum, commanding officer of the 315th Infantry. On Sunday, September 23, 1917, the contingent of men mentioned in the opening sentence of this history was augmented by the arrival of additional recruits represent- ing nearly every nook and corner in the city of Philadelphia, for it was from Philadel- phia that the 315th Infantry drew its recruits during the earlier periods of its history. Among these first arrivals we have Sergeants Carroll, Harrison, and Parr, all of whom displayed so much stuff in the military game with "A" Company that Captain Patterson slated them for the Officers Training School, where they had little difficulty in winning commissions. Closely following in the footsteps of these first few, we have such old- timers as Eddie Ketcham (Corn-fed Ed), the man with the pair of gray pants which he found so much difficulty in shaking, and Sergeant Glatfelter, the old war-horse who cannot be hitched wrong, with a notable career in the army from "Top-kicker" to "Kid" Barnum, the showman of the 315th. He finally realized his highest ambitions when he landed his theatrical troupe in Paris. Then there were Daniel H. Erickson, better known as "Frog" Erickson, the man who could and did parley-vous his way into many a home in France, and Sergeant Spiel- berger, the Company's famous prohibitionist, who gave numerous interesting lectures on booze and why it should be downed. Among others in the contingent were "Heavy- hair Bill" Larmour; "Skin" Evans, the Kensington ragman; "Bill" Groark, the ex-Baby Snatcher; John J. Murphy, alias "Mary Stoop and Take It"; Jack Davis, later an Irish Frog; and Jack Fields, better known as "Old Eagle Beak" and "Banana Nose." For a good time we had Bugler McLaughlin, otherwise known as "Schaeffer," and Bill Sorber, big-hearted and liberal, the man who created a sensation in Monte Carlo by spending five francs. Others prominent among the old-timers were "Hughie" Robinson, the hod-carrier: "Spaghetti Jack" Accetta, one of Lieutenant Stauffer's Forty Thieves; "Old Phosgene" Kelly, the fruit man; "Bicycle Legs" Gettings, our old gardener; "Bad Bill" Burns, the man who failed in his first attempt; "Boozo" Devlin, ex-laundry man and detective, whose duty it was "To try to find things out"; and "Swede" Nordstrom, the Minnesota railroad magnate. The next few days found us being placed here and there, and to us it seemed like bunk, but we afterward learned that it was the making of the solid foundation upon Page One Fifty-two The 515th Inf/vnthtry HI < 0 COMPANY A which "A" Company later stood. Right here we would like to say we were very for- tunate in securing one of the best and most capable organizers in the 79th Division, Captain F. W. MacL. Patterson. His leadership, ably assisted by Lieutenants Pollock, Quintard, Tiers and Gill, made the First Company in the First Battalion the pride of the Regiment. For the next few days we tried in vain to tramp down all the rough spots in the camp that afterward became nationally known as Camp Meade, for our real drills were now on in earnest and hard at it we went. Hikes were numerous and while on one we were equipped with something we all liked so well, i. e., our never-to- be-forgotten rifles. However, what we returned from the hike with was not the kind with which we made the Boche run. They were nothing but limbs of trees cut in the distant woods, and later termed blunder-busses by our old Captain. These we carried for a week or so, when we were fortunate enough to procure our first "labor producers," and we believe any doughboy will say we have named them correctly. We come now to the birth in our Company of one who is known wherever she may roam as "Philly." Carried to the Camp in the pocket of one of the first lucky members to go on pass, "Old Johnny" Evans, the toothless wonder who later became a shipyard worker, she is still with us, and we all say she has gotten enough "gas" to send her to the Great Beyond long before her time. The days were now a steady routine and we wrere fast rounding into the shape that was to carry us through the big days in France. Each month, and in fact each week, would bring some new faces, but, owing to the many transfers in the Company, it was a hard matter to know each man thoroughly. On November 7, 1917, we received our second increment of men, among whom the most notable were "Little Jimmy" Ferguson with his rosy cheeks, later a lieutenant with the 4th Division in Germany; "Salt Water Larry" Snyder, who claims to have wrung more salt water out of his socks than any man in the Company ever saw during his experi- ence; "Condiment Can" Floyd Fett, who found out all about the leaky tent ropes; "Slats" Glenn, nearer to heaven alive than dead; "Jack" Filler, Kensington's blonde bricklayer; "Jack" Anderson, the strong man from Richmond; "Sock-em-into-You" Weise, the human phonograph; "Duke" Bradley, the Douglas Fairbanks of the A. E. F.; "Long Tom" Donnelly, the Caruso of "A" Company; and last, but not least, "Night- mare Lou" Eckert, who had them pretty often and who lost his voice fighting them off. With such a grand array of talent, we turned our eyes toward Volley Ball. Yes, we were quite proficient and were successful in beating any company team that dared show itself. In this connection we would like to mention the men who so gallantly tri- umphed: Samuel Z. Cole, George R. Spielberger, Thomas Houlihan, Robert Evans, John Filler, Larry Snyder, John Anderson, Jack Davis, Francis McLaughlin, Clarence Glenn and Dip Devlin. It was now nearing our first big holiday and a time at which some few would find themselves absent from home for the first time on Thanksgiving. It was on Thanks- giving Day that the papers published the news of the arrival in France of two of Com- pany "A's" former members; namely, "Jimmie" Graham and John McLaughlin, and that fact made us more than ever resolved to get across. The day after Thanksgiving found those who had received passes returning to Camp, but of course a few kept up their good work and decided to have an aunt pass away. Everything at this time was pro- gressing rapidly, and each week would find us showing our ability as soldiers before someone of note. These little affairs ever served to relieve the monotony of our long stay at Meade. One bleak December day we were called outside by the shrill blast of our First Sergeant's whistle and were told that five-day passes over Christmas would be granted to certain members of the Company. To say the boys went wild is putting it mildly, and in a great demonstration they clearly showed their feelings. The lucky ones were soon notified, and it did not take them long to be on their way home to occupy the vacant chair. As at Thanksgiving time, those who had to stay in Camp were not for- gotten, but ate their fill of the best that money could buy. Like all passes, those that were issued at Christmas had an end, and the boys were soon on their way back to Camp laden with bundles and boxes of sweets. Upon arrival at the barracks, however, they were told the sad news that two members of the Company had been taken ill with spinal meningitis, and as a result the Company was quarantined for seventeen days and again had to receive three innoculations, more commonly known as "shots. I he afflicted ones, Thomas Monaghan and Charles Preston, made a game battle against very heavy odds, and were finally victorious in their fight against death. 5 I (H 5 The 515 th Infantry COMPANY A COMPAN1 A" at Camp Meai 5 At this time of the year, the weather man poured down an overdose of snow, and due to that fact we were put at skull practice under the able eyes of "Hoover" Gill, "Doubletime Benny" Pollock, "Charlie" Tiers (Do it or don't), "Keep-closed-up-and- covered-in-file A!" Quintard, and "Squint" Barratt, who had just previously joined the Company, having been transferred from Company "C." Last of all came "Full- of-pep-and-ginger" Pat, the old skipper himself, like the good shepherd guarding his flock. It was at this period of the year that Camp Meade experienced its coldest weather, and to Company "A" goes the credit for standing guard on the coldest day and night. The official temperature was eleven degrees below. Of course the frigid weather could not keep up forever, and when it broke we found the lure of the basket- ball court very strong. It was not the best place in the world, but it was suitable enough for Company "A" to administer a few beatings to its rivals. For purposes of instruction, we now began work on a small rifle range and it did not take us long to have it completed. Its good was very clearly shown later on at the regular target range. The guns we used were of .22 caliber, and the pea shooters devel- oped some great shots, although sad to say some very poor ones were also unearthed. With the good weather that we were now having came continued hikes and also our first experience in what we thought was modern warfare, i. e., capturing "Dougherty's Knoll." Soon baseball came into its own. Our rooters were staunch and true and to our manager. Jack Filler, goes a heap of the credit. Opening the season in a blaze of glory, we triumphed over Company "C" by the score of 9-1, and that was the beginning of a long string of victories. "Slats" Evans was on the mound and he was ably handled by the human talking machine, "Butch" Hermann. It was not long after this game that the non-commissioned officers were challenged by the "bucks." The game was played and the "bucks" triumphed by the score of 7-2. On the Company team, we had Sergeant Cole, Sergeant Glenn, Sergeant Houlihan, Sergeant Evans, Sergeant Spielberger, Cor- poral Devlin, Corporal Cheatley, Private Mowrer, Bugler McLaughlin, Private Hebling, Private Adair and Cook Herrmann. On the morning of April 4, 1918, our Company started out on that never-to-be-forgotten hike to Baltimore, a distance of 22 miles, with full field equipment. The same evening found us camping just 7 miles outside of the Monumental City at what is known as Camp Shipley. The night was very cold and sleep imposssible. The following morning at 5:00 A. M. we were on our way again. It was but a few hours later that we entered the city, and the greeting the Regiment received will live forever in the memory of us all. We arrived and pitched tents at Pat- terson Park at noon, April 5, 1918. where we stayed until our departure on April 7, 1918. On the afternoon of April 6, 1918, we had the honor of being reviewed by Presi- Page One Fifty-four The 515th Infantry COMPANY A dent Wilson and our Division Commander, General Kuhn. It was here that our mascot, "Philly," made a decided hit with everyone as she sailed along with Captain Patterson! The Philadelphia boys seemed to be quite a novelty to the Baltimore girls, judging from the number that put in their appearance at the camp to look the boys over. We left Patterson Park on Sunday morning, April 7, 1918, at daybreak, for Camp Meade, where we arrived at 2:30 P. M. the same day, covering the distance without losing a man. At the time of the Baltimore parade our Company was not very large, due to the fact that transfers had sent most of the men to Southern camps, but on the 29th day of May, 1918, we received our final allotment of new men, bringing us up to our over- seas strength. The work of turning these men into soldiers in the small length of time alloted to us was very hard but nevertheless accomplished. Among those of this con- tingent who went big with the Company were "Plug-hat" Duffy, the old diplomat, drug- gist and hack driver; O. Vernon Dahl, the Company's Paderewski, who could eat more chocolate than any man in the company barring "Skin" Evans; "Speed" Malcolm Nederrey, better known as "Satchelback"; "Bustleton Mule Skinner" Charles Grimes, of great note in his own locality; "Kid" Ennis, the Silent One; "Joe" Armstrong, the wild Irishman; "Cigarette" Kent, or "I've done my bit in the A. E. F."; "Funny" Shultz; "Happy" Cunningham and "Barney" Hogan, who had a great following and posed as the "Seven Wise Men." Among the others were "Windows" Neher, "Jingle" Johnson, "Worry-em" Warrington, "Sea-lawyer" Grohol, Supply Sergeant "Hairy" Heffron, "Fair Nose" Terry O'Neill (a twin to McCann), "Rube" Acker, from up state, "Handy" Hauss, of leaky roof fame, "Pinochle" Weiss, "Monkey" Hebling, the Golddust twins, Goldstein and Morganstein, and our Camp Meade Supply Sergeant, "Candy Legs" McHenry. It was but a short time after the arrival of these men that we were given our final inspection preparatory to leaving. At this time we lost Lieutenant Pollock, our ranking First Lieutenant, to "B" Company, along with Lieutenant Tiers, who went to Company "H." To express our thanks to the departing officers a party was arranged which every one attended. Lieutenant Pollock was presented with a handsomely engraved cigarette case as was Lieutenant Tiers, and to Captain Patterson went a silver sabre. It was a farewell party pure and simple in which everything went. The morning of July 7th, 1918, found us all set waiting for the final word. Everything was packed and in readiness, for this was the day that we had all looked forward to. We were now really starting to make history, and at two o'clock on that afternoon we started off for Disney with full field equipment. It was here we left our old home for the last time. We went aboard the B. & O. troop train, and at 4:30 P. M. we were moving towards Jersey City, at which place we arrived at two o'clock the next morning. We slept in the cars until daybreak and at 5 A. M. we were put on a ferry, and from there went to the pier, where we boarded the transport America. On July 9th, at 6:05 P. M., we pulled out from Hoboken, with something like 6.000 soldiers aboard. On July 17th, we were met by 5 destroyers that escorted us safely to Brest, at which port "we landed on July 18th at 7:00 P. M. Our first hike in France took place from the dock to a camp just outside of the city, and, as the country was quite hilly, it made the going very hard. However, we finally arrived at our destination and pitched tents at 1:30 A. M. It was at noon on July 21, 1918, that we started upon our trip inland. Marching down to Brest, we embarked on those long-to-be-remem- bered boxcars, 40 men to a car, including equipment and rations. Incidentally, while on this trip, "Philly," our mascot, gave birth to her first offspring, but the French rail- way system was too much for the pup and he lasted but a few moments. The afternoon of July 24, 1918, found us in Vaux, where we detrained. Here we started our first hike at night, a distance of 6 kilometers, to our training area and billets. It was 12:30 P. M. when we were halted in the open field just outside the village of Courcelles, and there we slept until morning. The following morning we were given a little to eat, and little it was, were again assembled and marched into Courcelles. where in the course of a few minutes we found ourselves occupying the billets which every- one had heard so much about. They were everything that we had pictured, only the rats were even larger than we had imagined. Our first day there found us doing very little work, but thereafter we were face to face with a very long drill schedule. We were up in the morning at 5 A. M. and to bed again at 9 P. M., for it was now a case of learning the real modern warfare. During the month of August we had plenty of manoeuvers, in which we captured all the hills nearby and also some distant ones. On September 6, 1918, we were paid for the first time in France and, incidentally, in French money. The boys were all of the same opinion, i. e., that the French paper money was the best looking wall paper they had ever seen and they valued it accord- ingly. That day and the next were full of rumors of a move, and on Saturday night, Page One Fifty-five The 515 th Infantry 0 COMPANY A A Winter Police Detail 9 September 7, 1918, just immediately after crawling in for the night, we received the news that we had all been looking for. We were notified to make up our packs, draw our necessary reserve rations, and be prepared to move out some time in the early morning. Needless to say, we were all in readiness. At daybreak, we fell in and a few minutes later started on our way to Vaux, under command of Captain Noonan, who had recently been assigned as our company commander, the vacancy being caused by the promotion of our Captain, F. W. McL. Patterson, to Major. We had as our new first sergeant, Eugene Glatfelter, who stepped into the breach made by the resignation of our First Sergeant and friend, Samuel Z. Cole. Having reached Vaux, we had to wait an hour or more for the box cars to be made ready for the trip, but, unlike the other trip in box cars, we were not in them for any length of time, and that same evening, about 10 P. M., we were given the happy news that we had come to our destination and would detrain immediately. After picking out a very necessary detail to look after our baggage, etc., we started on what was sup- posed to be a 10 kilometer hike, in the face of a blowing rain. The hike was all the 10 kilometers called for, and about 20 more added, but at 4:30 P. M., September 9, 1918, the whole Company was at the entrance of Bazincourt waiting to be billeted. For the Company to have every man at the finish of such a hike is indeed a record of which to be proud. This town held us until Thursday, September 12, 1918, when, at 5 P. M., we were assembled and started on an eight kilometer hike. When we finally arrived at our destination, we found a French camion train awaiting us, and in this we were destined to make the last lap of our trip to the front. We rode all that night, and at six o'clock the next morning we found ourselves within hearing and seeing distance of the guns. Leaving the camions and their Indo-Chinese drivers, we established our- selves in Camp Dombasle near the town of the same name. At this place rations were very scarce, and most of our time was spent in trying to get a bunch of darkey troops, who were also stationed in this camp, to part with some of theirs. On September 14, 1918, at 7 P. M., we started for the front line trenches in Sector 304, made famous in 1916 by the French in their gallant stand against overwhelming odds. We were held up for some time by the non-arrival of French guides, as it was Page One Fifty-six The 515th Infantry HI < COMPANY A a French division that our Division was to relieve. They finally arrived, however, and we were escorted into the trenches, with the result that daybreak saw us ready for any emergency. Things were very quiet the first few days, but on Wednesday evening, September 18, 1918, we all received our first real taste of war. A Boche plane came over, and, when directly over us, dropped a few bombs. Needless to say we all knew a "Jerry" plane thereafter. After a few days in these positions, the First and Second Platoons were sent in on the extreme front line, with the First on the right and the Second on the left. The two platoons stayed on the front line for a period of four days and nights before being relieved by the 129th Infantry of the 33rd Division, and were forced to "stand to" practically the whole of each night because of snipers and raiding parties. On Sunday, September 22, 1918, the quietude of the past few days was broken by "Jerry" when he sent over a violent barrage, which lasted for one and one-half hours, and, at the termination of which, he pulled off a raid on our left. Shortly thereafter we were relieved, and we then hiked back to Camp Civile, where we utilized our time in cleaning up. Our stay was short there, and we were again moved, this time to Camp Normandy. On the night of September 25, 1918, we started for the front in prepara- tion for our big offensive on the following morning. We arrived, were assigned a place behind the lines, and told to rest until morning, but at 11:30 P. M. the American and French artillery cut loose and sent over one of the greatest barrages in the history of the war and at 6:00 A. M. on the morning of September 26, 1918, "A" Company went over the top under the command of Captain Noonan. There was little resistance the first day, but on the second day the Boche resist- ance started to stiffen, and towards the evening we found ourselves in the front line in the midst of severe enemy shelling. It was here our casualties started and the first man of "A" Company to pay the price was Reuben Duffel. Our advance was stopped as night was coming on, and we were ordered to dig in until morning. The following morning, "Jerry" gave us a severe shelling, but nothing could stop our ad- vance, although our casualties had started to pile up. It was during this advance that we lost Lieutenant Quintard and a number of our heroic men. As we advanced, the shelling became more and more severe, but despite this we pushed through Nantillois to the hill beyond. Here we reorganized and under the leadership of Major Patterson made an attack on the woods directly in front, the greatest stronghold and the best fortified position we had yet met. During this attack "A" Company showed the stuff that was in it. Facing the severest kind of machine gun fire, the Company held to its advance until nearly decimated and finally ordered to retire to the hill behind. It was at this point that we lost Major Patterson, who was badly wounded in the leg. Once back on the hill, we were reorganized again and made our second attack, but during our absence the Boche had become stronger and in this attack we were not able to make any material advance. That night we dug in on Hill 274, and, as the rain poured down on us, so did the shells of the Boche. The night of September 28, 1918, can never be erased from the minds of the men who were there; words can never describe it, nor is the mind imagi- native enough to conceive it. On September 29, 1918, at daybreak we attacked the woods for the third time but met with no better success, as nothing living could face the Ger- man machine gun fire or hide from the German artillery. On the morning of Septem- ber 30, 1918, we were relieved by the 3rd U. S. Division along the railroad at Nantillois, and as we left "Jerry" gave us everything he ever possessed. That evening was spent trying to sleep out on a hill near Malancourt. On the following morning we returned to Camp Civile, where we stayed for two days in dugouts trying to clean up and satisfy our appetites. From there we left on October 3, 1918, for Normandy Woods, where we received some long-looked for mail and canteen supplies. We left there under the cover of darkness the same evening and hiked until 4 A. M. the next morning to Senon- court woods, where we slept until noon the following day. Next we hiked to a field near Recourt, put in a night there and from there to Marcaulieu Woods, where we stayed for five days. On October 11, 1918, at 8 P. M., we moved to Thillombois. Here most of the time was spent in reorganizing the Company and familiarizing the men with their new positions. Our next move came on October 23, 1918, to Pontoux Farm, a 10-hour hike. Here we stayed for three days and received 23 replacements, including "Pat" Turner, "Kid" Hofecker, "Hiram" Tompkins, "Rube" Miller from way down home, "Silent" Ingle and "Spike" Eike. On the night of October 26, 1918, at 6 P. M„ we started for the front once more, and at daybreak the following morning we were billeted in the woods near Verdun. At dusk that evening, we started for Forges Woods, where we arrived at 1 A. M. on the morning of October 29, 1918. That evening we were once more on our way, this time crossing what had once been No Man s Land. Page One Fifty-seven The 515 th Infantry 0 COMPANY A Company "A" Goes by in Baltimore S We were now moving, into one of the most difficult sectors on the western front. As we neared the front, the shelling and the gas became more severe and once more our casualties started. We were met by Sergeant Cole and Sergeant Spielberger, who escorted us across Death Valley (little we knew then of what a death trap it would prove to be later), and then up into the dense woods opposite Molleville Farm, where we took over a sector held by the 114th Infantry of the 29th U. S. Division. "C" Company took over the front line and "A" Company was posted directly behind, in support. On the morning of November 1, 1918, we moved into the front line, relieving "C" Company, with the First Platoon on the right and the Second on the left. From this point we were under direct observation of the Boche and all our movements were made at night. We received occcasional shellings there but our casualties from shell fire were few. On the night of November 3, 1918, the First Platoon sector was taken over by "D" Company, and the First Platoon was placed to the left of the Second Platoon in a sector held by "F" Company. The relief was made at night in a driving rainstorm, the only light being the flares of the Boche. At this point the distance between our lines and those of the Boche did not, at the fartherest point, exceed 75 yards. On the morning of November 4, 1918, the word came that we were to straighten out our lines and that there was to be a forty-five minute standing barrage and a fifteen minute ma- chine gun barrage placed for us by our own guns. At 7 A. M. we were to go over the top. The barrage never came, but Lieutenant Carpenter's orders were to make an ad- vance, so the advance was tried. The second Platoon was to hold the pivot, until the First Platoon had advanced about 50 yards, before moving from its po- sition. The left of the First Platoon succeeded in moving out about 75 yards under the leadership of Sergeant Spielberger. The center moved out successfully on a line with the left through the good judgment of Sergeant Davis in moving the men out from shell hole to shell hole in rushes. The right of the First Platoon under Corporal Snyder, had moved out only a few yards when it was deemed necessary to hold up the advance, as it proved useless to attempt to push through the mass of underbrush without an artillery barrage. The whole left flank was thus left exposed, the First Platoon being in a position where it could neither advance nor retreat. The Second Platoon on the right was also subjected to very heavy machine gun fire. Despite the flood of enemy fire, however, the ground won was clung to until the final relief of the Company. On the night of November 4th-5th, we were relieved by "F" Company under the fire of the Boche machine guns. We moved down and across Death Valley to the Brabant-Etraye road, and were placed in dug-outs about 500 meters south of the Regi- mental P. C. Our stay in the dug-outs was a short one, however, for on the following day we were moved up into the line of support. Here we lived in the open with noth- ing but the sky above us. The men got very little rest, as they worked day and night Page One Fifty-eight The 515 th Infant nrRY H. < COMPANY A carrying rations up to the front lines, while "Jerry" kept up a continuous shower of shell and gas. On the morning of November 8th, 1918, we moved out at 2 A. M. to support the advance of Company "A," 313th Infantry, down the Etraye Valley. We arrived at our jumping-ofr place at daybreak after passing a road strewn with dead. A machine gun barrage was placed for us, and at 8 A. M. we went over the top. This time our advance was not held up, as we found that the Boche had vacated the woods. During the day we advanced three kilometers without firing a shot, and night found us in an old trench at the eastern edge of the Bois d'Etraye. The next morning we started out into the open, passing through the village of Etraye. We had gone but a short distance beyond this village when the German artillery opened up on us. Lieutenant Shira was in command of the Company at this time, having taken it over when Lieutenant Car- penter was wounded in the attack of November 4th. The only other officer with the Company was Lieutenant Schrier. We passed through the curtain of German artillery fire with but one casualty, Lieutenant Schrier, who was badly wounded in the shoulder, but as we advanced the shelling became heavier and heavier, and we were finally forced to take cover along the bank of an old railroad, where we stayed until the following morning. The morning of November 10th found us going over the top in a dense fog in support of Company "C." We finally came to a creek some ten feet wide and five feet deep, which everyone was forced to jump into in order to cross, and, not being able to locate those in front of us, we found ourselves again in the front line instead of in support. We were finally ordered to move back to the railroad, where we stayed, soaked to the skin, until 3 P. M. that afternoon, when the order came to advance again, and back- through the swamp and creek we went for the third time, directly under the gaze of Boche and a target for his fire. After dusk had set in we were moved out 75 yards to establish a line and, as there were no entrenching tools, we were forced to dig in with our bayonets. On the following morning, November 11, 1918, we moved out before daybreak, and started an advance from another angle. We had gone but a short distance when the shells started to fall furiously, and once again our bayonets were made to act as shovels. We dug on, trying to bury ourselves, when suddenly the firing ceased and All Primed for a Regimental Inspection Page One Fifty-nine 0 The 515th Infantry COMPANY A Retreat at Erize-i.a-Fetite 0 the word came around that the war was over. That night was spent in singing and rejoicing, in the glow of the first fires we had had in months. On the following day blankets were issued to the Company and we moved a few hundred yards back and dug in on the side of a hill, where we remained until November 13th. On that date we moved to Etraye, a village about 2 kilometers from the original front line. We immediately started to clean up, and it was only in a day or so before we experienced the pleasure of receiving our first bath in many days. We were gradually issued all the clothes that were necessary, even though "Fair-wear-and-tear" Heffron thought we looked good enough as we were. Drills continued day in and day out and soon we found the biggest holiday of all, Christmas Day, approaching. Being denied the opportunity and pleasure of being at home, the next best thing to do was to make things as cheerful as possible where we were. This was done and Christmas Day witnessed Company "A" having a day second to none. On the following morning, December 26, 1918, we started on a hike of about 55 kilometers and this distance we covered in three days. We finished our third day's march shortly after noon on December 28, 1918, and discovered that we had landed in our new home, the small village of Erize-la-Petite. We were now under command of Lieutenant Carpenter, but he did not see his way clear to stay with Company "A," and was soon transferred to the Military Police. We were then given Captain Craw- ford, but his stay was also very short, as he was lucky enough to get away and lead a casual company to the "States." Lieutenant Bash was next in command, and during his reign we all had a smile that could not be wiped off. It seemed as though "A" Company could not hold its skipper, but finally we were lucky enough to secure our present Captain, John H. Ricketson. Jr. The weather now was very cold, but that did not prevent us from building a divi- sional rifle range, on which Corporal Kern was successful in being placed one of the first thirty-two of the Divisional Team. On Friday evening, March 21, 1919, the Com- pany decided to run a dinner and dance, and through the untiring efforts of Sergeants Davis and Glenn secured the pleasant company of seventeen Y. M. C. A. girls for the evening. We were, by this time, very much fed up on Erize-la-Petite, but on Friday morning, March 28, 1919, we finally started on a five day hike which eventually landed us at Rimacourt, April 1, 1919. Our stay at this place was not .very long, but while there, we all formed the opinion that it was the best place that we had struck in France, for moving pictures and shows were numerous. All things have to have their end, however, and on Monday. April 21, 1919, we entrained for the vicinity of Nantes. It was one of the last big moves before our final move to the boat, and it consumed two more days of our time. We were fortunate this time, for instead of the well known French box cars, we were pleasantly surprised to find real American box cars awaiting us. We arrived at our destination about 1 A. M. and slept in the cars until 6 A. M. At Page One Sixty The 515 th Infantry COMPANY A hike that hour we detrained, and, with our household on our backs, we started on of 3 kilometers to the town of Barbiniere, where we were royally received. At this time the duties of First Sergeant were under the able guidance of Sergeant George R. Spielberger, and things went along merrily. It was in this town that our paternal government conceived the idea of fattening us up, so, for the first time in 1' ranee, we got a good rest and plenty to eat. Although there was very little drill, baseball received a lot of attention, and, by the time we were ready to pull out of Barbiniere, we had beaten "B" Company by the score of 3-2 through the masterly pitching of Sam Cole. Incidentally, we were the winners of 4,000 francs and "B" Company was very, very flat. Immediately after the ball game Captain Ricketson showed his kindly feelings towards the little tcts of the village by giving them the treat of their lives in the form of a banquet and party. They ate their fill of steak, together with all that went with it, and beaucoup candy. To show their appreciation they pre- sented Captain Ricketson with a beautiful bouquet. The winner of the Company "A" — Company "B" fracas was challenged by Company "C," and on the following day the tilt for the championship of the First Battalion was staged. In the end, we captured not only the game by an 8-0 score, but also 365 francs of Company "C's" hard earned money. To the victors belong the spoils, and Captain Ricketson, to show his appreciation of the Company's athletic prowess, took the entire Company on a boat ride up the Sevre River. At the outset the weather conditions were not at all favorable, and we had not been long on our way when the rain began to fall. However, that little circum- stance by no means spoiled our pleasure, and we continued to ride until we reached the Chateau Thibeaud, where we disembarked and partook of our lunch. The return trip was made in a steady rain, which was aided considerably in its dampness producing effect by Sam Cole and Bill Hebling, who handed us dampness by the bucketful through the open windows of the cabin. After the boat trip, it was a matter of only a few days until we were once more on our way, this time headed for the port of Saint Nazaire. We made our get-away from Barbiniere on Monday morning, May 12, 1919. Captain Ricketson, before he left, was presented a huge bouquet by one of the fair maidens of the village. We arrived at Saint Nazaire the same afternoon, and at once marched through the city and out into Embarkation Camp No. 2, where we were passed through a physical inspection. Hav- ing finished with this, we were shown how three or four regiments could be fed in the same building within an hour. The next day. May 13th, we marched over to Camp No. 1 and were there given our first real delousing, although there were some of the boys who could exhibit more cooties, or at least felt more popular with them, after leaving the delouser than before they had entered. May 14th was spent in supplying the S. O. S. with fatigue details, and in being informed that if we did not walk the straight and narrow path, we would be associating with the S. O. S. long after the 315th Infantry transports had departed. On the following day we went through another physical inspection — it just seemed as: though the doctors could not see enough of us. However, on the afternoon of May 16th we finally pulled stakes and started off for the boat. It was about eight o'clock that evening when old King Cole ascended the gang- plank of the Santa Rosa, the first man of "A" Company to go aboard. The following morning, May 17th, at 5 A. M., the good ship slipped from her moorings and we bade a final adieu to France. . It was soon learned that we were not riding on a transport like the America. For the first few days out, every man in the outfit took an awful beatinsr as a result of the bad weather and rough seas. The more it was talked over, the more credit was given to that man Columbus. To kill the monotony of the voyage,, we were given frequent band concerts and impromptu entertainments. On the after- noon of May 26th there were some lively boxing bouts, in one of which our own Johnso Murphy upheld all the traditions of his forefathers by defeating one of the Navy's best. The evening of the day on which the boxing bouts were held found a big issue at stake. The future home o'f our little mascot had to be decided upon. The Company was divided in its opinion as to who should get "Philly"; some members favored Ser- geant Spielberger and others favored "Butch" Hermann. An election was declared, and at the eleventh hour Corporal Snyder declared that his hat was in the ring, with the result that he was run as the dark horse. Every man in the Company voted, and when the smoke had cleared away, it was found that Hermann was victorious, having polled 53 votes to 38 for Spielberger and 26 for "Dark Horse" Snyder. From that time on, the history of the Company is familiar to all. Philadelphia, Camp Dix and demobilization all followed in rapid succession, and on June 9th, 1919, the last page was written in the history of the best group of officers and men ever gathered together. H' < 5 0 Page One Sixty-one The 515 th Infantry ► — <>- 0 0 tw^ss Uh PQ > < o u Page One Sixty-two The 515 th Infantry Roster of Company A September 1, 1918 H, < 0 FIRST LIEUTENANTS James H. Carpenter Alfred L. Quintard FIRST SERGEANT Eugene Glatfelter Samuel Z. Cole Maurice J. Devlin Daniel H. Erickson Robert A. Evans CAPTAIN Joseph D. Noonan MESS SERGEANT William A. Neff SERGEANTS James H. Ferguson Jacob Fields John P. Filler Clarence Glenn SECOND LIEUTENANTS Norris S. Barratt, Jr. Logan B. Gill SUPPLY SERGEANT Edward A. Brown Thomas V. Houlihan Edward K. Ketcham Mauritz W. Nordstrom George R. Spielberger CORPORALS John P. Accetta John Anderson Vincent Byrne William P. Cheatly Esterino A Crudelle Otto V. Dahl John J. Davis Thomas A. Donnelly Anthony J. Esposito Floyd W. Fett Paul P. Gettings William H. Hebling John N. Horning Charles J. Kane, Jr. Frank J. Kelly, Jr. William J. Larmour George H. Mowrer Edward S. Murphy John F. McCann Hugh F. Robinson Michael J. Rosen William Schneider Lawrence R. Snyder Herbert A. Steiner Leon F. VanNote Charles J. Walde Harry J. Weise Benjamin Wentzell COOKS Walter Christopher Charles J. Herrmann Thomas M. Horan Michael Thompson Frank H. Acker Otto Cotugno John J. Crone Charles J. Dougherty Reuben H. Duffel Walter Adamceski William J. Albert Patsy Amelia Nicola Angelini John F. Armstrong Anthony Barbozevricz Walter L. Biegeman George W. Bower Frank P. Bradley William J. Burns Edward J. Cantz Carmine Capelluppo Arthur W. Carlson Harry B. Casey Lawrence Cempe Howard M. Christman Enrice Ciconni Antonio Ciesco Arthur T. Coffin Nicola Crispi Anthony G. Cunningham Earl A. Dahl Harry Dankelman Frank Deck Michael DeVietro John J. Dillon Patrick DiPhillipps James J. Dixon Benjamin R. Dolan Bryant M. Dolbow Robert Dondero David J. Dougherty Oliver G. Drumheller John J. Duffy William E. Dwyer Tatrick J. Egan Frederick Eichel William C. Eiehler Henry A. Ellison William S. Elsasser Mose R. Ennis Gabriele Evangelista William J. Finn Richard D. Fish Nicholas Forlini Oscar J. Bachert Thomas Brennan Ezekiel Buck Curtis G. Barr Robert Davis Albert Eike MECHANICS John G. Herrman William P. Sorber George J. Toomey Joseph Weiss PRIVATES, FIRST CLASS Michael F. Duffy John O'Neill Louis W. Eckert Frank Petrilli William H. Heffron Leonard Petrilli John J. Murphy John Rascher BUGLERS William P. Bahrenburg Frank McLaughlin Antonio Roffo John Shultz Amedeo Spinosi Albert J. Winkle PRIV Henry G. Fortmeyer Frank Fox Antonio Frorenza William C. Galloway Hagup Garabedian Jacob Goldstein Aaron Goodbaum Edward Goonan Joseph Gorski James Greener Charles W. Grimes William F. Groark Joseph M. Grohol Ferdinand Guglielmelli Fred C. Hafele Louis J. Hafele Walter Halonski Leonard Hauss Leonard M. Healy Wallace Heavener John F. Heineman Edward Hepp Herman R. Hertzberg Peter L. Heslin Adolf Hodskowski James F. Hogan Leo P. Hollowitz Thomas M. Horan Isidore Horen Joseph A. Hughes John Ischi John A. Janschock Alfred J. Jemison Frank W. Johnson Garrett W. Johnson Harold M. Jordahn Louis J. Kane Louis A. Katz Harry T. Kelly Harry P. Kenesky Walter Kent Charles F. Kern Frank Kessler Bernard Kidzon Charles Kirshstein ATES Frank Kister Earl Klink Charles J. Klotzbucher George Knox George J. Kochnevage Anthony Koinski Joseph A. Krajewski Hubert S. Krieger Joseph P. Kullick Edward F. Lambert Joseph Langewicz Emmett G. Laub Joseph Lelashes Joseph J. Lenahan Grover C. Lentz Ernest Livingston Albert T. Luke Thomas McAfee Enoch McCloskey Arthur T. MeCrory Michael P. McKenna Morris J. Mahoney Gabrielle Marino Robert Marks William Martoski Anthony Massenzio James Mazzafro Giovanni Mazzocchetti Percy R. Medlicott William A. Mehler Daniel A. Merrigan Alfred Miele John Mink Thomas C. Moore John Morgenstern Charles V. Mount Jacob Mozdyniewicz Charles G. Murphy Nicola Napolitano Malcolm G. B. Nederrey Wesley H. Neher Abraham Neuren Giovanni Nicoletti Walter S. Xunnamaker Elmer Ogden Joined as Replacements— October 26, 1918 PRIVATES James Gaffney Elihue H. Ingle Benjamin Gingery Dent A. Johnson Vilas B. Gray Lee Justus Gywn Hale Wilborn C. Kilby Chester A. Harbach William Lytle William Hofecker Timothy O'Leary Albert D. Oliver Joseph C. Oliver Boleslaw Olzewski Joseph Ormsby Joseph Passarelli Elwood Paul Edward E. Price Frank S. Pugliessi Anthony J. Rasgis Frederick G. Reader Joseph C. Rice Frank C. Richter Harry H. Richter Nester Robochock Raymond C. Ruddy M. A. Ruzcki William J. Ryan Louis Samuels Feliz Sauk Salvatore Sehimmenti George Schollenberger Elmer E. Sheckler John H. Shultz Nathan C. Shute Stephen Smiegocki Edward F. Smith Charles R. Snyder Charles J. Stank James L. Stevenson Frank Stockdale Henry P. Turner Joseph A. Usczolovicz William C. VanOsten Raffale Venezia Paul Vezarri Russell Wagner Benjamin A. Warrington William Welker William L. Wieder Harry Williams Fred L. Tocher Elmer F. Zerbe Joseph Zitomer William F. Miller Solomon Spicker Milford Tompkins Patrick J. Turner Edward Wolfe Clyde D. Zimmerman 5 *> ( Page One Sixty-three The 515th Infantry 0 0 COMPANY B ( )n August 15th, 1917, commissions were granted to all successful candidates of the 4th Provisional Training Regiment of the Officers' Training Camp at Fort Niagara. New York, with orders to report at Camp Meade, Maryland, on the 29th of August. These officers, reporting on that date, formed the nucleus of the 79th Division ; and the officers, who had been the candidates in the 2nd Company of the 4th Provisional Training Regiment, together with a few from the 6th Company, made up the quota of officers for the 315th Infantry. The Regiment's enlisted personnel, composed of men chosen by the selective draft, was expected to arrive early in September, so these officers were tem- porarily assigned to companies in order to make proper preparations for the organization of the various companies. Under this temporarv assignment the officers of "B" Company were: Captain John V. Bostwick. First Lieutenant Fred H. McClintock, First Lieutenant Arthur A. Bagans, Second Lieutenant John J. Conahan Second Lieutenant Russell M. Willard, Second Lieutenant Lester C. Shearer. This temporary assignment of officers became permanent, pursuant to G. O. 9, Hqrs. 79th Div., 1917, and S. O. 1. Hqrs. 315th Inf.. dated September 17th, 1917. On the same date, however, Captain Bostwick was ordered on detached service to the School of Musketry at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This left Lieutenant McClintock in command of the Company until Captain Bostwick's return to duty on October 25th, 1917. During the period of training at Camp Meade, from September, 1917, to July, 1918, there were numerous changes in the officer personnel of the Com- pany. On October 1st, 1917, First Lieutenant Edward L. Journeay was assigned to the Company and remained with it continuously until September 28th, 1918. Lieutenant Willard was practically never on duty with the Company, having been placed on special duty on September 26th, 1917, as manager of the Regimental Exchange, and, when relieved of that position, having been assigned to Headquarters Company. On May 15th, 1918, Second Lieutenant Austin E. Besancon was assigned to the Company. He was later transferred to "C" Com- pany, and again reassigned to "B" Company just before our departure for France. First Lieutenant Benjamin H. Pollock was transferred from "A" to "B" Company on June 15th, 1918. On the same date Lieutenant McClintock, having received his captaincy, was transferred to take command of "F" Com- > "- Page One Sixty-four The 515 th Infantry COMPANY B pany. During this period, also, the following officers were attached for duty with the Company at various times : Captain Max Patterson, First Lieutenants W. Burnside, L. Morris, and Second Lieutenants R. M. McCreary, E. L. King, T. R. MacFarlane, Roger Sherman, Stanley J. Wohl and Vincent F. Mee. Before the arrival of any troops at camp, Sergeants Henry Wechsler and Montgomery H. Skinner, of the Regular Army, were assigned to the Company. On September 19th, Wechsler was made First Sergeant and Skinner was put in charge of the mess as temporary Mess Sergeant. However, they were not to be with us long, for Wechsler, a man of excellent qualifications, was trans- ferred to an important position in the Quartermaster Department, while Skinner went A. W. O. L., and was soon dropped from the rolls as a deserter. The first recruits, numbering nineteen, were assigned to Company "B" on September 21st, 1917. The next day seventy-six more arrived, and from that time on they steadily flowed in and almost as steadily flowed out, for orders transferring men to various stations throughout the United States came in almost daily. In all, over seven hundred recruits received their initial training in "B" Company. It was necessary to have non-commissioned officers immediately, and, as a result, men were picked out of the ranks to act as such. These men were chosen because of their general appearance and bearing, for extremely few of them had ever had any previous military training. The first appointment of non-commissioned officers was made on October 26th, and it is a noteworthy fact that they were appointed from the grade of "recruit," as it was not until November 2nd that any of the men were carried as "privates" on the morning report. These "non-coms" were Sergeants E. R. Gehring, Charles H. Reinhardt, Edward V. Lemone and Norman S. White. Then by Company Order of the same date Sergeant Gehring was appointed First Sergeant. From this time on non-commissioned officers were made as rapidly as the need for them arose. On January 6th, 1918, First Sergeant E. R. Gehring and Sergeants Phillip J. Blankensee, Norman S. White and Jacob J. Mann were sent to the Officers Training School at Camp Meade as candidates for commissions. Of these, Blankensee, White and Gehring were successful, finishing first, fifth and eleventh respectively in a school of about seven hundred candidates. In turn Sergeants David I. Scanlon, Howard G. Bainbridge, Charles H. Lynn and John A. Fox acted as temporary First Sergeant to fill the vacancy occasioned by the separation of First Sergeant Gehring from the Company. On April 23rd, Sergeant John A. Fox was appointed First Sergeant, but he also went to the Officers Training School on May 22nd, 1918, together with Corporal Simon A. Rhoades. Corporal Rhoades had been acting as company clerk, since the dis- charge, for physical reasons, of Sergeant Harry A. McCabe, the first company clerk of the Company. Both candidates were successful. Sergeant Jesse B. Hudson was then appointed First Sergeant, and was acting in that capacity when we sailed for France. The period spent at Camp Meade was given over entirely to the customary routine of training for the modern soldier, as the recruits were few who had had previous military experience, and non-commissioned officers of the Company were picked from time to time from the ranks as they demonstrated their fitness in the work. The outstanding features of the period were the Baltimore hike and parade; the week spent on the rifle range, where the men got their first 0 0 Page One Sixty-five The 515th Infantry 0 0 COMPANY B -.ISk tf - -. — w?.v r — .*,- --■ S-. . _• « i • 1'f * » j» A ». ^ - • - ip • .— _ • _.■" " Company "B" at Camp Meade taste of firing; and the night and day manoeuvers, which made warfare a little more realistic to the men than the daily routine at the barracks. About the 25th of June we received word that we would be leaving for overseas within the near future, so from that time on everything was "hustle and bustle" in getting equipped and in making all final preparations. We en- trained on the afternoon of July 7th for Hoboken, and the following morning found us in Jersey City. There we were crowded on ferry boats and taken to Hoboken, where we filed up the gang-plank of the U. S. S. America. On the afternoon of July 9th we slowly pulled out of the harbor, and, to the strains of "Good bye Broadway, Hello France" by the band, we bid farewell to the good old U. S. A. On the way over all of us, instinctively, kept our eyes glued on the waters looking for the much dreaded submarines, but finally on July 18th we arrived without mishap in the beautiful harbor of Brest. We disembarked that evening and were told that we were to go to a rest-camp for a few days. After a long hike we arrived after dark at our rest camp. (Who said "rest- camp"?). On July 21st we left Brest, and, after a three day ride across France in the famous "side-door Pullman" — you know — "40 Hommes-8 Chevaux," we arrived at Vaux, Haute Marne. We then hiked to the village of Courcelles, a distance of six kilometers, where we were "billeted," at that time a new ex- perience for us, but one which we well understand now. Oh ! how could we ever have complained of the conditions at Camp Meade? They were as Para- dise compared to the barns of France. But that was then, later the time was to come when any kind of a shelter would be welcome. Upon our arrival in France we thought that we were already soldiers, but there were those who thought otherwise ; and, in consequence, we were put through a most strenuous and intensive course of training. What with drilling, hiking, manoeuvers, trench digging, scouting and patrolling, musketry, and so forth, we soon realized how little we really knew when we left the "States." Page One Sixty-six The 515th Infantttry COMPANY B Finally, however, we were ready for the fray, after having had about six weeks of this work, and on September 8th we started our weary journey to the front, the personnel of the Company being the same as when we had left Camp Meade, with the exception that Lieutenant Besancon had been transferred to "C" Com- pany. Hiking to Vaux, we entrained there that morning, and just before midnight of the same day we reached Revigny, the point at which we were to detrain. It was pouring rain but there was nothing to do but pile out of our comfortable little "Pullmans" and hit the road. We marched through the rain until daylight, when we made a five hour halt to rest and eat. Then we were up and off again. At about five o'clock on the afternoon of September 9th we entered the village of Bazincourt, where we were billeted in small buildings and barns. But we were not destined to stay there long. On the evening of the 12th we marched to Haironville, where we were loaded on French camions and transported to a camp in the woods about two kilometers northeast of Dombasle. On the eve- ning of the 14th we hiked to our position in the reserve trenches of our Battalion sector, known as the Copinard trenches, and lying northwest of Verdun. From this date until September 24th we held various positions in the front line of resistance and reserve. Little of importance marked the stay of the Company in this sector, enemy activities being confined to intermittent artillery fire, nor did the Company suffer any casualties in this sector. Early in the morning of the 24th, we were relieved by Company "B," 316th Infantry, and, while moving out for Camp Normandy, were subjected to very heavy enemy artillery fire. Fortunately, however, we reached the camp without any casualties. The night of the 24th was spent at this camp, but on the evening of the 25th we moved out of the woods, then through a long communicating trench to an indicated position, where we awaited the hour to go "Over the Top" and take our part in the great Meuse Argonne offensive. Early on the morning of the 26th we moved forward in our first attack as the support company of the First Battalion. Down we went over Hill 304, through the Haucourt valley, which had been filled with smoke to cover our advance and thence on up to the crest of the next rise, where we first met stiff machine-gun resistance. It was quickly overcome, however, and the advance continued against an ever increasing stubbornness on the part of the Boche. That night found us just east of a patch of woods about a kilometer and a half south of Montfaucon, having advanced a distance of about three kilometers. The next day the First Battalion acted as an assaulting battalion, and the Company formed part of the assaulting wave. Some difficulty was experienced in the formation of the Battalion, so that the attack did not start until about nine o'clock. Thereafter, however, the advance continued steadily. By one o'clock we had helped in the capture of Montfaucon, having passed through the eastern edge of that village, with the 313th Infantry on our immediate left. Immediately after passing the town we were subjected to heavy artillery fire, which continued throughout the remainder of the afternoon with ever increasing intensity. It was at this time that our casualties began to run into the double figures. By nightfall we had advanced to a position about midway between Montfaucon and Nantillois, a total advance for the day of about two and a half kilometers. We Page One Sixty -seven ' T" I o- 0 The 515th Infantry 0 C< )MPANY B On Guard Duty were now two officers short, Lieutenant Pollock having been hit in the leg by a sniper, and Lieutenant Journeay having been shell-shocked. The Boche opened up the morning of the 28th with a terrific bombardment of high-explosive shells. Nevertheless, the advance upon Nantillois commenced and that village was entered and taken about noon that day. The Company was reorganized upon the hill north of the town and then the advance continued on into the woods ahead, the Bois des Ogons, where we were met by the stiffest opposition that we had yet encountered, and our casualties a^ain mounted up in large numbers. In the advance upon Nantillois Captain Bostwick was shot in the arm, and Lieutenant Bagans assumed command of the Company. The attack upon the Bois des ( )gons was repulsed, as were also the two succeeding attacks ; one later that afternoon and the other on the morning of the 29th. The heaviest casualties of all were suffered on the latter day, both from machine- gun and artillery fire. When we were relieved by the 3rd Division on the after- noon of the 30th, our casualties totaled three officers and sixty-three enlisted men. The next five days were consumed in sleeping throughout the day-time and in hiking at night. Finally, on October 5th, we arrived at a camp in Marcaulieu Woods, where we stayed for fine days. From there we went to the town of Thillombois, where we were billeted. At this time the 315th Infantry occupied the reserve position of the Troyon Sector, the 316th Infantry having relieved the 26th Division in the front line of that sector on ( October 8th. ( hi ( )ctober 23rd we left Thillombois and marched to the woods above Recourt where three days were spent and where we received 28 new men as replacements. We left this cam]) about 5 P. M. on the' evening of the 26th, marched all night, and, early on the morning of the 27th, were quartered in a large dugout in the woods west of Fromereville. The evening of the 28th found the Company moving forward to relieve the 114th Infantry of the 29th Division, and at 1 A. M. on the 29th we arrived in the woods 2 kilometers east of Forges. After spending the early morning and greater part of the day in the Bois de Page One Sixty-eight The 515 th Infantry COMPANY B Forges, we moved forward and relieved part of the 114th Infantry, of the 29th Division, under heavy artillery fire. This relief cost us seven casualties. From October 30th until November 2nd we held a position in and about a quarry on the slope of a hill east of Consenvoye, acting as the Battalion reserve. At 6 P. M. November 2nd, we moved from the reserve to the front lines, taking over the sectors held by "E" Company and one platoon of "F" Company. On the morning of November 4th, after sending out small reconnoitering patrols, the Second Platoon, covering the left of our sector and the right of the 316th Infantry, proceeded to advance but were met by such heavy Boche machine gun fire that it suffered twenty-three casualties in advancing its lines about 75 metres. Early on the morning of the 5th the entire Company, led by Lieutenant Arthur L. Bagans, commenced a surprise attack on the same front as the previous day, but the enemy again held us in check and we were unable to advance. The end of this day's battle found the Company without officers. Lieutenants Bagans and Shearer both having been wounded, and the Company having been com- manded during the greater part of the day by First Sergeant Philip G. Melick and Sergeant Albert M. Young. Late in the evening of this date Lieutenant Besancon was assigned to the Company and assumed command. November 6th and 7th were spent in reorganizing for a general attack. On the 7th, First Lieutenant John W. Snyder was assigned as company commander, and Sergeants Melick and Young were recommended for promotion to second lieutenants for gallantry in action by the battalion commander. On the after- noon of November 8th, we moved forward, capturing and entering the town of Etraye about 6 P. M. Outposts were placed for the night, and on the morning of the 9th we continued our advance to the south of Damvillers, where we were met with a stiff enemy machine gun resistance from the large hills which loomed up before us. From these strongly fortified positions, the Germans inflicted heavy losses on the Company, when it endeavored to advance on the morning and afternoon of the 10th, Lieutenant Besancon and First Sergeant Melick both 9 A Kitchen in the Field 0 -> -i Page One Sixty-nine The 515th Infantry i o- 5 COMPANY B o > .»- Troops of the First Battalion Returning From the Front Line After the Armistice being wounded. Despite this resistance, however, considerable advance was made during the day. On the morning of November 11th, 1918, 11 A. M. brought with it the armistice, and we dug in at the position we were then holding in accordance with Regimental orders. We spent the 12th and part of the 13th in these positions and late on the latter date moved back and were billeted in the shell torn village of Etraye. The casualties during this last offensive had amounted to three officers and forty-two men, and when we reached Etraye only 85 of the men who came over with the Company remained. On the 13th, Lieutenant Bryan Beckwith was assigned to the Company and the next day Lieutenant Snyder was transferred to the 32nd Division. Lieutenant Shepard F. Williams joined us on the 17th and on the 23rd Captain Fred H. McClintock rejoined and took command. The period at this station was devoted in the main to cleaning up and re-equipping the men, most of the equipment needed being salvaged from the territory over which the last advance of the 79th Division had been made. Drills and manoeuvers again came to the fore, and considerable time was spent in removing the battle field debris of the last great drive of the war. It was at Etraye, too, that the greatest treat which had been handed the men since coming to France was granted. This treat took the shape of furloughs, the first ones being issued on the 27th of November. We remained at Etraye until December 26th, and' on that date started a hike which took us 55 kilos and landed us in the town of Erize-la-Petite after three days march. "Petite" was the proper name for that village, but it looked mighty good to us when we first saw it on December 28th, inasmuch as the last part of the hike had been accomplished in a driving rain storm and we were all soaked to the skin. With the arrival of the month of January many of our Page One Seventy The 515 th Infantry COMPANY B men who had recovered from their wounds and sickness began to rejoin the Company. Nearly every day saw one or more new arrivals, and at the end of the month 51 of our men had come back to the organization. The military training schedule at this station was reduced considerably, the major portion of the time being given over to athletics, and furloughs became more frequent, with the result that a large portion of the men were away at all times. On the 20th of January, First Lieutenant Clay Anderson joined the Company. About this time courses at French and British universities were offered to the men of the A. E. F., and First Lieutenant Shepard F. Williams left us to attend a university in England. Educational classes were opened by the Y. M. C. A., and shows and entertainments increased in number, all of which went to make our stay at "Erize" pass quickly, despite the fact it turned out to be our longest stay at any one station in France. Three months to the day after we arrived in Erize-la-Petite we started on a five day hike of 98 kilometers, arriving on April 1st at Rimaucourt. Here, billeted in wooden barracks together with the other units of the Regiment, we enjoyed a stay of three weeks in a way that was the nearest approach to old Camp Meade life that we had experienced since we left America. This stay culmi- nated in a way that made our hearts leap with joy when we were told that we would leave Rimaucourt on the 21st of April for an embarkation area. Accord- ingly at 3 A. M. on the date mentioned we entrained at Rimaucourt and two hours later pulled out on our way to the Nantes area. We arrived at Vertou and detrained at 5 A. M. on the 23rd, and, after a hike of about 4 kilometers, were billeted in the small village of Portillon. This area was the most beautiful and comfortable that we had ever occupied while a part of the A. E. F., and the time there was given over entirely to the preparations necessary for embarka- tion for the United States. During our stay at Portillon, First Lieutenant Harvey Griffith and Second Lieutenant Theodore E. Templeton were assigned to the Company and First Lieutenant Clay Anderson was transferred to the 2nd Di- vision. In addition, Second Lieutenants John J. Conahan and Bryan Beckwith were promoted to First Lieutenants, and the latter received his D. S. C. for gallantry in action while a member of the 30th Division. On May 12th, all preparations having been completed, we left Vertou by train at 10 A. M. for St. Nazaire and arrived there at 2 P. M. Once there we were marched to the embarkation camp, given the final cleaning-up, had our papers looked over and checked up, and on the evening of the 16th, at 8 :45 P. M., we filed up the old gang-plank again, this time to board the U. S. S. Santa Rosa. Early the next morning we sailed from the shores of France en route for the good old U. S. A. and home. On May 30th, we landed at Philadelphia, entrained at the dock for Camp Dix and arrived there about 3 P. M. the same day. Demobilization proceeded rapidly, and, on June 9th, Company "B" closed its career as a military organization. SOCIAL EVENTS The first social event of the Company was a Hallowe'en party, which was given October 31st, 1917, at our barracks in Camp Meade. Being the first affair of this na- ture they had enjoyed since leaving civil life, the men went to it with a zest that spelled success from the start. The barracks were decorated fittingly for the occasion and the party was attended by both officers and men, everything being informal and all the Page One Seventy-one The 515 th Infantry > — 1>- 0 0 COMPANY B entertainment purely impromptu. The outstanding feature was the mimicry of "Cooky" as a Captain, and who will forget the laughter he provoked when he put his squad through the school of a soldier? Altogether it was a most enjoyable evening and the refreshments at the end were not the least feature of the occasion. On December 15th, 1917, a dance was given by the men of the company in the barracks. The building had been beautifully decorated and the music for the evening was furnished by a number of the boys who banded together for the occasion. Their work was of the highest order and, as is always the case in such affairs, much of the success of the dance was due to their efforts. The orchestra included Blankensee, Hardy, Fox, Mann, and several others. All the officers of the Company attended as well as the battalion commander, and the dance was made a complete success by the attendance of the mothers, wives, sweethearts and friends of the men, a treat rarely offered in camp life. On June 28th, 1918, a farewell party was given in the mess hall at Camp Meade. This was attended by all the members of the Company, including the officers. The dinner was sumptuous, the culinary department having really outdone itself, and the boys went to it with a vengeance. Following the dinner, a silver cigarette case was presented to Captain Fred H. McClintock, who was the guest of honor and at that time in command of "F" Company, by the members of the Company in remembrance and appreciation of their associations with him. The gift was presented by Captain John V. Bostwick and after Captain McClintock had made a short speech of acceptance the evening was given over to informal entertainment. Corporal Edward A. Davies, the well known Philadelphia singer and then a member of the Company, aided the entertain- ment with several selections. This was our last social affair in the United States. After our arrival in France, more serious business was on hand, and no social ac- tivities of any sort took place until we arrived at Erize-la-Petite. Here, on March 21st. 1919, in conjunction with Company "A," which was billeted with us at this station, a dinner and dance were given. The decorations were most beautifully arranged by the men and were commented upon by all the guests as they arrived at the building. The dinner was the best that we had had since leaving the "States" and was enjoyed by both men and guests, the latter comprising practically all the Y. M. C. A. girls of the Division. The Colonel and other officers of the Regiment were present, and after the dinner the Colonel congratulated us on the splendid work of the Company in action and also on the success of the dinner. Dancing came next, and the success of this was due almost entirely to the music furnished by the band of the 316th Infantry, which kindly offered its services for the occasion, inasmuch as our Regimental band happened to be engaged elsewhere. The dancing lasted until midnight and it was the con- census of opinion in the Company that the most enjoyable evening of our stay in France had been completed. ATHLETICS From its very origin, "B" Company took an active part in all athletics. The first sport which claimed our attention was football, and a team was quickly organized which turned out to be one of the best in the Regiment. "L" and "D" Companies also claimed to have the top-notch teams, and of these, "D" Company beat us 14 to 0. and we won from "L" Company, 6 to 0. It is a lamentable fact that "L" and "D" did not meet on the gridiron, for. as can readily be seen, that game would have determined to whom the football honors should have fallen. When the Regimental football team was formed this company was represented thereon by Corporal Albert M. Young and Private Joseph Jacobs, who played the center and fullback positions, respectively. At the close of the football season, and even before it had come to a close, basket- ball had come into prominence, and it was in this latter sport that the Company es- pecially excelled, boasting of the best team in the Regiment. In all of our inter-com- pany games we were never defeated. "C" Company for a time held the same record. but when they met us they went down to defeat by a 14 to 10 score. The personnel of the Company "B" team follows: First Lieutenant Fred H. McClintock - ' - Right Forward Corporal Albert M. Young - - - Left Forward Bugler Henry Jacoby - - Center Second Lieutenant Russell M. Willard - Right Guard Corporal Simon A. Rhoades - - - Left Guard Substitutes — Corporal Philip Blankensee. Private Benjamin Marshall When the Regimental teams were organized, the Company had a total of six rep- resentatives on them. Lieutenants McClintock and Willard played the two forward Page One Seventy-two The 515th Infantry COMPANY B HI « 0 ■ A Group of Company "B" Men in Erize-la-Petite positions on the 315th Infantry officers' team, which, after winning in its own league, was beaten out for the Divisional championship in the final game of the season by the 311th Field Artillery. The champion 315th Infantry enlisted men's team was captained by Corporal Al- bert M. Young, of "B" Company, while Corporal Simon A. Rhodes played the right guard position and Bugler Henry Jacoby substituted in several contests. Private Ollie Ackroyd also played a prominent part in the success of this team until disabled by a badly wrenched knee. The final game of the season made this team the undisputed 1917-18 champions of the Division, when it administered a severe trouncing to the 311th Field Artillery enlisted men's team. The games of the basketball season of 1918-19 were played in France. The Regi- mental team, composed of both officers and enlisted men, contained two representatives from ''B" Company. Captain Fred H. McClintock played the left forward position and First Sergeant Albert M. Young alternated between forward and guard position. This team again won the Divisional championship and represented the Division in the 9th Corps championship contests played in Gondrecourt and Toul. Both of the above players were awarded the Divisional Championship medal for the prominent part played in bringing the championship to the 315th Infantry Regimental team. The spring of 1918 ushered in the great national sport at Camp Meade. By the middle of April every company in the Regiment had a baseball team, and the inter- company series had started for the championship of the Regiment. Our career was more than successful throughout the season, and, in the end, "B" Company became runner-up for the Regimental championship, losing the final game of the league season to "I" Company by the score of 8 to 1. The following is the line-up of the Company "B" team: Sergeant Frank J. O'Neill, First Base. Bugler Henry Jacoby, Center Field. Corporal Clifford Nolan, Second Base. Corporal James Drumgoll, Right Field. Corporal Herbert B. Brown, Third Base. Corporal George Parkin. Catcher. Corporal James Pierce, Shortstop. Corporal Albert M. Young, Pitcher. Corporal Alexander Bailie, Left Field. Corporal Tohn Mayer, Pitcher. Substitutes— Corporals James Quinn. Jesse Hudson, John Carson. On the 315th Regimental team, which was later organized. Corporal Albert M. Young was the only representative from the Company, occupying the right field position. While boxing was in vogue at Camp Meade, quite a number of the men m the Company took a try at their skill in the ring, including "Eddie" Cavanaugh. "Jerry McGarry, "Bill" Reim, and "Bill" Benz. Of these, Cavanaugh was the only one who did any boxing while in the A. E. F., and while there he made a life-long reputation for himself. He made the Divisional boxing team, and in his bouts on that team never lost a decision. Likewise, his reputation remained the same throughout his many battles in Paris against clever Italian and French fighters. 0 H Page One Seventy-three The 515 th Infantry 9 0 Uh hJ - u Page One Seventy-four The 515 th Infantry Roster of Company B September 1, 1918 FIRST LIEUTENANTS Arthur L. Bagans Edward L. Journeay Benjamin H. Pollock FIRST SERGEANT Jesse B. Hudson Howard L. Bainbridg Herbert B. Brown Eugene M. Buckler William J. Clair CAPTAIN John V. Bostwick MESS SERGEANT Frank J. O'Neill SECOND LIEUTENANTS John J. Conahan Lester C. Shearer SUPPLY SERGEANT Louis M. Baumann Alexander Bailey Benjamin Blair Norman Bowers George E. Brown Edward A. Davies Thomas Dickson James Drumgool, Leroy B. Hinton Ronald H. MeCaughey Harry J. McGarry John Mayer Philip G. Melick SERGEANTS Joseph Fitzgerald Harry V. Lemone Charles H. Lynn Thomas McCreery CORPORALS Jr. John G. Monrose Harry W. Mott Francis C. Nolan George Parkin James F. Pierce Henry E. P. Pritchard Jacob J. Mann John J. Murphy Charles Reinhardt David I. Scandon COOKS Joseph F. Lombardo Edward V. Neville William Reim Louis Welde MECHANICS Andrew Dever Harry W. Tibbens Frank Bohrer Joseph H. Boyd Frederick Buckwald John Carson Thomas F. Cassedy Michael M. Colinski William J. Davis Sarkis Dividian Anthony Agrusa Arthur E. Alker Daniele Antitomasi Joseph Bagdasarian Lawrence F. Barrett Blaine Barshinger Charles J. Batzel Lloyd C. Baughmann Howard Bergmann Emanuel Bernheimer Jacob Bernstein George E. Beuchler William L. Biehn Jacob Birnbaum John G. Boss Frank W. Bowers Patrick D. Boyle Harry A. Braun John A. Brennan Frank P. Brennan Arthur M. Brion Michael E. Campbell Edward J. Cayanaugh George J. Censky George E. Chambers Martin Chudzik William T. Crawford James Crehan Harry R. Dahl Ciriaco D'Angelo Oscar F. Davis Joseph DeDomenici Antonio Del Sordo William E. Devine John Doettling Fred J. Dorfus Samuel Doris Peter F. Draugel James A. Duff Walter Durieu Fred A. Eberle Jacob Ehrlich John W. Baker Harry N. Bartsch Edward Bortzenhart George W. Brensinger Giovanni Cadducei Francesco Ceraolo Sebastiano Cosentino PRIVATES, FIRST CLASS Joseph Edgar Philip A. McManus William T. Forrestall John H. Martin Thomas A. Green Michael J. Jozwiak William J. Killian Theodore S. Lauer Walter M. Leggett Frederick Paul Albert E. Pflieger Otto J. Rummler George W. Rutledge Henry J. Schrader PRIVATES Lucian Kuleszewicz Morris Langer James Larmour John J. Lawlor John W. Lawrence Warren M. Leeser Harrison Lever Daniel Lichtenstein John A. Lippi Clarence A. Littlefield Louis Lohmuller James C. Lonabaugh Allen J. Loomis James J. MeClay William McLaughlin Samuel L. McMichael James W. McNamee Joseph M. McNamee Sylvester Maguire Vincenty Markarewicz Antonio Manginelli William Mark Victor Markusky Joseph A. Meyers Leo J. Michael William P. Miller Edward A. Moran Leroy Morrison George Moss John V. Neville John J. Nocito Francis J. O'Connor Joseph E. O'Loughlin Alferd Olsen Meyer Padolsky Harry Paiskowitz Emil Pandolfini John Posavage Harry C. Preine Stanley Pucis Harry J. Quinn Harry Ekhenberger Harry Fetterman Charles T. Feyhl Angelo Filippi Harry A. First enberg William V. Foley Harry F. Ford Joames B. Friel Giovanni Galinetti Samuel Garmisa Peter Garofalo Raffaele Genitempo Frank Gentile Samuel George Robert F. Giere George J. Gillespie Hyman Goldstein David Gollmer John E. Hampton Harry Hantman Joames Harding Charles H. Harley Joseph W. B. Harris Grover C. Harrison Joseph Harsch George A. Harvey William L. Hascher William W. Hermann Adam Hoffmayer Andrew Hovanak Harry Hurst Thomas Iannuzzi Frank Iavagnilio Edward Johnson James A. Kelly Arthur Klein Hermann T. Knufman Grover C. Kook Stanley S. Kopistecki Jonathan Kramer Oscar A. Kunle Joined as Replacements — October 26, 1918 PRIVATES John J. Dalton John Mullins Vincento Deraspo Michels Netti Virgil G. Ferguson Harvey Nobles William Hawk Wade H. Powers Floyd Y. Hawthorne Samuel S. Reed Ole' D Kreger Creed M. Robinett Jacob Levindef ski George W. Roupp James P. Quinn Ellwood Spicer Edward Welsh Albert M. Young Louis C. Zeigert BUGLER Henry J. Jaeoby Joseph H. Smith Charles D. Stinson Howard G. Tansley John Veight Raymond M. Walker George W. Weber Frederick P. Welleiu Joseph F. Weney Albert Raickle Samuel Ralston Bvron A. Rath Joseph T. Reill Frank Richardson Sidney D. Richmond Walter N. Riley Albert Robertson Joseph F. Rooney William Roza Ralph Sauter Carlo Scaglio Earl W. Schappell Fred H. Schiech William H. Schubert William J. Scott Santi Serve Louis J. Shea Charles H. Shide John B. Simonton Albert I. Simon Bert Smith Alexander Sokolove William Sonneborn Raffaele Spiotta Harry Spoerl Ceslaw Stepulkowski Graham Stevenson Frederick E. Tanzer Harry L. Thomulka Joseph Tinnins Rosario Valerio Martin Vandine Julius Vasaris John M. Wallace Thorvald C. Wandet Michael Was Edward Weidman Thomas A. Welsh John Wittko Frank K. Worthington John Zack Sam Silvestri Norman J. Stevenson Roy E. Stidham James Sword Anthony J. Wiesen Marshall Willingham Fred Yost H. i 0 0 H. 1 Page One Seventy-five The 515th Infantry B 0 COMPANY C Company "C," of the 315th Infantry, was organized September 17, 1917. with the following officers in charge : Captain Charles H. Tilghman, First Lieutenant Charles Hvde, Jr., and Second Lieutenants Ross E. Stickle, Francis A. Chidsey, Norris S. Barratt, Jr., and George S. Barker. The first assignment of recruits ar- rived on September 21, 1917, and thereafter many others were initiated into army life as members of Company "C." By the end of September the Company was well organized and acting non-commissioned officers were appointed to assist in carry- ing out the training schedule. We drilled, hiked, dug trenches, performed guard duty, spent several days on the rifle range, listened to innumerable lectures and studied our I. D. R.. along with the other companies of the Regiment. This rou- tine work continued throughout the winter and the following spring. During the foregoing period, Lieutenants Hyde, Chidsey and Barratt were transferred to other companies, and we received in their places First Lieutenants Robert P. Meily, Conrad F. Nagel, Jr., and Edward Maguire. The latter, however, served with Company "C" but a few weeks and was then assigned to Headquarters Com- pany. But training alone did not occupy all our time. Many a sociable gathering was held in our recreation hall in Barracks S-23, and it was not an uncommon thing for the relatives and friends of members of the Company to spend Sunday afternoons there, enjoying dancing and refreshments with the boys. Month after month passed in training with no indications of a change, and officers and men became restive as the idea began to prevail that the 79th Division would not see foreign service. In June, 1918, however, things changed for the better and everything pointed to an early departure for Europe. With the knowl- edge that there were but a few more days to be spent at Camp Meade, we arranged for a farewell dinner, which was held on the evening of July 4th, 1918, and was attended by the wives, mothers, sweethearts and friends of the men. The dinner was a decided success and became a thing of precious memory during the dark days in France. How we left Camp Meade on July 7th, 1918, embarked at Hoboken, arrived at Brest and finally reached our training area in France is an experience common to all companies of the 315th Infantry and is described in the Regimental History. Page One Seventy -six The 515 th Infantry COMPANY C In the training area, "C" Company, together with Companies "A" and "B," was billeted in the little village of Comedies, Department of Haute Marne. Our intensive training then began, and from early morning until late afternoon, we drilled, hiked, manoeuvered, and engaged in rifle practice, bayonet work and gas instruction in preparation for our work at the front. This we soon expected to see, but nevertheless it was a surprise when, after taps had been sounded on September 7th, the orders were received to prepare for an early departure the following morning. We left Courcelles at 6:30 A. M., September 8th, marched to Vaux, where we entrained, and reached Revigny late that night. It was about midnight when we detrained, and with a heavy rain pouring down upon us we started on a grueling march to Bazincourt, our destination. The march was a successful test of the stamina and grit of the men, for we hiked all that night and continued until 5 P. M. the following day, with only a brief rest at Tremont where coffee and hard tack were served by our kitchen. Needless to say, "C" Company passed the test with flying colors. While the Company remained at Bazincourt, our advance party went for- ward to reconnoiter the sector of trenches we were to occupy. On September 12th we left Bazincourt and, after a short march, entrained in a French camion train for the front. Some time after daybreak we reached the vicinity of Dom- basle where we left the trucks and footed it to Camp Pierre. For two days we lingered there and on the night of September 14-15, we quietly marched to, and took over the Copinard trenches in Sector 304. The unit we relieved was part of the 333rd French Infantry. We felt it quite an honor that we were the first company in our Battalion to occupy a front line position. These trenches we held for three days, during which period there was little activity. However, false gas alarms were plentiful and none of us probably will ever forget the sensation of that first gas alarm. Up to this time our cooks had not arrived, and a volunteer force, consisting of Corporals Lerch and Lednum and Private Kauffman, supplied the hungry boys with chow. After "stand-to" on the night of the 18th, we were interrupted in the prep- arations for relief by an annoying and persistent enemy aviator who, after drop- ping a few bombs in our midst, most ungraciously refused to depart. He kept us in nervous tension by flying over us for what seemed like an eternity. How- ever, even an air raid could not last forever, and dawn found us settled in the reserve positions at Bois de Hesse. On September 20th, at 9 P. M., we forsook these positions, in order to act in support of "A" Company, which held the out- posts. This movement was successfully accomplished in spite of a harrassing enemy artillery fire. ( )n Sunday, the 22nd, at 5 A. M., the enemy threw over a sweeping barrage of high explosive and gas shells, encircling our positions, and it looked as though an attack were impending. Every man waited in expectancy, anxious to come to grips with the Boche. It so turned out that the enemy raid occurred to the left of our position, but the manner in which the Company stood the test elicited very favorable comment from Major Patterson, battalion com- mander, and confirmed the faith the officers and men had in each other. At 3 A. M., September 24th, the Company was relieved from trench duty, and, although subjected to an intense artillery fire, succeeded through the skillful guidance of Captain Tilghman in reaching Normandy Woods without casualties. While there we were equipped for an offensive, and large wire cutters, grenades Page One Seventy-seven 0 The 515th Infanhtry COMPANY C Company '"Cat Camp Meade 0 and additional ammunition were issued to the Company. About 8 P. M., Sep- tember 25th, we left these woods, and, after a tiresome and strenuous march through trenches, reached the point from which we were to go over the top. Throughout the night a furious Allied artillery fire was kept up on the German lines, and at 2:30 A. M. every gun went into action. At 6:30 A. M. the order came, and we scrambled "over the top" as part of a supporting wave to the 314th Infantry. We formed a line of combat groups ; the First Platoon, under com- mand of Lieutenant Nagel, on the right ; the Second Platoon led by Sergeant Cox, on the left, the former supported by the Third Platoon, under Lieutenant Besan- con, and the latter by the Fourth, under Lieutenant Welsh. We passed through a smoke screen and reached the top of a hill, from where we could see the net- work of German trenches. The enemy was in full retreat, although keeping up a strong rear guard action with machine guns and snipers. It was here that we met the first opposition, and our advance was momentarily held up by the 314th Infantry which had stopped ahead of us. When the advance was resumed, we crossed the valley until we reached another line of trenches where we were again met by heavy machine-gun fire. The First Platoon began mopping up, and the Second Platoon succeeded in locating a troublesome nest. Here we suffered our first casualty, when Sergeant Ambacher was wounded in the shoulder. By this time the Company was in the front of the fighting. The First and Third Platoons continued on through the trenches, meeting severe resistance which could not be overcome by a frontal attack. The Second and Fourth Platoons moved on towards the left, thereby flanking the enemy positions. Two squads from the Second were sent into the woods to clean out snipers and ma- chine gunners who were harrassing us from the left flank. The fighting became bitter, but when the First Platoon employed rifle grenades and the Second Platoon German hand grenades, which had been captured, we made it too hot for the Germans to hold out any longer. As a consequence we saw a white flag being Page One Seventy-eight The 515 th Infanthtry COMPANY C waved, and 42 of the enemy came out of the trenches and surrendered to the Second Platoon. In the meantime, the two squads sent to clean up the woods were busy locating a battery of 77's, one gun of which was still in action. They opened up a heavy rifle fire, and, aided by the rest of the Company, captured the battery, killing some of the crew and putting to flight the remainder. It was here that Corporal Corrado captured a German runner who had valuable maps and papers in his possession, but was himself wounded while searching the prisoner. It was now getting on towards dusk, and orders were received to establish a de- fensive line for the night. Meanwhile the First Platoon had advanced a con- siderable distance ahead of the rest of the Battalion, mopping up trenches as it went along. This good work was interrupted, when it was ordered to rejoin the Company in a system of German trenches about a kilometer and a half north of Malancourt. The next day the advance was continued with but little resistance being offered by "Jerry." Late in the afternoon our forward movement was abruptly halted when the cry arose, "Germans advancing on the left." The Company was quickly placed in position in a field east of Montfaucon, but no Germans came, and again we dug in for the night. We started off early the next morning with the German artillery doing its utmost to locate our advancing line. Over hill and through valley we went until we were stopped by a vigorous rearguard action at the cross-roads near Nantillois. A strong combat patrol was sent out from the Fourth Platoon, which quieted those ever troublesome machine guns. We passed on the left of Nantillois and advanced rapidly until we came face to face with the forbidding Bois des Ogons. With the assistance of French tanks we attempted to force our way through the German stronghold, but this time we encountered unexpected difficulties which hindered the execution of our plans. The tanks were compelled to leave undone the task they had assumed, and soon we found that we were in a veritable inferno. Machine gun bullets whizzed past us in countless numbers and a savage artillery Company "C" Passes in the Baltimore Parade Page One Seventy-nine The 515th Infantry i — in S COMPANY C 0 fire fell on us from both flanks, threatening to annihilate the entire Company. So intense was this fire that it was erroneously believed that our own guns were firing on us. and the signal was given to our artillery that their fire was falling short. In the meantime the Company was withdrawn for a few hundred yards to a hill nearby. Again our efforts to capture the woods were repeated and a strong patrol from the First and Second Platoons was ordered to move forward, and, if possible, locate and silence the machine-gun nests which barred our way. The patrol suffered heavily without being able to accomplish its mission, and oncoming night prevented a repetition of the attempt. As night fell, the Company was ordered to establish a line of defense against a threatened counter-attack. We dug in for the night, but had hardlv established our lines when a deluge of shells fell on the hill which we held. It began to rain, arid with the moaning of the wounded, the crash of shells, the alarm of gas, and the heart-rending cries for first aid, the men passed a never to be forgotten night. In the morning we learned that in addition to many other casualties our Captain, Charles H. Tilghman, had been seriously wounded. Under the command of Lieutenant Xagel, the Company was assembled at day-break and advanced over the hill, where, in conjunction with other com- panies, it established a new line and awaited orders. We were next ordered to retire to the reserve, and there we remained until the following morning. It was in this reserve position near Nantillois that our kitchens were able to supply us with food for the first time since the beginning of the battle. "Jerry" did not permit them to remain near the front very long, however, and we had hardly finished our first meal when a fusilade of shells drove the kitchens to the rear. Late that afternoon, the 3rd Division relieved the 79th, and we joined the assembled Regi- Page One Eighty The 515th Infantry HI 1 COMPANY C ment near Malancourt, where we rested until the next morning, October 1, 1918. With the rising of the sun we resumed our march and proceeded to our old reserve line in Sector 304. Forty-eight hours later our weary limbs were again called into action, and we began the most trying hike of our army career. It lasted three days, and we passed through Normandy Woods, Senoncourt and Recourt, until, late in the afternoon of the 5th, we halted at Marcaulieu Woods. The camp was hardly ideal, and five days later we moved to Thillombois. It was here that a large number of men were evacuated to the hospital, amongst whom was our First Sergeant, Hugh MacDonald, who shortly afterward succumbed to his illness. On October 20th, we moved to Levigneville, a reserve position in the Troyon Sector. It was the most comfortable spot that we had, until that time, been billeted in, and had been but recently vacated by the Germans. We were relieved on October 25th, with orders to rejoin the Regiment at Pontoux Farm, where Sergeants Fagan and Winkler, who had previously left to secure replacements, rejoined us with 32 newr men. On October 27th and 28th, we rested in woods near Fromereville from which position we marched to the Bois de Forges, arriv- ing there at 1 A. M., October 29th. The next night under heavy shelling we crossed the Meuse River, passed Brabant and relieved some of the depleted companies of the 114th Infantry, 29th Division, in the Grande Montagne Sector. Here the German and American lines were at some places not 50 yards apart, and it was necessary that every man be on the alert. Under the circumstances the rationing of the men was one of the most difficult problems the Company had to contend with, as it was only during the night that food could be gotten to the shell-holes which constituted our lines. We held these outpost positions until the evening of November 1st, when we moved about 200 yards to the rear and acted in support of "A" Company on the hill above Molleville Farm. On Novem- ber 3rd, we went into reserve and daily details had be be sent about one-half mile to the rear to procure rations, a task which was a most difficult and trying one. On November 4th, orders were received to prepare for an attack, and Com- pany "C" took its designated position, which was 300 yards above Molleville Farm. The line of advance was to the northeast. An expected barrage by ar- tillery, machine guns, and trench mortars did not materialize, but nevertheless the attack was made. It had not progressed very far when it was evident that our left flank was exposed to unmerciful enemy machine gun fire, and the battle developed into real Indian warfare. Part of the Company, under the leadership of Sergeants Recktenwald and Turner, maintained the position held, while the major portion of the Company, under command of Lieutenant Welsh, sought to establish communication with "B" Company. When communication had been established with "B" Company, and later with "A" Company. Lieutenant Welsh attempted to press forward, but the resistance offered was of such a fierce nature that with the few men available the plan was impossible of execution. "A" and "C" Companies were then reorganized as one unit and two more costly efforts were made to push the line forward. Finally, when it was seen that the German positions were too strong to be overcome unaided, word was received to dig in and hold the positions from which attack had first been made. That night the Com- panv. with the exception of the Platoon led by Sergeants Turner and Reckten- wald. was relieved bv a company of the Second Battalion and returned to the 0 H> ■ < Page One Eighty-one 0 The 515 th Infantry COMPANY C A View of "Death Valley" Showing Molleville Farm at the Lekt and Regimental P. C. at the Upper Right Hand Corner of the Picture. Note Shell Pocked Ground Be- tween Molleville Farm and Regimental P. C. S reserve position. Through lack of communication, the aforementioned platoon did not receive the order to retire, and for 27 hours hattled desperately with the foe, who had almost surrounded them. At last the men of the "lost platoon" succeeded in extricating themselves from their perilous position and rejoined the Company in reserve at Consenvoye Woods. The next morning we moved into the support position, and there again, numerous casualties resulted when the Germans sent over a barrage of high explosive and gas shells. On November 8th, the Company joined in the regimental advance on Etraye in which no opposi- tion was met. At nightfall we dug in on one of the hills near the village, and established outposts. No chance was given the enemy to rest, and, on November 9th, Company "C," with other units of the Regiment, surged forward, passed the Damvillers and Wavrille road, overcame all resistance and established a new line at a railroad embankment running parallel with the German positions on Cote du Chateau, Cote d'Orne and Cote de Morimont. Here, however, the German resistance stiffened and no further ground was taken that day. On November 10th, a tre- mendous effort was made to capture the enemy positions' on the hills. The tide of battle went to and fro ; twice the stream was crossed, men wading through water up to their shoulders, and both times they were forced to retire. At two o'clock in the afternoon the direction of our attack was changed, and we moved by the right flank, once more crossed the river and beat our way to the base of 1 1 ill 366, where we dug in and held fast. Page One Eighty-two- The 515 th Infantry COMPANY C Before dawn, however, the 315th Infantry was on the move again and "C" Company marched to Gibercy, some three kilometers to the southeast. At seven o'clock in the morning, the Regiment once more went into action, and it fell to "C" Company's lot to take up position at the base of Hill 323. We reached there only to find that another company had taken over the sector assigned to us. It then became necessary to get to the right of the hill, and to accomplish this we were forced to double time across an open field in full view and range of the German machine-gunners. Rumors of an armistice now began to spread through the lines, but, judging by the amount of shells being exchanged, it seemed unbe- lievable. Imagine then what joy was felt when at eleven o'clock firing ceased and white flags were waved all along the German lines — the "Armistice" had come and with it victory and peace for the Allied forces ! On November 13th, the Company was ordered to Etraye to take up its resi- dence in the ruins of French houses and wooden German shacks. Here Captain Frank S. Crawford became our commanding officer and Second Lieutenant John W. Graham was also assigned to duty with us. Every one began to think of going home and, while so doing, spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas in this village. Neither of these holidays will be forgotten ; the former for the excellent entertainment provided by the Second Battalion, and the latter for the best dinner provided for us since our arrival in France. Finally, on December 26th, we began our march to the sea, and the hikes we made, the difficulties we overcame, led us to believe that it compared favor- ably with Sherman's famous march. From Etraye we went to Chaumont-Sur- xA.ire, where we arrived on December 28th. At Chaumont-Sur-Aire, Captain Tilghman rejoined the Company as commanding officer, and Lieutenant Shira was assigned for duty and remained with us for two months. It was here that the idea of perpetuating our friendship took root. Plans were formed for some sort of organization, and, at the suggestion of Lieutenant Welsh, the Company began work on a record book, which would keep fresh in our minds the wonderful experiences and the part we played in the World War. Time passed slowly, and it appeared as if we would never reach that sea. On March 28th, we resumed our wanderings through France, and the roads we took brought us to Rimaucourt. Here we enjoyed the hospitality of the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A., both of which helped greatly in making life less monotonous. Spring arrived, and if we ever had the moving fever, we had it then. A great sigh of relief was breathed, when, on the 21st of April, we entrained for LeChene, a quaint and pretty village which we entered on the 23rd. Our French friends proved very hospitable, and, in order to forget the boring inspections, "D" and "C" Companies combined their efforts in an excursion to Nantes down the Sevre River. The last leg of our journey to the ocean was completed on May 12th, when a four hour trip by railroad brought us to Saint Nazaire, the port of embarkation. We boarded the good ship Santa Rosa on the night of the 16th, and cleared port at 5 o'clock the next morning. After thirteen long days, most of which were stormy, we reached Philadelphia, had a short talk with our loved ones at the pier, and immediately entrained for Camp Dix. Once there demobilization proceeded rapidly, and on June 9, 1919, the last member of "C" Company was mustered out of the service. Page One Eighty-three The 515th Infantry I lh 0 0 -J _) u » "- Page One Eighty-four r The 515 th » Infantry Roster of Company C ■ ■! » « September 1, 1918 CAPTAIN Charles H. Tilghman FIRST LIEUTI SECOND LIEUTENANTS Robert P. Meily George S. Barker Conrad F. Nagel Austin E. Besancou Stanley E . Welsh FIRST SERGEANT SUPPLY SERGEANT MESS SERGEANT James Cox Maximilian W. A. Boll SERGEANTS William R. Thomas George J. Ambacher Toseph A. Conway Hugh D. McDonald George R. Thompson Jesse J. Buck Robert Gardner Louis Oerlemans John R. Trumbauer Francis S. Carey ' amuel B. Lovenstein John J. Read William J. Turner CORTORALS David P. Anderson William Frey Robert D. Lerch Charles W. Richardson Joseph P. Bergmaier Harrv Friel Samuel Lowey John E. Scott John T. Canihnrn Clayton W. Groff John J. McEnroe Charles W. Settle Philip Corrado Andrew W. Haubert Edwin R. McQuay James C. Sparry George Danig Harry Herbst Edward F. Matter Joseph H. Tinney Joseph R. Davidson George Horn Charles A. Morrissey Cornelius C .Walter Eugene N. Fagan Walter C. Hunn Joseph H. Mulvev Ralph C. Williams Joseph J. Feeley Lelon E. Lednum Francis D. O'Mullin Emil P. Winkler COOKS MECHANICS BUGLER Charles P. Breit Edwa rd Fleisch Isaac Kevitch Edward J. Diamond John H. Freiling George Lippincott Willi im J. Freiling David H. Rickei Solomon C. Wraight PRIVATES FIRST CLASS Harry J. Buck John H. Galup Edward E. O'Neill George A. Wolfe Frank H. Buck John C. Gault Louis A. Reineke Charles E. Wrigley PRIVATES Harry Almes Victor J. Donohue Edward J. Mackenzie William M. Sellman Antonio Alteri Ralph D. Dundore 1 asquale Macconi John Sicura Edward L. Archer Adolph C. Dunkel Ray H. Mali k Godfrey Siegrist Frank J. Arick Steve Dzemak James S. Mallus Harry F. Simon Richard Arthur Thomas Eccles Harry C. Mandell Charles H. Sixtus Stephen C. Bair William L. Eliscu Joel Manheimer Edward A. Smith Charles J. Bauer Clarence H. Federhan Andrew Martin Paul J. Smith Charles R. Bean Elmer W. Fickeissen .Toseph W. Mays Thomas Solon Edward Beehtloff John F. Flail Harry Meyer Donato Sontilli George L. Behl Jcseph Fogel Cesare Michel Edwin R. Souders Harry J. Bertrand Isreal H. Fiegenhatun William A. Millheim John C. Spencer John Blouchogk Fa trick Forjan Carbine Marabito Chester H. Sprague John Bongiorno George J. French Louis F. Morgan P.ertrand R. Stanwood Allison E. Borul Fred J. Fudala George Muller Joseph H. Steele Charles W. Brey William F. Gebhardt Thomas P. Murphy Frederick Steffens Robert S. Broadway Enrico Giaquinto Luigi Nicolette Charles J. Steffler Thomas C. Brown Alexander Gilchrist John A. O'Hara Louis Stein James P. Burke George J. Gohl James J. O'Neill Frank B. Steiner John J. Burke John R. Graham Donato Orlando Harry Steinmuller Michael F. Burke Herman Herig Herman Ott Andrew Stonage John L. Burns William C. Grauer William M. Paynter Leo J. Schwartz James Byers Leo Hart Pietro Pizzuti Felix A. Talalaj James Cacia James C. Hartman David H. Prince Stephen Terzitta Carlimo Calogero George Hicks Tony Racano Clifton W. Tibbels Lawrence F. Callahan Howard J. Hoffman Leo Daezkowski Theodore Tiedeken Cesare Capone Walter W. Jennings William H. Ralph Joseph F. Tracy John H. Carlton Edward T. Kane Charles V. Reardon Angelo Trinca Joseph Cherry Harry J. Kauffman Jacob Recktenwald Charles J. Turner Stanley Chesko William F. Keck Elton W. Heid Boleslay Uminski Robert D. Cook Milton P.. Kersey Albert E. Reilley John Urbanowicz Francesco Ceromi Herman C. Klein Elias K. Rettig Perry Vassailiades Milton F. Cohen Feador Koshowitz William W. Ridenour Michael D. Vicchia Angelo Consorte Erakle Kozman Joseph H. Rieger James Vita Frank W. Corbett Philip Lacavalle Dommick Roberta Chris Vogel Harry D. Cotner Michael J. Lawler William K. Robinson Roland G. Voigt Francesco Cozan Daniel Lee Max Sacks Harry J. Walsh Lewis W. Cowles Frank A. Leininger Frank Santisiri John J. Weldon Joseph Czarnecky Hurry J. Lentz Pasquale Schiavo Henry Wennmacher Christopher F. Dearing Jacob S. Levine Joseph F. Schilp Walter A. Wickstrom Frank DeMarinis Joseph Lewis Edward P. Schimpf Albert F. Wiedmann Frank J. Devaux Adolph Leihner Henry F. Schroeder William A. Wiedmann Guiseppe DiBenedetto Ralph B. McAllister Chester F. Schwall John W. Wiggins Charles A. Dickert William J. McFeeter Dominick 0. Scialla Theodore H. Wirbatz William J. Dixon John McKay .Ansrelo Scntti John D. Woodcook Joseph P. Dobidavage Charles Donaghue Daniel F. McMonagle Frank P. Sirvault William J. Worrall Antonus J. Zukauskas Joined as Replacements— October 26, 1918 PRIVATES Victor Antimary Alun W. Davies Hugh J. Glennon Giovanni Paduano John K. Bishop Germano DeMeo Alfred A. Gordon Leonard Payne Waldine Bogdanovich Walter E. Duncan Martin Jessee Logan B. Puckett Bernard A. Boyle John Fetcho Arch G. Jones Andrew S. Rivers Andrew J. Brown Stanley J. Frederick Hueston Koontz Nick Serago Joseph Soporowski Harrv A. Shively Charles Wright Theodore C. Brown Texan E. Fye John Koscielny John F. Chadwick Hyman Gel! Walter Manning n Peatross G. Cocke James R. Glacken Mike Murga 0 >— — Page One Eighty-five I II- The 515th Infantry 0 COMPANY D 0 Company "D," of the 315th Infantry, officially came into being on September 17, 1917. when the following officers were assigned to the Company: Captain John H. Ricketson, Jr., First Lieutenant Seth C. Hetherington and Second Lieu- tenants Lawson G. Bash, Frank A. VanHorn, William R. Mease and Conrad F. Nagel. On September 21st, 1917, the first enlisted men reported to the Regiment and 68 of these were assigned to form the nucleus of Company "D." Additional increments followed and on November 3rd, 1917, the Company roster contained the names of 250 men. For the first time the Company was at full war strength. Men were being continually transferred from Camp Meade to complete divi- sions destined for immediate overseas service. These calls rapidly depleted the number of men in the Company, one draft in October, 1917, consisting of 82 men that were sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia. This was an exceedingly discouraging period, as it was impossible to keep the personnel of the Company in a permanent form. In May, 1918, 75 men were received from the 154th Depot Brigade, and in June a similar increment was received from Camp Upton, New York, making the total strength of the Company 243 men. The training at Camp Meade was quite intensive, but through the generosity of Captain John H. Ricketson, Jr., numerous parties were given which greatly helped to relieve the monotony of camp life. The influence of Lieutenant Heth- erington manifested itself in numerous ways, but particularly in the neat ap- pearance exhibited by the Company. His insistent order to "take your hands out of your pockets" and "fasten that button" will always be remembered by the men of the Company. The 315th Infantry sailed for France July 9th, 1918, from Hoboken. New Jersey. Noah may have felt somewhat crowded on his Ark, but he never crossed the briny deep in G-7, of the U. S. S. America. Who will ever forget the last morning on shipboard, when we stood on "B" deck from 3 A. M. until daylight Page One Eighty-six The 515 th Infantry COMPANY D Company "D" at Camp Meade expecting at any moment to see the periscope of an enemy submarine? We landed July 18th, 1918, at Brest, and in common with every one else in the Regiment suffered an uncomfortable three days in the camp at that port. On the trip from Brest to Esnoms, the training area, we had our first intro- duction to the French box-car. "40 Hommes ou 8 Chevaux" will bring a smile or a groan to any of us who ever see that sign again. At Esnoms we were lodged in billets and there learned sufficient French to ask for pommes de terre and oeufs. The seven weeks that were spent there are remembered chiefly for the long hot hours of drill, for the band concerts every evening in the town square and for the procession of cows and wooden shoed youngsters at reveille and retreat. On September 8th, being then considered fit for the front, we entrained at Vaux-sous-Abigny and detrained at 11 P. M. the same day at Revigny. The hike from this place to Bazincourt was our first real test in full marching equip- ment and was made without the loss of a man. After this march the old-timers never boasted again of the "Baltimore Hike." We left Bazincourt on September 12th, and, after a march of several hours, were loaded on motor lorries driven by Indo-Chinese chauffeurs. The only English expression they knew was "Good Night." That was about the way we felt, too. During the night spent in these motor lorries we had been impressed with the necessity of maintaining silence, and of course no smoking was permitted, because of the supposed proximity of the enemy. What was our surprise, therefore, upon arriving at Camp Brocourt the next day, to find a negro jazz band in full swing — c'est la guerre ! On September 14th, we started for the front and by 1 A. M. the following morning had taken over from the French our portion of the trenches com- prising Sector 304. The First and Second Platoons were stationed in Boyau 7, the Fourth Platoon occupied the trench Etats Unis and the Third Platoon took over Tranchee Herbillion. We certainly were rookies— lived in our gas masks Page One Eigbty-seven The 515 th Infantry 5 COMPANY D 'avonet Training 5 most of the time, because some one in some trench was always sounding the klaxon gas alarm, and at that time we believed every thing our gas N. C. O. had told us. The experience we gained in these trenches, however, proved of very great value to us when later we were up against the real thing. On the morning of September 26th, we went "over the top" in the great Allied offensive. The part Company "D" took in this action differs but little from that of the other companies in the Regiment. We fought, were scattered by high explosive shells — gave first aid to our wounded, dug in, or reorganized to go forward again. While waiting to advance on the morning of September 28th, an H. E. shell burst near and instantly killed Lieutenant Hetherington. It is fitting to state here that every man considered his death a personal loss, and, now, looking backward we realize that we lost not only an officer, but a friend. At 2 P. M., September 30th, we were cheered by the sight of the 3rd U. S. Division advancing in approach formation to relieve us and carry on the fight. We, together with other companies of the Regiment, had advanced to the hills north of Nantillois and were relieved from a position off the Cunel road between Cunel and Nantillois. Three officers and sixty- four of our men were wounded and one officer and twenty-six men killed. Lieutenant Mease, the only remaining officer of the Company, led it for four long weary days until we reached the rest camp at Marcaulieu Wood. ( )wing to the constant strain to which the men had been subjected, many were taken ill here and evacuated to the hospitals. While we were stationed here. First Lieutenant Walter Gallagher was assigned to com- mand "D" Company. He immediately took steps to reorganize the Company and appointed new non-commissioned officers to replace those who had become cas- ualties. We again occupied billets, in the village of Thillombois, on October 11th, and remained there until October 22nd. On October 14th. Second Lieutenant Glenn II. Shira was assigned to "D" Company and remained on duty with it until Page One Eighty-eight The 515 th Infantry COMPANY D November 5th, 1918. On the evening of October 21st, we made a forced march toward the Troyon front, as a German attack was expected there. The attack never materialized, and we returned to our billets the next day. On October 23rd, we made