Capt. Perry E. Hall, of Springfield, N. J., was a.s.signed to the command of D Battery when Capt. Smith was ordered to Paris. First Lieut. Frank J. Hamilton, who had been a.s.sociated with the battery at Camp Meade, was rea.s.signed to the organization from Headquarters Company of the regiment, during the early part of March, 1919.
Private Stuart E. Prutzman, of Palmerton, Penna., left the outfit at Benoite Vaux to attend a French university. Private William E.
Bachman, of Hazleton, Penna., was a successful applicant to the A. E. F. University that was established at Beaune.
The daily sick call of the battery was exceptionally large at Benoite Vaux. Colds and cooties played havoc with the boys for several weeks.
Another pa.s.sing incident connected with the life at Benoite Vaux was the Divisional Maneuvres that were planned with great enthusiasm but which materialized rather humorously. The battery in general did not enjoy this drama. The maneuvres were conducted with guidon-bearers representing the batteries for the benefit of the Field Officers, who consumed much paper and speech in issuing a mult.i.tude of orders to guide the movements of the guidon-bearers as the latter represented the entire regiment, a.s.suming various strategic formations on a well planned field of bloodless battle.
Lieut. Yeager, before being detached from the battery, and Cpl.
Thomas J. Brennan, of Pottsville, Penna., were candidates for the divisional foot ball team that played at Souilly with a number of other divisional elevens. Philip J. Cusick, of Parsons, Penna., the battery"s favorite pianist, was selected to make a tour with the regimental minstrel show that was put on to tour the circuit of A. E. F. playhouses. Cusick was recalled to the battery the latter part of February when he received notice of his early discharge from the army on account of the death of his father.
The sickness that laid its hand heavily on the men of the battery at Benoite Vaux also affected the horses. The rain that fell almost daily, kept the mud knee-deep and the roads slushy. The well members of the battery toiled hard to complete the stables and save the horses from cruel exposure to the weather. The stables were completed in February and were in use long enough for an order to be issued to clean them out by way of demonstration, then the battery was ordered to proceed to another billeting district. It was announced about this time that the 311th regiment was to sail for home in June.
The siege of sickness claimed in death two of Battery D"s men, who had been admitted to the base hospital at Commercy.
Private Patrick J. Dooling, of Metuchen, N. J., died on March 6, 1919, with Broncho-pneumonia. He was buried in the Post Cemetery at Commercy.
Corporal Guy W. Mortimer, of Pottsville, Penna., died on March 8th and was buried in the same cemetery as Private Dooling.
In March regimental post schools were opened near Souilly. A number of Battery D men were admitted to the various courses. The boys had been at school for only one week when they were ordered back to the outfit, which was then moving towards Commercy.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SERVING MESS TO BATTERY D ALONG THE ROAD Serving Mess Along the Road While on a Move from Benoite Vaux to Lerouville, France. Reproduced from Official Photo of the Signal Corps. U. S. A.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: BATTERY D ON THE ROAD IN FRANCE Showing Battery D Near Courouve, France. Reproduced from Official Photo of the Signal Corps. U. S. A.]
CHAPTER XXII.
HOMEWARD BOUND.
When the battery left Benoite Vaux the soldiers knew they had started on the first lap of their "homeward bound" trip. Weeks of hard work were yet before the battery, but the thought of getting home in June, or possibly earlier, as rumor had it that the A. E. F. sailing schedules were operating several weeks ahead of time, kept up the spirit of the artillerymen.
The trip from Blancheville was made by road. A short journey on March 19th found Battery D in Boncourt, a small town near Commercy. The other batteries of the regiment moved to nearby towns. On March 31st, Lerouville, Pont sur Meuse and Boncourt held the regiment between them.
On April 1st Battery D was ordered to make another trip overland. The trip required three days. The first night"s stop was made at Ligny en Barcis, a large town where the entire regiment found accommodation and the boys enjoyed themselves for the night. The second night the regiment had to scatter for billeting at Bure, Echenay, Saudron, and Guillaume. Battery D was quartered in Bure.
The journey was southward in the direction of Andelot. It was one trip the soldiers enjoyed. It didn"t rain during the three days enroute.
The end of the third day found the battery in Cirey les Mareilles, the town near Blancheville in which district the outfit was previously billeted. Cirey les Mareilles housed E Battery when D was at Blancheville. When the regiment returned to the old stamping ground Batteries D and E were billeted at Cirey. The Supply Company of the regiment was billeted in Blancheville during this stay. Regimental Headquarters Company and Battery A established themselves at Briancourt, Battery F at Mareilles, Battery B at Rochfort, and Battery C at Chantraines.
While at Boncourt the materiel of the regiment was inspected by an ordnance officer and pa.s.sed inspection. Before the materiel was to be finally turned in, however, a big review before General John J.
Pershing, Commander in Chief of the A. E. F., was to take place.
Battery D left Cirey les Mareilles at noon, Friday, April 11th, proceeding to and arriving on the reviewing field at Orquenaux at 4:30 p. m. It was 8:30 o"clock before the horses were cared for and a battery of dog tents erected on the field, where the soldiers spent the night. It did not rain during the night, but the following day, when the review was being staged, it rained in torrents.
The review started at 10:30 a. m., Sat.u.r.day, April 12, 1919. First the outfit stood inspection mounted but not moving. Then the divisional march in front of the reviewing stand started. It was a grand military sight to see an entire army division together on one field, at one time, with all equipment. It was late in the afternoon when the review ended by which time all the soldiers were thoroughly soaked by the rain.
It was 4 o"clock when Battery D left the reviewing ground, and hastened on its way to Andelot. The entire distance was covered at what was almost a steady trot. Andelot was reached at 7 p. m. It was a wet and tired battery, but the rain and fatigue were soon forgotten when orders were issued for all materiel to be turned in at Andelot, to be delivered to the railhead at Rimaucourt. Despite the fact that everybody was drenched to the skin, also cold and miserable, happy smiles lit the faces of all when farewell was bid the guns and caissons. The soldiers, in a happy mood, walked from Andelot to Cirey les Mareilles, singing and whistling.
During the following week the horses and practically all the equipment was turned in and preparations made for the trip to the embarkation port. Everything in the line of equipment that was not needed, was salvaged.
On Monday, April 7th, another attempt was made by the regimental officers to establish a post school near Neuf Chateau. A number of Battery D men were sent to attend the school. The school, however, was broken up the first day of its existence, an official order returning the scholars to their respective commands. Orders to detrain for an embarkation center were momentarily expected.
On Sat.u.r.day, April 19th, the regiment entrained at Rimaucourt, bound for the port of St. Nazaire, which was to be the exit to the land of home. The trip was made by box car, the route being through Bologne, Chaumont, Langres, south of Nevers, through Angers and Nantes. Battery D continued its journey until Camp Montoir, eight kilometers from the port, was reached at 4:45 p. m., April 21st.
Sergeant Koenig and Corporal Shafer were the busiest men of the battery during the stay at Camp Montoir. Yards and yards of paper work had to be completed before the outfit was finally cleared and ready to walk up the gang plank. The battery office force worked day and night and established a new record in getting a battery sailing list o. k"d.
The stay at Montoir was pleasant despite the fact that physical inspections were endured in great number and all soldiers and clothing had to go through a thorough process of cootiizing. The camp was well equipped with recreational centers where the soldiers enjoyed their idle hours.
Various detail work was a.s.signed the battery while at Montoir. Details a.s.sisted in the erection of a new theatre on the camp grounds. Drill and physical exercise periods were in order when examinations and inspections lulled. After pa.s.sing in a brigade review before Brigadier General Andrew Hero, on Friday, May 9th, the outfit was declared ready to board the next ship that docked at the port of St. Nazaire. On Monday, May 12th, the boys changed what francs they had left, into United States currency. Then they were ready to say good-bye to France.
Reveille sounded at 4 a. m., on Wednesday, May 14th. n.o.body slept in that morning. Rolls were made in short order and the battery area policed-up. At 6 a. m. the regiment left Camp Montoir on an eight kilometer hike to St. Nazaire, which port was reached at 8:30 a. m.
The U. S. S. Edward Luckenbach was lying at anchor in the basin at St.
Nazaire. The vessel had been coaled and supplied for the return to American sh.o.r.es. In the morning of May 14th the Edward Luckenbach waited for its troop pa.s.sengers before setting sail.
After the soldiers waited on the pier for some time the huge gang-planks were extended and the regiment started its march to the decks of the ship. The gang-planks were lifted at 11 a. m. The ship was loosened from its moorings and slowly piloted through the congested basin. Slowly the transport pa.s.sed the draw bridge, through the locks and out into the wide expanse of bay. It was 2:10 p. m. when open water course was reached.
The U. S. S. Edward Luckenbach carried 29 officers and 2,247 enlisted men, including 14 officers and 1,338 men of the 311th Field Artillery: 8 officers and 547 men of the 314th Machine Gun Battalion, and three casual companies.
Capt. Perry Hall was the only Battery D officer able to find accommodation on the battery"s transport. All the other officers had to wait for other transportation. Capt. A. L. Smith rejoined the the regiment at St. Nazaire and was a.s.signed as regimental adjutant.
He accompanied the troops on the Edward Luckenbach.
Late in the afternoon on the day of set-sailing the vessel was stopped to allow the pilot to be taken off into a sail boat. Mine sweepers were also let down on both sides the vessel. Without convoy and with freedom of light at night the transport pushed its way through the waves that formerly were in the danger zone. The mine sweepers continued to comb the waves for any stray mine missiles that by chance might have still floated from war operations.
No difficulty was encountered, however, and the danger zone once pa.s.sed, the trip continued at an average rate of 9 knots an hour. The Edward Luckenbach was a 6100 ton cargo vessel converted into a transport for the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. It was manned by an American naval crew. The vessel was an oil burner and trouble was experienced with the engines, whereby the speed of the vessel was r.e.t.a.r.ded. It was feared at times that the engines would give out before port was reached. Slow, but sure the troops were brought to friendly sh.o.r.es.
It might be noted in pa.s.sing that on the next trip made by the Edward Luckenbach as a transport, the vessel became crippled through the breaking of her port shaft and her main journal and had to be towed for 600 miles into the harbor at South Boston, Ma.s.s.
Outside of the monotony, the trip was an uneventful one. The first two days were attended with fine weather and calm sea, but the third day a rain and wind storm developed. Bunks, down in the hatch, collapsed and things in general were topsy turvy all night. Sea sickness was rampant. It was a case of six meals a day for the next three or four turns of the clock--three down and three up.
The high sea gales blew for several days in succession. Mess line was the only formation of the day while K. P."s and Hatch cleanup were the only details furnished.
After thirteen days on the water, land was sighted late in the afternoon of Tuesday, May 27th. It was a welcome sight to the soldiers to see New York"s famous sky-line in the distance. A mist hung over the harbor and it was 5 p. m. when the outline of the Statue of Liberty became plainly discernible. As the Edward Luckenbach was piloted through the roadway of commerce that thronged the harbor, the U. S. S. Leviathan steamed majestically seaward, carrying a cargo of soldiers to France to relieve members of the Army of Occupation.
Following the triumphal entry into New York harbor, the vessel cast another anchor and remained undocked for the night. Thus the boys spent one night within the beam of Miss Liberty, whose drawing power had been distinct in memory for many a weary month in France.
A big welcome had been planned for the soldiers on the Edward Luckenbach. One of the police patrol tugs, bearing the sign: "The Mayor"s Reception Committee," came out to meet the transport. The river tug had as pa.s.sengers a band, besides many friends and relatives of soldiers aboard the transport. A noisy welcome home was sounded as the patrol boat encircled the steamer several times.
Cheers, and tears also, greeted the 311th boys when the Herman Caswell, a water front yacht, that had been chartered by three hundred excursionists from the Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton districts of Pennsylvania, encircled the Edward Luckenbach, with St. Ann"s Band of Freeland, Penna., on board, playing "Home, Sweet Home."
The three hundred excursionists, who had journeyed from the Anthracite fields of Pennsylvania to welcome the 311th boys, had a difficult time to locate the Edward Luckenbach. At 6 o"clock that night they sailed out to find the vessel, reported as advancing past Ambrose Channel.
They traversed the entire waterfront, both on the North and East River sides, before the hospital ship Comfort located the transport by radio, up the Hudson. The excursion delegates stayed near the transport until dark.
It was with rejuvenated spirits that the soldiers spent their last night on board the transport, lying in New York harbor. On Wednesday morning, May 28th, the troops debarked at Pier 6, Bush Terminal, Brooklyn. Only a few of the friends and relatives got to see the soldier boys at the terminal. While the soldiers lingered at the terminal, partaking of refreshments furnished by the Red Cross and the welfare a.s.sociations, the crowds beat the ferry boat that carried the soldiers to Jersey City and formed two lines through which the boys pa.s.sed to entrain for Camp Dix, N. J.