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BEING THE NARRATIVE OF BATTERY A OF THE 101st FIELD ARTILLERY

Page 127

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of Givry and the Petit Bois in Belleau Ravine, where machine guns and one pounders were bothering our Infantry considerably.

                On July 20 the attack was renewed. At 14.50, after a previous preparation of two hours and a half, we started firing a long rolling barrage towards Etrepilly. The Infantry met savage machine gun opposition. From the slopes above the Petits Bois the enemy raked our advancing troops. The crest beyond our position gave us a wonderful view of the whole fight. The German machine gunners had got through our rolling barrage and they—hundreds of them— were advancing across a large wheat field to stop our "doughboys". Their commander was carrying a cane, and seemingly perfectly oblivious to the surrounding crash of the shells, was directing his men to establish their guns along the shell holes. We promptly stopped firing our rolling barrage and opened up on these machine gunners with shrapnel and shell. The shell with black fuse was especially effective as it richocheted off the ground and burst with terriffic effect in the air above. We plainly observed six or seven direct hits on the machine gun nests before our ammunition gave out. . . .

                Our drivers had been working night and day hauling ammunition, but the terriffic firing of the last few days—on an average of 1000 rounds a day—had got ahead of the supply on hand. We sent back for them to rush up more. They did. They galloped the nine caissons over a road in plain view of the enemy, with shells bursting on all sides of them. They got

 

 

 

 

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