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

Page 34

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meters south of Rennes, and about 30 kilometers east of St. Nazaire, the big sea-port. An interesting historical fact about the camp is that it was founded by Napoleon. More recently it had been used as a firing ground for experimental and captured guns. Being the first arrivals, the 101st F. A. was quartered in the old original barracks. These were one-story stone structures with the cement floors mentioned above. As the camp grew, a great many wooden buildings of the Adrian type were put up, until it could hardly be recognized as the camp to which we came.

The neighboring country was very different from New England. No fences could be seen, but hedges, earth banks, or rows of trees separated the lots. The land was divided into apple orchards and pastures with an occasional patch of brush or clump of pine, giving the effect of a rather shabby checker board in different shades of green. The camp was situated on the shoulder of a sort of plateau which sloped slowly up from Guer, descended sharply into a valley then rose more gradually into hills covered by fine forests chiefly pine and oak.

Most of this opposite slope constituted the range. Several deserted villages afforded excellent targets as did the corners of hedges and a road. Since the terrain sloped back from the crest, there were plenty of positions for indirect firing. In fact, the slightly rolling nature of the country was almost ideal for an artillery range.

The first impression of France upon the Battery was universally good. The people were very cordial

 

 

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