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

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heard so much. We soon realized why their reputation was so great. It is interesting to note that two of these guns lasted with us through all our fighting. One fired 14,000 rounds, the other 12,000 rounds. No drill regulations had been published in English and very few in French were available. A provisional gun-drill, however, was arranged, and work began on October 8. Starting from the beginning, the first problems were simple, direct firing with direct observation, while the officers learned how to bracket a target and judge the bursts correctly. This gradually changed, as we learned the game, into more complicated firing. As horses did not arrive until later, the guns were drawn out on the range by auto trucks. Coetquidan had its full share of rich French mud; therefore it was a common sight to see trucks and guns stuck all over the range.

By the 10th of November horses were issued to the Battery; whereupon the training approached actual war conditions. Guns were taken around by the horses, eliminating most of the getting stuck, although there were enough accidents to harness and poles, to give the caisson corporals a chance to use their ingenuity. Reconnaissance could be properly carried out. The men assigned to driving were given more of an object in life than watching the drill of the cannoneers.

The inexperience of the drivers in their first struggles with those "beamish" creatures, the horses, led to many humorous accidents, but fortunately none more serious than to give someone a couple of weeks' rest on account of a lame leg. Of all the horses, "Lil"

 

 

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