Such was the condition of affairs when the 26th Division relieved the First Division early in April. The latter, however, had stirred things up greatly in their two months' stay. The Americans had not fought through four long, weary years of war the way the French had. They did not want a rest. They wanted action. They gave the Boche the surprise of his life. The latter, according to his regular schedule, dropped a few shells near a certain Infantry Command Post. The Infantry Commander refused to stand for it and ordered a tremendous concentration of artillery on a Boche town. Such procedure, repeated a few times, promptly brought an end to all the unwritten laws of the sector. Everything livened up. The Hun no longer shelled at will with impunity. He always received as much as he sent over, and more. Places like "Dead Man's Corner" near Mandres were no longer safe places to linger. They became favorite haunts for 150's and 77's.

The First Battalion of the 101st F. A. was designated to relieve the 7th Field Artillery near Rambucourt, while the Second Battalion was to relieve a French Regiment more to the left. A Battery arrived at Rangeval, the rear echelon of E Battery of the 7th, on the afternoon of April 3. That evening the first platoon started for the front, 12 kilometers away, with the 1st Division drivers and horses hauling the guns. The night was very dark and no one had any idea where he was going or how far away the front was. As the plain behind Rambucourt was being crossed, the first real glimpse of the front stood out vividly. Star shells and Very lights were going

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