U. S.

ARMY CHEMICAL CORPS HISTORICAL STUDIES

GAS WARFARE IN WORLD WAR 1
THE 78th DIVlSION AT THE KRIEMHU.DE STEUUNG
October 1918

U.S. Army Cbemical Corps Hir\orical W c e

Office of tbe Chief Chemical Officer
S t u d y No. 2 Wadiion, D.C. July 1357
 The 78th Division at t h e Briemhllde Stellung
Oatabsr 19LB

Prepared by

Rexmond C. Coohrane, PhoD.

Under oontraot DA-~B-LOB-CML-BZ 14

with

U.S. Army Chemioal Corps

T h i s i s an aocepted draf't atudy on gas Warfme in Norld War I

Brigad'ier General, USA

Asst CCmlO for Planning & Dootrine
The 78th Dlvlsltm at t h e Srledillde Stellung
Ootober iuie

by
Re-d C. Cochrme

GAS W m A R E TN W0RI.E WAR I

Study Number 2

U.S. *ayr CRnaICllt CORPS

HISTORICAL STUDIES

U.S. &my Chemlcal C o r p s H i s t o r i c a l Office

Office o f t h e Chief Chemical Officer
Army C h o m i o a l Center# Maryland

1957
 Formrd

Thir i s a tent.fiv. study of hha gns experienoe of

t h e 78th Dlvlsion a t t h e Krlemhllde Sfollung durlng World

War I. Thlr study i s not presented as n definitive and

o f f i o i n l history, but 1s reproduoed for omrent r d e r s n o e

use within the M i l i t a r y Imtsbllahment pandlng t h e publicn-

tlon of an approved hl~ory.

Tho author wms nssiutud lu h l u r o o o w o h by Yr. Wdtor

0 . Yoeller and Mrs. Charlotte Bolin.

Note f a Raodsrr C-onts and s u g p s t l o s o rolaCiw to

aoouraoy and adequacy of treatment are lnvlted, and m y be
trammitted t o the Chlef, U.8. lrmy Chemioal Corps Biatorioal
O f f i o e , Amy Chemloal Center, Maryland.
 B u r a t in

. ..........
The 78th Dlvlsion l n t h e 8t Ylhlol b o t o r L
TheYeuse-lrgmlu Cllprlm ............... 3

1niti.l Army 8.3( Plrnr ................ 4

A t the Krlsmhlld Stellung ............... 8

The Attaok on the B o l a dea Loge ............. 13

................
..
I
The Attaok on Qrrnd Pre 21

Oaa Attaoks t h e 78th Dlvirlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Capture of Orand Prd ................ 29

.............
The P l i g h t o f the Opposing r o r o e r 35
Development o f the &my .............
h a Plurr 57

Yperitingthe B o i a do B o u r p p o . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

................
The Boia den logor Qrln 60

ThBPurnUit .................... 5t

&nn.lyr1I
.......
78th Division Caaurltler in t h e Krlanhllde S t e l l q 62

Oao Abt+aokm m d Qnm Cnmualfie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

First Army Ihployment of Gdr .............. 76

Divisional Phployment o f O r 8 .............. 79

 R
!E
!!
Map No .1 P l n n of S t . Yihlel md Memo-Argonno Operatlono ... 3a

Hap No 2.
dc Overlay 130srp.n
A r - ~ b g l ~ ..............
Ddsnsivr O r g m l s n t l o n In +he Ysuse-
3b
Map No . 3 Operations Map. 78th Dirislon .......... 10a

Map No .4 Situation Yap. Group Alone . ....9 a.m. 16 October 10b

F i e l d Sketoh of Grand Prd ............... 21a

Map No . 5 Preparation f o r tho Attaok on 23 Oatobr ...... 30a

Map No . 6 Operatloar Yap No . 16. ?lret &my. l o Date ..... 40a

Map l o . 7 Ypsrlting East of t h e Meuse. 14-30 Ootober . .... 4 LP

Map No. 8 Yap Aooompmnying FO 86. 1 s t Corps. 28 Oototdr .... 436

Yap No . 9 Yperiting the Bois do Bourgogne. 3041 Ootober .... 46a

Yap No . 10 Major @as Attaoko i n t h e Thiauoourt-Jauhy Seotor ... 6613

 J u s t p r i o r t o tho find u e a u l t of t h o Yeuoo-Argo~ne o f f e n s l w , t h e

78th Division played a major r o b l n a l u g e - s o d o , Army-dlrooted gar oper-

ation on t h a t f r o n t o Althou@ t h e d i v i s l e n m o engaglng In i t s fir& a d

only a s s a u l t operation of t h e w a r B it p a t t l o l p a t o d in t h e exeoutlon of om

of t h e most sucoeesful gas m b ~ i O r M Iof Amerloan foroos, when t h e ertrsme

r i g h t and l o f i flanks o f t h e ?lr& Amorlaan Amy front w r o hsavlly yperlted

t o p r o t e c t t h e p r i n o l p a l a t t a c k of t h e Amy t h r o r r g the oelrtor.

The p r e u n t rtudy relatern t h o g a l w a r f a r e aporlenoe of t h o 78th

Dlvision in lts throo reeks on t h e ?irst A m y front. a\)alnatlng l n i t s

y p e r l t e rimlon o f SO 0otob.r.

The 76th Dlvlelon l n t h e Bt. I l h l e l Seetor

The 78th Dlvlslon was orgmlcod In August 1917 at Camp D l x . Hev

Jersey, and on 19 Y.y 1918, under t h e oeslmmd o f Maj. Oen. James H. MoRae,

began i t s movement o v w s e a s D Its principal elmonte oonsiated of t h e 165th

RriELde (309th m d SlOth I n f l n t r y m d 306th Yaohine ffun Battallon): t h e

166th Brigade (S11Ph and 312th Infantry and SOWA Maohlne Qun B.t&allon);

mnd tho 159rd ?A B r l g d o (507th. t(wth, urd 309th PA Pw~lmonteend tho

303rd Trenoh Mortar Bahfery). Other d i v l r l o n a l traopr inoluded t h e 307th

Yaohlne Oua Battalion, t h o 30Srd Eaginoere, 30Srd Ileld S l p l Battallon,
 111 during June, July, nnd Augurt 1918. t h e infurtry u n l t s Of t h e 78th

t r a i n e d in Prnnoe, f l r s t Imhlndtho Bazebrouok front ln the Seoond B r i t l s h

~rqy
uwa near Ypres. then en& of I)t. Pol. In ako P l r e t Br1ti.h A m y motor

baok of Arras, and flnnlly n t Bourborme-lea-bains i n t h e Haute Ynrne. Its

u-tillery brigade t r a l n e d a t Camp do Yenoon, ln B r l t t m y .

On 10 Septornbw, t h e d l r i s i o n m i r e d on t h e S t , Mihiel f r o n t mid 11.3

placed in l a t Corps reserve, k h l n d tho 2nd a d 6th Mvlsions.' I t s nrtll-

lery had pmaeded it t o t h i s front and q p o r t o d t h e 90th Division In t h e

S t , Mihiel offenslve. Fla, days aftor urivnl, m a t h e German Poroes hast-

ily r e t r e a t e d before t h e Allled attaok, t h e operation wns wor .nd t h e

s a l l e n t was olosed.

On 15-16 September. t h e 78th rmlieved t h e 2nd and 8th D i r l s l o n s in t h e

L h s y s e c t o r of t h e new f i o n t , and wlps engaged ln t h e two-mek parlod t h a t

\
rollmed In u r g a i & i n g tho reoodly oppturqd ground, now l n s n thin three

kilometers from t h e Blndenburg llne, and i n raldlng t h e enmy lines t o

d l v e r t German a t t e n t i o n from t h e coming Yeuas-Argonno otrenslvu.s On 4

Ootober, t h e 78th Dlvislon, w i t h it8 a r t i l l e r y brigade joined, moved t o

t h e Clermont a r e a in t h e lLrgonw,Foreatt. On 10 Ootober it passed from Army

t o 1st C o r p s reserveo and o n 14 Ootober received 1400 ininntry replaoments.

Two days later I t relieved t h e 77th Dlvislon in t h e line, to p a r t l o l p n t e

r l t h l r r t Corpe. t h e n operntln& ns t h e left flank oorps of First m,ln t h e

2
FO 10, 78tlr DiT, 2300 h r o , 10 Sop (78th D l v E m 4).

3
R, 13, 78th Dir, 14 Sop; PO 15, P1.n o f Xhf8ns0, 21 Sop.
- 2 -
f i n a l p h a a s a of t h e Meuae-Argonno offensire.

The h r e - A r g o n n o C u u p a l ~

The Meuse-Argonae offenrlva u t u t e d on 28 September, T h i s offennire

was a p a r t of Marshal Fooh's Tout 10nonde h la b a t t a i l l o -- his Greatest

of A11 B a t t l e s -- t h e s i m u l t m e o u r assault on t h e C e n t r a l Powers in
Maoedonis.. in P a l e s t i n e , end agelnrf t h e Hindenburg Line on t h e Wedern

Front. While t h e Ranah end B r i t i s h armies t o t h e r e a t end northwest

merahalled t h e i r strlking foroer, t h i r t e e n line d i r l s l o n s of t h e F i r s t

knerioen Army. au@mmted by t w o n-onah o o r p s , ware r m g e d f o r the a t t a c k

along a 72-mile f r o n t , f r o m La Eeraxee in t h e Argonne F o r e s t , e a s t end

s o u t h e a s t t o Clslaery. Nine American d i v i s i o n s , betremn t h e Argonus end

t h e Meuse, a d i r t a n o e of 16-20 miles, wre t o launoh t h e nttaok, whlls t h e

remaining Frenoh and Ameriorn foroer, eant o f the Heuse, h e l d fast (Hep
no. 1).
The latontian v f fho Fr4nob m d &erloan foroem in tho ArpOMo s o s t a r

ms to d r i v e northrvd between Relas and Verdun t a r a r d s t h e Oe- rail-

way c e n t e r r a t Hexleren and Esdan and by o a p t u r l a g them close the oemral
o w r i d o r ured by t h e Oennlnr t o move s u p p l i e s a d t r o o p s into R e n o e .

P.roteoting t h i n o o r r l d o r n n t h e oomplex of f o r t i f i e d lines snd m i t o h e n

oentered on t h e Blndenburg line and Kriemhilde Stellung, a belt of inter-

h o k i n g d e f e n s s r t h i r t e e n mllee deep (Map No, 2 and Orsrlay).4 So

4
 PL* .. ,....
)T. Ml .. llL
......
MEUSf AQGONNf
CIPIQA"TIQNJ

-;;.,. .,.......
_...,
_. '!

" i ,. II Jlo\ ',f

.ff-

~,. .........
i,;\AP NO. l
 GERMAN DEFENSI\/E OQGANIZATION
1o,i ,.... MlusE-AcaGoN.Nf. t:lE<oloN

,........ , c-...
11."._-,........,..,""--6-111
i ..,_nt.
+
- H pra<l,.,e,& 1., ~
8t""t ... "'"w--1111', ~- ' -

,
#.~
S'TEIJ-~'
""'--

+ ovr41.,,o,y "
..._ .._ 11 r-AO. J.
 +

+ '--~-~_,______. ....
MAP NO. 2.

3b
formidable -re t h e a e dehnses, a a l d Perahlng, t h a t "It 1s mall wonder t h a t

t h e enemy had rested for f o u r p a r s on t h i s f r o n t wlthout being seriously

The a010 oompenutlon w a a t h a t t h e Yeuse provided %nay p r o t e o -

t l o n for t h e rlght or east flank o f the operatlunr"'

Inltlal Anny Das Plans

In a rough d r a f t memorandum t o t h e Chief of S t a f f , F l r s t Army, on 18

September, a week before t h e start of t h e Meuae-Argonne oampalgn, Col.

John W. N. Sohuls, t h e Army Gas Offloer. rooomended uslng phosgene I n t h e

a t t a c k on t h e e a s t e r n edge o f t h e Argonne F o r e s t , s h o e o u r t r o o p s would

oooupy it, mt urgea t h a t all enemy m t t e r y p o s i t i o n s e a s t or t h e YBUm be

gassed with y p e r l t & o n e u t r a l i z e any l n t e r f e r e n o e a s Army moved up t h e

left bank.'

The Army f i e l d o r d e r f o r t h e olfenslm, lamed on 2 0 bptember, s a i d

-_
t h a t n o n p e r s l e t e n t gas was t o be ured In t h e Arganne Forest, i n t h e Bois
---
de Yontfauoon and t h e r o o d s t o t h e northeant. - put 011
a d p e r s l s t e-n t --gaa

5
Quoted in MoBntee, p- 6 5 8 . A t t h l s t i m e t h e Qarranf'ront axtendod
along t h e line La Aa~Pree-Bour.ul11e~-Awoourt-Hauoourt-Bola dea Forges-
Beronraux. See Sumaary of Opna, 1st A, 9 Aug-11 l o r (lat A Box 52, 33.2).

6
G - 3 Rpt, l a t A, 7 Sep (U.S. Almy In t h e World War, Vole 9, p o 7 3 ) .

7
Draft Memo, COO 1 s t A, aubr Employment of gas s h e l l i n Operation Z
(OAF-1st A).

- 4 -
t h e h e i g h t s e a s t o f the ye us^.^ Annex No. 1 t o t h e f i e l d order n r q u i t e
speclffol "Tnxia gas s h e l l s , Put no y p e r l t e ohalls, will be used mat o f

t h e Yeu8e.ng Y e t in seeming a o n t r a d l o t i o n wan I* First Army te1egr.m t h a t

d a y , 2 0 September, r h l e h made en i n i t i a l a l l o h e n t O f 2.000 7 6 m 0 y p s r l t e

s h e l l s t o 1st C o r p s , a f a c t o o n f l m o d by a n o t h e r t e l e g r a m on 2 O o t o b r .

)sd two dayr later, on 22 S e p t m k r , Annex 6 t o t h e 1st Corps o r d e r f o r t h e

attack saldr "Bo. 2 0 s h e l l s r l l l be moved forward with tne a d r r n o e f o r t h e

purpose of b r e a k i n g up enamy o o n o e n t r a t i o n s p r e p a r a t o r y t o a oounter at-

t60k. No 92.0 a h e l l s will be f l r e d without a u t h o r i c a t i o n from Corpso*''

The y p e r i t i n g e a s t of t h e Yeusa began on D Day. 26 Septumber, and oon-

t i m e d a l m o s t daily aa Pirut Anmy advmnad. Ey t h e evenlng o f t h e t h i r d

day of t h e o f f o n e i r e , a tro-mlle advmoe had been made by t h e 1st R e n o h

D i v i s i o n and t h e 77th h e r 1 a . n Dlrlrion i n ths Argonno, while more t h a n f i v e

mlles of t h e Hindanburg llno hmd h e n p o n e t r a t o d by t h e eight dlvlisions t o

8
FO 20, lot A, 3.00 parno, p a r s 2, W ( 6 ) (1st X Box J 3 ) .
FU 6 , Army A r t y , 21 Sep, p a r 6F(1), oharged tho Verdun Grouping w i t h
keeping gassed w l t h y-parlte 'the m o d s and h o s t i l e p o a l t i o n s on t h e east
bank of t h e Mouse River...subjeat t o w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s . unlnterru t e d l y
day and night u n t i l N r t h e r o r d e r i " ( l e t A Box 90. aO/i5Zol, RAE FOP.
9
h e x No. 1 , 19 B r p , h p l a y a e a t of h y Arty. pnr V 3 ( a ) 0 Par 4 Bald
t h a t " a l l n r t y , army, oorps, and d i v i s i o n a l , ' f o r t h e f i r s t 16 minute8 of
t h e p r e p a r a t i o n , would "plaoa M l w n r e bombarda.nt of HOEo nnd gas s h e l l
upon h o s t i l e a a n t o n w n t s , importrnt h e a d q u a r t e r 8 and telephone centrals in
t h e i r respeotlve noma1 dmeo."

1c
T e l g fr 3en DeXltt. G -
4 * lit A t o CO 1st C, 20 8ep ( l r t C Bm 58,
60.32); Annex 6, Plan o f Gas lnrfars, t o FD 67. 1st C, 1600 hrs. 22 Sop
( 1 s t C Box 16).

- 6 -
t h e right o f the fareat. There t h e &fa& stopped as it met t h o 00- main

Line of r e a i s t m o e .

man, on t h e 20th. t h e dvmnom of 6th Corpa In hhe oentmr of fhe linr

war h e l d up by host110 a r t i l l e r y f i n f r o m t h e wooded areas *o its front,

&my 0 - 3, deaplte I t s e a r l i e r order, dlreoted 6 t h C o r p r t o use mustard gas,

as well as phosgene, 'to neutralize batteries in these p o s i t l o n s while our

troops advanoe, The army oommander desires t h i s means o f overoming op-

p o s i t i o n and d e l a y u t i l i z e d whenever poss1bleoml1 me Army f i e l d order that

day d i d n o t r p e o i f l o a l l y ray t h a t a11 oorps Sight use mustud gar where

neoemsary, bnt It implied a8 muoh. 'Qas rill be used on h e l & t s e a s t of t h e

Meuse, and u y be used w e d of the Mouse r l t h l n t h e oorps zone at t h e die-

orotlon of t h r oorps ooumnmdercw1' But on 1. Ootobert o h i l l f'i&t%q

ito way

n o r t h of Brlenller OUT Meuse on t h e rlght f l a n k m d through t h e &gome on

t h e left, Army ropeated i t s inrtruotlons f o r t h e uao o f yperite eeat of the

Meuse only, "to neutralire h o s t l l e artillery fire and observation," with

phosgene t o "be ured f r e e l y weat of t h e l e u r e on f a v o r a b l e t a r g e t r i ' l S

Col B. YoCleave, C
World Wars Vol. 9, po 156).
-
5, 1st A t o CO V C o r p s . 29 8ep (U.8. A m y Ln t h e

12
FC 32, 1st A, 29 Sop, par S(C) (Ibld., pe 167). Thls same date, Friee,
C CRX AEFB W O t e t o t h e C8, 1 s t &my,%* t h e t i P o ha4 oome "for A vigorous
UIO of polmonoas g a s , " but he #pore only on mhdf o f thd l a t Pmo Bogt,
whose short- rang0 gar nuapona d r e n o t a h i r e d by d i r f s l o n oomnnderso

13
FD 35, 1st As 12 NoO~I, 1 Oot, PU SF(4') (1bld.B - PO 192).
 Despite t h e y p s r l t i n g , enfl1.de enemy f l r e w i t h HI! and gas from t h e

wooded h e i & t a aoroa8 t h e rimr oontlnued t o t n h a hlgh t o l l . 8hortly

aptor renewing tho general ntfaak on 4 Ootober, Army ordered t h e Fronoh

and Amerioan f o r o e s east o f the Yeuse t o j o b t h e advance, In order t o d r i v e

t h e enemy from t h e h e i g h t s whore h l s b a t t e r i e s were looated. Further yper-

l t i n g there b;v A l l i e d artillery wns suspended h l l s t h a t a t t a o k was p l u m e d

and set. In A t t h e same time, Colonel Sohula sent a l e t t a r and

map t o 3rd Corpa t o w a r n i t s eloments e a s t of t h e Meuse, and presumably

t h o s e a l s o o f t h e 17th Frenoh Corps. o f t h e gassed areas n o r t h of Verdun.

L a r p a r e a s between Brabant s u r Yours and tlvry uur Peuae had been drenohed

with muatrvd, and t r o o p s w e r e oautloned when d i g g i n g t o remember t h a t

"under ourfaoo pormintonea of mumtar4 en8 is extremely highh. Yperiting

e a s t o f t h e Yeuse waa a p p a r e n t l y not rerumd u n t l l 12 Ootober.

14
Sum o f OPM, 1st A, 9 Aug-11 NOV, p . 10 (1.t A B O X 62, 33.2); L m ,
-
CS 1st A for ACofS (t 3, 3 Oat, (W.S. &my In t h e Norld Har, Vo1. L), p.
198): FO 39. 1st A. 5 Oot,
. Y m o , bur, CS l a t A f o r MofS G - 3, 3 Oot, s a i d t h a t In a ooaferenoe
w i t h t h e oorpr t h a t d a t e a flnal d e o i s l o n had been reached ' t h a t no mustard
burr could bo uood ens+ of t h o Youeo* (E.
p., 198).

15
Ltr, COO l e t A t o CG 3rd C, 6 Oot, sub: Mustard g a s s e d a r e a s north o f
Verdun (GAF-let A j 0 Several weeks later, when Army yperltlng had moveb.
f a r t h e r north, a l t r t o CG 3Srd Fr COTE frm CO loth Fr Col Div. 26 O u t ,
oomplained o f his oontlnuoue mustard gas o a m a l t l o a i n t h e Verdun reglon,
an a m a . h e said, Zhnt had been "dally" gaamod tzinoe August 1917, produaing
and "endemio f i e l d i n t h e a i r w l t h l t s b e s . ' While Col Sohulz queationed
t h e p e r s i s t e n c e o f y p e r l t e beyond 8-10 dare, be admltted t h a t beohuae of
t h e rece?t gaa8lnp. t r o o p 8 in the a r e a probabiy ahonld bs f r e q u e n t l y re-
lieved. see oorresponaenoe wlth mmo, GOO f v r ACofS 0 - 3, 10% A* SO Oob,
sub: Y p e r i t e ln m o t o r o f 10th Dlr (GAF-1st A)o

- 7 -
 I n t h e g e n e r a l a t t a o k on 4 October, a d m n m r mre ground out a11 along

t h e line exoept in t h e Argonne, where t h e episode of Colonel Ilhlttlesey8s

L o s t B % t t a l l o n i l l u s t r a t e d t h e d i f f i c u l t l e s of t h e 77th on t h e l e f t flank

of t h e a t t a o k . The o p e r a t i o n s l e a d l n g t o t h e resoue of t h a t b a t t a l i o n on

8 October broke t h e backbone o f t h e German line In t h e forest, and w i t h t h e

BZnd Division alongside, t h e 77th puahed on through t h e f o r e a t . emarglng I n

/
t h e gap before Wand Pro on the nlght of t h e 10th. The 77th had advanaed

P d i s t a n o e of t e n long miles through t h e Argonne F o r e s t ,

On 10 October, t h e First American Army stood before t h e K r l w h i l d e

I
Stellung. t h e line of h i g h l y f o r t i f i e d h e i g h t s a n d roods along Grand Pre-

Champigneulle-Landre et St. Oeorges-Bomagne-Brl.ulles our Yeuse, By t h e n

German d i v l a l o n s on t h a t f r o n t hid M e n increaaad frm 7 0 t n 47, h i w - l d l y

t r a n s f e r r e d from t h e Frenoh and B r l t i s h seotors t o the rest and f i o m t h e

Eastorn Frunt D 16

In t h e f i r s t o f a suooeeslon of f i e l d orders, F i r s t A m y d i r e o t e d n

oontinuing a t t a o k on t h e f r o n t b f o r r its w i t h 1st Corps t o o a p t u r e Grand

~ r and
6 Chaapigneulle and adTanoe t o i t s inmediate o b j e a t l v e s , Haute B & i s

Farm,n o r t h edge of B?is doe Loges-Alllepont-Ia.cDurt.17

Ig
YoPntee, p o 641,

Lf
FO 56. 1st A, 1800 hrs, 10 Oof, p a r 2C(J); Ept O f Opus, 1 s t C, Reduo-
tlon of Argonne F o r e d and MLdrcmOe t o Meure (78th Dlv B o x 7 ) 0
 Repeatedly t h e 77th. 8 2 d , 4%d, JPnd, and 6 t h Divlslonr of 1st Corps

a s a a u l t e d t h e Krlemhllde Line but failed t o p l w o e it anywhere. EnsqV

p o s i t i o n s i n the Boiu do Bourgogne and B o l u d e s Loges proved too atrongly

organized, and n e i t h e r Grand Rrd nor Champigneulle oould be taken, The

a t t a c k s of 11. 19. m d 14 Ootober were f r u l t h s s , On t h e ISth, t h e 77th

Division made one more e f f o r t t o c a p t u r e Grand P r 6 b e f o r e being relieved.

By dusk, a b a t t a l i o n was e s t a b l i s h e d on t h e o u t & i r t r o f t h e towns1'

The First &my f i e l d order t h a t d i r e o t e d t h e r e l i e f of t h e 77th by

t h e 7 6 t h Division on t h e n l & t of 16-16 0 o t o b e r " a l s o ordered the 17th

French C n r p s . e a s t o f the Meuse. and t h e l r t Corps before Grand Prd t o

oontinue t h e i r a t t a o k s , while t h e o t h e r U d t B on t h e Amy f r o n t h e l d f a s t .
I
The l u t C w i y u was t o reeume tho at+aok on t h e (Irmd Pro-St.. aeorgma &ant,

t o t u r n t h e enemy out of t h e For& de Bourgogne, v l t h ita objeotives La

Mort Homme-Beffu et l e Mort H o r a - l o u l i n de Chlulplgneulle-Sto [ieorgesa

"The BOIS DES UQES rill be gassed under d l r e o t i o n of t h e Cmmnand.r, 1st

COrpSo"
19

The l l n e t a k e n over by t h e 78th Divlsioa t h a t n i g h t f a a e d t h e

SOutheM edge of Grand Prd-Chevth.es-Houlln d ' e n Bas-St. Jurln-Cot6 lf32$

18
Thomas,, pp. 243,",47, 289-90, 298, 306-07, 325, 526.
1Y
FC 67. 1st A, I900 h r s , 16 Oot, p a r 3 D(1), 3 E(2), 3 F-

- 9 -
 a front of five and a h a l f l d l o n e t e r s (Hap No, S)." Coming l c t o t h e area,

78th Divis'or. unlts s l q l y t o o k over 77th Dlvlelon oomrnand p o s t s , w i t h

General MoRae'o dlvislon h e n d g u u t o r e and t h e 16Srd FA Brigade under Brig.

Gen. C l i n t C. H e m a t Chet.1 h e h e r y ; t h e 156th Brigade. oonmanded by

Brig. Gen. Mark L. Horsey, a t La Besogne; t h e 156th Brigade, under Brig.

Gono James T o Deen, a t La Y a l r a s l e Ferme; and t h e four i n f a n t r y head-

q u a r t e r s n o r t h e a s t of Chatel Chehery, a t C o r n a y , Shevldrea, and Malassle

Farms, r e s p e c t i v e l y (see below, Hap Ha. 8 ) . To t h e r l g h t o f t h e 78th

was t h e 82nd Division, t o l t i left t h e 15th Frenoh D l v i s l m (=I11

corps)*21
The enemy u n i t s oppoelte t h e 78th D i v i s i o n were, from left t o r i g h t ,

t h e 195th DivlriOn, t o the w e s t o f Ornnd Prdi t h e 76th Reoerre Dlvlrlon.

i n t h e &rand Prd seotor; and t h o 2nd Landmhr Dlvislon, between Chevlirea

and &-on creek, &o be rolLeTed o n fbe mcrning o f t h e 10th by tho 24mh -
D l v l s i o n ( Y B ~NO. 4). 22

-
20-
FW 75. l o t C. 15 Oot. Motes E r o s l l e n t PhetoKrapho o f t h i s t e r r a l n mu-
pear in I I a S A Anny.111 t h a Wnrld W u , Vnl, 9 , - p p a 790: 196. 204. 2 3 0 . 239.'
The q u e s t i o n o f t h e d e p a r t u r e line and subsequent advanced l i n e s 1s discussed
i n t h e postwar ground k v s y by Col John B. Barnes, 0s N$F Hlst Seo. Rpt on
opns o f 78th Dlv. 26 May 1 9 (78th Div Box 3, l8.2),

21
FO 25, 78th Dlv. 1550 h r s , 15 O o t ,
22
Div 0 . 240th Dlv 1 6 Oot (240th Dlv RDbA, 12 Oot-11 Nov, PO 13. Onman
F i l e s Box 2
~~ ~ -~. I -

F o r d a t a on t h e German d l r s , nee YoRm, Leoture on Meuse-l.gouno Opns.

3 Fob 13, ppo 4 b f f o (7Uth DlV BOX 2, 11-4)o LBOtUre 1s hasad On l t r , CO 76th
Dlv t o CG l e t A, 23 NOT, revised 10 h a , sub: Rpt on Opus of 78th Dlv, 26 3 e p
11 Nov (78th Dlu B o x 7, 33.6). L t r and l e o t u r e beonme Png Memo 130, 26-29 Feb
1919. subs T a o t l o a l b n a of 78th Dlv, Sap-Nov 1918 (78th D i v Rox 7. I l A ) *
L e c t u r e and Tng Memo rlll be oited h e r e a f t e r .

- 10 -
 l

"\',

'\\';
.,,
,.
.\
CD
'>. 0
I.
C
' :0 ~
C> ;;,
0
C'>
Z 0
..'m rn
 [in9rei/-
jteiffel

1bJD.
~- ~o W@~~YJW@Wi1~

16.R.

1/7..,;r L. -, 22.
[gt
~pl.llp.:

Situntlol'I Mep U,
<ip. Al,ne (We IID1ti..,.,)
~ o.m. '" Oct "'fll

MAP No. 4

lOb
 The 78th D l v l a l o n oonlng l n t o t h e line wau a s s i g n e d t h e r e d u c t l o n of
#
t h e Bois dqa Loges, Grand Pro, and t h e h e l g h t a o f t h e Bola de Bourgogne,
above Grand Pr8',F3 T o the 156th Brigade 1.8 assigned t h e B0:e d e s Loges,
/
t o the 166th Brigade. Grand Pro and t h e Bois do Bourgogne. A t t h e dlreo-

t i o n o f 1st Corps, t h e a t t a o k waa t o be made w i t h all regiment6 abreart

and was t o oommenoe a t 6800 i o m o on t h e 16th, mlmultaneously w i t h t h e 00.1-

p l e t i o n o f t h e r e l i e f o f t h e 77th D i v i s l o n L In t h e p r e p a r a t i o n . oorps

a r t i l l e r y would c o u n t e r hostile b a t t e r i e s in t h e Bois d e s Loges and on

t h e e a s t and south edges o f t h e BoIs do Bourgogno. 77th D i v i s i o n and

82nd D i v i s i o n a r t i l l e r y , on t h e r i g h t , were t o set up o o n o e n t r i t i o n a of

n o n p o r s i s t e n t gas i n t h e B o i s do8 Loges, endfng t h r e e houra b e f o r e t h e

o t t r o k ~ ~ 'Thls phase o f the prmparatinn wmn omitted, it was l a t e r s a i d ,

when t'?e g a s s h e l l felled to reach the b ~ t t e r i e 25

8~

23
R) 76, 1st C , 2100 h r s , 16 O a t 3 PO 26, 78th Dlv, 2300 h r e , 15 O c t .
24
I n accordance w i t h Fo 76, 1st C, 15 Oct, and Fo 67, 1st A, 15 a c t ,
p a r 3E/2)
KeoOraa of t h e 77Lh D l v lndioa+.o P O intention o f f l r i n g gea nn
i5-16 O c t . See Fo 12, 152nd FA Brlg, 6s16 pornoo 15 Oot (77th D l r Box
29, 3 2 , l ) ; SOI, 304th FAn 26 Sop-11 Bov (Ibid., 33.6); Rpt o f Opns, 305th
FA, 26 Sep-11 loop ( I b l d o ) ; Rpt of Opns, 3- FAp 26 Sep-8 l o r (Box 30,
33.6), These rogh- reports i n d i c a t e only harroslng f l t e on Bola d e s
Logea and,vioinLty, SO00 HE rounds near Belljoyeuse h e m d woods NU of
Grand Pre. end v o u n t e r b a t t e r y flra on C h a n p i p o u l l e t h a t morning.

26
Lecture, YoRae, p a 6; Tng Memo 130, P a r t 11, p o ?J, PcRae also aald
i n h i s lecture t h a t o o r p s FO 76 d i d n o t maoh hlm u n t i l 1 2 ~ 2 0aomo on t h e
LGth, l e e s t h a n 61% hours before t h e attaok.

- 11 -
 The corps o r d e r for t h e simultaneous r e l i e f and a t t a o k may hnre been

ill- advised, As Qeneral Duncan of t h e supportlng 82nd Division s a i d not

long eftera

I o a l l e d up t h e Chief of S t n f f o 1st C o r p s , p e r s o n a l l y [ a d 1 said

t h a t in my opinion t h e o r d e r for t h e a t t a o k o f t h a t Division f o r 6
o'olook 1 8 8 impossible of exeoutlon. t h a t h i a
P oRaess] t r o o p s were
s t i l l on t h e road at about midnight, blocking rmsport w i t h gas s h e l l s
whioh wore supposedto be flred i n t o t h e BOIS DES u)&s. and t h a t from t h e
p r e s e n t s l t u a t l o n it seemed most unlllcely t h a t t h e gas s h e l l l n g oould be
executed p r e l i m ary t o t h e n t t w k , or t h a t t h e 78th D i v i s i o n oould g e t
into position. 2 P

Under t h e a e oiroumstnnbss, and also because o f t h e stormy nlght,

n e i t h e r t h e 77th nor 82nd Dlvlslon put gas i n t h e Bois des Loges, nor d i d

t h e 82nd t a k e any aotlon t o p r o t e c t t h e flank O f t h e 78th. N o t untfl

l a t e a f t e r n o o n of t h e 16th, ns Dunosn s a i d i n h i s l e t t e r , was h e awar-

t h a t t h e 78th had begun i t s nttnok t h a t morningn

Hour8 before t h a t , however, oorps w a g p r e s s l n g t h e 78th for r e s u l t s .

A message from YoRae t o h i s brigade. a t 10830 acmo on t h e 16th said8 "Corps

r t a t a a that. tho Ullltary S f t u a t l o n demands t h a t m reach o u r o b j e o t i v a

26
Ltr, MaJ (hu 0 . D O Dunorn, 00 82nd DI* t o CC l e t C, 30 Oof, subs Co-
o p e r a t i o n of t h e 82nd D i T w i t h t h e 78th D i V (82nd Dlv Box 7, 33.6).
Despite a l l d e n i n l a o f gas n s e ~ r t a n o e , both t h e 76th Res nnd 2nd Ldw
r e p o r t e d "henvy enemy h a r a s s i n g f l n and g a s s i n g of a r t y p o a i t l o n a r
rear nreas on t h e night of 15-18 Oot, nnd the morning rpt o f t h e 2nd Ldr
a r t y oomdr said t h e "oountryside, b a t t e r i e s , supply lines. mnd vi-
had been gassed, i t s c a a u n l t l e a '2 O f f i O e P 8 and a group of o r m e n of t h e

=
6th Bty, 22nd FA Cogt-" Opnm E p t 8 76th Ben, 1 6 D o t (76th &!a8 w v
p1,1r,mrn F i l e s Box Z O n T & t y CO 1 - E d
26 Sep-18 Oot, pp. 26-27, Qermnn F i l e s Box 144)-
26 Sap-
Ldw
A bn of t h e 76th Rea was t o r e p o r t 5 men gassed I n i t s oommunioa-
t i o n s p l a t o o n nnd the d i v i t s e l f I n l d 6 Of l t 8 36 O a a u n l t l e a t h a t day m r e
gas c a s e s o PM 3rd Em 254th R e g t , 17 O o t
11 Nov, p n 165, Qernan F i l e s Box 2 0 1 ) ; WD
-
Units. 24 Sep-11 NOT, p o 21. Qerman F l l s s

- 12
 The 78th Dlvision oomlng i n t o t h e l i n e was assigned t h e r e d u o t i o n of
/
t h e Bois d 9 e Loges. Grand Pro, and t h e h e i g h t 0 o f t h e B o l s do BOurgOgnO,

above G r a n d Fretz3 To the 156th Brigade wan assigned t h e B o i e d e s Loges.

/
to t h e 156th Brigade. Grand Pro and t h e Bols do Bourgogne. A t t h e dlreo-

t l o n of 1st Corps, t h e a t t a c k wan t o be made w i t h all regiments a b r e a s t

snd w a s t o oommenoe a t 6800 aome on t h e 16th, i i m u l t a n s o u s l y w i t h t h e o m -

p l e t i o n of t h e r e l i e f of t h e 77th Dlvislon. I n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n , oorps

a r t i l l e r y would counter h o s t l l e b a t t e r i e s in t h e Bois d e s Loges and on

t h e e a s t and south edges o f t h e Boia de aourgogneo 77th Division and

82nd Division a r t i l l e r y , on t h e r i g h t , were t o s e t up o o n e s n t r a t i o n s of

n o n p e r s i s t e n t gas i n t h e B o l s dem Logea. endlng t h r e e hours b e f o r e t h e

aLLaok=24 Th'a y h a a e o f tho proparation w a s m i t t a d . it was later said.

when t'?a g a s shell f e l l e d t o reach t h e batteries"25

23
FD 76. 1st C , 2100 h r e , 16 O o t z F'U 26, 78th Dlv, 2300 h r a , 15 Oct,
24
I n accordance w i t h FO 76, 1st C, 15 Oct, nnd Fo 67, 1st A, 15 Oot,
p a r 3E(2)
Records O f t h e 77th Div ~ I U ~ ~ Q U LP OO intoation of flrlng gra on
15-16 Oct, See FO 12, 152nd FA Brig, 5s15 pornoo 1 5 Oct (77th Dir Box
29, 32.1); SOI, 304th FAB 26 Sop-11 lov (Ibid., 33,6); Rpt of Opnn, 305th
FA, 26 Sep-11 i4ov (Ibld,! j IQt of Opns, 3 - FA, 26 Sep-8 Nov ( B ~ I30,
33,6). These r s g i m m r e p o r t s l n d i o a t e only h a r a a r l n g f i r e on Bola Qes
Logea and,vloinlty, SO00 BE rounds n e a r Belljoyeuee h e and r o o d s RW of
Grand Pre. end p o u n t e r b a t t e r y fire on C h a q i p o u l l o t h a t morning.

26
Leoture, YoRae, p . 6; Tng Memo 130, Part IID P O 3, PaRae also said
in his l e c t u r e t h a t o o r p s FO 76 d i d n o t raaoh him u n t l l 12820 aomo on t h e
Mth, l e s s t h a n nl% hours before t h e attaok,

- 11 -
 The corps o r d e r for the simultaneous relief and a t t a o k may h a m been

ill- advised,, A s Qeneral Dunoan O f t h e supporting 82nd Dlvlslon said not

long a f t o r s

I o a l l e d up t h e C h i e f of S t a f f , 1st Corps. p e r s o n a l l y [ a d 2 sald

t h a t in my opinion t h e o r d e r f o r t h e a t t a c k o f t h a t Division f o r 6
o'olock w a s impossible of oxeoutlon, t h a t h i e Y ' s J t r o o p s w w e
s t i l l on t h e road a t about midnight. blocking ransport w i t h gas s h e l l s
whioh were supposed t o be f i r e d i n t o t h e BOIS DES U)GES, and t h a t from t h e
p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n it seemed most unlikely t h a t t h e gas s h e l l l n g oould be
executed p r e l i m ary t o t h e a t t n o k , or t h a t t h e 78th D i v i s i o n oould get
into posltion. ZP
Under t h e s o oiraumstmDes, and also beaauae o f t h e stormy n i g h t p

n e i t h e r t h e 77th nor Band Division put gas in t h e Boie des Loges, nor d i d

t h e 82nd t a k e any notion t o p r o t e c t t h e ! ' L W O f t h e '[Uthe Not Wtf1

l a t e afternoon of t h e 16th, as Duncan said i n h i s l e t t e r , was h e awar5

t h a t t h e 78th had begun I t s a t t a o k t h a t morningo

Hours before t h a t , however, oorps was pressing t h e 78th f o r r e s u l t s ,

A message from YcRae t o h i s brigade. a t 1 0 ~ 3 0Barno on t h e 16th said8 "Corps

s t a t e s t h a t t h e Military S i t u a t i o n demands t h a t we reach our o b j e o t i v a

3fi
-I

L t r , Ihj Oen C. B., W e a n , CO 82nd DLo t o CG l o t C,q 20 O o t , subr Co-

o p e r a t i o n of t h e Band D ~ Tw i t h t h e 78th Div (Bend Dlv Box 7, 33.6).
3espite a l l d e n l a l a o f gaa aorlrtmoe, both the 78th Ron and 2nd M w
repomed 'heavy enmy h a r a s s i n g f i n and gassing o f arty p o s i t i o n s and
r o w areas on t h e night of 15-16 O o t , a n d t h e morning rpt of t h e 2nd Ldr
a r t y oomdr s a i d t h e "oountryside, b a t t e r i e s , supply lines, and v i m
had been gassed. I t s o a s u a l t i e s "2 o f f l o e P s and a mouu of orevnen of t h e

Irou, 26-Sop-18 Oot, ppo 26-27, &&an F i l e s Box 144);

A bn of t h e 76th R e s w a s t o r e p o r t 5 men gaased i n it. oommuniaa-
t i o n i p l a t o o n am the d i v itssir m i a 6 o r its 56 o a s u a 1 t i e a t h n t bay were
gas o a s e s a FM 3rd Bn 254th R e @ , 17 O c t (76th Bes-Sub Wnl%m-UD& 18 Sop-,
11 Nov, p" 165, German P i l e s Box 201); WD 76th 1p 17 0o t (78th Res-Sub
-
U n i t s . 24 Sop-11 NOT, po 21. cisman F l l s s
__.-

- 12
today." A h a l f h o u r later 0-3 q u e r l e d t h e brlgadesr " C o r p s dommds t o be
informed c t onoe as t o l o c a t l o n of your front line. How f a r h a w you ad-
vanoodTW2' The aumr wag, not very far.

The Attaok on t h e B o l a den Loges

The o b j e o t l v e of t h e 309th and 310th Reglmsnts. 166th Brigade, wan

t h e Bois des Loges, a k i l o m e t e r square t r a c t o f sorub rooda, its trees

providing s u f f i o l e n t s c r e e n a g a i n s t observation f o r a r t i l l e r y f i r e r i t h -

out o b s t r u a t i n g maohine gun fire. The rood wan likened t o a giant s h e e t

o f oorrugated iron beoause of i t s many gullies running generally e a a t and

waul. In thr Dole, t h o Cermpna had sot up a a y & m of interlooking

maohine gun n e a t s , some only f o r t y y a r d s a p a r t , ommnaoding a l l but t h e

b o t t o m s o f am. of the g u l l i e s . The 1 ' 1 ~ 9 * 8O f t h l 8 n a t u r a l f o r o u t furt-

reas were p r o t e o t e d on t h o m a t by enemy foroer on H i l l 204, a t Belle-

joyeuse Farm, and Feme doe loges, m d on t h e e a s t by gun p o a l t l o n a i n

t h e t o w n of Chunplgneulle and in t h e ravlnes e a s t o f t h e tom. 28

There was no t h e for reoonnaisaanoe by t h e 310th I n f a n t r y as it

cmo up t o t h r line t h a t rainy n i g h t . and t h e SOWh I n f a n t r y was not a b l e

t o r e l i e v e t h e 77th Division regiment on t h e line o f d e p a r t u r e untll

H Hour I t s e l f . Tot tho aLLmok *.o bogun, w i t h an adranoo by tho 509th

a c r o s s Cot6 162 and the dgron r i v e r , h a l t i n g in the afternoon in I

I gully

27
F i e l d Messages, 16 Oct (78th DLv Box 6).

28
Tng Memo 130, I. 3.

- 13 -
700 meters north-& of FOnw do L o u d , *or* 1%- 0 joined by tho l l O t h

Infantry which had oome up on t h e l e f t . General h c a n said i n h i s l e t t e r

that he could n o t b e l l e v e this advmuoe pOsaibl0, but n e v e r t h e l e s s ordered

h i s b r i g a d e on t h e l e f t t o drnnee e a r l y t h e next morning ( i . e . . t h e 17th)

and s e i z e the h e i g h t s east of Chmpigneulle. B i s advance was stopped just

north of Cot6 lB2. 29

The f i e l d o r d e r of t h e 77th D i v i s i o n n r t i l l e r y t h a t n i g h t s a i d t h a t

between midnight and SsOO acme on t h e 17th I t s tr0 regiments of 75's

would "exeoute a g a s conoentratlon on p h e northern h a l f o f 2 t h e Bolo

doo Logoo...r(?ao wfll bo f i r e d a+ tiha raha o f LOO round0 p e r por hour.'

B u t t h e a r t i l l e r y brigade was r e l i e r e d on t h e morning o f t h e 17th and no

gas was f i r e d . Before it p u l l e d out, the 905th FA f i r e d 760 H1 rounds

i n t o t h e Bois dea Loges and t h e t h r e e farms t o t h e west and southwest. 30

On t h e morning of t h e 17th, t h e 309th a d 310th I n f a n t r y began t o

move up t o r a r d a t h e e a s t e r n edge of t h e Bois d e s loges. W o r t l y after

noon. t h e 309th I n f e n t r y r e p o r t e d I t s advance h a l t e d bsoause t h e 82nd

i l l v i a l o n element on i t s rl&t ww hold upc Corpa t h e r e f o r e ordered the nt-

t a o k t o be made from t h e west side of t h e b o l b . 8cae progress r e 8 mads by

tho 310th o n that side but by nightfall 'cho e d n n o o o f the t m rogilnonts

29
FM, Left. brlg.de, 82nd Div, 1245 hrs. 17 Oat (78th Div box 5. I&-17
OOt) 0

30
R) 13, 152nd PA Brig, 1O:OO p.m., 18 Oct (77th Div Box 29, 32.1). Rpt
of Opns, 305th FA, 26 Sop-11 l o v (77th Div Bat 30, 33.8) said i t 8 h a r a s s -
i n g fire was pursuant t o R) 15 but s a i d nothing o f gas.

- 14 -
i n t o t h o R o i s had been thrown baak and t h e y were dug I n on its Western
: J,
side e l o n ; : +.he Champigneulle-Femm do6 Logos road.31 A 1 1 t,hat night t h e r e r,,i{i$, J
,.,,

!9I.J
w m s " c o n t t n u e l s h e l l i n g of t h e road6 w i t h HE and gas' by enemy s r t i l l e r y . (4'n 1 .!I

A -
"large q u a n t l t y o f gas r w a s f used L r i i i c l u d l n g j some phosgenb on t h e 1
1
,
t i
.

l o w e r edge o f B o i l den Loges."32

Attemptlng t o advance again a t daybreak on t h o 18th, t h e 3 0 9 t h and

3 1 0 t h I n f a n t r y wero stopped by a line o f s o n 8 t h i r t y machine guns and t h e n

r.nme under enemy a r t i l l e r y fire. The 309th r e p o r t e d a t noons 'Our line

L ~ ~ B aJ l o~ n g e a s t e r n edge of Bola den Loges s t r a i g h t s o u t h t o H i l l 166.

Earn 4 small companies a l o n g road f r o m Hill 166 t o w a r d s S t , J u v l n . No oon-

t a c t w i t h BZnd. Chempigneulle shooting: u s up w i t h YG's. Urge a l l a r t i l l e r y

f i r e on t h i s p l a ~ e . " Contact
~ ~ w i t h t h e 82nd c o u l d not be made. a l i a i s o n

message t o t h e 78th was t o m y , beoause from 9845 a.m. on. t h e extreme

la* hatt.al1on of t h e 82nd t;ad been p i n n e d down on Cote l82. More d i f f i c u l t

t o u n d e r s t a n d is t h e l n t m s e f i r e from Champigneulle. A t 6a10 t h a t morning,

" g o o d" weather, 8 2 ~ 4Divieior, n r f i l l e r y had put d a m 2,600 rounds o f
;<.* I.

~..
~ ---b------

31
Opns Rpt. 16-17 Oct; Fab'a for 17 Oat, 7 8 t h Dlv; FM 336, L l a l s o n 0 78Lil
Div, 1900 h r s , 17 Oat (82nd Div Box 23, 32.16, 1 5 7 t h FA)*

32
Observ Rpt. 17-18 Oct, OP 8 ( 7 8 t h Div Box 3, 27.8-0bs R p t s ) ; SO1 2 2 ,
17-18 Oct. lo enemy confirmation h a s been f o u n d f o r t h i s gassing, but
r p t s show t h a t t h r e e heavy btys of t h e 4 5 t h Res a r t y ( t o t h o left o f t h e
f i r e d yellow croas on the ht. Juvlrr aroa on the n i & t o f 16-
n o t given (WD 1st Bn Foot Arty Re , 17 Oat, and HD 46th
Res Div, 17 Oct, 4 5 t h Res-Sub Unftts-lf&A, p p o 116, q 4 0 , German F i l e B o x
-here i s no r e o o r d o f this gaasing i n d i v l s l o n , DGO, o r Spmosr f i l e s ,
but subsequent r p t s of t r o o p s gaaied while t r a v e r s l n g oontamlnated terrain
would s u p p o r t it.
33
EM tu G -
2 78th D i v , 1 i 4 5 h r a , 18 Oot.

- 15 -
 phoegene in Champigneulle.
had been rnisdireated.
t h e v i l l a g e a t 11830
The phosgene hnd e i t h e r n o t bean s u f f l o i e n t o r
An a d d i t i o n a l 1,200 r o u & d s ~ ? ~ f ~ . p hwere
~
~ ~ n ef i r e d i n t o
naiu-, a p p a r e n t l y w i t h better e f f e o t . 34

Although t w o oompmies o f t h e 310th I n f a n t r y , advanoing up t h e western

s i d e o f the Bois, r e p o r t e d l y came r l t h i n +,i.irty yards of I t s n o r t h e r n edge

t h a t day, by n i g h t f a l l t h e regiments had been pushed back t o t h e southern

extremity of t h e mod. There t h e y Dare s h e l l e d w i t h HE and gas, while

i &. ?'I machine gun f i r e raked t h e m from t h e v e s t , north. and e a s t . "Continuous

,.
. ' I 1
:+, '* h a r a s s i n g f i r e on our a t t a c k l n g t r a o p a , 9uppoi-t l i n e s , and r e a r a r e a s ,
.', ,
l., w i t h l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s o f Phosgene and Yustard Gas Shells." "Much s h e l l i n g

w i t h gas on t r o o p s , e s p e c i a l l y on BoIs d e s Log0a.'~5 The 310th I n f a n t r y

r e p o r t e d a t 12155 p.m.r "Southern edge o f Bois den Loges d m $0 St. Juvin

full o f phosgene and sneezing gaso Many c a s u a l t i e s reported."' Fleld

34
Opns Rpt, 3 2 1 s t FA, 167th FA Brig;17-18 Oat (82nd Div Box 27, 33.1);
Rpt o f Opns, 320th FA, p. 18 (82nd Div Box 26, 1104)- See a l s o Band D i v Box
24, 33.3. Opns-18 Oot, and Anrlyais.
A regt o f t h e 240th Div t h a t had r e l i e v e d t h e 2nd Ldr t h a t morning
s a i d r " A t 6830 a.m. a heavy b a r r a g e s t a r t e d after a r a t h e r q u i e t n l g h t w i t h
guns of all c a l i b e r s a g a i n s t Champigneulle and t h e v a l l e y t o t h e north.
Hi,+ a x p l o o i v o , a m o k , and gas s h e l l s ' (WD 469th 18 Oct, 240th Dio-
Sub Units, 7 Oct-11 NCY, p o 6, &nuan F i l e s - d f ' A s i n g l e German - Re8
c a s u a l t y i e r p t d , i n t h e 76th Res Div (Evening Ept, 2nd Eh 252nd Regt, 18
O z t , 76th Res-Sub
~~ - U d t s - W . 24 Sep-11 Nov, p o 210. Germrn P i h a Box 2150).

35
SO1 23, 78th Dlv, 18-19 Oot ( 7 8 t h Dlv Box S, 20.1); Opns Ept, 18-19
nnt. This mry b e t h e enmy 6 a o a i n 6 r p t d I n tho l o o t n o t e on p. 23 below.

36
-
FM t o G 2, 18 Oct. O t h e r t y p e s o f c a s u a l t i e s are recorded i n the
Dally Operatlons Reports (LOR) but no g a s o a s e s appear on t h a t d a t e or a t
any t i m e d u r i n g t h i s operatlon. The r e p o r t for 17-18 Oat s a i d o n l y t h a t
t r o o p s f o r LI s h o r t t i m e occupied m o s t o f t h e Bois des Loges "but due t o
heavy Ras and HE bombardment' d r n r beak.

- I -
h o s p i t a l adnlsslon Ilsts i n d l o a t e t h a t more than 225 gas o r r u a l t l e r "wore

brought i n from t h e SlOth Infantry alone on I8 and 19 0 0 t o b e r . ~ ~

The withdrawal of an i d a n t r y oomprny as r O r U l t O f O X O O 8 8 l P O gas

o a s u a l t i e s m a t h e subjeot of a message h-on t h e 1st Corps Gas Offloer t o

t h e 78th Divlalon t h e next d.y. It also appears t h a t t h e Chief of Staff,

78th Divislon, asked for gas troopr t o counter t h e eU081y gar atfaoks, for

t h e snme message reported "No gns Troops available," and requested t h a t

this information bo given t o t h e Chief o f Staff.38

On t h e nlght of 18-19 Ootober, 78th Division artillery f i r e was oon-

oentrated on t h e Feme des Loges and t h e r i d g e a t t h e t o p of t h e Beis dea

Loges, t h e souroes o f t h e most intense enemy maohlne gun f i r e . A re-

newed n s s a u l t on the wood was t o b. made in oouJunotion with an attaok on
I
Grand Pro. on t h e l e f t . In r h l g h t h e 811th I n f a n t r y (166th Brigado) war

t o link up with t h e SlOth I d a n t r y (166th Brigade) and t a k e Ballejoyouse

fmrmm. arrothor sourow of herry ~ L won tho tranpa *ttraking t h o Bola den
Loges. If s u o o e s ~ t u l ,t h e advnae on t h e lef%1111
t o oontinue into t h e

Bois de Bourgogne.

I
I -
With t h e l n t e n t i o n of p r o t e o t l__n g t h e -ri@t
- . __
flank of t h e 78th. corpa
OrdQred t h e 82nd Division t o gas t h e v i l l a g e of Champkgneu1le, t h e r -a d e
-_
t o- --
Its _-north, and .t h e trenoheq t o t h e south, and t o p u t harassing f l r e
I1
11
- __ ----
on t h e area e a s t of t h e B o l a den Loges. The 82nd protested t h a t gas would

37
See Inalysir.
30
N Bonehead 20 for Faradry 20 (and Faraday 3), 19 Oct.

- 17 -
39
Both i n Gsn h n a a n ' a letber at' @O 00% t&d baa 9 0 8 Bend D l f . 17-18 Oct
(82nd D i T Box 7, Y-A Opnr Rptr), t h e d i t u o f t h e gas miasion II g i w n am

Anal 818, ppa 81 - 84 helm. Opn6 y,

18 Oot and the number of a h e l l s a$ 2900 No. 6 hnd 4500 BOO 20. See
1st
33.1f s a i d , "Thl) tm of Chm@lgzbul b was hl)&vily gisred.
c, 19 00% ( 1 s t C BOX 24.
It l a reported
t o be delrerted by t h e ensmy.'

40
WD 489th Re 19 Oot, m d RCg 20 Oot (Z4ath D l v -
d k t -
Sub Units- 1 1 Nov, pp. 6 , 16,

41
-
Est of s l t u , 22 Oot (Ibkd., p o 13).

- 18 -
out o f 15 o a r u a l t l e e were reported by t h o brig@do t h e next day. 42

F o l l w i n g i t s om a r t l l l e r y p r e p u a t l o n on t h e B o l a dea Logos M d

elmultaneous with t h e gas a t t m k on Champlgnoullo on t h e nornlng of t h e

19th. t h e 78th Dlrislon attaoked. The 311th I n f a n t r y t o o k h r m m der

Logon a n d rerohad tho edge of Bollejoyouso Para b f o r e belng drlven back

same 200 yards by onemy a r t l l l o r y fire t h a t afternoon. Conneotion r i t h

t h e 319th I n f a n t r y failed when t h a t r r g i m a n t m o pinned d o m by mahino

gun f i r s from the t o p o f t h e Bois des t o e a s . Fho artillery c o n w n t r a -

t i o n o n t h e wood had not sllonaed l t s gunno The 309th I n f a n t r y agnln

attempted t o advanae up t h e o a s t s m s l d e o f the Bols dss Loges, almost

reaohing t h e t o p b e f o r e it was d r l v e n back r i t h heavy lossos t o i t s

s t a t t l n g poLnL.

"The l i n e s held here were undor an uncearlng b o m b e r b e n t w i t h R1,

shrapnel, and gas s h e l l s , " s a i d YoRaes "while any attempt t o advance ran

i n t o t e r r i f i c machine gun fir.. Our a r t l l l e r y was i n e f f e a t l v s in roduoing

~ am Oeneral
t h e rnaohlne gun n o r t s d e s p i t o t h e heavy f i r e p u t d ~ r n ~ " *Or

42

llnits, 24 Sap-11 Hov, p o 23, German

20 Oct (same page and f i l e ) .
&
-'
Noon Rpt and Rpt of Lossos, 2nd En 252nd Re 19 O o t (76th Res-lub
HD 76th=&,
A 78th Rer Dlv summary of l o s s e s s a i d t h 8 t from 11-20 Oat, 3 offloers
and 53 men had boon k i l l e d , 3 o f f l o o r s and 146 men woundad, and 1 officer
and 44 men gnsmrd (Opn Rp+ 76th Res 2 0 Oat, 76th Bar WB, 26 Sop-12 MOP,
p. 14, German P i l e s Box 200-0 same p e n s 78th M v had l o s t
over 3,000 menD But t h o German 252nd R e g had been hurts "Acoordlng t o
tho raau1t.a of oomputationa the b a t t l e m r t h l n * s r o f t h e r e g i l m t has sunk
in the bst weeks as a r e s u l t of bloody l o s s e s , gas and hoDplta1 siokn08#,
e a p e o i a l l y grlppe and colds."
-
Ron-Sub Unit#--&
(Combat E f f apt,
24 Sop-12 Nov, p o 91, GO=-
-
43
Leoturo, &Rae, p. 9 ; Tng Homo 130. 110 4-6"
- 19 ~
Dunom Suggert*d, h W p O P b b g G * 5 u l 8 Fn tho eaetern edge of tho wobds md

i n t h e area nost of Chhrmplgn.ull0, gaarlng

.
t h e tom hRd r e m l t e d p r i n c i p a l l y

in reinforoomont of t h e wo~d..

Comnenting on the enomy rlre, Divirlon Intelligenoe maid, "Thelr uttl-

lory idem8 t o h ~ v eborn re-enforcod, and ahoy hare platy o f .nantmitiono"

An a r e s u l t , tbare umr "inorasmod artlllory fir. on d l our porltione, with

large quantities of gas en the aftamoaa o f Ootokr l%h...en.my artillsry

fire i s wry notlooably suprlor t o oura In v o l U u!d 10 very a o a u r a t ~ . " ~ ~

Ho reserver from brlgade or ekvirion nore avaiIsblw Lo reliere the

troopr on t h e odgo of *he Bolr dor L o p a , nor had oorps my raplaoom*atso

A t 1100 aomo on 20 0otob.r. tho oorps co6n.nd.r ordered t h e 155th FIrlg.de

l i n e withdrawn t o the Grand Pri-St, Jurin roadD betwoen Fame das Grdas m d

t h e Youlin d'en Bar," As t h e brigade r i t h d m , o b r o m r s reported enmy

gas s h e l l i n g o f t h e mouth o d e of Cho B o l e 4m

. lng.0, hoary gar &eltlp& i n
t h o wood an hour later, and gas aholla pn tha rt+t of Ctrwk;Pem and in
C h a p i g n e ~ f l e . ~In
~ rotallation. and Co o w e tho withdrawnl, the dlvirlonal

artillery put d m HE a d 32 round. o f gar (probably phomgme) on t h e edge

44
SO1 24, 78fh D i r , 19-20 Oot (78hh D i v Bmr 5, 20,l).

45
Opna Rpt, 19-20 Oot; PY l m f C o q r * o 78th Dlv, 0001, 20 Oot.
46
Obrsrv Rpt, 19-20 Oot, OP Be No ooniimrtlon ha. been found ln Oe-
rsOOrd8

- 20 -
 r
Pre'{a"d . ,fJ)
v,c,,,, I l' ON) Bals Cl, ( ~eavell\on
1 t ( 1.,, f,A. O.F.')

of t h e B o i l d*s Loge. and t h e trail as t h e t r o o p s c l e a r e d t h e a r ~ r ~ 4 ~
Cr+
In its f o u r days of f i g h t i n g , t h e bkig.de had r e p o r t e d l y l o s t over

2.000 u f f i o s r s and mon k111.d. rounded nnd gnssed. or more t h a n h a l f its

e f f e c t i w r i f l e s t r e n g t h of 3.6?4., T o t a l gas c a s u a l t l e s in t h e brigade,

according to medioal admifinion l i s t s , were 697.48 The brlgade remained

in p l a c e on t h e Grand P r s h t . J u v l n road, exhausted, u n t f l t h e general

a t t a a k af 1 November.

The Attaok on Grand Pro

mile t h e 155th Brigade was a s s a u l t i n g t h e Bois d e s Loges, t h e

156th Brigade, coming up t o t h e northern edge o f t h e B o i a de Negrwont

at 5 ~ 4 5that rainy morning of 16 Ootnhnr, i n s oharged with t h e reduotion

I
of Grand Pre. Grand P r d o dominated by t h e C i t a d e l , a t h i r t y - f o o t

c l i f f in t h e o e n t e r of t h e tom, was t h e left prong o f a c r e s c e n t sal-

i e n t o f s t r o n g l y f o r t i f i e d high ground extending west through Hill 204

t o Telma H i l l , t h e c r e s c e n t measuring almost five kllometers, though t h e

ohord d i s t a n c e r a a hut t w o , It looked down on t h e approach aaroaa t h e

broad A i r e v a l l e y ( s e e Field Sketoh).

A t 6:35 a.mn, t h e 311th Infantry opened t h e a t t a c k w i t h un asaault

on t h e town of Chevldres, advanoing t o t h e Alre n o r t h and eaat o f t h e

Opns Rpt. IS3rd FA, 6h-&, 20-21 Oat (78th Dlv Box 2 6 , 3301)0 Con-
firmed by 1ID 220th plv, 2 1 Oat (240th Div WhtA. 12 Oct-11 NOI. p o 3,
German F i l e B-7

48
Lecture, YoRae. pp. 9 - 10; see o o a p i l a t l o n of admission l i s t s l a
Analye I so

- 21 -
tom, During t h e n i g h t of 16-17 Ootober. t r o o p s orossed t h e stream and

approached Orand Pr; by way o f t h e bend of t h e Alr~.'~

A t t h e same ti-. t h e 512th Infantry adTuroed t o relieve t h e 77th

/
Division u n i t s a t t h e southwortem edge of Orand ?ree A b a t t a l i o n of t h e
312th I n f a n t r y fought for two days before o o l p l e t i n g t h e oapture of t h e

town South O f the C l t m d B l o It8 & t t . t . m p t E t O tam t h e Citadel by ItO-.

without a r t i l l e r y preparation, f a i l e d . To t h s l e f t , another b a t t a l i o n

o f t h e 312th had forded t h e Aire t h a t morning. advanoed t o oonneot with

t h e French at Eohaude Fame, and dug in along t h o Grand Pre-Eahaude

Ferme road. All attempts by t h e ?ranch and Amerioans t o adranoe from

t h e r e on t h e lBbh and 17fh m r o beaten backs5'

In c r o s s i n g t h e river on t h e 18th. many of t h e t r o o p s of t h e 158th

Brigade " spoiled t h e i r gas m~aks"and " f a i l e d t o r e p o r t in time t o change

canisters." The first of a series of gas a h e l l l u g s ooourred smetime on

t h e 16th, when 25 nen of t h e a t t a o k b a t t a l i o n of the 311th I n f a n t r y wore

g n a s e d i n s valley of HE, phasgene, and mumtnrd gas s h e l l s In tho vicinity

on 1 7 Oatobor. the same regiment was

of ChevibresOs1 Then at 6sOO &ao

caught by a b u r s t of phosgene, mustard, and mowtlng gas s h e l l s above

49
Lecture, MoRae, p o 15; Tng HW 190, XI. 5-6.-
50
Lecture, MoRae, ppo 15-15.

51
T h e 77th Dlr r p t d 'heavy ohelling L E O a d gmo on l)ols do Hegremont,
LaFolie Fae and are. t o r a r d s Chevieres and Besogne" as the 78kh o w up
t o t h e llne (801s 1SZnd FA Brig, Bh-Bh, 16-16 Oat, 77th Dlv Box 29, 20.7).

- - 22
Chevi&es C a s u a l t i e s were reported as approximately 40.52 A t 12810 mom9
. -.

on t h e 1 8 t h . a l m o s t 200 round. o f phosgene and mustard gaa f e l l around t h e

b a t t e r y positions o f t h e 309th FA, oauslng, apparently, only t h r e e o a m a l -

For tau houra through t h e night of 18-19 October, a a e r i e a of

s h o r t a t t a o k 8 with mustard, phosgene, and aruealng gas s h e l l mixed w i t h

HE fell on 312th I n f a n t r y t r o o p s a t Qrand Pie' and along t h e v a l l e y road,

resulting i n M estimated 29 gas c a s u a l t i e s . 54

The c a s u a l t y f l g u r e s f o r t h e s e t h r e e days, in the absence of any

othsr p . s rttrckn r e p o r t e d rt t h e time, -re o o n t r m d l n t s d by t h e D i v i s i m

Surgeon reoords which show 46 gas omsea on 17 October, 74 on t h e 18th,

208 on t h e 19th, m d 72 on t h e 2Oth, f o r a t o t a l of 400 gas oases i n t h e

_-
But a v a l l a b l e Division Surgeon reoorda do not, so P a r a s o m
-- -
be determlned, aooount fox t h e large numbrs o f 78th Dlviaion g a r oasual-

t i e s who found t h e i r way t o t h e 82nd Dlvislun gas t r i a g e m d h o s p i t a l

R p t on Gas A t k , 18 O o t (GAF-TBth Div A t k s ) ; Spenoor, 111. pp- 489-90.

WD 2nd Ldw. 17 Oct, s a i d t h a t a b a t t e r y f i r e d gas on "Strand Ferme LFerme

dss=-=4 t h e ravlne below, and the Alre v a l l e y and Aire ororsings"

(2nd Ldw-Su Units. 26 Sap-18 Oct. pa 28, Oerrmn F i l e s Box 144).
Notes on Recent Opus, 78th Dlv, p.3, 2 1 Bov (78th Div Box 7) says t h a t
"On t w o d i f f e r e n t oooaslons, g m masks were ruined by becoming soaked with
water while t r o o p s were c r o s s i n g rivers," The o t h e r oooasion h a s not been
identified,,
53
Bpt on Gaa Atk, 25 O o t ; Spenoer, 111. 491-92. Enemy o r d e r s f o r the gas-
sing o f Y a r o q by 2nd Ldw a r t y m d o f St. Juvin by 240th Div arty on t h e night
o f 17-18 Oot. age- rounds n o t given, appear I n Div 0, 240th Dlv. 17 O o t
(240th Dlv KD&A, 1 2 Sep-18 Oot, p o 31. both i n Gesrmm F i l e s 'F
54
Rpt on Gas Atk, 19 Oot. No German records have been found t o .upport
t h i s gassing.
65
L t r , DGO 76th Dlv t o C CIIS, 26 Jan 19, subs Xpt i n oompliance with C i r
Ltr N o . 8 9 (GAF-78th Div Sum).
- 23 -
during t h l s period. B e t ~ o n18-20 October, t h e s e g a r o a s u a l t i e a u o u n t e d

t o 481, a l l but 6 f r o m t h e 116th Brigade.

T o t a l gas c a s u a l t i e s in t h e 78th D l v i s i o n f o r t h e period 17-20

Oatohnr, maoardine t o earn h a q i t a l mddmian l l s t s , nunhrrod 867, ma-

than t r i o c t h e o a s u a l t l e s reoorded by t h e 78th Dlrislon a u r g ~ o n . ~Not

~
,
u n t i l e a r l y i n November wan C a p t . Robert F. h l t h , t h e Division Gas Of-

f i c e r , t o acknowledge t h e " e x o e p t l m a l l y heavy' gas o a a u a l t i e s sustained

by t h e d i v l s i o n in t h e opening days of t h e attaok, Although he d i d n o t

rsnturs in h i s l e t t e r t o report t h e i r number, he d l m l s s e d t h e i d e a t h a t

t h e gassing had any e f f e o t on t h e operation., 57

/
WiLh the attaok on Grand Pro 6toppod, hwauy a r t i l l e r y was brought

up, and a t m i d n i g h t on t h e M t h , divlsicm and corpa gun. began a t w o -

hour p r e p a r a t i o n on t h e q u a d r i l a t e r a l about @rand Pro: before a r J a u l t l n g

the 7 uw-1 again.. 58 A t 2soO a o i o on t h e 19th, t h e 912th I n f a n t r y was t o seize

and consolidate. t h e ground up t o t h e m o d s mat of Bellejoyause ?arm ond

thore, joined b j the 311th Infantry, which would oapture t h e farm itself,

c l e a r cut t h e southern edge of the Bols de Bour~ogne. The 311th I n f a n t r y

was also t o e f f e o t and malntaln liaison r i t h t h e SlOth I n f a n t r y . north o f

56
See Analysls.

57
See ltr and a D m w t in &alysls.

68
No estlmate O f the rounds f l f b d ham men found. She a0 oompany of t h e
312th Inf expended 16.000 rounds t h a t n i g h t (Dally 8 1 t u R p t , 309th M G En,
LB-19 Oat, 78th Dirr Box 24).

." 24 -
t h e P e r m e des Lo6.a. W i t h e n f l L d h g f i r e kom t h e s e p o i n t a blooked,

Grand P r o oould t h e n be aasau1t.d Prom t h e e a a t and n ~ r t h e a a t . ~ ~

The a t t a c k of t h e 3 1 2 t h I n f a n t r y on t h e Bola do Bourgogne f a i l e d ,

and t h e 311th Infantry, a f t e r t l L i n g Perme des Lager. m s stopped east o f

jjellejoyeuso Farm, unabla t o e s t a b l i s h lislson with either the 312th or

310th Regiment8060 General H e m , t h e d i v l a i o n n l artillery oannander.

aaoepted p a r t o f t h e r e s p o n r i b i l l t y for t h e fallurec "The heavy Regiment

end t w o groups of Corps A r t i l l e r y (165's) f i r e d on t h e q u a d r i l a t e r a l . . ..

for t w o h o u r s , The r e s u l t of t h e f i r e m a u n s a t i s f a o t o r y as might have

been expeoted- There was no paeslbility of observation and no ahanoe of

adjustrnent,"6l Colonel Anderran, oogmsnder of t h e 312th Infantry, re-

ported t o brigade h e a d q u a r t e r r s

I firmly b e l i e v e t h a t had t h e fog l a s t e d f o r a half hour longer on

t h e day of our seaond a t t a o k , we would nmv be oooupying t h e line desired.
There are not over f i f t y enemy m o h i n e guns to b e c o n s i d e n d b u t h i s
counter barrage muit be divided m d d i s s i p a t e d u n l e s s our heavy util-
lory a m a n n u r e domination of h l s guns..,I reaomnend t h e domolltion of
Orand Pre'north o f t h e C i t a d e l by heavy artillery...as w e l l as t h o gas
and smoke bombardment of t h e Bola do Bourgogne 6 8 oontemplated f i n FU
29, 78th Div, 21 O o t I for as long ae t h e b w b u d l n g parky Lasf.
w i l l not be longode
which -
59
FO 28, 78th Div. 1060 hrs, 18 OeCo
60
SO1 28, 18-19 O o t ; Leoture, YoII.., pp. 19 - 14, 16,

61
Brig (ten C. C o Hsnm, Tng Memo 124; Arty Opns i n t h e Argonno, 22 Fob
19 (78th Div BOX 4n 32016, 0 3 Mm08)o -
62
L t r , Col A * V, P a Andernon, 512th Inf t o Brig Gen Dean (Fang 1 t o
Fallow ll), 2 1 O o t (78th Div Box 7, 33.6 Spec Opn Rpts).

- 25 -
h d e r s o n went On t o propose that tho luln a t t a o t be nrde on Talma A l l l ,

ln order t o take Grand Pr.' f'rm the flank. Division was t o y r s e t o t h e

n e c e s s i t y of t a k l n g Talma BL11, lmt r a n a l s o determined t o take Qrnnd Prd

by frontal aasnult.

On t h e morning oP t h e Both, t h e 168th Brigade -1) d r a m brok t o a

l i n e conforming t o t h a t along which t h e 156th Brigade was disposed, t h a t

is, f r o m F e m d e s Orbus t o a p o l n t one k l l o r v t e r east of Grand Pro.

I63

The d i v i s i o n wae v i r t u a l l y baok where lt had s t a r t e d from on t h e 1'3th.

Norhers had I t mndr my 8Orlous brsaoh ln +ho Kriodilldo S t s l h u g , Par

t h e memy wan a t 1 1 1 holdlng the l i n e Taw-southern edge of t h e Bola do

Bourgope-Bellejoyeuss Ferme-Ferme den Loges-aouthern portion o f t h e Boia

des L o ~ e s - C h a m p l g n ~ l l e ,A~t~ t h l s polnt, t h e P l r a t phase of 78th Dlvi-

sion operation8 come t o an end.

Gar Attaok8 on t h e 78th Divirlon

Whlle t h e d i v i s i o n . i t s l n l t l a l o p e r a t l a n e thwarted r l g h t and left,

rested on t h e 2 1 s t and made p l m n f o r m o t h e r ansault on Grand Prd, "some

phosgene shells East or Brand Prd" hhnt dny roaultsd In R2 n a m m l t l e a . 66

SO1 24, 19-20 Oat; Tng Memo 1S0, 11. 6-7.

64
*ns Rpt. 17-18 (lot; SO1 27, 22-25 Oat.

65
Gpns Rpt, 78th Div. 21-22 Out; DIT l u r O f f i c e records. l n It?, WO
78th DiT t o C CUB, 26 Jan (QAF-78th Dlr S m f .

- 26 -
The next. day, heavy s h e l l i n g w i t h gas s h e l l s was reported a t ntm on t h e

l d a r c q 4 t . . J u v i n road,66

Although no gas was reporfed. and i t s abaence even remarked on in t h e

Sunmaries of I n t e l l i g e n o e f o r t h e nrzt f i v e d y s , Dbaermra r e p o r t s f o r

t h a t p e r i o d i n d l o a t e dally gas ahellingo UHeary gae a h e l l i n g over Grand

Preto the e a s t a t 1530 hourr. n r c t e t h e obaerver a t OP Odetta i n h i s

r e p o r t o f Z&23 Ootoberc And t h e next day, Throughout the afternoon and

evening t h e r e was t h e u s u a l s h e l l l n g o f t h e Cheri&res-Ynrcq-La Besoepe

roads w i t h gas and HE, some of .%9 s i z e , n r e p o r t e d OP 8 , On t h e Same dny,

23- 24 October, OF O d e t t m reported Fivm gaa s h e l l s n8ar Rellejoyeuse, t e n

r!, cirhes Feme, RE and gas on La Folie Ferme, Lerge mount o f gas and
HE i n t h e Grand Prearea. w r o t e t h e obrerver a t OP Yadelon on 25- 26

October, and OP 8 r s p o r t e d gas e h s l h on t h e southern edge of t h e Bois

dea Loges n t 1136 h o u r s a 0.8 r h e l l l n g , denied by t h e d i v i s i o n i n t e l l i g e n c e

66
Octo
SO1 26,-21,-.22 Although sp*oiflo r p t s o f enemy gas opns for
t h i 6 period are n o t a v a l l a b l e , t h e 76th Bes a r t y wan CWrying out gas miP-
sions t h e n as l a e v i a b n t from this r p t by n 195th Dlr unit. on 22 O o t r
Today a t MSO-0516 p.rn,,,+a battery (horitzers), a p p a r e n t l y a flank
b n t t o r y o f t h e nrlghborfng division, f i r e d rounds from a a o u t h e a s t e r l y
direction conalderably short of the n o r t h edge o f Telma Hsfghta md t o
the north o f Talma Heights, also r g a i n a t t h e baok o f rqr l e f t ring. ~ r y2nd
company,, Today a t 1030-1115 psmo Mat appaared t o be a f i e l d b a t t e r y
f i r e d sommhat ah01-t behind 2nd oompany in Taha villageo One round
f e l l 10 m t e r s from my B a t t l e Troop Conrmander O o T a K 0 I duzout.oo.The
b a t t e r y rrotually strewed t h o whole u e a p a r t l y with gas s h e l l s . A dugout
o f t h e 2nd oompeny waa t o t a l l y g a r r e d so t h a t t h e oonneotion with t h e
reyiiaant w a a broken (FM 26Obh FAe 196t.h Diu WDU, pp. 53-61, h - Fils8
Box 215)
Rpt of a 76th Bes arty gas and HE p r e p a r a t i o n on t h e 26th is r p t e d
i n RD 24Oth Di-mWA, 1 2 Oot-11 Bov,. p. 4, Geman F i l e s Box 2 2 9 ) ;
the b r w 3 0 U t h m,. Juv& was gaeaed 1:hct smo day with yellow a r c s 8
--
(WD Arty Comdr, 25 Oct,. l b i d . , po ?)e
.

- 27 -
reports, was a l s o observed on 28-27 O ~ t o b e z . ~ ~

N l t h or without o b s e r r e r o o p f l m a t l a n . t h e h o a p l t a l admlsslon llmts

i n d i c a t e t h a t gas o a s u a l t i e a f o r e brought into t h e f i e l d h o s p i t a l s of t h e

dlvlslon emry alngle day betwuen 20 October m d 3 I-ber, There were

as f e w as 9 on one day and M many as 95 on mMher. The aggregate warn

over 480 i n the 15day perlodo To what extant t h i e almBt d a l l y ooour-
renoe o f l i g h t and random gns a h e l l l n g a f f e o t e d '18th Dlvislon o p e f a t i o n s

oanuot a t t h i s d l s t a n o e be assqeeed. Thnt I t -8 an u n t r l s d d i v i s i o n ,

ongaged in LP ammault operation for the first aim+. m a y raoount In part

for i t s heavy l o s m s . j u s t aa prolonged tveuhg b t t h e gas mask, as a

r e s u l t of t h e p e r s i s t e n t s h e l l i n g , may aaaouat In p a r t for its e b l y ex-

haustiono

A f u r t h e r dilOUESLOn of these gas attaoka, unaoknowledged for t h e

m o s t part by 78th Dlrlsion I n t e l l l g e n o e and ignored in o p e r a t i o n s reports

and Notes on Rooon%Operations, appears ln t h e Analysis. Here it is only

necessary t o note, as a p o a r i b l e p a r t l a l explanation for t h e g e n e r a l l y m-

s a t i s f a c t o r y r e p o r t s on mew s h e l l i n g , b a t h gas and W, a 0 - 2 memoran-

dum on Z? Ootober f o r brigade, reglmental, and b a t t a l i o n i n t b l l i g s n o e of-

f i c e r s s "During t h e present perlod of s t a b l l l r a t i o n o . o a d a i l y r e p o r t of

enemy s h e l l i n g w i l l be made, t o be l n this o f f l o e by 10800 p.m.* It went

on t o o u t l i n e the method of p r e p a r a t i o n and t h e lxiformation d e s i r e d i n the

d a i l y r e p o r t , as though It nure an innowtlon.

67
78th Dir Box 3, 2 ? . 8 4 b s & t e a
 The Cnpture of @randPre'

By nor General YoRae was oonrinoed t h a t t h e key t o t h e problem of t h e

78th was t h e h e i g h t . in t h e Bourgogne wood3 above Grand Pro: whiah oontrol-

l e d t h e Bois des Loges. He t h e r e f o r e scoured oorps aooeptanoe of h i s p l a n
t o g a i n Lhase heights ~d t h e n adtanoo by infiltration t h r o u g h t h e roods t o

where t h s Bois d e s Loges m l g h t be *.ken in fhuk and rear. 68

The two-pronged a t t a o k was p l u m e d for 23 October, following a des-

/
t r u o t f v e bombardment with HE on t h e n o r t h e r n p a r t of Grand Pre and t h e

B o i s do Bourgogne., With t h e arsistanae of o o r p s artlllery, phosgene was

t o be put down o n known maohinn gun p o a l t i o n s on t h e southern edge o f t h e

Bois d e Bourgogne and on t h e w e s t e r n and southern edges o f t h e Bola des

Logeso Counter- bnttery fire, as w a l l as h a r a s s l n g r l r e on enemy lines of

c o m u n i c a t l o n , was t o be c n r r i a d o u t by c o r p e and army a r t i l l e r y . T o

moke screens were t o be l a i d down with Boo 3 l l q u l d phosphorus s h e l l ,

through which t h e convarging a t t n o k s on Grand Pre'and Talma H i l l would be

d e l i v e r e d o The i n f a n t r y was t o make f u l l use o f phosphorus m d t h e r m l t e

69
grenade 8

An assault team of two oompanles and a maohine gun platoon, advancing

with a rolling barrage o f artlllery and machine gun f i r e . r o u l d t a k e t h e

C i t a d e l , advance t o Hill 204 and along t h e e a s t e r n edge of t h e B o l a de

68
L e o t u r e , MoRne, p. 17,

69
Fo 29, 78th Dlv, 0230 h r s , 21 Oct, p a r 3P.

- 29 =
Bourgogne, 1, eeoond a s s a u l t team would follow t h e f i r s t and extend t h e

l i n e t o the edge o f t h e m o d s on t h a east slope of Talma H i l l . A battal-

Inn each of t h e 311th and 312th Beglments would t h e n advmoe and taLe

Talma Hill and t h e r i d g e In t h e Bola do Bourgb@e, a d , fanning out t o t h e

70
east, olear t h e ~ 0 0 6 .

In t h e gas p r e p a r a t i o n on t h e 22-23 October, t h e d i v i s i o n 166's put

8 9 0 rounds of phosgene s h e l l l n t o t h e southeast oorner of t h e Eois do

Bourgogne from A minus 6 t o A nlnui 3 hours. with oorps artillery f i r i n g

1,508 rounds of phosgene along t h e southern edge of t h e rood. (Hap No. 5).

T h e f a i l u r e of the l n f a n + y to reaoh lts o b j e c t i v a 1ePt t h e r s a u l t a un-

There Is no record that any gas m s p u t on t h e Bois des Loges,

as p h n n e d , and no explanation f o r t h e omission.

In the attaok OB t h e ZSrd, t h e w a l l o f t h e C i t a d e l was soaled and

Talma Hill wa8 taken by t h e 312th I n f a n t r y b u t t h e a t t a o k -8s h a l t e d be-

fore Rill 204 and t h e Bola de Eourgegne by t h e Qorman dotenses. Attempts

t o advance t h e next day *nro \mauoaossfulo 72 Captured Oermana s t a t e d t h a t

70
Leoture, Y&aeo pp. 17-18; Tng Memo 130, 11, 7-8, 22; W 29, 78th Div,
0250 hrs, 21 Oot; +no 0 49, 163rd FA Brig, 21 Ost (78th Div Box 24).

71
Opna R p t , 153rd FA Brig,, 22-23 Dot (1st A B o x 339, Gas Rpta 1st AC);
1st C Arty, Daily S i t u of &mu0 ( l r t C Box 58); Opns apt, I d C, 23 Oot
( 1 s t C Box 24. 33.1),
The 76th Bas r p t d 3 gas o a s u a k i e s otl 2 1 Oot and 6 more on t h e 27th
(KD 76th Roa B r i g . 24, 27 O u t , 78th Roe DiT-Sub V n i t s - U W A , 24 S.p-11
ppo 25, 28. Oerman Files Box 20a).
72
Leoture, UoRae. p a 181 Icg 30, 78th Div, 1930 h r s , 23 Oot; Opns apt,
23-24 O o t i Fo 31, 78th Div, 1230 hrs, Oot.

- 30 -
PR.E PAR.A,\0 N
FOA. THE P\lTAC\4.
ON U OCTOBER

00\'S OE

r:.

"

tn,t ruction
@ ,,!..,.., l ~o<J"' FA.) d<arl"1 da.'J 1Z Od

Nt:1.1t ... li~t10,-,

@ 115 ...,.. (?10i11, l'"A.} ,JS ':ip-c.~I
<:~*"'l'l~d ~~ \-1~.'l-tOd
COt'pS Arhll,~.. '# I Sp.--.1
. ., ...,, .. 1-.. bot l-lt, 11 Oct

,o...-ce , "'""t-. 1'~~4 t.. Op" 0 4'1, H.,. r=A

1:1.-1~, 11 0<.t (1e11.D1,. 601< 1.4, OpouO
MA.P NO. 5

30a
t h e B o i s do Bourgogu wa8 r t r o n g l y ooouplod. Their for008 m r o confident

of h o l d l n g it and had h8ard nothlng about withdrawing from t h e m o d e T 3

On the morning o f t h e LOth, a b a t f a l l o n of t h o 311th Infmtry pasaed

through t h e 312th on Talau H i l l and galnod tho right odgo of t h e Boil de

BOUrgOgnU, &or Lhe supporting msohine gun oompa"y o f the 311th had p u t

down a one-hour barrage o f 13,000 round8 on rnw positlons betmen

Bellejoyeuse Feme and Ferae do8 Loge8." The 8 t r u g g l a on t h e edge of

t h e wood oontlnued through t h e n i @ t and a11 t h e next day.

On t h e afternoon o f t h e 28th. t h o 240th Divirion axeouted "gas sur-

p r i m attaoke on t h e northwad o x i f r of Yaraq md t h e v a l l e y m a t of

Yarcq," presumably t o i n t o r d i o t 78th Division a r t i l l e r y o r infurtry re-

inforcementso The dlriaion reported Only " A large psro6ntag* uf heavy

caliber shells 011 our f r o n t l i n e s , with no gas," but OP Odetta said, "Gas

shells a t t h e rate of t w o a a l n u t e f e l l in t h e area nrt of Grand Prk"

between 1500-1600 hours, whlle OP 8 r e p o r t e d "0.8 on Yuoq-Cornay road"

at 1425, "Heavy o a l i b e r and g a r on Y u o q " a t 1618, m d observed t h a t t h e

-
"Enemy send gas on our r e v

o f our artillery f

312th Inf t o G
Div, 1215 hrs. 24 Out;
26, 60.20)0

74
~ r

- 3,
8..
o ~
u o a 6 appmrsutly

n ~ ~
~OICOU~ on rooount of laok

1040 hrs, 23 Oot; N 0 - 3 1.t C t o 0 2 78th

rlao 601 82, 1st C A r t y , 21-42 Oat (1st C B o x
-

SOT 29, 24- 26 OOt; Dally S l t u Rpt, SOS'th 19 m, 26 Out (78th D l v Box
24, DS Rpts).
76
. 1

WD Arty Cordr, 27 Oct, o p e i t , p . 9; BOI 310 26-27 Oot; OP rpts in

78th Div BOX 3, 27.8.

- 31 -
 I n p r e p a r a t i o n for a o w n b r . t t a o k on O r a d Pra'on t h e aftOrnoon of

t h e 27th, t h e 76th Reaerw D ~ l ~ a series of gaa l t t a a k s on

i ~ l orderad
t h a t tom and on Forms do8 W h a s for t h e night o f 26-27 Ootobor. Thero

i n no evidenoe t h a t the gas -8 flred, .nd t h e c o u n t e r a t t a o k itself was

repulsed. That some afternoon t h e flanking b a t t a l i o n o f t h e 311th made

c o n t a c t w i t h t h e o t h e r unit. of t h e regiment on A l l 1 204, thus oollpleting

t h e reduction of Grand Prd7'

With the oonaolidatlon of tho t o w n m d the t r r r a i n t o t t m north,

t h e f r o n t of t h e F i r o t Army wus rgrin etmlghten*d. The 0.mm l i n e t h a t

dny was reportod as n o r t h of h a y - r o u t h o a s t through t h e B o l a da Bourgogne-

Boll.joy~u#~ ?m-F.rQd.r Logam-sOuth*m ~ d g eO f Bole d.6 LOgeW-Chpaplg-

neulle077

In t h e trelm-day struggle f o r Orand Pro! the l W h Brigad* hrd lost

n reported 47 o f f l o e r s and 1,674 men k i l l e d , rounded, uld eewrely gassed,

out o f an o r i g i n a l r l f l e 6t-h of 3,706. 80 b d l y dealmated was i t s

312th I n f a n t r y t h a t It waa t a k e n out of t h o line, not t o r e t u r n u n t i l t h e

division had moved through the Krlamhllde Stellung. Between 16-17 Ootober.

o a s u a l t l e s in t h a t regiment a l o n e amounted t o 26 offloern and 927 men.

'76
DLv 0 , 76th Re0 26 O& (76th 6
.
P llw3. 2 8 8.p-27 BOY, p. 144,
German Files-$; 311bh IUf , 1315 h r s , 27 Oot; Leeture, McRae,
po 190
77
opns Rpt, 27-28 Oot; 801 S 1 . 26-27 Oot.

- 32 -
with 95 k i l l e d , 632 wounded, 190 g a r r e d nnd e m o u a t e d , L8 captured, m d

20 missing.
78

With t h e oocupation o f ?alum v i l l a g e on 28 October and Bellejoyeuse

Farm on t h e 29th. t h e f r o n t o f the 78th Dlvisim extended along the l i n e

Talma-Dole do Bour&ogns-Be11ejoysas~ Farm-Fame do8 Loges-i%me d e s i3r&we.

There t h e d i v l s l o n waited, for em lwenae a r t i l l e r y p r e p a r a t i o n r o u l d be

n e c e s s a r y t o pound a p a r t t h e l a s t p a s i t l o n e of the 2 l r i s m h l l d s Stellung a11

8orosa t h e front and open t h e r a y f o r t h e advanoe of F i r s t Amy t o Sedan.

The P l i g h t o f t h e Opposing Poroes

The 78th Division had been f i g h t i n g tired but desperate troops.

D i v i s i o n a l i n t e l l i g e n o e sunmarlea i n t h i s p e r i o d present R uniform p i o t u r e

o f a n enemy l n s t r a l g h t e n e d oiroumstanoee, h i s oolnpany s t r e n g t h reported

by oaptured t r o o p s t o nlrmber as few as twenty m d i n almost no oase more

t h a n seventy- five e f f s o t l v e riflemen, n l t h four or flvm IYcO's, d h i s

regiments without u n i t s in Supp0l-t and NlthOut hope o f rollsf.'' Yet the

enemy machine gun and a r t l l l e r y elements i n t h e Krlemhilde S t e l l u n g seem

t o !lave been maintained l a r g e l y i n t a c t and supplied r l t h abundant amnunl-

+.ion, As one r e p o r t said. " H o s t l l e l i g h t maohlne gun d s t a a b t s , rsll

78
L e o t u r s , MuRae. ppo 19-203 r p p f , $0 SIZth I d t o CG 158th Rrle, 30
Oct, sub8 Rpt o f Capture of Grad Pro-Talma s a l l e n t (78th Dir Box 7,
33.6, Spec Opn R p t a ) ,

79
0 56, 1st ).,10 Oot, p a r l a "The enemy In h i s attempts t o s t o p our
advance has t h r o m h i s d i v i s i o n s i n t o t h e llne by N g ~ ~ ~ t80s
S a~l s "
o
War Diary, 8 Oct, U. S o Army i n World War, Vo1. D, pe 545.

- 33 -
e n t r e n d e d . are almost rooted t o t h e These -re t h e foraea t h a t

held t h e 78th Diviaion, and with it t h e e n t i r e F i r s t Amy, virtually in

plaos from 16 Ootober t o 2 November.

But i n t h i s f o u r t h year of t h e war, t h e 0.- armies were approaoh-

ing t h e end, w a i t i n g for t h e order t o retreat. On 3 October 1918, a t t h e

demand of Ludendatff . a d Hiadenburg, 0s-y made her first overture t o

P r e s i d e n t Wilson for an armirtioe.'l ou 1 7 Oototxw. two ~ u a a i a nprisoners

o f war, escaping i n t o F i r s t Army l i n e s , reported t h a t u h l l e more and more

German hrtillery was being brought i n t o t h e Briquenay-Thenorpea m o t o r ,

German corps headquarters hrd b w n r e o s n t l y moved ITw auranoy t o Liedan

( s e e Yap lo. 1). Moreover, t h e y had "heard of the C+mmrequest for an

armistice, and..-the ohmge In t h e morale of t h o Oarman t r o o p s during t h e

last month [ h a d l been w r y marked and almost undesoribable (sia); so

muoh so a n t t h e slogan ' O n t o P a r l a ' p a d 1 now a w e t o br regarded a l -

moot PG o huge jokemae2

80
SO1 51, 26-27 Oot; uee also H) 88, 1st A, 27 oot, p a r l ( a ) ; opns Rpt
27. G
pa 358).
-3, 1st A, 29-30 O O t , p U 2 ( n o S. in t h e World War, Vole 9,

81
By mld-oatober, & l l e diplomatlo n o t e s liere s t i l 1 being exohangod,
LudendorfP boome more a a n , p l n a rbnut tha m i l i t a r y nituation ( t h e dvnerioano
were being aontained, and 660,000 r e i a f a r o s w n t a were promlaed soon, by
oombing o u t t h e home front). E m with t h e d l d s a a l of Ludendorff on 25
Oct, Hindenburg remained and t h e Gsnurn Armistioe Committee d i d n o t 01'08s
tne f r o n t until '7 Novembero

82
SO1 21, 16-17 Oot. C f . dooussnts atohd t o ltr. CO SL2th Inf t o CG
166th Brig, 28 BOP 18. sub: Statements of pen r h o esoaped f r o m brmnn
hands (78th Div Box 57, f o l 6 ) .

- 34 -
 firom t h e i n t e r r o g a t l o n o f p r i s o n e r s I t
I
x.. learned t h a t t h e r e was no

defense l i n e between Grand Pro and t h e Yeuae, a d t h a t In another assault

t h e tiermans w e r e t o fall baok t o t h e river, A p r i c e captured doormrerrt in

m i d - O c t o b e r gave d e t a i l e d i n s t r u c t i o n s f o r t h e r l t h d r a r a l O f C%RnUl for008

t o t h e v i c i n l t y o f Brlquenay, and L p r i a o n e r taken on 23 Ootobor s a i d t h n t

a g e n e r a l withdrawal w m a l r e a d y in process, with t h e r a i l r o a d a t o t h e

83
n o r t h t u r n e d over a n t i r e l y t o t h e e r a o u a t i o n of materiel.

Thoso rumera and r e p o r t s l e d F i r a t m y . in Its f i e l d ordera for 2 3

October, t o nnk f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e t h a t " l e t Corpr...take speoial steps

t o insure early lnfonnation o r any h o o t 1 1 0 rlthdra-1,' The next day.

" a l l troops" rere d i r e o t e d t o r e p o r t any sign of r e t r e a t . The order# for

t h e 26th s a i d t h a t in case of withdrawal o f t h e enemy on t h e hrmy'front,

a l l f o r c e s were to pursue a t onoe and keep oontaot. The r o u t e o f p u r s u i t

i n 1st C o r p s m a t o be Grand P1.1(-Br~guenayAuthe-Brieulles 8ur B ~ r - T a n n y . ~ ~

On the Z6th, Army Intelligence reported that r e c e n t p r i s o n e r s mre

p o s i t i v e t h a t a withdrawal t o Briquenay would soon take plaoe, with a

second withdrawal to the v i c i n i t y of AutheOe6 The next day an unofriuirl

copy of a recent Germnn r e p l y t o President WiLaon appeared in t h e SLarmary

-
83
MS H i a t of 78tih Div, p - 30 (78th DIv Box 2. 1104).

04
FC 83 1st A. 1000 hrs, 23 Oat, par 2 ; H) 84# 0925 h r a , 24 Oot, par
3D ( 2 ) ; Fo 87, 1800 h r s , 25 Oct, p a r 1-

R5
so1 32. 27 .El3 Out

- 35 -
of I n t e l l i g e n o e , reading in partr "The German g o m m e n t now awaits pro-

p o s a l s for an a n u i s t i c e , pretlmlnary t o a j u s t peaoe a1 c h a r a c t e r i z e d

by the Preoidrnt in h i s p u b l l o o t n f r m m t (i-0." the P o u r b r a P o i n t s Laid

down i n h i s measage t o Congreae on 8 January 1818).'

When problng reoonnalssanoea a l l along t h e Army f r o n t revealed t h a t

enemy foroes were s t i l l o f f e r i n g strong resistmoo and showed no lm-

mediate signs o f r e t r e a t l u g , Army had t o r e p o r t 'So c h a n p i n a h e situ-

ation. .The F i r s t Amerioan Army w l l l oontlnrt. i t r preparation f o r a t -

taokaWa6 On SO October, Army Artillery Information S e r v i c e said8 "Hlth

t h e exception of t h e extreme left rhere t h e a o t i v l t y of enemy p a t r o l s

appears t o have p r a c t i o a l l y ceased, t h e memy's a l e r t n e s s p a s f io-

creased, Any poI.Ipent8 of our p a t r o l s were m e t by heavy machine gun fire.

The stubbornness w i t h r h i o h the enemy maintains h i s front and s t a y s with

h i s machine gunr t e n d s t o d l a o r e d l t t h e r e p o r t s of p r i s o n e r a on t h e lor

m c r a l o of tho 0p.p~troop^.**^ Lplr orders on tho laat flrs day6 o f the

month oonflrmed t h e enemy s i t u a t l o n and repeated t h a t t h e r e would be no

ohange in t h e missions of the corps, a r t i 1 h - y . or servioes. Large quan-

t i t i e s o f gas n r e t o be u w d I n t h e f l n a l a s s a u l t .

86
Fo 8 9 , l e t A, 1000 hrs, 26 Oot. p u b 2.
87
AIS Bul 68 (1st A Box 86, 60/.?0.4).

- 36 -
 Devszvpment o f t h e A= Bad P l U l

I n Marshal Foch's d l r e o t l v e o f 11 October t o t h e F i r s t Amorloan &my

. reconmended t h n t t h e p r l n o i p a l a t t m k be made
In t h e Y ~ u s ~ - ~ J - R o z u I ~he on
t h e left flank (1st Corps), no p a r t of a wheeling a o t l o n t o pullh msmy
f o r o e s back noraso Lhs Meuss, when j u n o t i o n of t h a t fLank and t h e Fourth

Frenoh Army was made in t h e v i o i n i t y of Boult &us B O ~ S . Fooh'r

~ ~ plm

t h e r e f o r e n e o e a s l t a t e d t h e c l e a r i n g of t h e woods east o f t h e Alsne and

n o r t h o f t h e l i r e (i.e.. t h e Boir de Bourgogne and B o l a den Logee). in

89
order t o flank t h e enemy l i n e On t h e Alane.

Daily orderu from Army had urged 1st Corps t o clear t h e two roods

on its f r o n t , with Army a r t i l l e r y offered on t h e 17th t o anriot the ad-

On~ t h e 19th. Army a b i t t s d t h a t t h e general a t t a o k begun On

rrnn~e.~

14 Ootober had bogged d o n , L i t t l e had been a o h l e w d a t high o o h , and

n e i t h e r t h e right flank nor c e n t e r oould adranoe f u r t h e r u n t i l t h e Boie

do Baurgogna NILS a l e a r e d on t h e l e f t . The Army line p . u n h i l e n o " t o

91
improve its p c s i t i o n p r e p a r a t o r y t o a general attaok."

88
Ltr, CinC AEF t o L i g g e t t GO 1st A, 16 Oot (U.6. &my in t h e World
U z * Vol, 9, p. 276,

89
H p t of 1 s t A, p o 76 ( e x t r a c t e d in above, VOl. 9, pp. 28647).

90
Fr) 69, let A, 1730 hrs, 16 O o t , p a r JE; KI 72, 1246 hrs, 17 Oat,
p a r s 3E, 3F(l)"

91
FO 75, 1st A, 19 Oct; FU 88, 23 00%. p a r 2.

- -
57
 Four days after t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f t h e &eon& & O ~ ~ C M &my on 12

October under Y i j . Qana Robert L. Bullard, Ma3. Oar. Hunter Ligggstt aenaasd

oannnand of F i r r t Lrny md, nPter ordorbg rest md ~eorganirctlonfor t h e

Army, s e t about recanting both t h e beet108 and plan of t h e sezt adacmae.

Incltead o f batterins "at the nrturally a t r o n g m d B l ( n L 1 y r o o d s d Bole do

Bourgogne &roe due north of t h o ArgormO, rhore d u o t h e 'nay was in strong-

e s t force, Liggett CdeoidadJ t o d r i v e a broid wedge In t h e c e n t r e end 80

outflank t h e B o l e de Bourgope, t h r e a b n i n g its onolrohment tn oonjlmotion

with t h e French Fourth lsmy t o t h e met0"9z&d f o r tbe first time, d i r i e -

ions and o o r p s were ordered t o UM g u l&vishLy.

On 18 October, Colonel &hula. the Axmy O u Oiflrer, n v t e t o the Chief

of S t a f f s "It is t h e p r e s e n t uuderstanding of t h l r o f f l o e thaf Yperlte bomb-

bardments mat of t h e Yeuse a r e p r o h l b l t e d , exaept by express conmad o f t h e

Commanding Oenerel or Chief of S t a f f , First -0' But in t h e wuxt t h a t

t h e l i n e is s t a b i l l z e d , he oontlnued, he urged t h a t d l o b t a t n r b l e &as be

used, and t h a t oorps end d i v i s i o n r k enooura@d t o have it on h d . "It

is h p ~ u b a L l s , in a n y e v e n t , t h a t t h e q u a n t i t y of shell obtalnabla rlll be

s u f f i c i e n t t o i n t e r f e r e s e r i o u r l y w i t h any generel wivanoe of our army.*93

On 20 October, as t h e 78th Divlrion disengaged it0 forcss, headquarters

formally countermanded i t s order o f a month earlier f o r t h e um only of

92
B , H , L i d d e l l H a r t . The h a 1 H w 1914-11118 (Littls, B r o m , 1930). p.
~68

3
Memo. CC.0 1st A, 16 Oct ( W - 1 s t C Ylao).

- 30 -
n o n p e r s i s t e n t gas weat o f t h o Youso. " Yperite, or mustard gas, may be used

at t h e d i r o r e t i o n of Corps Co-dera w i t h l n t h e l r Corps zonem of aotion,

a f t e r s p e c i f l c approval by t h e r e Headquarters." Corps and d i v i s i o n s were

t o keep a supply o f y p e r i t e s h e l l an hand t o use *en t a o t i o a l oonditions

warranted i t E eaplayment. 94

The revised F i r s t h y p l a n of a t t a c k , approved by Pershing on t h e

22nd, d i r e a t e d t h a t t h e m a i n n r s a u l t be mnde on t h e 6th Corpe f r o n t , with

t h e o b j e c t of f i r s t c a p t u r i n g t h e h e i g h t s of B a r r l o o u r t and t h e n e f f e c t i n g

junction w i t h t h e Frenoh n t Roult aux Boie. an the l e f t . Capture of t h e

Harrlcourt r i d g e would f l n n k t h e *ole enemy p o s i t l o n , oompelling h i s

withdrawal t o t h e e a s t o f t h e Meuse, and it would avoid "the h a r d and ex-

pensive f i g h t i n g " o f a heavy attrok on t h e lit Corps f ~ o n t . ~ ~

Two days l a t e r , on t h e 24th, Army issued a new gae d i r e c t i v e t o t h e

artillery# " Yperite w i l l be used on h o a t l l e b a t t e r y p o s i t i o n s e a s t of

t h e Yeuse, n o r t h o f Vilosnes sur Meuae. and in t h e Bois de Bourgogne, t h e

l a t t e r i n agreement with t h e Comaanding Oeneral, 1st Corps." The direo-

t l n n s were made more s p e c i f l c on t h e 27th, h e n orders were lirrued f o r t h e

general assault, In conjunction w i t h t h e Fourth Wenoh Army, on 1 November.

94--
Memo, Hugh A. Drum, CS 1st A, 20 Oot, subs rslployment o f Yperite (HD
H i a t Box 300. 93.6); also in U.S. Array in t h e World War. Vol. 9. p. S06,
and 26th Div Box 249, fol 4.

96
Rpt o r 1st A, PO 80 (oxtraoted i n u.S. &my l n t h e Horld War, Vul. 9,
ppe 286-87)s

- 39 -
Army o b j e c t i v e s were t h e h e i g h t s o f Barrioour+. and j u n o t l c n with t h e French

a t B o u l t aux Bois (Map N o e 6)-

Gas w i l l be u t i l i z e d t o t h e f u l l e & p o s s i b l e e x t e n t in p r e p a r i n g l o r
and a s s i s t i n g the i n f a n t r y atteok, by i n f l i c t i n g a a s u a l t i e s on en- oonoen-
t r a t i o m : neutraliring enemy b a t t e r y , aaohine gun m d obselation p o s i t i o n r .
both b e f o r e and d u r i n g t h e attack; h a r a s s i n g ene!ny movement along lines of
t r d f l c . and depormlitlng and rearliig down unaay troops, lncludlng t h o s e in
support and in r e s e r v e o

Y p e r i t e rill be employed, e s p e o l a l l y i n t h n n a u t m l i 7 n t i o n of h o s t i l e
f i r e and observation on t h e h e i g h t s e a a t o f t h e MEUSE, i n t h e BOIS DE
SASSEY, Bnd on t h e h e i g h t s in t h e BOIS DE B O U R G O O ~sor:th o f LE MORTHOMME.Cj6

With U o t h T l e n K d p r o t e e t o 6 by y p e r i t s , Army Intended t o d r i v e through

the c e n t e r , making l i b e r a l use o f l e t h a l gas on s t r o n g p o i n t s o f the Krism-

h i l d e Stellung in t h e Army l i n e of advance, With S r i s f n o t i c e of ges

o p e r a t i o n s on t h e r i g h t f l a n k o f Amy, t h e aocount t h a t follows of the final

breakthroagh will be t o l d p r i n o i p a l l y through t h e o p e r e t i o m o f t h e 78th

Division. on t h e far l e f t o

Yperltlng t h e Bola da Rourgsgns

Y p e r l t i n g east o f t h e Yeuse by Army and 3rd Corps a r t i l l e r y elements

uuul.lriuad a l l through t h e letter half of Ootober. with new t a r g e t s and areas

---
96
Fo 84, 1st A, 0925 hrs, 24 p a r 3D(2); FU 88, c o r r copy, 1500 h r s ,
27 Oct,paPa 2, 3G(5).
It does not seem p o s s i b l e e i t h e r t o date Map Roo 6 a c c u r a t e l y or t o
i d e n t i f y it w i t h a p a r t l o u l a r Army FO, It probably r a made ~ sometime be-
tween ZI and 30 O c t , The gassing of t h e B o f s do Sassey, i n d i o a t e d on t h e
map, f i r s t appears in &my FD 88, e7 Oot;: t h e r e l i e f of t h e 82nd by t h e 77th
and 8 O t h D i v m d i d not take p l r o e untll 30-31 O o t o R o w m a r , n e l t h s r t h e
j u m p o f f l i n e on t h e map n o r the lndioated gassing o f Grand P r e o o r r s q o n d
t o t h e s i t u a t i o n on t h o s e d a t e s o It is t h e r e f o r e d i f f i o u l t t o j u a t i i p t h l e
map o t h e r than t o m y it obviously I n d i c a t e 6 t h e existence o f an overrll gas
plan f o r t h e f i n a l phase o f t h e ofknsive. It atin b. assumed t h a t t h e map
i s a p l a n for y p e r i t i n g , s h o e none o f t h e a r e a s gaased w i t h non - persistent
agents on 31 O o t - 1 NOV are marked on t h e m ~ p >
- 40 ~
under i n t e r d i o t l o n fire almost every o t h e r day. The g a s p r e p a r a t i o n for
t h e f i n a i b a t t l e of t h e campaign began on t h e n i g h t of 29-30 Ootober nhen

m y c,i-i:ill.+ry put m u s t s r d gas on f l v a s d d t t l a n r l arema norom the ?hiinn

( M a p No, 7). A r m y s Verdun-Teissler Grouping firud 5,700 Moo 20 s h e l l s in

t h e missionp 97 J u s t w e s t of t h e Meuae, t h e p r i n o i p d t a r g e t of 3rd Corps

was t h e B o i s da Sasaey, another p o t e n t i a l Bols de Bourgogne or Boia des

Loges, r h o r e four German infantry oompanies and an a r t i l l e r y regiment had

been l d e n t i f i e d .

On t h e afternoon of 33 October, 3rd Corps a r t i l l e r y f i r e d 3,000 751nm.

lery completed t h e fire with 2,000 more rounds of y p e r i t e i n t h e Bole, and

another 1,000 roundn on t h e n i g h t of 31 October-1 Novembero99

-
97
Daily Rpt o f the V-T Gr, 24 Sop-11 BOW (1st A BOX 89, 191)o These
r e p o r t s s h m a t o t a l of 37,286 No, 2 0 s h e l l s fired in t h e missions e a s t of
tho ldouie b e t r e e n 14-23 Ootobor,

98
Rp;, CGO 3rd C. rubs Data o f Various Attaoks uf Units in t h e 3rd ACD
atchd t o ltr, CGO 3rd C t o Corps and Div oOSas31 Jen 19, sub: Request for
Rpt (WD H i s t CWS B o x 300, 33,6).
Ltr, CQO 3rd C t o COO 1 s t As 3 Iov, sub8 Weekly Rpt. said aorps arty
f i r e d 2 000 rounds of P O on t h e B o l a do Sasssy on 25-26 Oot. There was no
mention o f t h e TO O o t mission (OAF-3rd C).

99
FM J r d C t c 3 r d FA B r i g , 3rd Div, 1415, 30 Oat (3rd Div Box 51. 32,16,
FM-fol ?l); Arty 0 4, 3 r d C Arty,, 30 Oct (KD H i s t Box 300, 33-13); ltr, CGO
3rd C t >C 12 NOv, sub: Rpt on Gas A o t I V l t i e s for O o t (GAF).
A n ) t h s r postwar r p t says the 3rd Div f i r e d 2,000 rounds of # O Lnto
t h e B o i a d o Sasrey on 2 6 Oct and 2,000 more on 30 O o t ( R p t on Gas Opns By
and Against 3rd Corps Units, COO 3rd C, 25 Jan 19. WD Hist Box 300, 33.6).
 IU
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41a
 J i s t p r i o r t o t h e a t t a c k o f t h e 3rd and 90th D i r i s i o n a on t h e i r f r o n t a ,

t h e 3rd D i v i s i o n on 31 October put down 500 75-mm0 Pounds of cyanogen (No.

4) on t h e Ferme d e Chassonne. and t h e next day 1,000 ?&m,rounds of phos-

gene (iJo. 5) o n t h e Bole d * b d e v a n n e , along with 2,750 155-m.rounds of

phosgene a n d o h l o r o p i c r l n (No, 7) on t h e H o i s d ' h d e r m n e , Bole do Sassey,

Bois de Carpisrs, Cote/ 243, and Ferme do Chassonne, On 31 October, 90th

D i v i s i o n a r t i l l e r y f i r e d 650 166-mmp rounds of o h l o r o p i c r i n into t h e Boie

d'llndevanns, and on t h a next day gassed Andevwns wood again with over 600

1551nm0 c h l o r o p i c r i n s h e l l a and 1,350 75-rn0 phosgene shells, and p u t 250

7 5 - 5 n 0 s h e l l s i n t o t h e Ravine de ChellneolOO

Large q u a n t i t i e s of phosgene were a l s o t o be used in Army's oenter,

and y p e r i t e on i t s f a r l e f t , The a l s s i c n of l e t Corps In t h e a t t a o k of

1 November was t o f l a n k t h e enemy out o f t h e Bois de Bourgogne by envelop-

ment f r o m t h e r i g h t , and t h e n advanoa t o meet t h e Frenoh a t Boult aux

Boise1o1 To aocomplish t h i s , the 77th and 8 0 t h Dtriaions, whioh had t a k e n

cver t h e Bend Division s e o t o r , were t o a t t a c k on t h e five - kilometer f r o n t

between Champigneulle and S t o George8 while t h e 76th Division on its six-

kilometer f r o n t . covered t h e i r l e f t f l a n k by advancing through t h e Bois des

Loges towards Briquenay so as c o n t i n u a l l y t o fnob t h e Boia d e Bourgogne,

---
150
Rpt CGO 3rd C , above. L t r , CGO 3rd C t o C CAS, 1 2 Nov, above, says
t h e 90th Dir f i r e d 2,861. rounds and tho supportlng 5th Div fired approxi-
mately 4 500 rounds of mixed #kD #5. and #7 on 31 Oct-1 NOT.,

101

FO 8 5 o o r r oopyo 1 s t C, 2400, 28 O o t ,
while maintaining l i a i s o n with t h e French n e a r Talma (Map No. 8 ) . 102

In the f i r s t day's a t t a c k , t h e 156th Brigade was t o oapture t h e BOi6

des Loges, wbile t h e 156th Brigade, p i v o t i n g on Talma, advanced I t 6 right

f l a n k t o cover t h e l e f t of t h e 155th. On t h e reoond day, t h e two brigades

would advance t n a l i nort.h
~ of Firiquonay. and on t h e t h i r d t o Boult am

Boisqlo3 B a t t l e i n s t r u a t i c n s d i d not underestimate German o a p a b i l l t i e s .

"The enemy faoing us has aaversd h i s Front w i t h a large number of w e l l

manned machine guns. c l o s e l y supported by f l e l d artillery. H i 6 infantry

appears t o be deeply echeloned, only w a l l f o r o e s being kept in t h e ad-

vance zoneo"04 The a r t i l l e r y in t h e B c i s de Bourgope had been oonfinned

In a p r i s o n e r i n t e r r o g a t i o n a week s a r l l e r , when i t s l a r g e number of guns,

as w e l l RE o t h e r b a t t e r i e s l o e a t s d In t h a woods aouthrellt o f B s f f u st lo

Morthomme, were desorlbed, 105

A l l o f t h e d i v l s i o n light a r t i l l e r y , a6 w e l l a s corps heavy a r t i l l e r y ,

was t o b e used t o o a r r y out Army and Corps arderr for t h e gassing of t h e

102
FO 8 6 , abous, and a l s o M) 19. c o r r oopy. 155th Inf Brlg, 1A00, 31 Oet.
(78th Div Box 13, 3 2 , l ) .

103
Do 32, corr oopy, 78th Dlv, 1800 h r s , 30 Oot; Leoture, MoRae, p . 21;
Tng Memo 130, XI. 8-S0

I04
Annex 6, Fo 85, 1st C,

105
SO1 25, 26, 20-22 Octq

- 43 -
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f

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.... M11i, l'~f,er--"c..-:
~ 2 ... NC:'< 150

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I
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I
'
Bols de Bourgogne.

On t h e morning of Ootober 23rd. t h e D i v i s i o n a l A r t i l l e r y Commanders were

assembled a t t h e P. C. o f t h e Chief o f Corps A r t i l l e r y , 1st Corps, f o r t h e
purpose of co - ordinatlng t h e p l a n of a l l D i v l s i o n a l A r t i l l e r y of t h e Corps
in n general nttack of t h r Allled Armies. and hore t h e g e n e r a l p l a n for t h e
employment o f t h e a r t i l l e r y throughout t h e Corps was o u t l i n e d , one o f t h e
s a l i e n t f e a t u r e s o which w a s t h e Y p e r i r a t i o n o f t h e e a s t e r n edge o f t h e
Bois de Bourgogne. fos
On t h e 27th. General Hearn reported8 There i s a v a i l a b l e 36,000 rounds o f

No, 20 shell. The p l w c a l l s f o r expenditure o f but 26,200 rounds. The

balance w i l l be expended in t h e n e u t r a l i z a t i o n o f enemy b a t t e r i e s whose

l o o a t i o n w i l l be furniahed later.107 The next day, the 28th. a l l b a t t e r i e s

w e r e moved as f a r forward as p o s s i b l e ln p r e p a r a t i o n for t h e attaok. Final

o r d e r s f o r t h e y-perlxation ware received t h a t n l g h t . l W

Par t h e 78th Dlvialon p r e p a r a t i o n . i t s h e l v e b a t t e r i e s o f 760 and t h e

nine o f t h e a t t a o h e d 238th French FA were increased by t w o b a t t e r i e s o f t h e

65th CAC (9.2-inch) on 30 October. w i t h nine more b a t t e r i e s of t h e 247th

106
IIearn, l e o t u r e t Arty Opna i n t h e Argonne, 1 3 Feb 19. p. 8, r e v i s e d
aa Tng Momo 124, 22 Feb 19 (78th Div Box 25, 39.6, Spsa Epts.)

107
Opns 0 52, 163rd FA Brig, 27 Oot, Plan for Offsnse. Argonne Seotor,
Nevtralization o f t h e B o l a do Bourgogne.
1oC
Tog Mmo 124, 22 Feb 19.

- -4;6
French FA (75-mm.) aoheduled for a d d i t i o n a l d i v i s l o n a l f i r e on 2 November.109

On t h e 78th Division f r o n t t h e r e was t o be a t o t a l of 36 b a t t e r i e s o f 75's,

six b a t t e r i e s o f 1 5 5 ' s . and two b a t t e r l e s of 9.2-lnch guns. a s w e l l a8

s e v e r a l groups o f heavy corps and army a r t i l l e r y assigned t o d i v i s i o n a l

fire. I n d i c a t i v e of t h e importnnoe o f t h e mission of t h e 78th Division,

t h i s was s a i d t o c o n s t i t u t e "more reenforcements" wltt, "a g r e a t e r anmunition

sllowanoe" t h a n had ever been given "any o t h e r d i v l s i o n a l artillery."110

The proparation WPD begun on S O O o t o b o r when all h o w n enemy battory

p o s i t i o n s in t h e B o i s do Bourgogne and t h e h e i g h t s a d e a s t e r n slopes of

t h e wood w e r e y-perited from n o r t h o f Grand Pre'to n o r t h o f Brlquenay (Map

No, 9), Almost 40,000 rounds o f No. 20 s h e l l were f i r e d by t h e d i v i s i o n ' s

109
FO 85, O O R oopy. 1st C, 30 Oct; Annex 9, FO 32. 78th Dlv M y Plan.
Opns 0 60, 153rd FA Brig, 31 Oot, s a i d r e l n f o r c r n u n t s for D plus 1 would
includb n i x 76-mm. b a t t e r i e s of t h e 238th FA ( R ) , five 76-mn0 b n t t e r l e s
of t h e 245th FA, and t h r o b 106-mm. b a t t e r i e s o f t h e 4 5 l s t FA.
Of i n t e r e s t is an e a r l i e r Ht 86, 1st C Arty, 24 Oct, Amox I, pp. 2 -
3 (82nd Div Box 7, rtrloh said t h a t an D minus 2, sir 16&mn.
bntteries o f the 46%~,&&1 ment lLrtillerie Lourdo 7 m r e t o merite
t h e northern and eaatem edges o f t h e Bois do BourgogJe and on D plue 1
were t o neutralltr t h e s e s a m areas with No. 9 brolscroetone shell. From
H minus 2 t o H minus 1 5 min, six 105-m. b a t t e r i e s of the 316th RAL (Fr)
were t o bombard t h e edges of t h e 3018 d e s Loges, and f r o m H minus 30 min
t o A Hour, t w o 6.2-inch b a t t e r i e s o f t h e 66th CAC mre t o oomplete t h e
bombardment o f t h e Bcis d e s Loges. These were Army heavy a r t i l l e r y units,
plaoed under oorps b u t f i r i n g on order o f t h e 159rd FA Brigade, No record
lias bean fouud of ally aotual g a s a i n g o f tho B o l a d e s L o g e s in Lhe 1 Nuv
n t t aok
I n t h e same Annex 1, p a 1 2 , 56,000 rounds of 75-mm. m e r i t e s h e l l
w e r e t o be a l l o t t e d for 78th Dlv e o n a m p t i o n end 2,000 rounds o f 105-m.
y p e r i t e f o r oorps heavy a r t y . No mention ma made of 165-rmn. y p e r l t e
s h e l l f o r t h e French b a t t e r i e a .

110
Lecture, YoRae, p a 21. Tng Memo 130, 11. 21-22.

- 45 -
 <d
t,o .. lt --
.""',/ 1lhiil' 'IM)\t
ZAT\O~
N~UTRA.\.\ e'3RGOGNf.
OF THE 00, S OE
c-..: oF 1 No'II.
"R,oQ. To A'TTA

,_.On
--rp.,. . . I .

Dt . .
&ovl.'J' :.

O .NO J.. 0 ,.,.,, ft,.. c.i.. s1..;.1"or

A- b'l.S> 1.0
c:a - 4100 NO .
..., NO 10
C - !SOo "0 u.d,
D _ 400 NO ..

ri

MP.f' ND-~

45a
48 f i e l d guns a t barrage r a t e over a twelve- hour period. Corps f i r e on

30 - 31 October o o n a i s t e d o f a r e p o r t e d 36,000 rounds of 75-mm, and 155-mm.

y p e r i t a and 400 rounds of 105-m. y p e r i t e , for a t o t a l of 4 1 - 4 t o n s of

y p e r i t e s h e l l c . 1 1 2 The mission was a n r r i e d out under i d e a l meteorological

c o n d ~ t i c n o , in o l e n r warm w o a t h e r . wiGh a llghhf wind w h i c h carried t l i s

113
gas back through t h e woods.

General Hearn s a i d l a t e r of h i s park i n t h e gas bombardments

In conneation with t h i s f i r i n g , it may be of i n t e r e s t t o note t h a t

during t h e e n t i r e t i m e n e i t h e r of the [ a r t i t l e r y J Regiments suffered a
single c a s u a l t y nor was any m a t e r i a l damaged by h o s t i l e f i r e nor d i d any
gun o f t h e 48 f i r l n g go out o f n o t l o n . o ~ o b u t h e feature which s t a n d s
n u t most L R I r n a i i l t i s the ineffnotloaness of a r t i l l e r y fire vhen the
d e f i n i t e l o o a t i o n o f o b j e c t i v e s is not b o r n and i n d i c a t e 6 t h e f u t i l i t y
of attempting t o employ f l r e of t h i s c h a r a c t e r . It a f f o r d s a lesson
which s h o u l d b e t a k e n t o h e a r t by every arm and a u x i l i a r y o f o u r s e r v i c e
. , o o o T a r p t sfor a r t i l l e r y must be knorm0114

1 -
~ - . 11
Sun o f Opns, 15 Oat-6 Nov, 153rd FA Brig, 25 Dec (78th Div Box 25);
lecture., YcRae, p o 360
Opns Rpt, 153rd FA Brig. 6h-6h, 30-31 Oct (78th Div Box 2 5 , 33-1)#
shows f i r i n g o f 19,381 #20, 468 #5. and 7,435 mixed #20 and #5, with t h e
r o u n d s o f one #20 mission miaaing -
a s u b - t o t a l o f 27,284 gas s h e l l s .
L t r , , DGO 78th Div t o COO 1 s t A, 31 Oot, subs opns Using #O S h e l l
(7t3th D l v Boa 24, Opns 0 ) ; o i t e a opns RptD l b 3 r d FA Brig, 30-31 O a t ( o o r r
c o p y ? ) . 11s s a y i n I t s twu l i g h t a r t y regiments alone f i r e d a t o t a l o f
23,214 #.?On 4 7 1 f.5 and 5,600 mixed #ZO and #5, t h e f i r i n g of t h e #ZO ccm-
p l e t e d between 0008-2030. 30 Oct,

112
Cpns Rpts, 1st C, 30, 31 Oat ( 1 s t C Box 24, 3 3 , l opns R p t s ) ; Memo,
COO 1st C f o r C mS, 5 Feb 19 (CAF-.lst C). This agrees approximately with
Daily S i t u a t i o n o f Ammo rpts o f 1st Corps Arty (1st C Box 38) showing
4,185 #ZO 75-m- and 24 #5 155-mm0 f i r e d on 31 Oat, On 1 Nov additional
1,280 #ZO 106-mn., 8,307 #5 1 5 5 - m a 36, and 1,330 #5 l55-um0 L nwru f l r a d
by 1st Corps Arty%,
113
Rpt of DoO (ltr o o p i a s o u t by Spencer, no o t h e r d a t a , in G A P - H i s t of
C R S Atks,. M i s o ) .

114
Png Memo 124. 22 Feb 19,
- 4 6 -
The genere1 wan oonmenting h e r e both on t h e safe employment o f gas s h e l l by

h l s gunner9 ( a r e o u r r l n g theme in h l e reoords) and on t h e i n e f f e o t l v e n e s s

of searching Germnn a r t l l l e r y flre on h i s camouflaged units nhloh had come

i n t o new p o s i t l o n s tm days p r e v i o u s l y , But he sOOms a180 t o have had i n

mind h l s Jad ahow on the night of t h e lEth, and t h e l a t e r demonstrated ef-

f e o t i v e n e s s of t h e y p e r i t l n g as oompared t o t h e EE f i r e on 1 November.
Enemy r e p o r t s r e v e a l t h e e f f e o t l v e n e s s of t h e gas bombardment. Seven

out o f nine b a t t e r i e s o f the Near Bombardment Group o f t h e 78th Reaerve

Brigade w e r e p u t out or actlon, pnd tho and BMth Roglmontal Head-

q u a r t e r s had t o be abandoned, t h e l a t t e r s~ oompletely gassed t h a t it had

-
t o be r e l i e v e d completely by t h e 263rd Regimental staff. Six offioers and
56 men were l n i t i a l l y reported as g a s oasualtiea.1r6 T o t a l gas a a s u a l t l e s

as n r e s u l t of t h e bombardment were l a t e r admitted t o be 210..

On 1 November, t h e 254th Regiment r e p o r t e d t h e r e was s t i l l a " s l l g h t

r e s i d u e o f Gas t o be f e l t " and a "number of people had t o r e p o r t slok be-

oeuse o f gas." The 7 1 s t Regiment, a t t a c h e d t o t h e 76th Reserve Plvislon,

s a i d 5 of i t s h e a d q u u t e r r rtaff b e o m gas o a s u a l t i e i during t h e with-

drawal t h a t dayO1l6 Ertlmater o f effioicmoy ln t h e unit8 o f t h e 78th Re-

-
serve Division a week l a t e r blamed " gassing and oontlnued r e a r i n g of gas

tm mi , J I Out, 1 N U V (76th RU. D i v - s u b irlliLs,, s~~-ii

Nov p p s-----B
76th Rua
Qermnn
O,, 32, F l l e r Box 200)
24

116

'- 47
masks due io enemy f i r e " and "bloody l o s s e s and ablencee from g a s sickness,"

d e s p i t e relnforcements,, a s o o n t r i b u t l n g t o t h e i r poor c o n d i t i o n , 117

Baron Quadt, t h e 76th Reserve D i v i s i o n commander, s a i d i n h i s formal

r e p o r t on t h e gas bombardments

The gasslng began o n 30 Ootober at 9600 am, Tho enemy fired oontlrm-
ously with about 6 b a t t e r i e s from a s o u t h e a s t e r l y d i r e c t i o n , The fog made
ground and a i r o b s e r v a t i o n o f t h e enemy b a t t e r i e s impossible, Later t h e
gassing group in t h e d i r e c t i o n of Chevi&ss wan t a k e n under a n n i h i l a t i o n
fire

The enemy f i r e was systematic and conoentrated, e s p e o i a l l on

MurLhunuua, Jaoger R a v i n e [I" C h e r o o d s r e s t of l o Y o r t h u - j a n d [Lhu
B o i s de BourgogneJ. The regimental h e a d q u a r t e r r of t h e 262nd Regiment
and t h e p o s i t i o n s of t h e 2nd. Sth, 7 t h and 8 t h b a t t e r i e s of t h e 66th A r t i l -
l e r y and t h e 6 t h B a t t e r y of t h e 24th A r t i l l e r y s u f f e r e d -

It 1s estimated t h n t t h e enemy f i r e d between 25,000 and 30,000 round6

up t o 6800 pm o f 30 October, That night t h e enemy used spraying emmunition
and on 81 Uotober a t 68UU am the g s s s i n g was renewed i n i t s former v i g o r ,
It lasted a l l t h a t day"

T h e o a l i b e r a v a r i e d between 7.5 and 10.6 on, Heavy o a l i b e r s w e r e not

'observedo The g a s type was without e x c e p t i o n y p e r i t e (yellow cross). Dull
detonations, small dark grey weak clouds. Another type o f gas with a black
cloud was observed o c c a s i o n a l l y , perhaps g a s and H O E u o .

Effects Immediately a f t e r t h e beglnnlng o f the bombardment t h e units

wt on gas masks. The gas d i s p e l l e d r a p i d l y ; hOWETer, it remained f a i r l y
L l t ~ ~.'I k t h e u o o d s < C e r t e ~ i nfiring p o s i t i o n s were bombarded, many d i r e c t
h i t s were made among t h e guns and t h e crews were sprayed" These p o s i t i o n s
w e r e clenred and g a s - f r e e a r e a s were sought Afier s n i f f i n g t e s t s some
men took o f f t h e i r gas masks beoause t h e y had d i f f i c u l t y b r e a t h i n g and t h e i r
eyes were i r r i t a t e d . I t was only towards evening t h a t t h e m a j o r i t y o f
gassed men r e p o r t e d l n o It was p o s s i b l e t o t r a c e baok t h a t t h e y had t a k e n
o f f t h e i r masks t o o soon. beoause t h e y no longer smelled gas o r had beocme
i r i s a n s i l i v u tu gmao Soma man In thu Paa gas-rrau arums rers surprised by
g u s t s of wind whioh moved t h e gas. Repeatedly, men were sprayed w i t h
yellow c r o s s and burns w e m r e p o r t e d by t h e s e men-

-
+
117
6 Nov; E a t , 76th B r i 7 Nov (7Cth R s s Div-SLb ' h i t s ,
l Z Y , Oerman 1 e s Box ;!UO),
 In t h e main t h e oomplalnts were O f sharp eye i r r i t a t i o n , vomiting,
chest and stomaoh d i s o r d e r s , The c a s u a l t i e a were for t h e most p a r t not
serious. Of 210 gassed m e n (up t o 51 October in t h e evening) 40 men re-
turned t o t h e i r units t h e next dayc

Immediate defense measures8 Gas masks were donned i m e d i a t e l y ; t h e

p l a c e s lrhere t h e h i t s w e r e made, the a p r a p d c l o t h i n g and equipment and
hands were i m e d i a t e l y s p r i n k l e d with o h l o r t d e o f l i m e , Yore c h l o r i d e of
lime w a s sent torward by L h e division i n frvakn and arrived at noon. The
d i v i s i o n did not have a r e s e n e of c l o t h i n g or y e l l o r c r o s s defense s u i t s ,

T h e d i v i s i o n ges o f f i o e r inspected the p o s l t i o n s at noon and t o o k

f i r t h e r a v a i l a h l o rneesuros, He determined under what precautionary
measures contaminated p o s i t i o n s o o u l d be e n t e r e d in order t o p u l l o u t
equipment and p u t it i n o t h e r p o s i t l c n s .

Errors conmittads number o f men took o f f t h e i r masks t o o e a r l y

a f t e r t h e y found p l a c e s whioh in t h e i r opinion were uncontaminated, de-
spite previous sniffing t e s t s , The gas defense NCOs and gas o f f i o e r s
were not i m e d i a t e l y at t h e i r p o s t s beoause t h e y were e i t h e r wounded o r ,
as I t haa been determined i n one case, t h e y w e r e with t h e t r a i n . h p a r t ,
t h e gas Eurprieed s l e e p i n g meno Gas d i s c i p l i n e fa8 r e p o r t e d good by t h e
Gas Offioer, h m v e r p o o r it wan on t h e p a r t o t t h e reaently a r r i v e d re-
inforcemeutsur.oolla

On the morning o f t h e 29th, t h e day b e f o r e t h e m e r i t i n g of t h e

H o i s de riourgogne began t h e 78th Divislon r e p o r t e d 350 mixed gas and HE

shells i n t h a n o r t h e a s t corner o f t h e Boia de Negrmont. L a t e r t h a t day

t h e r e was mustard and phosgene in Noue l e Ccq. Phosgene a t LaFolle Ferme

and v i c i n i t y . The Dlvision Surgeone O f f i c e reported 51 gas c a s ~ a l t l e a . ~ ~ ~

T h a t t h e enemy knew o f t h s omnine n s s a u l t and planned a withdrawal from

t h e Aois des Loges s e c t o r seems evident from au a r t i l l e r y order o f t h e

I1B
Rpt 4 Nov (76th Res D i v r n . 4 ,
__-_I
26 Sep-27 Nov, pp. 60 = 61, German F i l e s
Box 200) I

119
SOi 34, 29=,30 Oct; Opns Rpt, 30-31 Oot; DSO d a t a in l t r , DOO t o C Fws,
25 Jan (GAF-78th Div Sum).
240th Division on t h e 29thr 'On the night of ,@-J 30 Oot. a l l yellow

c r o e s ammunition ( i n c l u d i n g t h e small anounts i n t h e p o s i t i o n s ) w i l l be

fired. On 30 Oat. a t 9rM) am t h e a r t i l l e r y group6 1.111 r e p o r t by s p e c i a l

-
telephone message t h a t a l l yellow orosa amunition h a s been fired. -
Bo
rounds must be allowed t o remain i n t h e The amall prounto

remaining a t enemy p o s l t i o n s 1 s r e f l e c t e d i n t h e 78th Dlvision r e p o r t t h a t

t h e St, Juvln a r e a was shelled on the 30th with 40 u n i d e n t i f i e d gas rounds

by enemy 105'8 a t extreme range. Observers t h a t morning also reoorded 99

77-mm. gae and HE rounds s ~ u t h w s tof Yarcq, and i n t h e afisrnoon, 233

\
77-m. and 105-IQ gas and HE rounds on t h e Chevleres-La BOEOgne road. 121

T h e i r gas w a s gone, t h e l r flank p r o t e c t i o n i n t h e Boir do Bourgogne was

gono, but tho O~S-LUM foroeo on t h o D o l a dso Lo~o8-Champlgriaulle f r o n t ,

untouched by gas, were t o continue t o hold t h e i r p o s i t i o n s and l n f l i c t

high c a s u a l t i e s on t h e f o r o e s a t t a o k i n g them.

The B O ~ Sd e s Loges &pin

The HE p r e p a r a t i o n on t h e e a r l y morning o f 1 Bovembsr was "the moat

t e r r i f i c ever wltneased by Amorloan troops.n12Z The p r i n c i p a l t a r g e t on

120
A r t y 0, CO 240th Div Arty, 29 O c t (240th Inf-dub Units-WlBA,
I-
17 O c t -
l l Nov, p . 81, German F l l e e Box 229).

LL 1
SO1 35, 30-31 Oct; Obs Rpt, OP 8 , 30-31 Oats

122
Lecture, YcRae, p o 21. The S 2 l s t FA (82nd D i r ) a l s o o a l l e d it
' t e r r i f i c , " and from t h e i r p o i n t of view, " p e r f e c t " (Hist o f Opns o f 321st
FA. Part 111, p Q 2 , in 82nd Dlv Box 2 6 , 1 1 0 4 ) a

- 50 -
t h e 78th L i v i s l o n f r o n t w a s t h e Bois des Loges, r h i o h was bombarded f o r two

hours by t h e h e n o h units w i t h t h e d l v i a l o n and by t h e heavy Army a r t i l l e r y

j u s t before t h e attack. The 76-me guns of t h e d l v l a i o n f i r e d BP estimated

total 0: 12,625 HE rounda f n t o , t h e one- kilometer- square t a r g e t i n t h e B

m i n u s 7 t.0 H Hour p r e p a r a t i o n . as w e l l a s 650 rounds o f No. 3 phosphorus

shell, while t h e 155-m,. gum expanded 3,900 RE rounds. lZ3 A regimental

diary. 240th Dlvislon wns to any% "During t h e night o f 1 N o v . there we=

l i v e l y enemy a r t i l l e r y h a r a s s i n g f i r e followed by gas+ From 4130 am on,

heavy a r t i l l e r y a n n i h l l a t l o n f l r e on our p o s i t i o n s a n d a r t i l l e r y p o s i t i o n s

mixed with i r r i t a n t gas and phosphorus s h e l l e . At 5810 am t h e fire l e t

"124
UP 0

Tha a l t a o k a t 5 r 3 0 a.m. w a s proaeded hy n r o l l i n g barrage i n t o t h e

-
Bols d e s Loges, with raking a r t i l l e r y and maohine gun f l r e on suspected

p o s i t i o n s in t h e wood and i t s approaohes, and searohing f i r e on t h e

Opns 0 56. 153rd FA Brig, 29 Oot; Opns 0 59, Amendment. 30 Oct; Opns
0 57, 30 Oot, Plan of hmno Supply (78th Div Box 24, 32.12-0pnr 0 ) .
I n t h e H m i n u e 2 t n R Hour prep. t h e t a r g e t o f t h e organic a r t y uas
t h e B o i s de Bourgogne south of t h e m e r i t e d -86, mi1110 t h e 2Wth and
247th F r FA f i r e d on t h e south and e a s t edges of t h e Bols das Loges, t h e
317th RAL (156-mm.) fired on t h e i n t e r i o r o f t h e B O i 8 des Loger, and t h e
9 . 2 ' s o f t h e 65th CAC f i r e d on deep dugout t a r g s b a (Lecture, Beam, 10,
13 Feb 1 9 , 78th Dlv Box 26, SS.6),
Tho heavy Army a r t y i n t h e 78th Div s e o t o r appears t o have been t h e
5OLh CAC (155-mm0) Nhiah fired 205 #Q s h e l l n and t h e 87th RAL (15S-mm.)
which f:red 251 #5 s h e l l s l n t o t h e Buzanoy a r e a on 1 Nov ( d a t a i n Ammo
Rpts, Aisna Gpg, 1st A Box 100, 60/44).

124
Nov (240th Div-Sub Unita-WCU, 7 Oot-11 Nov, p e 38,

- 51 -
Briquenay road b&ween Bellejoyauae Farm and Le hiorthome. But when t h e

t r o o p - o f t h e 155th Brigade reached t h e Bola den Loges, t h e y learned t h a t

t h e massive artillery and machlne gun p r e p a r a t i o n had done l i t t l e or nothing

t o s i l e n c e t h e machine gun n e s t s i n t h e rood. Captured p r i s o n e r s s a i d later

t h a t losses from the a r t i l l e r y f i r e had Seen slidtt. the machine fire far

mcre annoying. 12 6

The two lnfantry reglments o f tho brlgade advanatng i n t o t h e Bola were

stopped a t onoe on t h e Champigneulle-Ferme des t o g e s road by t h e machine

gun n e s t s t o t h e i r f r o n t . Division r e p o r t e d # "&may In strong p o s i t i o n ,

e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e Bois des Loges. m l l supplied w i t h m a c h i n e guns and in-

t e n d s t o hold his p o s i t i o n . We have made C o r p s o b j e c t i v e on l e f t , but up

t o p r e a e n t (noon, 1 N w ) h a r e not ramohrd I t from ri&* booause o f failure

o f a r t i l l e r y f i r e t o break up maohlne gun n e s t s . For an hour a t noon

on 1 November, t h e southern edge of t h e Bots d e s Loges, Chevi&es, Grand

/
Pre, and e a s t o f F e r n Des G r h e s were subjected t a intense s h e l l i n g by

enemy a r t i l l e r y , but no gas w a s used. A message from the l i a i s o n o f f i c e r

with t h e French f a r a e s an the left satd there wcu no Endloation thnt t h e

125
Opns 0 51, 16Jrd bd Llrfg, 27 Oat; Annex Y, Arty P l a n , FO 32, 78th Dlv;
Lecture, YoRae, p a 23,

176
Opns Rpts, 30-0ct-1 Nov; l e c t u r e , UoRse. p a 24,

127
FN 310th fnf to Div G -
3, 0715, 1 IW; SbI 37, 1-2 NOT; opns Ilpt,
31 Oat-1 Nov. A c t o s l l y t h e Oarman units in t h e wood had bean i 6 6 w d an
e x t r a number o f HC's s h o r t l y b e f o r e t h e a t t a o k (FYI 0 -
2 to G 3, 78th -
Div, 1340, 1 B o r ) ~

- 52 -
enemy h a d withdrawn enywhere on t h e i r f r o n t < 128
.

'That afternoon, a d i v i s i o n r e p o r t s a l d , " t h e m e m y continued h i s stub-

born gun r e s i s t a n o e i n t h e Bols des Loges and t h e Ridge t o t h e Weest." The

309th Machine G u n B a t t a l i o n , two o f whose companies had p u t down an in-

t e n s i v e barrage t h a t morning on t h e Bois des Loge6 and t h e v a l l e y between

Bellejoyeusa Ferme and Ferme dee Loges, r e p o r t e d # "The I n f a n t r y wa5 held

up by YG and a r t i l l e r y f i r e si'tsr making slow progress. In t h e afternoon

Coo B engaged t h e nose northwest of Ferme des Loges in response t o a

c a l l from t h e 166th I n f Brig r h o were held up by f l r e from t h a t point. " 129

Meanwhile, on t h e r i g h t o f t h e 78th" t h e 77th D i v i s i o n ir i t a a t t a c k

t h a t morning f a l l e d t o take t h e t o m of Chanplgneulle a8 planned, and as

a r e s u l t , it waa l a t e r s a i d , the 309th I n f a n t r y oould n o t attempt e

-Ex---
SO1 37, 1-2 lov; Rd Liaison 0, 38th Fr Corps t o 78th Dlv G - 2, 1 Nov.

129
Opns Rpt, 1-2 Nov: Daily S i t u Qt. 309th YO Bn, 1 Nov (78th Div Box
24, DS Rpts).
Questionable is t h e r p t o f gas on 1 Nov by a r e g t of t h e 240th Div
i n t h e Bola dea Loges area:
Enemy fire oontinued t h e whole morning [Of 1 N O V and ~ g o t huaviur
towards 2830 pm. From time t o t h e they flred h e a v i l y with gas r h i o h
caused heavy lossea from gas slolmess, e s p e c i a l l y In Company 3....The 1st
and 2nd Companies an L r e s u l t o f the artillery fire s u f f e r e d heavy losses
.- I , Recauae t h e B a t t a l i o n was g r e a t l y wedened from t h e m losses and re-

ceived no support, d e s p i t e repeated r e q u e s t s , t h e enemy was a b l e t o break

t h r o u g h h e r e in a renewed a t t a o k a t 3850 pm a f t e r t h e hearg maohine gun
whioh was spraying t h e endangered glade waa p u t o u t o f a c t l o n by a d i r e o t
h i t , He reaohed our second line,
WD 1st Bn 471st Regt, 1 Nor (240th Div-Sub Units-NIX& 7 Oat-11 Nov.
p. b4. tierman F l l e s Box r29).

- 53 =
f l a n k l n g rovement on t h e Bois d e r Loges from t h e sast.130 A t nightfall,

t h e 309th I n f a n t r y was s t i l l on t h e road I n t h e Bois des Loges, t h e SlOth

I n f a n t r y only s l i g h t l y beyond.

T h i s statement o f t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e 7'th Division in t h e

a t t a c k on t h e Bois, i n the form it appears In t h e postwar Training Yemo-

randum of t h e 78th Dlvislon, o l t e d above, seems t o have been t h e souroe

of W i p l e y Thomaas aoccunt In The Hi6tory o f t h e (p.

AoE,~FL, 341)a 'The

f a i l u r e of t h e 77th t o make any advance prevented t h i s d l v l s i o n ( i . . a . .

the 78th) from t a k i n g t h e Bois de Loges," The r e c o r d s do not support it,

At t h e time, t h e ' 7 8 t h Division was f a r more o e r t a i n t h a t t h e f a i l u r e of

i t s a r t i l l e r y f i r e w a s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r i t s d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t h e wood. The

massive bombardment o f t h e wood hnd had little affect. on i t . 6 &fenders,

i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e e f f e c t of mustard gas on t h e enem;. p o s i t . i o n s i n t h e

nelghborlng roods. The c o a t i n c a s u q l t i e s t h a t day in t h e a s s a u l t on t h e

B o i s d e s Loges was 18 o f f i c e r s and 601 men, a " deplorable waste of

'Id L h e l e f t o f t h e 156th:. t h e t w o i n f a n t r y regiments o f t h e 156th Brig-.

ade advanced on schedule up t h e r a v i n e between t h e Boir de BourEogne and t h e

130
Tng Memo 130, 11, 96 Although the Oznd waa reportedly r e l i e v e d by
t h e 77th on 28-29 Oat, W 156th Inf t o 0 -
3 78th Dlv, 0845, 1 BOY. speaks
of t h e a t t a c k of t h e 82nd 81)b e h g stopped east of Champigneulle t h a t
morningo

131
Lecture, YcBae, p p , 24 25; L i g g e t t , below PF, 56 ... 57.
Bois d e s Loges without meeting any r e s i s t a n c e h a t e v e r from t h e mustardiced

wood. '" Not a s i n g l e c a s u a l t y r e s u l t e d f r o m t h e advance of brigade units

p a s t t h e gassed a r e a o The commander o f t h e 312th I n f a n t r y later s a i d r

"Enemy dead d o t t e d t h e road and i t s v i c i n i t y and a t r e n c h near le Mort-

houuoe containing s o m e t h i r t y bodloa, a p p n r o n t l y goosed, was r e p c r t e d U " l 3 '

Nearing t h e t o p o f t h e B o i s d e Bourgogne t h a t afternoon, units o f t h e 156th

Brigade t u r n e d t o a s s i s t t h e 156th by a f l a n k i n g a t t a c k on t h e Bois des

Logos from t h e northwest

By t h e t i m e t h e i r a t t a c k was ready, t h e i r h e l p was no longer needed.

Between 7rn0 p-u.. and m i d n i g h t on 1 Novemher. t h e G e m a n f o r c e s in t h e B o i s

des Loges had s i l e n t l y and s k i l l f u l l y withdrawn f r o m t h e aood0134 The

132
FM 156th Inf t o G ~ 3. 0846, 1 Nov (78th Div Box 6); l e c t u r e , YcRae,
pp. 26, 38,
Capt Smith. Dco, Is r p t d t o have said: "oo.,no r e s i s t a n o e was encoun-
t e r e d from any p a r t of t h e y p e r i t e d wood" ( l t r oopied out by Spenoer. no
o t h e r data, i n OAF-Hist o f Gas Atks, M i s o ) * Opns Rpt, 1st C, 1 Bov. s a i d $
"There was l i t t l e o r no a r t i l l e r y f i r e from t h e Bois de BOurgOgne. One
b a t t e r y near Briquenay was r e p o r t e d i n a c t i o n H (1st C Box 24, 3302 G = 3 ) .
But Frederiok Palmer, In Our G r e a t e s t B a t t l e (p. 592), has perpetuated t h e
s t o r y that ".oethough t h e Bourgugne Wuod w a s tliorouglrly Euaaed, it pourad
i n n s t r o n g flanking fire, and even s e n t out one counter- attack."

137
Hpt o f Opns, 3 1 2 t h Inf (Anderson t o Dean). 27 Oct-5 Nov (78th Div Box
7, 33,6)0

1W
Wit? the e n t r a n c e o f
Oct 1 Nov, t h e
t h e 1 9 5 t h Dtv, the
J A element o f t h e 203rd Riv on t h e night o f 31
s i n g l e regiments of the =,
u n i t s on t h e 78th D i v f r o n t on 1 Nov were

240th Dive, and t h e 4 5 t h Reserve (Tng Memo 130, 11. U ) , A t l a z n t a c t ,

203rd, and

on t h e a f t e r n o o n of 1 Nov, opposing units were r e p o r t e d as t h e 195th Div,

a regiment o f t h e 14th Div, and t h e 202nd 203rd. and 240th Diva. The
o r d e r s f o r t h e i r d t h d r a w a l are c i t e d t U . m yin t h e World ar. V O L ,
9, ppa 571, 573-

55
 gaasing o f t h e B o l s de Bourgogne and l t s consaquent evaouation had made t h e

Bois des Loges untenable. Beports elasrrllere agreed t h a t t h e front had been

abandoned8 "The enemy seems t o have withdrawn h i s a r t i l l e r y o n t h e d o l e

front."135 Orders had oome for t h e retreat of the German forges t o t h e

l i n e north of Briquenay. It waa t h e f i r s t sfage of t h e g r e a t Kriegsmarsoh,

136
t h e withdrawal of t h e Qerman armies t o t h e Yeuse.

Only light, long-range machine gun fire was met a s t h e 135th flrlgade

went s t r a i g h t through t h e Bola des Loges on t h e morning o f t h e 2nd and

emergrd a t i t s n o r t h e r n edge. Germany had begun h e r r e t r e a t from t r a n c e

and Belgium, planning t o t u r n and stand when she reached h e r own b ~ r d e r ~ l ~ ~

General L i g g e t t was later t o say of events on 1 Novemberv

Tho Ameriorn-Fronah atbaok of November 1,aoreaulted l n a groat I J I W ~ ~

i n t h e h o s t l l e f r o n t e x a c t l y as pl.nlM& We had caught Yon d e r M a r w i t z
[Fifth Army oonrmanderj a s I expeoted t o -- braced for t h e a t t a c k on his

135
Gpns Rpt. 1-2 Oct.

136
See U-S. Amy in t h e World W a r # Vol. 9, p p ~561, 564 - 66, 575, 580,
594,
137
"Owing t o t h e p e n e t r a t i o n made by t h e First Army farther t.o the e a s t ,
the German High Go-d a t 4160 porn. (on 1 l o r ) ordersd B withdrawal i n
t h e zone of a c t i o n o f t h e 78th Division t o a line, Burancy-lbalmalson Ferme-
l a Fosse l'eau, n o r t h e a s t of Briquenay" (76th
Ynnu Corn,, USGPO 1944. p. 41. Quoted from K r L w
-
T and 76th Res D i r . 1 Nov),
T h e d i s i n t e g r a t i o n o f the C e n t r a l Porsrs had a l r e a d y begun h e n on
14 Sep, Austria-Hungary asked for a peaoe o o n f e r e n a e . Qn 25 Sep. Bulgaria
requested an a r m i s t i c e ; on 26 Oot, A u s t r l a sued f o r peaae; and w 30 Oat,
Turkey was out o f t h e w n r o By 1 Nor, t h e Ceatral Powers w e r e no more and
Germany atood alone.
 French c i v i l i m s in Autho r e p o r t e d t h a t over a thousand guns and

14,000 German t r o o p s had passed through t h e r e In t h e prOviOU8 week, and

t h a t many of t h e t r o o p s o f one of t h e units "had a p p a r e n t l y been geased

r e o e n t l y , beoauae t h e i r eyes were almost closed and t h e y marched with

difficulty."
144

78th D i v i s i o n h e a d q u a r t e r s moved from ChRel Chehery t o Beffu e t 1s

Morthonune o n 3 November and tho nwht dny on t o Brlquenny a n d B r i e u l l e e

s u r Bar. By t h e n t h e f r o n t l l n e u n i t s of t h e 78th were exhausted from

the :l.,kilorneter advance.. There had fitill been no c o n t a c t w i t h t h e

enemy when brigade r e s e r v e s took over t h e p u r s u i t e a r l y on t h e 4th, At

about noong t h e r e s e r v e s reached t h e n o r t h e r n edge o f t h e Bois de Sy,

h a r e machine gun f l r o from the tnm n f By and a r t i l l e r y fire from t h e

Bois du Fay brought t h e chase t o a temporary stop. A 1 1 through t h e n i g h t ,

enemy a r t i l l e r y poured shells i n t o t h e towns o f V e r r i b r e s , Brleulles sur

a a r , and Les P e t i t i e s Armoises. occupied by 78th Division t r o o p s , and gas

was p u t down i n t h e vnllsy south o f Verribres. 145

- -.-
144
SO1 40, 4-5 Nor, Tng Memo 130, 11. 10.11, A document quoted i n Hist
of t h e mS,, MF, France, Vole V. p o 45 (SOS Hlst Box 249) says, "Two f i e l d
h o s p i t a l s a t V O r r i h 3 8 had 300 gas c a s e s Norsaber l s t , a n d 2 0 of t h e m men
d i e d t h a t day." Also r p t d by L t Col Louis E . Robbe, 1st Army Gas Officer,
l e o t u r e z Gas Warfare, nod. (1st A Box 337, 70-Leotures, p a 43).
However, Maj G e o . A. H u u t , 1st C o r p s Gas Offleer, i n Memo t o 5 -
3.
1st C , 15 Nov (18t C Box 41, 6 3 . 3 3 ) , says t h e s e gas O ~ W J S were rec'd from
below St Georges and Landres a t St, George ( i o e o Dfrom t h e 2nd Dlv s e o t o r ) ,

145
OprI.3 Rpt. 4 - 5 BOv,
 On 5 November, after t h e 78th had o h a r e d the M i a do 8y and taken

t h e t o w n s of Tannay and Sy, t h e (2nd D i v i s i o n onme up t h e road t o Chemery

and t h e r e r e l i e v e d t h e 78th. 14* The Lightening Division t u r n e d and began

i t s long march t o t h e south for rest end r e f i t t i n g , a r r i v i n g a t Lea

I s l e t t e s a s t h e w a r ended.

T h e continued p u r s u l t by t h e 78th o f t h e r e t r e a t i n g German f o r c e s

on 3 November appears t o haw beon a d e o i s l o n o m t r a r y FO a p r i o r oorpa

plan. A t 1 1 ~ 0 0a o m o t h a t day a message from Colonel Frink, Division

G - 3, t o General YoRae s a i d 1

7
General D a l l n Craig
fChief of S t a f f , 1 s t Corps
up and s t a t e d t h a t tEis Divis on must be withdrawn from d
just o a l l e d
e line a t onoe
and assembled i n t h e v i c i n i t y o f BRIQUENAY i n OolapliaMe with Corps
o r d e r s , P o C. should be a t BRIQUENAY. Our mission l a now t o conneot with
the F'renoh and o w b BOIS DU BOURCIOGmo Fallura of DTision t o withdraw, a8
ordered, and laok of t e l e p h o n l o oomrmnioatlons forward, i n d l o a t e d poor
management f o r whioh some one a l g h t h a w t o anavero He also s t a t e d t h a t
t h i s Divis on is now o p e r a t i n g i n a r e a assigned t o another Division ( i m e a ,
t h e 42nd). 147

The combing of t h e Bois do Bourgogne, y p e r i t e d f o u r days previously, was

begun a t once by p a t r o l s o f t h e 311th Infantry.

P a t r o l a ware late in n t a r t i n g due t o non-arrival o f npacLal Can prot.an-

tion. F i n a l l y t h e y went without it.

A p a t r o l of one q u a d and one Gas IpeCoOo led by Lko Mills l e f t T A L U

Fd!B a t 1800 porno on Nov 3rd 1918 and p a t r o l a d tha roods n o r t h o f our old
p o s i t i o n s r e t u r n i n g a t 4r10 porno going au f a r as Gassed Area. Found only
s c a t t e r e d Y.C. Ammunition and m a l l a r t i l l e r y slanunitlon. Worked i n con-
j u n o t i o n with Company I P a t r o l .

146
ZD YO, 1st. C, 1700, 4 Bovi S h i p l e y Thomalu, p. 350.

147
W Fcrraday 7 t o Frrraday 1, 3 NOT.
 A p e t r o l of one squad and a Oaa NOCOO. was taken out by L t . FOESat
1810 porno from TALMA FARM, I t worked i n conjunctlon with like p a t r o l
f r o m K COMPANY led by L t , Mllla, No enemgr mro mat. No lnformatlon o f
value was galned. S c a t t e r e d small l o t s o f Y.G. and l i g h t W i l l e r y
m u n i t i o n were found, Our oourse wae outward along slopes of v a l l e y ,
East of' !lamay, t o n o r t h end of t h o v a l l s y a u d baok through Funray Farm
p a t r o l l i n g west slope of v a l l e y . We a r r i v e d baok a t 4s15 dark. Found
enemy dugouts and emplacements but nothing of llrportance i n them.

A p a t r o l o f t w o men left Tnlma a t 11830 aoma (4 NOT?). We worked

out through T a l m n V i l l a g e and about 25 meters in from t h o edge of t h e
woods i n a Enstward d i r e c t i o n up t o t h e n o r t h e r n p a r t of t h e v a l l e y
baok through Fumy Farm a n d t h o a s a t slope o f t h e n l l m y . No valuable
information was gained only enemy M O O o and l i g h t a r t i l l e r y ammunition
was found, d e s e r t e d dugouts and a few wngon oarts. We a r r i v e d
back at 4 6 1 aleo
6 pumu "%
The n e x t day, t h e Division Oas Offioer. In p r o t e o t i v e o l o t h l n g , rrnt

i n t o t h e gassed a r e a o

On November Sth, 1918, qv t w o a a s i s t a n t a a d myself. i n m t l - g a s

c l o t h e s , patro1.d tho u ~ o nof t h e Bols-de-Bour&opo t h a t 100 y p e r l t e d by
our a r t i l l e r y . Very l i g h t pockets of m s t a r d gas were s t i l l p r e s e n t and
it was neoessary a t one time t o n e a r masks. hb enemy 1 6 h f s i c f
b a t t e r y p o s i t i o n s were found with a small m o u n t of amnunitlon, b u t t h e
guns had boon moved, We followed a 60om r a i l r o a d f o r q u i t e a d i s t a n a e ,
On e i t h e r s i d e of t h i s r a i l r o a d , m found elephant h u t s t h a t had been
very r e c e n t l y oonstructed, but t h e y were empty, Oxoept f o r a small qum-
t i t y of small arms ammunltlon and an occasional box o f hand grmnadsa.

On November 6 t h - an a r e a n o r t h and west of Brlquenay was covered.

On0 1 6 6 m [ s i c 2 b a t t e r y position +a* found elong a road rrhero the gun8
could b e h a s t i l y p u l l e d out. Tho guns had been removed and only a small
q u a n t i t y of emmunition l e f t behind, A 2 1 h b a t t e r y p o s i t i o n , with a
small q u a n t i t y of t h a t s i r e ammunition wan found. A t t h a t p o s i t i o n t h e r e
were s e v e r a l uncomploted dugouts, which showed t h e ensmy had e v i d e n t l y
contemplated remaining t h e r e ,

No dead w o r e s n o o u n t o r e d on e i t h e r day md a u r p r l s i n g l y little

m a t e r i a l was found<14'

148
Ymo. F m o i e r 1 (3rd Bn, 311th I n f ) t o P a l l o r 11 (166th Brig), 4 BOP
(78th Div BOX 26, 32.16, N 307th FA)a

149
Memo,, DCO 78th Dlv f o r G - 9, 13 Nov (76th Div Box 57, 470.6),
- 61 -
If t h e r e p o r t of y p e r l t e aasualties p a s s i n g through Anthe l a aacurate,

t h e n t r o o p s rather t h a n materlel nppear t o have been t h e p r i n c i p a l casual-

t i l e s o f t h e y p e r i t i n g o f t h e B o l o de Bmrgogne.

MIAIJYSIS

78th D l v l s i o n Casualtien In t h e K r l m h l l d e S t e l l u q

The &my Almanac (1950, po 666), Ayres (p. 117), and t h e American

B a t t l e Monuments Conmlssion s t u d y o f t h e 78th Division (pp. 16, 46) re-

p o r t only t o t a l aampalgn c a s u a l t i e s , 8 September-11 Nowmber, They do

not d i s t i n g u l s h gas c a s u a l t i e s or r e p o r t captured and missing. Thelr

f i g u r e s are, m a p e o t i v e l y r

If IA 1,550 1,360
-
~

NIA 6,614 6,800

m m m
The a v a i l a b l e f i g u r e s on t h e o a a u a l t i e s s u s t a l n e d by t h e d i v i s i o n

in i t s twenty-one days o f combat i n t h e Meuae-llrgonne o f f s n e i v o do not

agree much b e t t e r . The COwissiOn study above, p e r h r p s t h e most a u t h o r t -

t a t i v s for p r e s e n t purposes, r e p o r t s t o t a l k i l l e d and wounded f r o m 7

October t o 11 November as 5,0150 The 8 t a t i a t i c d S e c t i o n of t h e division

r e p o r t e d f o r t h e p e r l o d 11 October- 5 Aavmber a t o t a l Of 4,691 o a s u a l t l e s ,

including 446 k i l l e d o r d i e d of rounds, 2 , 6 1 6 s l l g h t l y o r severely wounded,

1 , 6 2 9 rnisming or und*t*rmrin*d. Cns o a a u s l t i e a are npparently tnoludad

150
among t h e rounded.

150
S t a t Sea 78th Div, 5 Aov, Casualtles-Argwne Saetor, 11 Qct- 6 Nov,
atohd t o l f r , CG 74th D i v t o CG I e f A# 23 Nov, subs R p t on Oyns, 78th D i r
(78th Div Box 7. 33.6 Spec Rpts of Opns).

- 62 ~
 In h i s Lecture on 3 February 1919, lienera1 YoRae reported, " a s a

fair i n d i c a t i o n of t h e severe f i g h t i n g for Talm H i l l , Grand Pre: and t h e

Bois d e s Loges." t h a t between 16 Ootober and 5 November t h e r e were 6,211

c a s u a l t i e s , with 775 k i l l e d o r d i e d of wounds, 4,248 wounded o r severely

gassed, 174 mlsslng, and 13 aapturad- Trmining Memorandum 130. 26-29

February 1919, which was based on t h e l e c t u r e , had almost t h e same t o t a l

a s t h e lecture. 5,212 c a s u a l t l e s , but a qulte CIlffOrent bmakdOYnS 8 0 2

k i l l e d or died of rounds, 6 d l s e a s e , 2,903 wounded, 1,501 mlsslng,

161
captured, or undeterminedo

A compilation f r o m Dally Operations Reports for 15 October-2 November

shows a t o t a l o f only 2,071 o a s u a l t l e s over t h a t period8 190 k i l l e d , 1,567

wounded, and 314 m l s a l i i g . Hmevar, it r e p o r t s only 60 a a s u a l % i e a far 17-

18 Ootober, when o a s u a l t i e s a r e h o r n t o have been high. On 16-19 October,

i n plaoe o f a d a i l y f i g u r e f o r t h e 156th Brigade, t h e DOR r e p o r t e d t h a t

two b a t t a l i o n s o f t h e 309th Infantrj had t a k e n 1.041 c a s u a l t i e s since t h e

15th, b u t t h e r e were no d a t a f o r t h e b a t t a l i o n in t h e Bois d e s Loges. The

310th Infantry had in t h o s e aamo four days muPPerad approsimntrly 7 3 0

c a s u a l t i e s , and t h e 308th Yaohine Gun B a t t a l i o n had had 102 c a s u a l t i e s .

There a r e no figures in t h e DOR's f o r 31 October- 1 November, although

c a s u a l t i e s t h a t day ware "knm t o be heavy, but no r e p o r t s received." On

1 - 2 November, 213 c a s u a l t i e s are r e p o r t e d f o r t h e 155th Brigade, none for

t h e 15G+h R r i e d a . . (MoRae s a l d t h e r e were over 500), The only gas onsual-

t i e s recorded -re 27, a l l on 29-30 October. DOR f l g u r e s are In general

161
Lecture, YoRae, p o 30; Tng Memo, 11.16,
- 63-
worth le 8 s

The B a t t l e Monuments Commission f l g u r e of 5,016. as t o t a l b a t t l e casual-

t i e s of t h e 78th Division a t t h e K r i e n h i l d e Stellung. is perhaps the mnst RC-

c s p t a b l e f o r purposes of oomputation.

ffae Attaoks and Oaa C a s u a l t l e a

-
Only bare mentlan is m a d e of enemy uae of gnu nt St. M i h i e l and in
. ~~~~
~~ ~ ~

t h e Argonne campaign, and no aocountlng rfiatever of gas c a s u a l t i e s , i n t h e

r

f r e q u e n t l y p r i n t e d t r a i n i n g document of February 1919, based on General

McRae's lecture and e a r l i e r r e p o r t o f o p e r a t i o n s t o F i r s t &my. Yet t h e

.~

-
c--

.- .~. -
d i v i s i o n s u f f e r e d elmosq'b0 gas o p s u a l t i e s i n the(&. Y l h i e l area, and

between 900-b.300 bsfo-re Grand Pre'nnd t h e Bois dee Loges.

.~
76th D i v i s i o n Summaries of I n t e l l i g e n o e for 15 September-4 October,
'~

-
while I n t h e St. Y l h i e l area. l n d i o a t e t h a t gas s h e l l s f e l l in t h e D l r i -
_ _ ~.~~~
~ ~~

sion s e o t o r on f o u r t o e n o f t h e n n e t e e n days on t h a t f r o n t , with 200 or

.~ ~- . ,. - ' ' ~

more gas s h e l l s on seven d l f f e r e n t days. I n t e r d i o t i o n of t h e towns of

I
I

Thiauoourt and Jaulny, where t h e 310th and 309th Regiments had t h e i r oom-

mand p o s t s , began almost a t once upon t h e a r r i v a l of t h e troops. Shatter-

ing HE bombardmanta were f o l l o r o d by m u s t a r d gaasing f o r three days.

--------
.___
.- ,
___- ?.?-._

Iy 1,200 p l l m o r o s s
23 September. when approxi&
- "(____~_ 3e l l s f e l l on t h o s e
-
,
towns and t h e nearby woods. On t h e n i g h t of 2?-28 September,
-. almost 450
~

gagas s h e l l s l=T@ i n and around Jaulny. and on 30 September-1

\.-.~
October al-

moa~-1,000 mixed g& and HE s h e l l s mre f i r e d i n f o t h e t w o towns. On 3-

\-=-=.-
.--
4 October, following n raId of t h e Q e mlines, ~
, -c

Jaulny was struok by

-------
M A J O R ciA3 ATTACKS
IN THE M I A U C O U R T -
JAIJLNY SECTOP
S E P - 0 C T \918

M A P NO. '10
2,000 HE and gas s h e l l @ , & a oross s h e l l s , t h e DO0 estimatedf
152
(Map lo. 10).

The divisional DORIB for 16 September-4 October lndioate that 111

o f f i c e r s and men m r e k i l l e d , 966 wounded, 131 gassed. and 185 missing in

t h a t period. maldng a t o t a l of 1.SE3 b a t t l e c a s u a l t i e s . The probable

t o t a l i s over 2.0000 153 There are two Monthly Beports of 011s Casunltfes

for September. one based on h o r p l t a l reoords shoring a t o t a l of 295 ga

o a s u a l t lea, t h e o t h e r an S t a t l 8 t l c a l S e c t i o n reoords rhoring 277

L 2
But t h e postwar r e p o r t o f the Division Bas Officer, w i t h d a t a based on
t h e Division Gurgeon's reoords, re~ealq,325'
6%. 7
o a a u a l t l e s for t h e period
__
17-30 September, and an ndditionnl@3-& c a s u a l t i e s f o r 1-4 Oat0ber.~56

Comparative t o t a l evaouated o a s u a l t i e e for them two p e r i o d s are 1,030 and

332, Gas c a s u a l t i e s t h u s o o n s t l t u t e d almost SO percent of t o t n l h o s p l t a l -

iced c a s u a l t i e s in t h e period.

152
SO1 Nos. 1-19 (78th Dir Box 5, 2001). Sw gas atk q t s in GAF-78th
Dlv Atks and Spencer, P a r t 111.
"The shelling of Thinuoourt w l t h y s l t o w or081 beegins t O l l i @ t " (#X Op
Gorre t o Arw Det C, 10140 .ma, 20 Sep. Item Slr/ZS, Annexes t o WD,
Det C, Qerman F l l e s Box lo?!.
153
DOR's in 78th Div Box 7s 78th D i r Sum of Opna ( h e r Battle Ymu Corn),
p - ' 16, shows 2.035 M l l e d a d rounded at S t - Yihl e l a
164
GAF-78th Div Caaus,

165
L t r , DGO t o C CHS, 26 Jan 19 (BAF-78th Div Sum). Spencer's acoount of
17 gas a t t a c k s in t h e p e r i o d 17 Sep-3 d o t (EILCD 460, Part 111, pp. 468-M8)
ahow a t o t a l of 210 gas oasualtiem.

- 66 -
 Gas shell.was apparently used by the 78th Division j u s t 01100 in t h e
St. Yihiel area, In a b r i e f barrwp w i t h ypetlte, put down on t h e night

of 25- 26 September, p r i o r t o t h e ooz-ps-ride damon.tratiom on t h e Oe-

lines, The sole reoord o f t h e mission is an exohange o f memoranda oon-

oorning t h o failure of m e o f t h e battoriea t o 'geL its mstarIl COnCentr(L-

t i o n off in t h o 6 "158
In t h e flat a t t h e Krlamhllde Stellung, the 78th Dlvislon did not

meet with my o f t h e r e l a t i v e l y heavy [iermm ga8 bombarbmcmtr. lnvolvlng

1,000 or more rounds on a s l n g l e t a r g e t , t h a t were experlmoed by *Perloen

troops betwoenMay a d Soptombor 19l8. The aupply o f 00- &illory sas

ahell beonme o r l t l o a l in Ootober. one r e s u l t of rrhloh m s a s u o o e s s l m o f

changes in enemy gas t a o t i c s . These -re noted in Captain Smith's Report

on Gas Attaok o f 18-19 Octobers

German gas t a o t i c s hare ohanged from mall a t t a c k s o f t h r e e or four
shells in a small n m n t o the oonstant dropplng o f gas a h e l l s I n d i f f e r e n t
p u t s o f the tom [of Grand P r e y o As a r e s u l t t h e t o r n is soaked x l t h
l i g h t conoentrntions o f gas in *very c e l l a r and low plnoe. It 1s Lm-
possible t o avold running into them f a i n t omowntratlona. The men e m u -
ated were those wko were near s h e l l s when t h e y exploded. They reoelved
severe amounts or gase

A s a oonsequenoe, oasualtieo were said t o be unavoldable, d e s p i t e t h e good

gas d i s c i p l l n e of t h e divlalon. A l a t e r report added6 'The enemy has

made continuous use O f large q u n n t l t l e s O f gas 811 along our who10 front

and back a r e a s - a few s h e l l 8 a t a time, wlth equal amounts of Blue, Green,

156
Memo, Actp Opns 0, 3M)th FA for CO 1 s t En, 27 Sap, !haa; Hmo for CG
15Srd FA Brig, 27 Sep, subs Rpt of SWth FA In t h e opns of Sep 26th (78th
Dlv Box 27. S2012)n

-, 66 -
and Yellor Cross. 157

Of t h e s e r l e s o f gas attaoks between 17-19 Ootober, whioh Captaln

Smith, t h e Division Gas Offioer. reported as causing 72 oasualtles, rhile

t h e Division Surgeon counted 400 and h o s p i t a l lluts reveal 867 (narrative,

pp. 22. 25. 24). Smith s a i d l a t e r r

The gas o a s u a l t i e s on October l s t h were e%oeptlonally heavy due t o

t h e exhausted oondltlon o f t h e rim, t h e f a c t t h a t they were attaoking .ad

oonfusion - -
the use of gas shell mixed r l t h H.E. by t h e enemy In h i s oounter b u r s g o .
Our men went i n t o t h e l i n e on a ralny, aold night t h e r e was considerable
t h e y were t o a t t e o k t h e next morning and had t o prooeed over
ground which t h e y hrd nevmr mmn and e r n In m n axhaunted oonditlon. They
went forward and advanced m e t i n g g r e a t e r d i f t i o u l t l e s than gas. Conse-
quently some o f t h e men did not wear t h e i r r e s p i r a t o r s where t h e y h e w
they should have done r s i o due t o having t h e l r vlsion 1qair.d while
advancing through heavy d f l r e e Even under those conditions, the
g r e a t e s t peroentage of o a s u a l t i e s t h a t were sent in as "gassed" nure
r a t h e r more exhausted than gms6.d. A w a l l number of o a s u a l t i e s were due
t o ths masku beltig damaged by a h e l l fire- Many mro duo +o mon havln(5 t o
advance through a r i v e r , where t h e r a t e r was ohoulder deep and t h e onnis-
t a r s were ruined. A mall peroentage of o a s u a l t i e s was a l s o due t o both
man and o f f i o e r s negl o t l n g t o appreolate t h e danger of l l g h t oonoentra-
t i o n s of mustard gas. P53

167
L t r , DGO t o C CWSs Def Dlv, 2 1 Oot, subs Use o f Gas by t h e Znelqy
(OAF 78th D l r Sum). See a l s o ltr, COO 1st C t o C CHS 10 Nov, sub8 Monthly
Rpt, October ((UF-l*t C).
The exhaustion of a t o o h of Oerman gas s h e l l i s disoussed in A. Y.
Prsntiss. Chemioals In W a r (HoGraw-Hill, 1937), p. 490. Here may be added
t h o observation of t h e Cad 1st A, who said t h a t the increased use o f gas
by b e r i o e n artillery betwarn 26 9ep M d 11 Bov was moauso our l n f l n t r y
"feared less t h e p o s s l b i l i t y o f r e t a l l a t i o n by t h e enemy" ( H i a t o f CWS,
UF. V o l e V. po 26. based on Rpt of Opns, COO 1st A t o CG 1st A, 25 Bov,
i n eOE H i a b BOX 349).

168
L t r n DdO t o OC CWS Dsf Sro SOS. 2 Nov, sub8 Monthly Ept (1st A Box
341, 78th Div).

- 67 -
Captain Smith's woount appears t o i n p l y t h a t most of t h e gas oaaualties

were incurred during t h e a t t a o k in t h e e a r l y morning o f t h e B t h , M i l e

t h e r o o o r d s indoate t h a t t h e fire%of the gas attacks wae not observed

u n t i l l a t e r in t h e day, when t h e r a i n had stopped. He s a i d nothing in

h i s report about a f i n a l oount o f o a s u a l t i e s and, as seems evident,

shorsd no awareness of t h e i r real number or t h e Offoot of this l o s s t o

t h e division on t h e subsequent oourse of t h e oompaign.

In his weakly r e p o r t for 19-26 October, Captain Smith s n l d that gas

s h e l l s were being included in every HE bombardment, b u t t h a t t h e m o u n t

of gas was s t e e d l l y deoreasingd The d a i l y gas o a s u a l t i e s admitted t o

t h e gas h o s p i t a l over t h e past nix days (20-26 Ootober) had numbered 46,

44, 39, 5, 16, five deaths. Half o f t h e admissions, he said.

___---- -

were probably exhaustion oases r a t h e r than gas oasualties. 159

After t h e war, t h e Division @as Offioer 8- up t h e reoent ez-

periencs of t h e 7 8 t h ~"The numDer of gas a h e l l s a c t u a l l y used In the

Argonne seotor oannot be eatlmnted, although a wry large mount of gas

was enoountsred.

ment over
- -
The enemy used more o r l e s s gas i n every HE bombard-

our e n t i r e forward arear and troops were almost constantly ex-

__._.
--/

posed t o a g r e a t e r o r l e s s oomentrationo"160 The same l e t t e r repeated

15Y
Ltr, W O 78th Div t o COO 1 s t C, 27 Oat (5AF-78th Div, Sulamuies).
The Corps @as Offioer s e ~ m snot t o have used Smith's f i y r e s r "On neoount
of t h e aaattarad naturn of t h m a t t . e k s ( t h h weak) it has been d l f Y l o u l %
t o a s c e r t a i n t h e exact number o f oasualties. The 78th Division mpoPta
118 oasualtles, M&ly l i g h t with five deaths" ( l t r , CQO 1st C t o COO 1st
AD 31 Oct, sub8 Rpt of gas attaoks for week ending 18 h r s Oot 26. I n 1st
A B O X 339, Gas RptS, COO 1st ACD
180
Ltr t o C CWS, 25 Jan 19 (GAF-7Bth Div, Sunnuries).
- 58
t h e meager gas data of t h e Suanaries of I n t e l l i g e n o e , and gave a f a i r l y

oomplete aooount of t h e gas t r a i n i n g of t h e division while a t Crmp Dir

111 F r m u e w i t h tha B r l t l m h Army. It does n o t seem neoessary t o re-

c a p i t u l a t e t h e t r a i n i n g s t o r y here.

Daily Reports o f C a s u a l t i e s t o t h e Offloe of t h e Chief Surgeon, 1st

Corps, for t h e period 15 Ootober-8 November show only h o s p i t a l i c e d oasual-

t i e s r 1,522 wounded, 521 gaswd, 154 l n j u r e d and 1,660 siok.161 However,

the nmall t o t a l of 22 rounded, 16 grmmad. 8 Injurad, 56 oiok, f o r t h e

period 15-19 Ootober, when t h e initial c o s t l y a s s a u l t s on t h e B o i s des

Loges end Grand Prewere mad., t e n d s t o t h r m oonslderable doubt on t h e

above t o t a l s .

The Vronthly Reports of 5a8 Casualties, prepared by t h e Division Gas

O f f i c e r , show a t o t a l of 674 gas o a s u a l t i e s and 7 deaths a t t h e K r e i d i l l d e

S t e l l u n g i n Ootober and 35 gas c a s u a l t i e s i n t h e f i r s t reek of November,

or 709 gas o a s u a l t i e s . 16* But in his letter t o t h e chief, ~11s. on 26

January l B l B , Captain Smith r e p o r t e d gas o a s u a l t y figures oopied f i w

Division Surgeon records of 910 gas oase8 received by t h e d i v i s i o n gas

h o s p i t a l s between 1 Ootober and 8 November and 43 a d d i t i o n a l oases from

other divisions. There w e n 7

~ 1 8 0 gaa deaths.1bs A oomparative f i g u r e

161
1st A Box 250, CS G - 4 (aio).
162
GAF-78th D i r Casu.

163
GAF-78th Div Sum.

- 69 -
of 3,272, as t h e t o t a l evaouated o a s u a l t i e s f o r t h e period, is also given.

With t h e s e d a t a , gas c a s u a l t i e s r e p r e s e n t e d a l i t t l e over 28 percent of

t o t a l evacuations. Even i f t h e more o r Leas o f f l a i a l figure of 6,016 com-

bat c a s u a l t i e r in t h e 78th Dlvldon a t t h e Kriamhilde S t e l l u n g is used,

t h e r e s u l t l a 16 peraent, n f r l r l y high proportion eonaidering t h e p a r a i s t -

ent r e l u o t a n c s o f t h e d i v i s i o n o r t h e D i v i s i o n Gas Offioer t o aclmmledge

gas c a s u a l t i e s .

One o t h e r 8oume of data, t h e gas h o s p i t a l admission l i s t 8 f o r t h e

78th and 82nd Divisions, ahhaws e o n s i d e r a b l e v a r i a n c e w l t h the previoup

f i g u r e s o f 709 and 910 g a s c a s u a l t i e s . The t o t a l of t h e s e gas admission

lists t s 1,279 (roe o h a r t , page 6 9 ) .

T h e discrepancy between t h e t h r e e g a s ripma l l e s p r i n c l p a l l y l n

t h e reoords of g a s o a s u a l t l e s in t h e opening days of t h e a t t a c k . It i s

not impossible t o see how t h e Division Gas Offioer, t h i n k i n g in t a m s o f

gas a t t a c k s and r e s u l t a n t gas o a s u a l t i e s i n the d i v i s l o n a l seotor. f a i l e d

t o record g a s oases t r e a t e d by neighboring d i v i s i o n s ; but t h e Division

Surgeon f l l e s have p a r t i a l r e o o r d s a t l e a s h o f t h o s e o a s u a l t i o s . Never-

t h e l e s s . t h e h i s t o r i e a and o t h e r r e p o r t s o f the o f f i o e and u n i t s o f t h e

D i v i s i o n Surgeon c o n t a i n r e m u k a b l y l i t t l e gas d a t a f o r t h e operation,

and what msdical d a t a a r e a v a i l a b l e appear t o r t h e moat p a r t in Division

Gas Officer oorreapondenoe. lo r e p o r t o r mentlon h a s been found or a

Division M e d i c a l Oms O f f i c e r in t h e 78th Dlrinlon.

- 70 -
 Gas Carualties - F l e l d H o r p l t n l Admirrion Lists

309 310 308 311 312 309 303 308 30Q

Inf I d YO Inf Inf IG Lug FA FA Other TOTAL

17 O c t 2 3 25 8 38
18 66 75 14 26 16 2 2 212
19 2.42 154 53 44 9 4 3 509
20 36 45 8 6 6 3 1 1 4 108
21 30 18 7 4 33 2 1 95
72 7 10 1 25 3 I 1 11 62
23 2 2 1 2 1 8
24 1 9 1 1 1 2 15
25 2 a s 1 10
26 2 1 2 39 1 3 4a
27 2 1 13 3 19
28 3 4 6 8 2 22
28 3 3 1 1 3 2 1 23
30 3 22 17 42
31 2 4 22 5 3 1 37

1 Yov 1 2 6 9
2 8 4 1 1 1 13
3
--- - - - - - -
2

405
1

320 113 158 174 28 28

1

8 9
-
6

36
-
9

1279

* Based on daily oaaunlt ndnirslon l l s t s o f 309th IH (Mad D q t Box

3860), 310th RI (Box 3862f, and 326th W (Box SSOS). ffas casualtlea
reoelved by t h e 326th W (82nd Dlv) and included i n t h e chart above
were as Pollonsr

309 310 308 311

Inf Inf 10 Inf TOTAL
18 O o t 62 67 14 0 143
19 1.98 ioe 4 3 303
20 16 11 6 3 36
21 16 4 0 0 19
22 1 2 0 0 3
-I

282 192
-- -
23 6 503

- 71 -
 I t is h o m t h a t t h e 310th F i e l d H o s p i t a l opened a t Lancon on 16

October, with i t s d r e s s i n g s t a t i o n a t Palassie Ferme.lGC The 309th F i e l d

H o s p i t a l opened a t Apremont on 17 Ootober. with i t s d r e s s i n g s t a t i o n a t

Marcq 165 It was planned t o make t h e 310th Field H o s p i t a l t h e d i v i s i o n

gas h o s p l t a l . but t h e roads Idre mob that 78th Division gaSSWJ and Wounded

from n o r t h of t h e Aire ( i o e o , t h e 155th Brigade) drained i n t o St. Juvin

where t h e 82nd D i v i s i o n gas h o s p i t a l was located.166 The 309th F i e l d Hos-

p i t a l Nas a t once d i r e c t e d t o accept g a s c a s e s as well. As a r e s u l t t h e r e

were three. l a t e r f o u r ( i o e o , t h e 42nd Division), h o s p i t a l s in t h e a r e a

o o l l e o t i n g 78th Division gas o a s u a l t i e a .

'164
"Immediately a f t e r a r r i v i n g t h e r e t h e gas p a t i e n t s s t a r t e d coming
in,...Nc less t h a n 445 g a s p a t i e n t s were handled a t Lancon with seven
deaths, t h e r e s u l t of very badly gassed c o n d i t i o n s o f p a t i e n t s . " H i s t o f
FH 310 (Med Dept Box 3842, f o l 34)-

165
" B e t w e e n Oct 1 7 t h and Bov 3rd =a handled a large number of gas oasea
under very t r y i n g conditions." H i s t of M 309 (fbid,, f o l 31). For an ao-
count o f t h e g a s s i n g o f t h e 3rd Bn a i d s t a t i o n , = I n f , at St. Juvln
on t h e l'lth, see d r a f t o f leoture by Dlv Surg, YedloaL Work i n t h e 78th
Div i n France, 10 Apr 19, i n Med Dapt Box 3842, f o l 8 ) .
Severely gassed p a t i e n t s at Lancon mnd Aprmont were t r m a f b r r e d
t o t h e gas h o s p i t a l a t Jubecourt, 29.8 km away, and t h e n e i t h e r t o Gas
Hospital No, 4 at Rareoourt, 5 9 - 3 h, o r Amer Red Crosa Boap No. 110 at
Villers-Dauoourt, 40,l km.

166
L t r , Col G O M. Ekwurmel, Div Surg t o C Surg AEF, 31 Mar 19, subr
H i s t o r i c a l r p t (Mod Dlv Box 3841. f o l 1). See also ltr. Dir F i e l d Hosp
t o Col B o K O Ashford, 4 Apr 19, subr Questionnaire (Mod Dapt Box 3842, f o l
30) who e a i d thaf 10% of m e n hnggod a a gnaaod "turned out with other
causes." Of t h e gas c a s u a l t l e s 40# were a s p h y r l a t i o n oases, 80% mustard
caseso

- 72 -
 The above ohart t h e r e f o r e r e p r e s e n t s a c o m p i h t i o n o f gas o a s u a l t i e s

accepted by t h e 309th and 310th IB (78th Division) and t h e 326th FH (82nd

Diviaion), The t o t a l h e r e of 1,279 should be further increased by 41, repre-

s e n t i n g 309th and 310th Infantry gas c a s u a l t i e s t r l a g e d by t h e 42nd Division,

on the right of t h n R 2 d . 167

Turning f o r a moment t o t h e Oennaa reoords, t h e t o t a l nohowledged gas

c a s u a l t i e s i n t h e ensmy units Opposlte t h e 18th Dlrlaion, as rsflscfod l a

t h e i r a v a i l a b l e reoords f r m 1 6 October t o 7 November and c i t e d l a t h .

n a r r a t i v e , are only betNeen 250 and 300, an apparerrtly r i d i c u l o u s figure

considering t h e l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s of gas expended by t h e a r t i l l e r y o f t h e

78th and 82nd Divisions, as well a s corps and army a r t i l l e r y . The f i g u r e

o f 2 1 0 c a s u a l t i e s on 31 Oo+ober appears low enough, but I t sonma imprahahle

t h a t t h e r e could have been no more t h a n 3 gas o a s u a l t i e s produaed by t h e

2,338 rounds of phosgene f i r e d i n t o t h e Boa de Bourgogne on 2 3 October.

German gas o a s u a l t i e s are s t i l l t h e b e s t kept s e o r e t of t h e ~ a r .

There is, on t h e rhole, l i t t l e o o n s i s t e n t agreement betwean Oerman and

Amoriann reports of gag rtt8ok8, and a n l y t h e most meager data. An estima-

t i o n o f t h e t o t a l number of gas rounds f i r e d by Garman artillery b e t m e n

16-30 October Is t h e r e f o r e largely guesmork. If, as t h e 78th Dlvlslon Gas

O f f i c e r said, The enemy...rnade oontlnuous use o f l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s of gas

a l l along our whole f r o n t and baok a r e a s - a few s h e l l s at a t h e , * t h e n

it m a y h e assumed t h a t t h e bombardment with 300 yellow erosa s h e l l s reported

167
L t r . Div Surg 4Znd Dlv t o D i v Surg 78th Div, 26 Ocf, subs 76+h D l v
C a s u a l t i e s t r i a g e d by t h e 42nd Div (Mod Dept Box 3844,)

- 73 -
on t h e n i g h t of 28-29 October was 0110 of t h e l a r g e s t s i n g l e enemy gas shoots.

By aocounting for every r e p o r t of gas f i r e , enemy and f r i e n d l y , it may be

assumed t h a t a minimum total of b e h s n 3,000 and 4,000 gas rounds wure f i r e d

by t h e enemy during t h e period.

N O e s t i m a t e of t h e t o t a l m o u n t of HE f i r e d by t h e Germrn guns, rifles,
and mortars oan be made and t h e r e f o r e no oomparlscn is p o s s i b l e with HE

wound c a s u a l t i e s , but on t h e basis of 3,000-4,000 rounds of gas a h e l l , at n

c o s t t o the 78th Division of over 900 p a casualties. it eeoma cloor that a

gas c a s u a l t y was produced with t h e expenditure of every t h r e e t o five gas

shells,

Perhaps t h e b e s t commentary on t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of (iennan gas s h e l l i n g

on t h e 1st Corps f r o n t i n Ootober 1918 appears i n n report o f t h e 82nd

Division Gas Officer on t h e gas o a s u a l t l e s i n f l i c t e d in t h a t division. which

entered t h e l i n e on 7 October and after 15 Oatober fought alongside t h e 78th.

(Note that this r e p o r t appears t;o corroborate tho data I n t h e 78th Division
gas c a s u a l t y c h a r t , page 69).

There h a w teen no s t r a i g h t gas a t t a o k s p u t over by t h e ensmy during

t h e t i m e t h e 82nd Division h a s been holding t h i s p r e s e n t s e c t o r , but gas
s h e l l s mixed w i t h H.E. have Men p u t over both I n t h e f r o n t l i n e md baok
area every day and n l & t during t h i s period. Also, v a t h e r oondltions and
____
c h a r a c t e r of t e __--
used, 1
--- - haP-been suoh ns t o Inore-
r e so t _ h _ 4 n _ _ w ~ & ~ ~ber it lh y
-
e -casep...
w.Of_&s_aes

To d a t e ( l e e o s 7-23 Ootcbsr), 2315 oeses o f gassing o r suspeoted gaa-

s i n g have been passed through t h e 326th F l e l d Hospital.,..Of t h e s e cnses.
1443 were 82nd Division m e n md 872 men from o t h e r organizatlona.

I t h a s been impossible t o make an e x a c t anaIysis, but t h e following

f i g u r e s nre considered a8 being conservative, giving a f a l r l y a c c u r a t e sum-
mary o f actual oonditlone, an e a t i m a t e , houewr.

- 74 -
 Gas d e a t h s .
To h o s p i t a l
. . .
(I
. 9
1443
Returned t o d u t y 102
Ready for d u t y a f i e r
10-day r e s t 1196
. . . .
I
L i g h t l y gnaaed.
S e v e r e l y gassed .. 79
66

A f t e r t h e m e n had been i n t h e line f o r a f e w days. l i v i n g and f i g h t -

ing almost without p r o t e c t i o n , in continuous bad weather and with varying
c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of gas almost oontinuously about, their resistance was
much lowered and t h e y were more easily h o o k e d o u t by s l l g h t ooncentra-
tiona of gas0 Added t o t h i o , largo nWber8 who hnd uialffod gaa, but rho
in r e a l i t y were s u f f e r i n g f r o m exhaustion o r p h y s l o a l oollapse, =re sent
baok t o t h e Hospital. T h e r e s u l t a n t eonfusion beoause of t h e l a r g e num-
bers c o n s t a n t l y coming In prevented any systematlo segregation and l n
consequenoe they were n e a r l y a l l evacuated ns gas o a s u a l t i e s . . .
,i G a s defense d i s c i p l i n e w i t h i n t h e D l v i s i o n is good. A 1 1 unlts a r e
being kept p r o p e r l y equipped, the men understand how and lmsn t o use th lr
\ r e s p i r a t o r s and a p p r e c l a t e t h e p r o t e c t l o n a g a i n a t gas afforded thereby. 168

Like the 78th, the 82nd Diviaion was s u b j e o t s d to a t t r i t i o n of i t a

f o r c e s as it mounted a t t a o k after a t t a o k on t h e enemy t r o o p s holding t h e

Kriemhllde S t e l l u n g . So exhausted and reduced were i t s f o r c e s a t t h e end

o f October t h a t 1st Army ordered t h e 82nd t o reserrrs on 30 Ootober and on

2 November t h e division wa6 ' r e l i e v e d as Corps Reservs...and...rlthdrawn

from t h e f r o n t for rest. r e f i t t i n g . and It could take no

p a r t in t h e subsequent p u r s u i t o f t h e r e t r e a t i n g German armyo

168
Ltr,, Dco B2nd Div t o CG 8 2 d Dlv, 24 Oot U 0 subs Gas C a a u a l t i e s
( 1 s t A Box 341, BZnd Div).

169
Fo 95, 1st A, 30 Oot; FU 34, 82nd Div, 1100 SO Oat. r e p o r t e d i t s re-
lief by t h e 77th and 8 0 t h Divs on t h e n i g h t o f 30-31 O c t (82nd Div Box 7,
33.6, Spec Rpts of Opns).

- 75 ~
 F i r s t Argy Bap loymenb of Gas
The p r l n o i p a l evidenoe for assuming t h a t t h e y p e r i t e o f -t h e ri@t m d
.

left f l a n k s of t h e Army f r o n t was a d e l i b e r a t e p l r n of F l r s t A m y hnnd-

L/---- .
c---
September ap3 October
~-
quarters i s t h e p a t t b r n e a t a b l l s h~.e d b y t h b .sucoession
_~_
1918, and tho map included here as
~
of f i e l d o r d e r s in
. ..~.... . ...~.~, , ,

nap No. 6. Not

r,
. ~ i..^.
. .- ~

a word of t h i s gall p l a n or p a t t e r n , described in t h e n a r r a t i v e (pp. 37 -

40), appears i n t h e 66-pag6 Summary of Operations prepared by t h e F i r s t

Army s h o r t l y after t h e war0 T h i s summary. furthermore, says nothing

__-
-- -
about t h e e f f e c t of enemy gas on t h e Meuse-Argonne campaign o r about t h e
~ ~ ~ . ..-.....__..__,,._I .__...._,,.... _.-
I
-
,
extensive employment of gas by Anny l t a e l f o n enemy Poroes and terrmin.
.~
. .. ~...-. . . .. . . ~ . .
- .. .,
~
~
,,~,

Yet enemy gas was a p r i n c i p a l f a o t o r in t h e delays and d l f f i o u l t l e s o

._f
.___--....--..~-.I _-., ~-. -_
t h a t campaign, end amounted for 20 percent of t h e t o t a l casualties.170
~

And F i r s t Army a r t i l l e r y and i t s corps end d i v i s i o n a l components f i r e d a

171
2
t o t a l o f i ~ 6 5 . 8t o n s of gas s h a l l In t h e oampaignn.

170
Memo, ACS 0 -
4 f o r COO 1st As 2 5 Nov 18, sub: Gas C a s u a l t i e s i n
t h e ArgOMe-ldeUSe Opns ( H i s t O f CWS AEF, Op C i t , ppo 150-153). Between
77 S a p 1 6 Nor. LB.670 n f the 92.022 battle o s s u a l t l e a admlttod t o hos-
p i t a l s were gas caseso

171
A n unsigned. undated mamo I n W-1st A g l - s a b r a a l d o m o f sueoial
shell ( f i l l i n g s n o t glvun) a l l o o a t e d f o r t h e Meuae-Argonne Opn, 26 Sep-
11 Nov, as f o l l o w s r

7bnu gas s h e l l 10- gas s h e l l

1st corps 101,402 389

3rd C o r y 74,977 1.30u
5th Corps
Army m y
65,630
12,666
19.815
630
--
Frenoh Arty
274,490 fsic -7
-
2,399
- 76 ~
 s t o g a s w a r f a r --_
e i n t h e A n ~ y s Slrmmary Of Operations

are t o t h e gas s h e l l i n g o f p o s i t l o n s on t h e right f l a n k by enemy battzees

u
e a s t of t h e Yeuse, a t t h e beginning o f t h e operation, and t o t h e enemvgas-
.I - - ,.
s i n g of t h e Aire Valley o n 4 Octobero172
- - . _.

A l t h o u b Army and Corps lnterest i n t h e use Of gas in t h e OffenSiVO

seems c l e a r from t h e records examined, Army d i d not achieve u n t i l l a t e in

i t s oparationo, and t h o n l a r g e l y by force of oiroumstanoas, n real undsr-

standing of t h e use o f gas. p a r t i c u l a r l y p e r s i s t e n t gas, in nn offensive

operation, . -
The i n i t i a l f i e l d o r d e r for t h e S t . Y i h i e l o p e r a t i o n e a r l y in

September, f o r example,
-
had no g a s p l a n n f i a t e v e a The s o l e r e f e r e n c e in

t h e order f o r t h e a t t a o k began, If gas is usedo.o~173 The &my order

for the Meune-hgnrum oporstian, an 2 0 September. i n d i o a t e d awareness o f

t h e need f o r firmer gas d i r e o t i o n , in i t s order t o use p e r s i a t e n t gas on

t h e r l g h t flank and non- persistent gas on t h e left m d c e n t e r . In t h e

T 7 l (rnntd)
Based on r p t s o f G O p s 9 l s t , 5th, and 3rd C, w O p s and 1st Gas Be&, a
memo from L t P o 1, Meaerve, CHS, O C O 1st A, f o r CaO 1st A, 11 Jan 19, subs
S t a t i s t i c s on Gas Offensive Opns, Mouse-Argonne Opn (GAF-1st AC), s a i d t h a t
ges f i r e d i n t h a t Army offenalve totaled 86.8 tons, w i t h 79.5 fired by m y ,
6.3 by 1st OR. T h i s memo shows a t o t a l of 55,800 #O 75-mm0 s h e l l 8 f i r e d .
but no #i?O 105-mm0 o r 155-m0 s h e l l , and would t h e r e f o r e s e w t o be ln-
comp 1et 0
1st Corps d a t a f o r t h e Yeuse-Argome campaign are i n memo, COO 1st C
for C CKS, 5 Feb 19, and show RU estimated 6,180 75-m. l e t h a l s h e l l and
46,040 7 5 m m . y p e r i t e s h e l l f i r e d by arty. a t o t a l of 33.92 t o n s of gase
With 0,76 t o n s of l e t h a l gas f l r e d by t h e p r o j e o t o r r and m o r t a r s of gas
t r o o p s . t h e t o t a l g a s tonnage in 1st Corps alone was S4.,88 ton8 (1st A box
339, Gas Rpt 1st AC).
172
Mimeo Hpts Summary of Operations, pp. 10, 48 (1st A Box 52).
173
FO 9, 1st An 7 Sep, p a r 3b(6)0 and repeated i n t h e s m e a r t y annex. See
Study No, 5 , t h i s series, The Use o f Oas a t St. Y i h i e l ,
- 77 -
seeming v a c l l h t i o n in its d l r e c t i v e s t o oorps, &my *1s slor t o aoknowledge

t h e use o f mustard gas on an a t t a a k front, o r else it y i e l d e d t o d i v i s i o n a l

Years o f endangering i t s troops. (Witness McRaea and Heams obvious in-

c r e d u l i t y t h a t no gas c a s u a l t l e s ooourred mong t h e i r artillerymen durlng

t h e shoot, o r among t h e l r riflmen mile padslng t h e y p e r i t e d area).

Armys most important deoision, d i a t a t e d by circumstances. t o yperite

both i t s flanks for t h e driw through t h e center, I n mentioned a s auch no-

/---

whore in MY &my. oorpa or dlvialon raoord examined. Bsyand t h e fact t h a t

- ~- ~ --..-,______-c-c/-

a l l t h r e e oorps were assigned. o r themselves set up, gas missions, t h e r e

._ __
-- -_ -
seems t o be do oognizance of an overalipf- Nothing, f o r exemple, has

been found i n ?Bth Division records t o i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e d i v i s i o n was m a r e

~
-
.hat i t s gassing of t h e Bois de Bourgogne was p a r t o f a l a r g e r Army p l a n .

Although both t h e oonnnanding general and t h e a r t i l l e r y o-ander of t h e

d i v i s i o n were proud and v o c a l over t h e suocess of t h e i r gas operation, t h e y

report it o n l y as a t a c t l o a l mirsion of t h e d i r i s l o i h t possible exception

7.- -
t o t h e demurrer may be read i n t o t h e statslhatn a t Maj. Qeorge A. Hunt, 1st

Corps Gas Offioerc

Army Headquarters t o o k 0-r t h e p r e p a h t i & of the a i t f f l e r y go, progrea.
in t h e t h i r d phase o f t h e opefation and g r e a t mphaais Was j u s t l y l a i d on the
use o f mustard geeo The Bola do Pourgogne, Whioh Was t o be flanked add not
immediately e n t e r e d by t h e F i r s t Corps. was subjeoted, along with o t h e r im-
p m t ~ ~ pulnls.
~ i t t o a t e r r l f l c must&rd gas bombardhent on t h e day previous t o
t h e attack....The r e s u l t s wero...hlghly gratifyillg. The gas everyahere
cauaed heavy c a s u a l t i e s and In some of t h e units espebfally oonosntrated
upon. t h e losses were a8 high a~ 7 6 pernnnt of t h e i r oombaf sfreagt.h. aooord-
m g to t h e o f f i c i a l Intelligence

174
L t r copied out by Spenoer, no other d a t a , in G U - H i s t o f Gas Atks, Mihc.
 The d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e nrnber of pages of F i r s t Army's Bumnary o f Opern-
t i o n s given t o d e t a i l i n g t h e d i f f l o u l t i e s of t h e 77th Division in t h e Argonne

md nf the 78th Division b e f o r e Orand Pre'indioates t h e importance o f t h e i r

o p e r a t i o n s to t h e Army missiono Frcm t h e p o i n t of v l m o f t h e Frenoh war

leaders, t h e progress or the Flrst Amorloan h y on t h e Meusa-&gorme +ant

was unsatisfactory, Clemenooau is said t o h a w oomplained of t h e 6 ~ ~ e S S

of t h e Amerioan Army advanoo and t o have nuggested t o Fooh t h a t P e r J l i n g be

relieved. Fooh, who knm the t e r r a i n under F i r s t &7ny nttaok, and of t h e

German reinforcements on t h a t front, counselled e t h e r r i s e . 176 In t h i s l i g h t ,
First Amy's aummary report may be r e n d a s a r e p l y t o Renah o r i t l a i s m , and

on account of h y gas o p e r r t l o n s would be beslde t h e point.

Divisional -1OpOllt Of h 6

It I s intended h e r e to recount p r i n c i p a l l y t h e p l a n s for gassing t h e

', Bois dea L o i A The f a i l u r e t o n e u t r a l i z e t h i s 9 1 rood. appnrently oon-

s l d e r e d by l a t Corps and Army t o be t h e key t o t h e advanoe on t h e F i r s t Army
f r o n t , would seem t o h a w been a t a o t i o a l error r f t h r e s u l t s out o f propor-

t i o n t o i t s size. Nineteen days were required by t h e 78th Division t o get

t h r o u g h t h e wood, and t h e n only baaause t h e enamy had abandomd f t .

F r u s t r a t e d i n t h e l n l t f a l assaults on t h e Kriemhilde Stellung, corps

s a i d i n an erratum t o i t s order of 13 Ootobers "The Corps o b j e o t i r s is Cot6

M o b t e e , p . 540. Liggett snys he knsr o f t h e t h r e a t e n e d relief only by

hearsay. See A.E.F. Ten Yawn 40i n France, pp. 200
C. March, The Nation a t W n r (Doubledny, Dorm) 1932, p. 261.
-
05. Cf. (3en Peyton
LL1~-Chevie\res....Lethal g a s rill be used t o t h e f u l l e s t e x t e n t p o s s i b l e i n
___-----_ -
p r e p a r i n g f o r and a s s i s t i n g t h.e~ .i ~
n f a n t r y attaok.
-_ and i n causing c a s u a l t i e s
.
~ ~. ~
. ~... ~ . . . ~.
~~ ,

i n rear areas and along lines of ~ o m m u n i o a t l o n . " ~ , ~ When

. -...
6 t h e enemy r o s i s t -
. .~~
-..

ance continued, n e o e s a i t a t l n g t h e r e l i e f of t h o 77th Division, &my apeoi-

__~
-\
-- ~
---
f i o a l l y d i r e c t e d t h e gassing of t h e Bois d e s Loges, and i t s order was im-

plemented by Corpar "The a r t i l l e r y o f t h e 78th and 82nd Divlsions w i l l make

c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f non-peralstent gas in t h e Bois des t0mS u n t i l 3 hours
. ~~
,.~ . ..~.
16 October."177
While t h e 78th D i v i s i o n artillery wns in no p o s i t i o n t o f i r e gas i n

p r e p a r a t i o n f o r t h e a t t a c k , an hour b e f o r e midnight on 1 5 October t h e 82nd

Division issued o r d e r s for i t s mission in t h e o o r p s a s s a u l t s ' A r t i l l e r y
p r e p a r a t i o n w i l l oommenoe at onceo
non - persistent gas u n t i l 5 hours. 1 6 t h QcLohSr.'~7~
-
The MIS DE LOGE w i l l be gassed with
-.
A t 1845 a m m o on t h e 16th,
_- __ - ,
a 157th FA Brigade (82nd Division) memorindurn t o Chr regiments requested no-

t i f i c a t i o n when t h e No. 5 gas s h e l l wns a t t h e i r p o s i t i o n s . "When t h e command

for f i r e is given a l l b a t t e r i e s w i l l f i r e at the r a t e of one hundred rounds
p e r gun p e r hour u n t i l eaoh regiment h a s l a i d dorn 3000 No. 5 gas s h e l l s i n
i t s area." I n t h e m i r t ; i e of t h i s memorandum l o t h e notmtlons "Canoollod at

9 rain m d f o g t h a t morning were reasons enough t o o_.

3 0 ~ ~ 0 " 1 7The r11 off the
\
- - -
____-A

mission, but it i s more likely that tho commmdlng ganural of the Btnd DlVl-
1_

sion, convinced t h a t t h e 78th could not a t t a o k on t i m e , saw no p o i n t i n a

gas mttaok.

176 Erratum t o FO 72, 1st C, 1400 hr8, 15 OOt, p a r 3e (8Znd D l v Box 7, Opna
Rpt S ) o
177
FO 67. l e t A. 1900 hrs, 1 6 O o t s FU 7 6 . 1st 0, 2100 hra, 1 5 Oot, par 3d.
Corps waa premature i n t h e f i r s t par o f this order i n saying, with referenoe,
t o t h e 77th Div unit a t Grand Prbr We have d r i v e n t h e enemy ou6 o f Grand PrJ,,''
178
M 27, Bend Dlv. 2300 h r s , 1 5 O o t , pnr I110 (82nd Div Box 7, 33.6).
179
82nd Div Box 24. 33.3; a l s o i n Box 23, 32015 Brig Memos. Iln ovtlrlay
shows t h a t t h e whole o f t h e e a a t s l d e o f t h e Boia d e s Loges w a s t o be gassed.
- r?
 Neverthglesa, t h e 82nd Division Dally Report of o p e r a t i o n s f o r 16-17

October r e p o r t e d # "4100 &s a h e l l r i n MIS do and adjoining woods in

--
~
~

-/

sootor, " This i s f u r t h e r oonfuslng sinoe t h i s r e p o r t o o w r s t h e period

from noan to noon, 1f3-17 October, r h i o h would l n d l o a t e t h a t t h e Bois d e s

Loges was gassed on t h e mornlng o f t h e 17th. r a t h e r t h a n the 1&h, as

ordered. Yet (3eneral Dunoan of the 8Zn6, la his l e t t e r justifying h l s in-

a c t i o n on t h e morning o f t h e 1&h, says nothing of gassing t h e Bois des

Loges e i t h e r t h a t morning o r t h e next, nor do t h e records of t h e 78th Divi-

s i o n mention I t a n m e r e , It may be araumed t h a t 82nd Division operations

r e p o r t s a r e i n e r r o r and t h a t a t no t i m e d i d it gas t h e Bois des Loges.

The g r s s i n g of Champignsulle m d v l o l n l t y by 82nd Dlvisian a r t l l l s r y

on t h e morning of t h e 18th. l n support o f t h e advanos o f t h e ?Bth, is also

a aonfused story. The f i e l d order f o r t h e mission d l d not specify t h e type

o f gas. but it w l l l be remembered t h a t although 1st Corps had y p e r i t e shell.

n o t u n t i l 2 0 October is t h e r e forral record t h a t Lrmy l i f i e d i t s bm on t h e

UBB of y p e r l t a r e s t o f t h e Yeuse. The 82nd Division a n t i c i p a t e d t h e

revocation by one day.

LBO
DOR 8 9 (82nd Div Box 7 , U-A Opns Rpts). T h i s r p t seems p a r t i a l l y con-
firmed by Opns apt. 1 7 Oot. 320th FA Begt (82nd Div Box 26. DOE), which reads;
"During t h e n i g h t of October 16-17, 2600 rounds gas s h e l l were f i r e d l n t o t h e
wooded a r e a s as ordered by ALbmy A-1 ( I + . , CO, 157th FA Brig) a t 1 and 3
olclook."
Rpt of Armno, 8Znd Div, 1800 hrs, 16 O o t , M o w s 14,163 rounds of gas s h e l l
on hand b u t none f i r e d t h a t day o r t h e next (82nd Dlv Box 24, 33.5).

28 1
Fo 29, 82nd Dlv, 2000 h r s , 17 Oct; n a r r a t i v e ppo 43 - 44,

- 81 -
 Thors seams t o be no rebord Of any aahbdufba gab mi&sion by t h e 62nd
c-, -.

on t h e morning of 18 October ( a s r e l a t e d In t h e n d r r a t i v e , pp. 15 - 16). but

a gas schedule of i t s 157th FA Brigade for l8r19 U c t o b i r i n d i o a t e s t h a t a

t o t a l o f 5,100 No. 20 and 1,600 No. 5 s h e l l Rab t o be fLred on t h e 19th on

Chmpigneulle
~. ~ ~
...~~/
and t h o araen t n th@ north and southeast.
--_
The f i r i n g of t h l s
....
~~~

~ ~~

mission, w i t h t h i s number of gas shell, is confirmed i n a letter from t h e

ccmmander o f t h e 157th FA Brigade t o 1st Corps A r t i l l e r y :

F i r e upon t h i s t a r g e t was executed a t 3 hours Ootobdr l%h. 1918 and

the spme l a s t e d for one hour ind rorLy-rivb minui;ea, f o r t y - e i g h t guns in
a l l participating....,The bombardment was stiirted & t h No, 5 gas, , t h e objeot
being t o secure as many o a s u a l t i e s as p o s s i b l e by s u r p r i s e effedt, 1600
rounds of No. 5 gas were used folloirsd by 5100 rounds of No. 20 Y p e r i t e . . . .
The ravine t o t h e north of Champlgneulle was gassed a t t h e same time a s t h e
v i l l a g e as our observers had r e p o r t e d t h a t henever t h e tom ma8 h e a v i l y
bombarded the Bosohe would retreat t o t h e ravlne. The approximate area
oovered b the gaa bombardment w8s two hundred and e i g h t y thousand square
meters. 18 I
Gas missions on both 18 and 19 October are iupported by The O f f l o i a l

H i s t o r y of t h e 82nd Division, AEFs "During t h e nights o f Ootobbr 17-18 and

OCtOber 18-19 heavy oonoentrntlons of both mustard and non-persistent gas

were placed i n Champlgneulle i n oonneotion w i t h t h e a t t a o k e on t h e Bois des

Loges by t h e 78th Division, rihich had r e l i e v e d ~e 77th on our But

a h i s t o r y o f t h e 157th FA Brigade, apparentfy +itten AhOrtly after t h e war,

s a i d only, r e f e r r i n g t o t h e s e d a t e s 8 'During t h e nlght of Oct. 17-LB,

182
82nd Dlv Box 24, 33.3: Ltr and sketch, Yaj Can C. D..Rhodes t o CG 1st
C k t y , 24 Oct. subs Gas B o m b a r d m a r k (1st A B o x 339, G a a R p t 1st C).

183
Indianapolisr Bobbs, Merrill, 1920, p o 239.

- 82 -
 -_-
Champigneulle m s given 4000 rounds of #?O mustard gas. On t h e morning of
t h e 18th. t h e 78th Dirlslon...waa t o make an attaok on t h e Bola des Logea...c

The a r t i l l e r y plaoed concentrations of high s r p l o r l t e s on Chupignsulle and

t h e area# of BOIB DE W E B md AC+XOM BfvW were f i r e d upon, hrt t h e 78th d i d

-
not a d ~ a r n e . " ~ ~Here.
4 as In G.nera1 Dunour's l e t t e r and elsewhere, the

f i r s t phosgene rlsslon is o d t t e d , t h e date 1s erroneous, t h e number of

~
~ _-- __ ~

yperlte rounds ripe. and tho mixed oharaoter o f tho sooond @s rLemlon $0
---_.-

not reported.

Available reports of operations of t h e twu l l @ t reglmeats of t h e

157th FA Brigade would indioate t h a t both t h e phosgene and phosgene-yperite

mlssione were f i r e d , A t 6110 some and agaln at llr3O adb on 18 Ootober, a

t u L a l of S.800 rounds of phos6ons -0 reoordod am flrod l m t o Ehrapigaeulls

and l t s v l c l n l t y , and beginning a t SsOO a.m. on 19 October, 4,000 rounds of

y p e r i t e and 2,900 more round. o f phaagene rnlr put down on and near t h a t

v i l l a g e ( n a r r a t i v e pp. 15 -.
These dates and d a t a appear r e l l a b l e and seem t o t a l l y w i t h t h e ex-

perlsnos of the 78th. That 18. while no reports of n r u l t r have beon found,

t h e phosgene put dona on Ch.rplgneulle 011 t h e Uth, rblle inadequate l n

184
82nd Dlv Boz 22, 11.4.

185
Rpt Opns, 520th FA, pe 18 (82nd D l r BOX 26, l L 4 ) i Rpt Opns, 3 2 l s t FA,
17-l8 Oot (82nd Dlr Box 97, 35.1, DDR); H l r t of Opal, 521at FA, P U C 11, .p.
9 (82nd D i r Box 26, 11.4). Them f i g u r e s d i m r ooasiderably from those
o f Oeneral Phoder of t h e UTth, quoted i n t h e br1g.d. history, abow.

- 83 -
volume, aeemr t o h a m tJrm the pmrrure off t h v 78th Dlrialon troops k f o r e
t h e Bola den Loger. t a p o r u l l y , a t lea&. But the phorpno M d y p e r l t e put
on Chmmpi(proul1~t h o n u t aornln& doe. not m a m m *e hers boon w e l l adrlm~d,
--%

for I t reportedly hompered %ha S%!nd,18* md 78th Dlrlr1011 o p e r a t i m a had

- __
n h l f t e d t o the *.& old. 02 tho Boia deo Logoo, lrhioh m a then relaforoed
with the 0T.OU0.8 O f QISSpigpOU11..

The oonhraion of aooounta in after-acflon mnd p o d m u bl&orloal re-

port0 of t h e 82ab D l v l r i o n ooneemlng t h l r porlod. lt 1. mugpoted. may

have been owl- t o t h e nUy of a e f i g h t l n g at Wm t i m e d +he nearly o w -

p l a t e oxhumtion of t h e sntlro SPnd, frra fho oomamnd OII dom. 187

Twlng WOO more t o t h o aborted plan. t o g4a the Bola der loge.,
A m y md Corpr Order0 t o put dorn p h o a p e preparatory t o t h e a t t a c k on

the morning of 16 Oatobor -N uaque.tlonably oaneelled by t h e olm-

stanoear 'The nt&t n o dark d ralnyi t h e 78th Dlrirlan m r new t o t h e
area, and mmy o-dera were rlthant u p m i oontrdidory ordwa W e n

ieauad am CO F O U h m Or R d V M O I a e . d h O rrsult OOMldOmbb oanfuslon

t n d~ Divlalon report. o f gaarlug t h e Bola on t h e
and d a l r y la r . l l ~ f . *B ~

night of 16-17 Oatoter a e a ln orrmr.

187
 No n(11 oorps order was nooosruy for t h e 78th Dlririon plan t o gar tho

western and soubhern edges of t h o B o l a des Loges for t h e a t t a o k of 23 Ootobor

(narrative, pp. 29 - SO), and t h e r o 1 s no explmatlon for t h e h l l u r e t o use

gas i n t h e a r t i l l e r y preparation. It an* not a matter of'wather, f o r it was

reported "good," with v i s l b l l l f y "poor t o falr. Moreover, t h e Bola de

Bourgogne was gamed with pho)gmO t h a t morning. It nay have been a problem
-_
of supply. although m t h Dirisipn n o o r d s do not any so, nor do they mention

t h e f a l l u r e t o oarry out t h e f i e l d order.

I n a p o s t r v ground s u n r y of t h e Bola do8 Logea, a Rlrat L.my artil-

leryman S h u p l j a r i t i o i r e d t h e o r i g l n a l Corpr plan t o neutrrllse "the edge

o f t h e rood by p a m d HE r l t h m t attaoklng tho oenter o f t h e rood.* 'The

oentor of the r o o d is 80 luoh h1B.r thur t h m *demo t h a t it i n posniblo t o

f i r e in plaoer f r o m t h e oentor boyod t h e odgm. n e n e u t r a l l r a t l o n of t h e

edges of t h e rbod was not, and oould not be, rufflt3lent t o warrant sendlng
infantry around it, It d g h t be i n t e r e s t i n g 0 0 aswrtaln rhother t h e F i r s t
Corps plan was prepared from t h o Plrn Direotour o r from an aotual rmonnais-

aanoe of t h e g ~ 0 Ro &Id
6 nnt ~ th~
~ deny ~ ~ for g i a a i n & t h e Bola
s aaaoaaitr

des Loges but only t h e intended t u g o t f o r t h e gas0 He was doubtless aware

t h a t t h e repeated heavy bombardmOnts Of the m o d r i t h HIS had had l l t t l e o r

no e f f e c t on i t s defenderr, ond t h a t the o o r t In mon and t h e t o both t h e

IB9
Opns Rpt. 78th Dlo, 22-25 O a t (78th Div Bo* 6, COB).
190
~~~

Col Conrad H. Lanra, ?A, B d e s on t h e Boil den L o p s (78th Dlv Box 3,

18.8) 0 . .

- 86 -
78th and 82nd Dlrirlons had h e n u e e r a i v o l y hllg.

Consldering t h a t the Bole der Loger war rlmort the last l l p o r t m t ob-

ataole t o be o l e u u d in the P l r a t Army a t t a o k o f 1 November. t h e oontlnued

--- __
failure to
- g.8
_-
t h a t rood w i t h adequate p h o w n a o r mustard roewnably
--_I -- oalls

ror
_---
ID. e x p l a n a t l o n ~ l o n e ha* W n h u n d e

supply in
adequate
__I___
t h e aorpa dumpr.
(ha s h e l l seems t o have

The mrtuo and projectors o f t h e 1st

been In

Oaa Begirmt, with t h d i r h i g b l r e f f i o i e n t p r o j e o t i l e s , were available In

t h e 77th and Both Dlvirion m o t o r r e They nlght n l l ham been used.
A i l ~ word
l on t h e gaariag o f the Boir de Bourgogne. h n e r a l Perehing,

i n n r u e a-t en gas i n h l a msmeira. M y Ecperienee In the World War, srld

of t h a t operation,' " S p e o i d muigementa were mad. f o r t h e a r t i l l e r y t o em-

/
ploy p e r a i r t e n t ( r u r t u d ) gaa egalmt the e a r k r n edge of t h e Bola de

Bourgogne m d ohher ae10ot.d points. 'lS1 The operation i r not mentioned a t

all in t h e of'floial L r r i o n n B a t t l e Y o n w n t r C o a l a s i o n report on t h e 78th

Divieion. nor doer Llggett. whe plumed it. mention it i n h i r memoirs.

- 86 -