the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL when the next day at 5 A.M., on the Eichelberg, the Division Commander greeted us with the words: "Gentlemen, this morning a momentous day has dawned for us! All the forces of the enemy which have invaded Lorraine, will this day be attacked in their entirety and along the whole front extending from Metz to the Vosges Mountains and must be crushed to a complete defeat." Upon a large map the situation was explained to the commanding officers present and our objectives pointed out to us, during which time the fire of the artillery opened simultaneously along the entire battlefront 100 kilometers in length, indicating the preliminary phase of this mighty battle. Far to the southeast, in the vicinity of our garrison, Saarburg, the thunder of the artillery seemed to be loudest and the battle fiercest. It was the day on which the French, in the early hours of the morning, were surprised in their bivouacs in and around Saarburg, to be completely driven out later in the day by the Bavarians. During the morning hours, the German artillery of our 14th Army Corps shot up our beautiful barracks, from which we could plainly see the smoke rising. We also felt anxiety—and as later events proved, justly so—when we thought of all our homes in the vicinity of barracks. On the 20th of August there was as yet nothing for us to do. It was first necessary for the infantry to fight its way through the impenetrable woods and thickets of the forests at Mittersheim and Finstingen, which offered very unfavorable lateral communications. In spite of a victorious advance, heavy losses were suffered from hostile fire. The numerous graves of both friend and foe, which are found everywhere, are eloquent witnesses to confirm the severity of the fight. The French Field Artillery showed here as on every other occasion that it knew how, especially during a retreat, to cover and support in an admirable manner the movements of its infantry. The losses suffered by a certain battalion of Bavarian Jägers at Stranhof, west of Angweiler, were especially heavy. This battalion was advancing in column of march along the only 8
PURSUIT AFTER BATTLE IN LORRAINE road debouching from the woods at this place and at 1200 meters came under an annihilating fire from which on account of the impassable condition of the woods, it could not escape even by deployment to both sides of the road. At some later day we passed this place and still saw traces of the heavy losses. On the 21st of August we were assembled quite early at Insweiler and awaited with impatience the order to advance and take up the pursuit. It was evident that our infantry and with it all the corps must already have advanced a considerable distance, as was to be concluded from the thunder of the artillery which was constantly becoming more distant. And then came the order from Headquarters of our Sixth Army, which had previously been quartered at Helimer, to advance as quickly as possible, to hang on to the enemy's rear and by attacking to cause him as much loss as possible. Both corps to the right and left of us had already reached the Rhine-Marne Canal, and in order not to arrive too late, it was imperative to make haste. In three columns our division advanced at a trot through the woods and the battlefield of the previous day, the main body going via Lauterfingen-Rohrbach-Germingen-Disselingen- Freiburg-Azoudange to Maizières. Frequent halts were necessary because the roads were not yet everywhere clear and were obstructed with vehicles of all sorts. We saw nothing to indicate the alleged mad flight of the French, at least not in our sector. We saw very little impedimenta and very few discarded or abandoned weapons. In Azoudange we saw a French field bakery which it had been impossible to knock down and withdraw. It had also left behind its numerous receptacles, all filled with freshly baked loaves of bread. With great relish did our men consume the delicious French white bread and it was quite plain now why our neighbors in the west have so little taste for the coarser German issue bread. At Maizières, we received reports from our advanced eskadrons that the enemy was making a stand along the canal (Rhine-Marne Canal) at Moussey; that this place was blocked 9
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Page 3 and 4: OLD FORT SILL FROM NEW ANGLE THIS P
Page 5 and 6: THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL unstint
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Page 17 and 18: NOTE TO FIG. 3.—The black line le
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Page 27 and 28: Motor Transport for Field Artillery
Page 29 and 30: FIG. 1.—COMBINED BATTERY AND STOR
Page 31 and 32: MOTOR TRANSPORT FOR FIELD ARTILLERY
Page 33 and 34: FIG. 3.—POWER-OPERATED WINCH WITH
Page 37 and 38: FIG. 7.—ABOUT THE ONLY KIND OF GR
Page 41 and 42: FIG. 11.—RAPID TOWING WITH AN AUT
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CONCEALMENT AND PROTECTION FROM ART
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CONCEALMENT AND PROTECTION FROM ART
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Notes on the Recent Tractor Test at
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FIG. 5 FIG. 6
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FIG. 9 FIG. 10
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RECENT TRACTOR TEST AT FORT SILL pr
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In the Field BY GERALD E. GRIFFIN,
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IN THE FIELD responsible are either
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IN THE FIELD 4 ounces sweet spirits
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IN THE FIELD argued that the remova
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IN THE FIELD in which its watering
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IN THE FIELD may be in front of the
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IN THE FIELD in the minds of our pe
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IN THE FIELD When this kind of sold
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A Belgian Battalion of Field Artill
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BELGIAN FIELD ARTILLERY ON THE YSER
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BELGIAN FIELD ARTILLERY ON THE YSER
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION p
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION t
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION n
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION b
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION t
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION 1
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION c
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES ON LOST MOTION e
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TRANSPORTATION BY MOTOR TRUCK It is
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TRANSPORTATION BY MOTOR TRUCK them
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TRANSPORTATION BY MOTOR TRUCK all o
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RECONNAISSANCE OF BATTALION POSITIO
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FIG. 1.—NEAR WHEEL HORSE FIG. 2.
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL box (Fi
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL of fund
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL 126
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL In usin
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL been fo
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL Strive
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL therefo
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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Appreciation T
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL retains
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL Certain
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL control
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BOOK REVIEWS EMPIRE AND ARMAMENT. T
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL etc. Th
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL WEST PO
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Index to Current Field Artillery Li
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL Guns—
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Exchanges LOANED TO MEMBERS ON REQU
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THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL FIELD A
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BATTERY E, NEW YORK CITY Capt. John
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BATTERY A, INDIANAPOLIS Capt. Gavin
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NINTH INSPECTION DISTRICT Lieut. Em
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