On the 26th of August, the battalion left Nonan le Pins under combat team control and arrived
ten hours later in a rendezvous area four miles south of Fontainebleau, having marched 163 miles. The
next day we moved thirty one miles going into position near le Plessis-Hainault. The XX Corps, (90th,
5th, and 7th Armored Divisions) mission was to move on Reims. During the day of the 28th we
occupied two positions marching forty six miles to Courboin. At many places along the route, natives
did not seem friendly. We found out later that they didn’t know we were Americans. After they
discovered who we were, celebrations were in order. The battalion moved fifty four miles on the 30th of
August via Chateau Thierry and went into position near Cormicy, northwest of Reirns. It was on this
march that another new tactic appeared: the 1st battalion, 357, was loaded on the 343rd F.A., and the 3rd
Battalion, 357 was loaded on the 284th F.A., which was attached to us. Moving on parallel roads, the
two Infantry-Artillery Battalions rapidly closed the gap behind the fleeing Krauts. Once more, the
“doughs” were in doubt as to just how “rear echelon” their artillery was. We were in this position two
days, gas and map supply practica1ly nil. Most of the officers and men went into Reims, the champagne
capital of the world, to see the cathedral and quench their thirsts. The first visitors to the fair city
entered some hours before the 5th Division “doughs” thus giving birth to the claim that the 343rd
liberated Reims.
1 September found us moving to position two miles northeast of Bazancourt. No gas. While in
this enforced “rest”, word got around that Sedan had been liberated. A strong task force was
immediately formed consisting of two L-4 “cubs”, Lts. Hicks and Rhein, pilots, and Lt. Colonel Reimers
with the mission of verifying this report. Circling Sedan, all appeared well, so a landing strip was
selected and occupied. Leaving Lt. Hicks to protect the planes from the curious, Col. Reimers and Lt.
Rhein set out to ascertain the situation. As they reached the hedge, they heard an explosion behind
them. Looking back, they saw Lt. Hicks crawling towards them, one plane burning fiercely and across a
stream a number of Heinies dividing their fire between the crawling Hicks and the surviving plane.
Their fire “got” the second plane just as Hicks joined the other two. The ensuing escape from enemy
territory involved crawling long distances, wading up streams, crossing mountains, and wild rides in
rickety FFI vehicles back to American lines. Once safe, the intrepid trio reported Sedan was definitely
not liberated.
5 September brought gas and “march order”. We marched ninety-seven miles to Lanch
res. It
was here that the new 90th caught up with the history of the 90th of World War I. During the march, old
battlefields of the last war were passed: Verdun, the Argonne Forest, and other places of grim interest.
Several contacts had been made with the enemy during the march from Fontainebleau, all minor
skirmishes. The FFI were a great help in rounding up stragglers from the ranks of the fleeing Nazis.
On 7 September, the Battalion marched twenty four miles and occupied two positions. Definite
contact was made with a strong enemy force. As usual, 357 CT was out in front and needed flank
protection. Union, Urban and Undo Able consolidated their CP’s in Mancieulles, for better security.
The batteries had to cover a sector of approximately 4000 mils. S/Sgt. Davidson, in Fire Direction
found himself with two firing charts. One for the area east of north and south, and one for west. Both
were in constant use. Charlie Battery fired on enemy guns and personnel using a small hill directly in
front of the guns as an OP. The guns were on the reverse slope of the same hill. Undo Able even
entered into the furious fighting, as scattered enemy troops tried to flee the sector, by setting up a 40mm
on a hill and firing direct fire on a Heinie AT gun. They scored direct hits with AP shells and knocked
the gun and crew out.
8 September we broke up a few counterattacks with artillery. Captain “Pappy” Carl Weinrich,
our liaison officer to the 357th, 2nd Battalion, came close to adjusting fire on himself in this position.
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