early start would have been too much warning for the enemy opposite. So, on the morning of
September 10, after a personal reconnaissance of the front had been made by Major William H.
H. Morris, Jr., of the first battalion and First Lieutenant Harry J. Burkett details from A and B
companies set to work. Under machine gun fire from the trenches opposite these men labored
until late into the afternoon of September 11, when the way had been cleared for 300 yards. Two
men had been killed and others wounded, but, led by men like Lieutenant Whipple of Company
C and Sergeants Ben Ray, A company, and Lambert, B company, the details worked feverishly.
The third battalion was in the line when the word of the attack came, and on the night of
the 11th the first battalion moved up to its left. The second battalion was withdrawn to the south
of Pay-en-Hays to be a part of the divisional reserve. The plan embraced only the advance of the
first battalion and Company L, which was the left, company in the third battalion’s front. The
rest of the third battalion was to be the hinge for the turning movement; was to stand fast,
maintaining liaison, meanwhile, with the forward elements. Further, the orders read, the line it
occupied would be defended to the last man in ease of counter attack.
The artillery preparation for this, the first entirely American project in the war,
commenced at 1 o’clock and lasted until 5 o’clock, when a precise, rolling barrage dropped in
front of the regimental sector and started slowly in the direction of the blasted German
earthworks. The four companies of the first battalion and Company L reinforced by the
regimental machine gun company, the one-pound cannon platoon of Headquarters company, and
a detachment of engineers hopped out of the advanced trenches and followed the line of
exploding shells. The enormous concentration of big guns had done its work well, for no actual
resistance was encountered except in B company’s sector on the left and the entire way if
reached its objective ahead of schedule and dug in with few casualties. That the left was able to
keep up in spite of annoying enemies in front was due to the splendid courage of men like First
Lieutenant Robert K. Campbell of B company, who snatched up an automatic rifle after the
gunner had been killed and pushed forward, alone for a minute, covering a German machine gun
nest until his platoon could come up and dig in. With the next burst Lieutenant Campbell
completely wiped out the nest.
Under what, by this time, was heavy minenwerfer fire with a liberal sprinkling of gas
shells, the line thoroughly consolidated its new positions and held on aggressively. A report of
the achievement of all that was laid down in the first day’s orders was in the hands of the
regimental commander one hour and forty-seven minutes after the attack started. And this
notwithstanding the difficulties of the terrain, for a hard rain had been falling for hours and the
canopy is of driving, whistling steel had churned No Man’s land into a veritable quagmire.
Flushed with the successes of the first day’s fighting and fully confident of the shock
qualities of the officers and men who made up his command, Brigadier General U. G.
McAlexander of the 180th Brigade evolved a plan to carry the battle into the Bois le Pretre and
wipe out this constant source of danger. In the preparation of this plan he was ably assisted by
Colonel H. C. Price of the 360th. The request, however, was refused, but permission was given
General McAlexander to “exploit?’ the indicated position with his brigade. Having been
conceded an inch he took an ell, and on the morning of September 13 Colonel Price with his
regiment pierced the Bois le Pretre. The second battalion was on the left and advanced northeast
to the front, with the third battalion pushing due north – straight to its front. The first battalion
was assigned the task of mopping up in rear of both units in the line. The second battalion had
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