Criteria The Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States without degree for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States. ... The Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States without degree for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States. The performance must merit recognition by individuals in a key position which was performed in a clearly exceptional manner. MoreHide
Comments Name: Richard G Hunter
Inducted From: Nebraska
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Combat Organization: 91st Field Artillery Regiment 91st Division Philippine Army
Death Date: 24 Oct 1944
Monument: Fort William Mckin... Name: Richard G Hunter
Inducted From: Nebraska
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Combat Organization: 91st Field Artillery Regiment 91st Division Philippine Army
Death Date: 24 Oct 1944
Monument: Fort William Mckinley, Manila, the Philippines
Last Known Status: Missing
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Legion of Merit Medal MoreHide
Criteria The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, kill... The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, killed, or who has died or may die of wounds received in armed combat or as a result of an act of international terrorism. MoreHide
Comments
Killed in action during the sinking of the Arisan Maru Japanese POW ship in the South China Sea.
Criteria The Prisoner of War Medal commemorates military service as a prisoner of war. It is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who, since April 5, 1917, has been or shall be taken prisoner or held capt... The Prisoner of War Medal commemorates military service as a prisoner of war. It is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who, since April 5, 1917, has been or shall be taken prisoner or held captive while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States in not a belligerent party. MoreHide
Comments
Captured at the fall of the Philippines. Held captive at Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL).
Description Battles were fought at the Lapay-Longoskawayan points the Quinawan-Aglaloma points, and at the Silalim-Anya. Out of the 2,000 Japanese troops committed to these battles, only 43 wounded returned to thBattles were fought at the Lapay-Longoskawayan points the Quinawan-Aglaloma points, and at the Silalim-Anya. Out of the 2,000 Japanese troops committed to these battles, only 43 wounded returned to their lines.... More
Description The Bataan Death March (Filipino: Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan), which began on April 9, 1942, was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000–80,000 Filipino and American prisonersThe Bataan Death March (Filipino: Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan), which began on April 9, 1942, was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000–80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II. All told, approximately 2,500–10,000 Filipino and 100–650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach their destination at Camp O'Donnell. The reported death tolls vary, especially amongst Filipino POWs, because historians cannot determine how many prisoners blended in with the civilian population and escaped. The march went from Mariveles, Bataan, to San Fernando, Pampanga. From San Fernando, survivors were loaded to a box train and were brought to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.
The 128 km (80 mi) march was characterized by wide-ranging physical abuse and murder, and resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon prisoners and civilians alike by the Japanese Army. It was later judged by an Allied military commission to be a Japanese war crime.... More
Criteria a. The ADSM was established by EO 8808, announced in War Department Bulletin 17, 1941. It is awarded for service between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 under orders to active duty for a period o... a. The ADSM was established by EO 8808, announced in War Department Bulletin 17, 1941. It is awarded for service between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 under orders to active duty for a period of 12 months or longer.
b. A clasp, with the inscription "Foreign Service", is worn on the ADSM to denote service outside the continental limits of the United States, including service in Alaska, as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters, flights over ocean waters, or as an assigned member of an organization stationed outside the continental limits of the United States. Possession of a clasp is denoted by the wearing of a bronze service star on the service ribbon. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Chain of Command
Col. Andrew Moses, Commanding Lt-Col. James P. Barney Maj. Ralph Hospital Maj. Harleigh Parkhurst Capt. Arthur O. Walsh Capt. Charles C. Knight, Jr. Capt. Charles W. Mays Capt. David S. Doggett Capt. Edward F. Hart Capt. Elmer R. Block Capt. Henry E. Tisdale Capt. Irwin B. Warner Capt. Leon E. Savage Capt. Melville S. Creusere Capt. Richard G. Hunter Capt. Robert H. Crosby Capt. Russell H. Dixon Capt. Wesley J. White Capt. William A. Campbell 1st Lt. Albert Brill 1st Lt. Albert J. Hastings 1st Lt. Alexander S. Bennet 1st Lt. Charles R. Carlson 1st Lt. Charles W. Hensey 1st Lt. Edward L. Strohbehn 1st Lt. Edwin V. Kerr 1st Lt. Emmett A. Niblack 1st Lt. Franklin H. Canlett 1st Lt. Fredrick B. Porter 1st Lt. Henry C. Sanderson, Jr. 1st Lt. Henry L. Kersh 1st Lt. Lawrence E. Heyduck 1st Lt. Marion P. Echols 1st Lt. Raynor Garey 1st Lt. Robert M. Montague 1st Lt. Shirley R. Hurt 1st Lt. William R. Schaefer 2nd Lt. Allen E. Smith 2nd Lt. Edward J. McGaw 2nd Lt. Edward T. Williams 2nd Lt. Frank A. Henning 2nd Lt. Harold A. Doherty 2nd Lt. Homer W. Kiefer 2nd Lt. James A. Samouce 2nd Lt. James M. Lewis 2nd Lt. Leon V. Chaplin 2nd Lt. Maurice W. Daniel 2nd Lt. Park B. Herrick 2nd Lt. Russell O. Smith 2nd Lt. William E. Waters
Other Memories
The Thirteenth Field Artillery has a reputation for marching, made in France, and maintained to the present time. Our marches over the Oahu roads are frequent and are occasionally made under adverse conditions. We are handicapped with a combination of paving and grades that, during wet weather, would be impossible for horse-drawn artillery. The eighty-mile circuit road of the Island is paved for approximately fifty miles. Our permanent station, Schofield Barracks, is located on the paved section, so that we are obliged to use this paved road frequently. Our alternative is to use the dirt roads through the cane or pineapple fields, but these are impassible for trucks in wet weather. As a rule our tractor and truck columns are not permitted to use the paving during daylight so our marches usually start or finish at night. Battery "B" completed a series of test marches with Porté Artillery. These tests proved the practicability of the Class "B" Liberty Trucks for motive power, with capacity load,?gun, ammunition, and personnel, and 3-ton rubber tired trailer carrying a 5-ton Holt tractor over paved and improved roads of Oahu, under all weather conditions. The time required for loading and unloading was negligible. One march of eighty-seven miles was made in eight and one-half hours. The average of the running time was about twelve miles per hour. The regiment goes into summer camp for six weeks during the year. The last three encampments have been on the northern shore, "Windward Oahu," near Kahuku, approximately twenty-five miles from Schofield. Intensive training in man?uvring, and night firing over water with searchlight illumination is featured. A system of "battery days" was inaugurated whereby the entire organization is at the disposal of the battery officers for training one day per week. This system has continued since our return to the garrison. Due to the tropical climate we are able to man?uvre during the entire year. Our man?uvres are more or less progressive in that certain months are set aside for the Brigade, the Division, and the Department. Within the regiment we have specified days allotted to the battery (battery days), the battalion, and the regiment. These days are utilized for man?uvres to include the entire personnel and equipment, or are otherwise used for communication problems where only the headquarters of each unit functions. We anticipate the extensive man?uvres in which all troops in this Department will participate on the arrival of the combined Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in April, 1925. The 13th Field Artillery has been one of the leading regiments of the Hawaiian Division athletically in the past six months. In the Division Track and Field Meet the Regiment won the most points in the track and field events, though it was nosed out of the lead in total points by the 11th Field Artillery which won more points in military events. The tug-of-war team of this Regiment, unbeaten over a span of seven years, continued its success this year by winning the event in the Brigade and Division Track and Field Meets. This team entered competition in the Hawaiian Territorial Fair and defeated the best military, collegiate and commercial tug-of-war teams in the Islands. The Fair Commission presented each member of the team with a gold medal, emblematic of the championship of the Hawaiian Islands. The remarkable success of the 13th Field Artillery tug-of-war teams is due to systematic coaching and training of Sergeant William J. Bailey, 13th Field Artillery. The football team has just won the Schofield Barracks Championship for 1924, defeating our closest competitors by a score of 46 to 7. This is the second consecutive season that the regiment has won the Schofield Championship. The 13th Field Artillery was well represented on the team which was sent to Baltimore, Maryland, to represent the Hawaiian Division in the Olympic tryouts. Three officers and five enlisted men of the organization were selected to go. Polo in this regiment is going forward at a rapid pace. Although handicapped considerably by lack of mounts, with the few mounts assigned to a motorized regiment and more that officers have purchased from the Parker Ranch, a polo stable has been organized. The 8th Field Artillery and the 13th Field Artillery combined their efforts and a good polo field has been built. Match games have been held with the regimental teams of the Post about twice weekly. Captain Wesley J. White of this regiment has just returned from the mainland where he distinguished himself by umpiring all the recent international Polo Games at Meadow Brook, and refereeing the United States Open Polo Championship Games. On October 4th the regiment gave a dinner dance in honor of Brigadier-General Moseley the new Brigade Commander and the newly arrived officers and their families. The Lanai of the Haleiwa Hotel was the scene of the festivities and was beautifully decorated with artillery red. Music was furnished by the 13th Field Artillery Orchestra and Haleiwa Hawaiian Orchestra.
Other Memories
The Fourth Infantry disembarked at Brest, France in 1918 and participated in the defensive actions of Aisne, Château-Thierry, Second Battle of the Marne, and in the Third Battle of the Aisne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne offensives. The entire regiment was decorated with the French Croix de Guerre, having lost eighty percent of its men, under constant and grueling fire during thirty days on the line.
Criteria The World War I Victory Medal was awarded for military service during the First World War. It was awarded for active service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918; for service with the American... The World War I Victory Medal was awarded for military service during the First World War. It was awarded for active service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918; for service with the American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919; or for service with the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920. MoreHide
Comments The Fourth Infantry disembarked at Brest, France in 1918 and participated in the defensive actions of Aisne, Château-Thierry, Second Battle of the Marne, and in the Third Battle of the Aisne, St. Mihi... The Fourth Infantry disembarked at Brest, France in 1918 and participated in the defensive actions of Aisne, Château-Thierry, Second Battle of the Marne, and in the Third Battle of the Aisne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne offensives. The entire regiment was decorated with the French Croix de Guerre, having lost eighty percent of its men, under constant and grueling fire during thirty days on the line. MoreHide
Criteria The Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 is a French military decoration, the first version of the Croix de guerre. It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for their service during ... The Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 is a French military decoration, the first version of the Croix de guerre. It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for their service during World War I MoreHide
Description SThe Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. It was a battle in WSThe Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German offensive launched on 15 July against the AEF, an expeditionary force consisting of troops from both the Army and Marine Corps, and the newest troops on the front.
On the morning of 18 July 1918, the French (some of them colonial) and American forces between Fontenoy and Château-Thierry launched a counter-assault under the overall direction of Allied généralissime Ferdinand Foch against the German positions. This assault on a 40 km (25 mi) wide front was the first in over a year. The American army played a role fighting for the regions around Soissons and Château-Thierry, in collaboration with predominantly French forces. The allied forces had managed to keep their plans a secret, and their attack at 04:45 took the Germans by surprise when the troops went "Over the Top" without a preparatory artillery bombardment, but instead followed closely behind a rolling barrage which began with great synchronized precision. Eventually, the two opposing assaults (lines) inter-penetrated and individual American units exercised initiative and continued fighting despite being nominally behind enemy lines.... More
Description Aisne-Marne, 18 July - 6 August 1918. Several days before the Germans launched their abortive Champagne-Marne drive, the French high command had made plans for a general converging offensive against tAisne-Marne, 18 July - 6 August 1918. Several days before the Germans launched their abortive Champagne-Marne drive, the French high command had made plans for a general converging offensive against the Marne salient. Petain issued orders on 12 July for the attack to begin on the 18th, with five French armies-the Tenth, Sixth, Ninth, Fifth, and Fourth, placed around the salient from left to right-taking part. Spearheading the attack were the five divisions of the French XX Corps (Tenth Army), including the American 1st and 2d Divisions. Early on 18 July the two American divisions and a French Moroccan division, jumping off behind a heavy barrage, launched the main blow at the northwest base of the salient near Soissons. Enemy frontline troops, taken by surprise, initially gave ground, although resistance stiffened after an Allied penetration of some three miles. Before the 1st and 2d Divisions were relieved (on 19 and 22 July respectively) they had advanced 6 to 7 miles, made Soissons untenable for the enemy, and captured 6,500 prisoners at a cost of over 10,000 American casualties.
Meanwhile the other French armies in the offensive also made important gains, and the German commander ordered a general retreat from the Marne salient. The French Sixth Army, on the right of the Tenth, advanced steadily from the southwest, reaching the Vesle River on 3 August. By 28 Judy this army included the American 3d, 4th, 28th, and 42d Divisions. The 4th and 42d Divisions were under control of the I Corps, the first American corps headquarters to participate in combat. On 4 August the American III Corps headquarters entered combat, taking control of the 28th and 32d Divisions (the latter had relieved the 3d Division in the line on 29 July). By 5 August the entire Sixth Army front was held by the two American corps. East of the Sixth Army the French Ninth and Fifth Armies also advanced into the salient. The Germans retired across the Aisne and Vesle Rivers, resolutely defending each strong point as they went.
By 6 August the Aisne-Marne Offensive was over. The threat to Paris was ended by wiping out the Marne salient. The initiative now had definitely passed to the Allies, ending any possibility that Ludendorff could carry out his planned offensive in Flanders. Moreover, the success of the offensive revealed the advantages of Allied unity of command and the fighting qualities of American units. The eight A.E.F. divisions (1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 26th, 28th, 32d, 42d) in the action had spearheaded much of the advance, demonstrating offensive capabilities that helped to inspire new confidence in the war-weary Allied armies. About 270,000 Americans took part in the battle.
On 24 July, while the Aisne-Marne drive was under way, Foch had outlined his plans for the remainder of 1918 at the only conference of Allied commanders that he called during the war. He proposed that the immediate objective of the Allied offensive should be the reduction of the three main German salients (Marne, Amiens, St. Mihiel), with the goal of improving lateral communications behind the front in preparation for a general offensive in the fall. Reduction of the St. Mihiel salient was assigned to Pershing at his own request.
The excellent showing made by American troops in the Aisne-Marne Offensive gave Pershing an opportunity to press again for the formation of an independent American army. Preliminary steps in the organization of the American First Army had been taken in early July 1918. On the 4th Lt. Col. Hugh A. Drum was selected as chief of staff and directed to begin establishment of army headquarters. After conferences on 10 and 21 July, Foch agreed on the 22d to the formal organization of the First Army, and to the formation of two American sectors-a temporary combat sector in the Chateau-Thierry region, where the already active I and III Corps could comprise the nucleus of the First Army, and a quiet sector farther east, extending from Nomeny (east of the Moselle) to a point north of St. Mihiel-which would become the actual theater of operations for the American Army as soon as circumstances permitted concentration of A.E.F. divisions there. Orders issued on 24 July announced formal organization of the First Army, effective on 10 August; designated Pershing as its commander; and located its headquarters at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, west of Chateau-Thierry.
Stabilization of the Vesle River front in early August led Pershing to alter his plane for forming the First Army. Instead of organizing it in the Chateau-Thierry region and then moving it eastward for the St. Mihiel Offensive, he secured Foch's consent on 9 August to a build-up of First Army units in the vicinity of the St. Mihiel salient. Tentative plans for reduction of the salient called for the concentration of three American corps (about 14 American and 3 French divisions) on a front extending from Port-sur-Seille westward around the bulge to Watronville. Three American divisions would remain on the Vesle front.
Meanwhile Allied forces, including American units operating in other sectors of the Western Front, were making significant gains in the preliminary phases of the great final offensives. For the sake of clarity, the role of American units in the Somme Offensive (8 August11 November), Oise-Aisne (18 August-11 November), and Ypres-Lys (19 August-11 November) Campaigns will be described briefly, before considering in more detail the activities of the main body of A.E.F. troops in the St. Mihiel (12-16 September) and Meuse-Argonne (26 September-11 November) Campaigns.
The eight A.E.F. divisions (1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 26th, 28th, 32d, 42d) in the action had spearheaded much of the advance, demonstrating offensive capabilities that helped to inspire new confidence in the war-weary Allied armies. ... More
Description St. Mihiel, 12 - 16 September 1918. By September 1918, with both the Marne and the Amiens salients eliminated, there remained but one major threat to lateral rail communications behind the Allied lineSt. Mihiel, 12 - 16 September 1918. By September 1918, with both the Marne and the Amiens salients eliminated, there remained but one major threat to lateral rail communications behind the Allied lines-the old St. Mihiel salient near the Paris-Nancy line. Active preparations for its reduction began with the transfer of Headquarters First Army, effective 13 August, from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre in the Marne region to Neufchateau on the Meuse, immediately south of St. Mihiel. On 28 August the first echelon of headquarters moved closer to the front at Ligny-en-Barrois.
American unite from Flanders to Switzerland were shifted into the area near the salient. The fourteen American and four French divisions assigned to the First Army for the operation contained ample infantry and machinegun units for the attack. But because of the earlier priority given to shipment of infantry (at the insistence of the British and French) the First Army was short of artillery, tank, air and other support units essential to a well-balanced field army. The French made up this deficiency by loaning Pershing over half the artillery and nearly half the airplanes and tanks needed for the St. Mihiel operation.
Shortly before the offensive was to begin, Foch threatened once again to disrupt Pershing's long-held desire to carry out a major operation with an independent American force. On 30 August the Allied Commander in Chief proposed to exploit the recently gained successes on the Aisne-Marne and Amiens fronts by reducing the size of the St. Mihiel attack and dividing the American forces into three groups-one for the salient offensive and two for fronts to the east and west of the Argonne Forest. Pershing, however, remained adamant in his insistence that the First Army should not now be broken up, no matter where it might be sent into action. Fina1ly a compromise was reached. The St. Mihiel attack was subordinated to the much larger offensive to be launched on the Meuse-Argonne front in late September, but the First Army remained intact. Pershing agreed to limit his operations by employing only the minimum force needed to reduce the salient in three or four days. Simultaneously he was to prepare his troops for a major role in the Meuse-Argonne drive.
The St. Mihiel offensive began on 12 September with a threefold assault on the salient. The main attack was made against the south face by two American corps. On the right was the I Corps (from right to left the 82d, 90th, 5th, and 2d Divisions in line with the 78th in reserve) covering a front from Pont-à-Mousson on the Moselle westward to Limey; on the left, the IV Corps (from right to left the 89th, 42d, and 1st Divisions in line with the 3d in reserve) extending along a front from Limey westward to Marvoisin. A secondary thrust was carried out against the west face along the heights of the Meuse, from Mouilly north to Haudimont, by the V Corps (from right to left the 26th Division, the French 15th Colonial Division, and the 8th Brigade, 4th Division in line with the rest of the 4th in reserve). A holding attack against the apex, to keep the enemy in the salient, was made by the French II Colonial Corps (from right to left the French 39th Colonial Division, the French 26th Division, and the French 2d Cavalry Division in line). In First Army reserve were the American 35th, 80th, and 91st Divisions.
Tota1 Allied forces involved in the offensive numbered more than 650,000-some 550,000 American and 100,000 Allied (mostly French) troops. In support of the attack the First Army had over 3,000 guns, 400 French tanks, and 1,500 airplanes. Col. William Mitchell directed the heterogeneous air force, composed of British, French, Italian, Portuguese, and American units, in what proved to be the largest single air operation of the war. American squadrons flew 609 of the airplanes, which were mostly of French or British manufacture.
Defending the salient was German "Army Detachment C," consisting of eight divisions and a brigade in the line and about two divisions in reserve. The Germans, now desperately short of manpower, had begun a step-by-step withdrawal from the salient only the day before the offensive began. The attack went so well on 12 September that Pershing ordered a speedup in the offensive. By the morning of 13 September the 1st Division, advancing from the east, joined hands with the 26th Division, moving in from the west, and before evening all objectives in the salient had been captured. At this point Pershing halted further advances so that American units could be withdrawn for the coming offensive in the Meuse-Argonne sector.
This first major operation by an American Army under its own command took 16,000 prisoners at a cost of 7,000 casualties, eliminated the threat of an attack on the rear of Allied fortifications at Nancy and Verdun, greatly improved Allied lateral rail communications, and opened the way for a possible future offensive to seize Metz and the Briey iron fields.... More
Description Meuse-Argonne, 26 September - 11 November 1918. At the end of August Marshal Foch had submitted plane to the national commanders for a final offensive along the entire Western Front, with the objectivMeuse-Argonne, 26 September - 11 November 1918. At the end of August Marshal Foch had submitted plane to the national commanders for a final offensive along the entire Western Front, with the objective of driving the enemy out of France before winter and ending the war in the spring of 1919. The basis for his optimism was the success of Allied attacks all along the front in August. Furthermore, he pointed out, the Allies already had active operations in progress between the Moselle and Meuse, the Oise and Aisne, and on the Somme and Lys Rivers. Foch acknowledged that the Germans could stave off immediate defeat by an orderly evacuation combined with destruction of materiel and communications. Therefore the overall aim of the fall offensive would be to prevent a step-by-step enemy retirement. As Foch anticipated, the Germans eventually contributed to the success of his strategy. Their High Command could not bring itself to sacrifice the huge stores collected behind the front lines, and so delayed the withdrawal of its armies.
Foch's great offensive, planned to begin in the last week of September, called for a gigantic pincers movement with the objective of capturing Aulnoye and Mézières, the two key junctions in the lateral rail system behind the German front. Lose of either of these junctions would hamper seriously the German withdrawal. Despite grumbling from the English that they lacked the necessary manpower, a chiefly British army was assigned the teak of driving toward Aulnoye. The A.E.F. was designated for the southern arm of the pincers, the thrust on Mézières. Simultaneously the Belgian-French-British army group in Flanders would drive toward Ghent, and the French armies in the Oise-Aisne region would exert pressure all along their front to lend support to the pincers attack.
Pershing decided to strike his heaviest blow in a zone about 20 miles wide between the Heights of the Meuse on the east and the western edge of the high, rough, and densely wooded Argonne Forest. This is difficult terrain, broken by a central north-south ridge that dominates the valleys of the Meuse and Aire Rivers. Three heavily fortified places-Montfaucon, Cunel, and Barricourt-as well as numerous strong points barred the way to penetration of the elaborate German defenses in depth that extended behind the entire front. This fortified system consisted of three main defense lines backed up by a fourth line less well-constructed. Pershing hoped to launch an attack with enough momentum to drive through these lines into the open area beyond, where his troops could then strike at the exposed German flanks and, in a coordinated drive with the French Fourth Army coming up on the left, could cut the Sedan- Mézières railroad.
The task of assembling troops in the concentration area between Verdun and the Argonne was complicated by the fact that many American unite were currently engaged in the St. Mihiel battle. Some 600,000 Americans had to be moved into the Argonne sector while 220,000 French moved out. Responsibility for solving this tricky logistical problem fell to Col. George C. Marshall, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 (Operations), First Army. In the ten-day period after St. Mihiel the necessary troop movements were accomplished, but many untried divisions had to be placed in the vanguard of the attacking forces.
On the 20-mile Meuse-Argonne front where the main American attack w to be made, Pershing disposed three corps side by side, each with three divisions in line and one in corps reserve. In the center was the V Corps (from right to left the 79th, 37th, and 91st Divisions with the 32d in reserve), which would strike the decisive blow. On the right was the III Corps (from right to left the 33d, 80th, and 4th Divisions with the 3d in reserve), which would move up the west aide of the Meuse. On the left was the I Corps (from right to left the 35th, 28th, and 77th Divisions with the 92d in reserve), which would advance parallel to the French Fourth Army on its left. Eastward across the Meuse the American front extended in direct line some 60 miles; this sector was held by two French Corps (IV and II Colonial) and the American IV Corps in the St. Mihiel sector. Pershing had available to support his offensive nearly 4000 guns, two-thirds manned by American artillerymen; 190 light French tanks, mostly with American personnel; and some 820 aircraft, 600 of them flown by Americans.
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive falls into three phases. During the initial phase (26 September-3-October) the First Army advanced through most of the southern Meuse-Argonne region, captured enemy strong points, seized the first two German defense lines, and then stalled before the third line. Failure of tank support, a difficult supply situation, and the inexperience of American troops all contributed to checking its advance.
In the second phase (4-31 October) the First Army, after the inexperienced divisions had been replaced by veteran units, slowly ground its way through the third German line. The enemy was forced to throw in reserves, drawn from other parts of the front, thus aiding the Allied advances elsewhere. In the face of a stubborn defense, American gains were limited and casualties were severe, especially as a result of the newly devised enemy tactic of attacking frontline troops with airplanes. First Army air unite retaliated with bombing raids which broke up German preparations for counterattacks. By the end of October the enemy had been cleared from the Argonne and First Army troops were through the German main positions. Two notable incidents of this phase of the campaign were the fight of the "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Division (2-7 October), and the feat of Corp. (later Sgt.) Alvin C. York, who single-handedly killed 15 Germans and captured 132 on 8 October.
In mid-October the organization of the Second Army was completed, at Toul in the St. Mihiel sector, to provide means for better control of the lengthening American front and solutions of the diverse tactical problems that it presented. Pershing assumed command of the new army group thus formed.
Before the third and final phase (1-11 November) of the offensive got under way, many of the exhausted divisions of the First Army were replaced, roads were built or repaired, supply was improved, and most Allied units serving with the A.E.F. were withdrawn. On 1 November First Army units began the assault of the now strengthened German fourth line of defense. Penetration was rapid and spectacular. The V Corps in the center advanced about six miles the first day, compelling the German units west of the Meuse to withdraw hurriedly. On 4 November the III Corps forced a crossing of the Meuse and advanced northeast toward Montmédy. Elements of the V Corps occupied the heights opposite Sedan on 7 November, thus finally accomplishing the First Army's chief mission-denial of the Sedan- Mézières railroad to the Germans. Marshal Foch, at this juncture, shifted the First Army left boundary eastward so that the French Fourth Army might capture Sedan, which had fallen to the Prussians in 1870. American units were closing up along the Mouse and, east of the river, were advancing toward Montmédy, Briny, and Metz, when hostilities ended on 11 November.
General Pershing authorized the results of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, the greatest battle in American history up to that time, in his Final Report: "Between September 26 and November 11, 22 American and 4 French divisions, on the front extending from southeast of Verdun to the Argonne Forest, had engaged and decisively beaten 47 different German divisions, representing 25 percent of the enemy's entire divisional strength on the western front.
The First Army suffered a loss of about 117,000 in killed and wounded. It captured 26,000 prisoners, 847 cannon, 3,000 machineguns, and large quantities of material." More than 1,200,000 Americans had taken part in the 47-day campaign.... More
SECOND LIEUTENANT James A. Samouce
Col. Andrew Moses, Commanding
Lt-Col. James P. Barney
Maj. Ralph Hospital
Maj. Harleigh Parkhurst
Capt. Arthur O. Walsh
Capt. Charles C. Knight, Jr.
Capt. Charles W. Mays
Capt. David S. Doggett
Capt. Edward F. Hart
Capt. Elmer R. Block
Capt. Henry E. Tisdale
Capt. Irwin B. Warner
Capt. Leon E. Savage
Capt. Melville S. Creusere
Capt. Richard G. Hunter
Capt. Robert H. Crosby
Capt. Russell H. Dixon
Capt. Wesley J. White
Capt. William A. Campbell
1st Lt. Albert Brill
1st Lt. Albert J. Hastings
1st Lt. Alexander S. Bennet
1st Lt. Charles R. Carlson
1st Lt. Charles W. Hensey
1st Lt. Edward L. Strohbehn
1st Lt. Edwin V. Kerr
1st Lt. Emmett A. Niblack
1st Lt. Franklin H. Canlett
1st Lt. Fredrick B. Porter
1st Lt. Henry C. Sanderson, Jr.
1st Lt. Henry L. Kersh
1st Lt. Lawrence E. Heyduck
1st Lt. Marion P. Echols
1st Lt. Raynor Garey
1st Lt. Robert M. Montague
1st Lt. Shirley R. Hurt
1st Lt. William R. Schaefer
2nd Lt. Allen E. Smith
2nd Lt. Edward J. McGaw
2nd Lt. Edward T. Williams
2nd Lt. Frank A. Henning
2nd Lt. Harold A. Doherty
2nd Lt. Homer W. Kiefer
2nd Lt. James A. Samouce
2nd Lt. James M. Lewis
2nd Lt. Leon V. Chaplin
2nd Lt. Maurice W. Daniel
2nd Lt. Park B. Herrick
2nd Lt. Russell O. Smith
2nd Lt. William E. Waters
The Thirteenth Field Artillery has a reputation for marching, made in France, and maintained to the present time. Our marches over the Oahu roads are frequent and are occasionally made under adverse conditions. We are handicapped with a combination of paving and grades that, during wet weather, would be impossible for horse-drawn artillery. The eighty-mile circuit road of the Island is paved for approximately fifty miles. Our permanent station, Schofield Barracks, is located on the paved section, so that we are obliged to use this paved road frequently. Our alternative is to use the dirt roads through the cane or pineapple fields, but these are impassible for trucks in wet weather. As a rule our tractor and truck columns are not permitted to use the paving during daylight so our marches usually start or finish at night. Battery "B" completed a series of test marches with Porté Artillery. These tests proved the practicability of the Class "B" Liberty Trucks for motive power, with capacity load,?gun, ammunition, and personnel, and 3-ton rubber tired trailer carrying a 5-ton Holt tractor over paved and improved roads of Oahu, under all weather conditions. The time required for loading and unloading was negligible. One march of eighty-seven miles was made in eight and one-half hours. The average of the running time was about twelve miles per hour.
The regiment goes into summer camp for six weeks during the year. The last three encampments have been on the northern shore, "Windward Oahu," near Kahuku, approximately twenty-five miles from Schofield. Intensive training in man?uvring, and night firing over water with searchlight illumination is featured. A system of "battery days" was inaugurated whereby the entire organization is at the disposal of the battery officers for training one day per week. This system has continued since our return to the garrison.
Due to the tropical climate we are able to man?uvre during the entire year. Our man?uvres are more or less progressive in that certain months are set aside for the Brigade, the Division, and the Department. Within the regiment we have specified days allotted to the battery (battery days), the battalion, and the regiment. These days are utilized for man?uvres to include the entire personnel and equipment, or are otherwise used for communication problems where only the headquarters of each unit functions. We anticipate the extensive man?uvres in which all troops in this Department will participate on the arrival of the combined Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in April, 1925.
The 13th Field Artillery has been one of the leading regiments of the Hawaiian Division athletically in the past six months. In the Division Track and Field Meet the Regiment won the most points in the track and field events, though it was nosed out of the lead in total points by the 11th Field Artillery which won more points in military events. The tug-of-war team of this Regiment, unbeaten over a span of seven years, continued its success this year by winning the event in the Brigade and Division Track and Field Meets. This team entered competition in the Hawaiian Territorial Fair and defeated the best military, collegiate and commercial tug-of-war teams in the Islands. The Fair Commission presented each member of the team with a gold medal, emblematic of the championship of the Hawaiian Islands. The remarkable success of the 13th Field Artillery tug-of-war teams is due to systematic coaching and training of Sergeant William J. Bailey, 13th Field Artillery.
The football team has just won the Schofield Barracks Championship for 1924, defeating our closest competitors by a score of 46 to 7. This is the second consecutive season that the regiment has won the Schofield Championship.
The 13th Field Artillery was well represented on the team which was sent to Baltimore, Maryland, to represent the Hawaiian Division in the Olympic tryouts. Three officers and five enlisted men of the organization were selected to go.
Polo in this regiment is going forward at a rapid pace. Although handicapped considerably by lack of mounts, with the few mounts assigned to a motorized regiment and more that officers have purchased from the Parker Ranch, a polo stable has been organized. The 8th Field Artillery and the 13th Field Artillery combined their efforts and a good polo field has been built. Match games have been held with the regimental teams of the Post about twice weekly. Captain Wesley J. White of this regiment has just returned from the mainland where he distinguished himself by umpiring all the recent international Polo Games at Meadow Brook, and refereeing the United States Open Polo Championship Games.
On October 4th the regiment gave a dinner dance in honor of Brigadier-General Moseley the new Brigade Commander and the newly arrived officers and their families. The Lanai of the Haleiwa Hotel was the scene of the festivities and was beautifully decorated with artillery red. Music was furnished by the 13th Field Artillery Orchestra and Haleiwa Hawaiian Orchestra.