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Edward G. Lengle, a writer of military history who happens to be Sergeant York's cousin, has come out with an excellent book To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918. Here is an excerpt:
The sights and sounds of fighting in these woods presented unique horrors. Private Henry Smith discovered "hell on earth" when his battalion advanced up the slope of one fog-choked ravine "in the face of machine gun fire, German hand grenades, known as potato mashers, trench mortars and snipers. The screeching of the men who were hit was blood curdling." Some, such as Colonel A. F. Prescott of the 308th Regiment, collapsed after such episodes, and had to be relieved. Most reacted like Private Ralph John of Marmath, North Dakota, who had begun the fight with a naive "feeling of wonderment at what we might see or learn." After two days in the Argonne he "didn't think anything of stepping over dead bodies of men with whom I had started out or wading through a pool of blood." Many soldiers kept themselves and others going with crazy jokes or songs; without them, John confessed, "many fellows would have gone raving mad." Such individual methods of coping became especially important in the absence of officers, who grew fewer with each passing hour. Soon, sergeants would lead many companies in place of dead, wounded, or mentally incapacitated captains and lieutenants, while privates and corporals took command of squads and platoons.
26,000 American soldiers died in the Meuse-Argonne. I recommend this new book for anyone who wants to read about World War I.
Ashley
The sights and sounds of fighting in these woods presented unique horrors. Private Henry Smith discovered "hell on earth" when his battalion advanced up the slope of one fog-choked ravine "in the face of machine gun fire, German hand grenades, known as potato mashers, trench mortars and snipers. The screeching of the men who were hit was blood curdling." Some, such as Colonel A. F. Prescott of the 308th Regiment, collapsed after such episodes, and had to be relieved. Most reacted like Private Ralph John of Marmath, North Dakota, who had begun the fight with a naive "feeling of wonderment at what we might see or learn." After two days in the Argonne he "didn't think anything of stepping over dead bodies of men with whom I had started out or wading through a pool of blood." Many soldiers kept themselves and others going with crazy jokes or songs; without them, John confessed, "many fellows would have gone raving mad." Such individual methods of coping became especially important in the absence of officers, who grew fewer with each passing hour. Soon, sergeants would lead many companies in place of dead, wounded, or mentally incapacitated captains and lieutenants, while privates and corporals took command of squads and platoons.
26,000 American soldiers died in the Meuse-Argonne. I recommend this new book for anyone who wants to read about World War I.
Ashley
