Waiting for Zero Hour: Going over the top in the Meuse-Argonne with the 37th Division

 With the signing of the armistice in November 1918, the censorship restrictions placed upon the members of the A.E.F. were lifted and among those taking the opportunity to finally explain to their families their combat experiences was Russell Sowash of Co. M, 146th Infantry, 37th Division. His letter describing his first time "going over the top" in the opening of the Meuse-Argonne offensive first saw publication in the February 13 and 19, 1919 editions of the Crestline Advocate.

Le Mans, France

January 1, 1919

            Dad, you have many times requested that I give, if possible, a description of actual fighting. I have had the privilege to be in several battles but the experience is one a soldier really does not like to touch upon, but I will try my best to give you an idea of a soldier’s feelings, both before a battle and in action.

            Much has been said of happening after the troops go over the top. Of course, this is the most important time and after you go over the top, you simply fight, fight until you reach your objective. An American soldier when he goes over the top has no other intention but to reach the objective as his orders call for. One thinks of a battle as the fighting or the driving that is done. In this description I will try to explain the thoughts of a soldier before a battle and the thoughts of a green soldier are not very pleasant.

            About the 15^th of September 1918 we were moved up behind the lines just opposite of where the Germans were entrenched. They had taken and were holding this territory since 1914 so they had a strong position and no drive had ever been attempted up to this time. They held it all through the war and also never expected to give it up.  It was comparatively quiet when we went into camp. Occasionally, mostly at night, there was some shelling, but not to any great extent. Careful preparations, however, were under way to make another record for the American soldiers in history.

            We really thought very little about a drive; it was rumored that we were to make a drive but one hears so much about such things that we did not pay much attention to it. We were doing nothing but resting up and eating three square meals a day. The officers, however, were giving many long talks to the non-commissioned officers and the longer we stayed there the more quiet the men became. Everyone seemed to be under a strain but no one said anything.  

            Every night the road would be congested with long lines of trucks all going in one direction and loaded with ammunitions; artillery of all sizes was moved in the same direction then thousands of men began gathering in the woods around us. It looked as if they were hauling up enough shells to last five years. So many guns were going past that we were wondering where they would put all of them. When daylight came, the roads were deserted.

This process was kept up until September 24^th and on the afternoon of the 25^th we were all issued extra ammunition and told to lighten our packs. We then knew we were going over the top. The afternoon dragged slowly to an end; supper time came but no supper was served at the regular time. About 8:30 in the evening we were given a hot meal and then ordered to fall in. When we were in our places, we started in a line of two down the road toward the front. All was quiet and no one felt like talking, but we were all doing some thinking and wondering what the morrow would bring.

We walked slowly in two lines on either side of the road for perhaps five kilometers. We were finally halted and told to rest ourselves but to keep quiet; all were nervous but not a word was said, no one would tell his neighbor his thoughts. I believe while I crouched there on the ground trying to keep warm my whole past life went through my mind. Many things that I had done in the past would pass before me and I had a feeling that if I had the opportunity, I certainly would do differently. My heart was slowly rising and I had a dry feeling in my throat; I believe a cigarette would have helped at this time but no smoking was allowed.

About 11 o’clock that night all the big guns let loose and it made you feel as if the end of time had come. We had no notice that the verge was about to start and we were right on top of the artillery and the noise was deafening. We had 4,400 guns firing a steady barrage. My first thought was that the Germans had let loose. I found, however, in carefully looking around that such was not the case as these flashes were from our own guns.

The fight of the 37th Division during the opening days of the Meuse-Argonne centered upon seizing Montfaucon. 

We were then ordered forward again and the firing settled down into one continuous roar. We passed a long line of French tanks all crowding forward to take part in this wonderful drive in the morning. Stopping, walking, stopping, we finally reached the trenches. Here we went forward in a single file; this trench led us around until we were parallel with the Germans. We, of course, were halted here and only a short distance from the German front line trench and here comes the trying time for many a soldier waiting for the zero hour which is the time set to go over the top. Now and then you could hear a soldier saying “God, I wish it was time to go over.” It is the waiting that gets on your nerves. Once you start, this feeling leaves you. In fact, you have no time for that, but while waiting, waiting, waiting, it is certainly a trying thing to go through.

At daybreak on the morning of September 26^th we went over the top in a drive through the Argonne forest. It was a dark, gloomy day, somewhat chilly and heavy clouds hung low in the sky. A heavy constant barrage had played on the forest all night. Many trees were twisted as though struck by a cyclone; here and there great trees were lying on the ground downed by shell fire. Great holes were also torn into the earth in many places by bursting shells; barbed wire entanglements were torn away by this constant fire so that our progress was not difficult. Observation balloons were up and airplanes hovered overhead.

We did not meet any resistance for perhaps a quarter of an hour after we went over. Then the division I was with ran into three well-placed machine gun emplacements. Things began to happen then very rapidly. One of our officers went down, instantly killed, and another one at this time was badly wounded; here and there you could see men falling out of the game, at least for the time being. We tried every way to get the Germans out of their nest but they were so well protected by cement walls and having the advantage of being able to see us that the work was difficult. To understand this, you must know that we could not exactly locate their position. These nests were very ingeniously placed and certainly are a nightmare until removed. Finally, a one-pounder and a Stokes mortar were brought up and quick work was made of these nests and our advance continued. All that day we went forward taking numerous prisoners and guns and that night went into dugouts that had been vacated by the Huns that day.

The next day at daybreak we began our drive where we left off. It was now raining and we all felt very miserable crawling in the mud and wet to the skin. That day we advanced too rapidly for our artillery and they had to stop firing in order to bring their guns up to a better position. We, however, kept advancing instead of digging in and waiting. Late in the afternoon we were met with a counterattack of machine guns and forced to stop. The Germans then threw a barrage behind us. We at this particular time were in a condition not very enviable. We never thought, however, of a backward movement but continued to advance. Should we have tried to do so, it would have been practically an impossible fight. In this manner, we all flattened out on the ground securing any shelter from the rain of bullets that was possible and we were losing men at this time.

I am sorry to state in this position we could do nothing without artillery fire. When things looked the bluest a noise was heard in the rear; turning on my side I saw eight French tanks coming up over the hill to our rescue. This certainly made a different feeling with all of us and we felt that sure relief was in plain sight then we would resume our advance as usual. The Germans, however, shifted their artillery fire and opened on the tanks. They moved forward bravely but it was no use as the Germans concentrated their fire to such an extent and that three were put out of commission which forced the other five back over the hill. Darkness, which seemed so long in coming, was at last upon us and we dug in for the night to wait for the artillery to move us. Thus, the second day of the drive was past.

On the morning of the third day, the artillery had not yet come up far enough to support us. The roads were in such a condition and in fact we well knew that no definite time could be set for the artillery to reach us. We were ordered forward again, fighting our way toward our objective, and were doing this without artillery fire. A few of the Germans guns that we had captured were turned and used on the enemy. We were losing men rapidly now but we took our objective that noon, were driven back by a strong counterattack, but gained it again and held it.

Numerous counterattacks were made but we would not give one inch. This cost men, of course, but it was our business to hold the position we had taken. It rained all night and most of us were without blankets, overcoats, or raincoats. The holes we were in were filled with water but we were compelled to stay in them; up to this time, we had had nothing to eat, but that night they got some soup up to us and I want to tell you we felt a whole lot better. All this time the Germans were shelling us heavily, trying to drive us from this position. We were finally forced to move to the right as the shell fire was becoming too warm for human beings to stand. The Germans, however, knew where we were so they threw a carload or two of shells over on us in our new position.

In the afternoon, we moved back to our old position again because the Huns shifted their fire. By these maneuvers we were able to hold our objective until the next evening when fresh troops came and relieved us. We had to go back over all the territory we had passed over in the last few days. Late at night we got out of range of German fire and speaking personally, we felt much better. Once more we could talk to each other and we also knew that in the rear was food and rest, rest being the main thing. We all felt almost dead, each man was comparatively a mental wreck after a battle of this kind. It affects you not only physically but mentally, although it has the effect of a dull feeling somewhat mentally so that when the chance comes you certainly can rest and enjoy it.

Please understand that this was the first fight for most of us and after a point where we could rest, we felt the worst was over, but any soldier can tell you that on the next day following a drive of this kind, there comes a period of what is called reaction and it affects most men the same for you are very nervous. In my own case, I was very nervous for two weeks and almost any little noise, which when your condition is normal you would not notice, would attract your attention. After the noise and confusion of the battle, the quietness back of the lines has a strange effect. This is the impression I received in my first experience, but a feeling of this kind leaves every soldier after he had had a little more experience under fire.

Source:

Letter from Private Russell Laverne Sowash, Co. M, 146^th Infantry, 37^th Division, Crestline Advocate (Ohio), February 13, 1919, pg. 6; also, February 20, 1919, pg. 6