ILLUSTRATIONS

Flare—Front Line, Champagne Frontispiece

PAGE

The Leathernecks, the Old Timers Facing page x

“They looked fine, coming in there ... through those little tired Frenchmen” Facing page xiv

Occasional wounded Frenchmen drifted back 3

Sketches from Captain Thomason’s note-book Facing page 6

Platoon column in support, Champagne, 1918 Facing page 10

“Catch some alive——” Facing page 14

The 2d Engineers Facing page 20

A tortured area ... lit by flares and gun-flashes Facing page 24

The hill blazed into action—not all the rifle-fire had gone astray Facing page 28

Pencil sketches made on scraps of paper, in Belleau Wood Facing page 32

Combat patrol Facing page 36

A sprinkling of old-time Marines Facing page 40

Some of them had been this way before 47

Boche grenadier Facing page 48

xxivSo many chaps were not with the brigade very long 51

The Boche had out his pistol Facing page 52

Certain designated individuals watched 57

Men fought in its corpse-choked thickets. 59

Bringing in German prisoners at St. Mihiel Facing page 60

Ration parties always sweated mightily and anticipated exciting incidents 63

“Bang away, Lulu——” Facing page 68

The automatic-rifle men Facing page 78

Prussians from Von Boehn’s divisions in and around the Bois de Belleau Facing page 82

“Keep on to the left until you meet the Moroccans, and go forward....” 4.30 A. M., July 18, 1918 Facing page 90

Listening-post rushed by Senegalese Facing page 94

A fighting swirl of Senegalese Facing page 98

Fighting from tree to tree in the woods south of Soissons Facing page 102

With reason the Boche feared them worse than anything living Facing page 106

The fighting in the woods at Soissons was close and savage Facing page 110

A lieutenant of Marines and a German major, hand to hand Facing page 114

Sketches made by Captain Thomason at Soissons on scraps of paper taken from a feldwebel’s note-book Facing page 118

Fighting north of Blanc Mont, Champagne 124

“Carry me back to Ole Virginny” Facing page 126

French grenadier—Blanc Mont Facing page 136

Those sawed-off shotguns they gave us at St. Mihiel Facing page 142

xxvThe shells began to drop into the trench 149

A flare during shelling in the front-line trenches Facing page 150

In the Essen trench—a runner Facing page 154

The morning of October 3d came gray and misty—a patrol Facing page 158

“Lordy, ain’t we ever goin’ to get outa this dam’ place an’ get at ’em—?” 161

Others lay on the ground over which the battalion passed 163

“Oh, Lordy! They’ve got us bracketed!” Facing page 164

Before zero hour Facing page 168

Flanking fire Facing page 172

The hush still hung around them as they moved out of the flat and began to ascend the long gray slope ahead 175

The first shell came screaming down the line from the right Facing page 176

“Here comes a battalion runner—what’s up anyway?” Facing page 180

A few iron-souled Prussians—the Boche had such men—stood up to meet bayonet with bayonet, and died that way Facing page 184

The last few men are always the most difficult to kill 187

A machine-gunner, Champagne 189

“Mademoiselle from Armentières” Facing page 194

“Hey, yuh dog-robbin’ battalion runner, you—what’s up!” Facing page 200

“He takes the war too serious” Facing page 204

The scout officer and the sergeant got him back some way, both filled with admiration at his language Facing page 212

“War—sure—is—hell” Facing page 216

“Sweet Ad-o-line” Facing page 222

xxviThe cooks issued corn-bill hash and dared any man to growl Facing page 228

A nice day for a hike 231

Men walked silent, remembering the old dead Facing page 232

One thick-bodied Boche ... His face in a cast of hate Facing page 236

They stood in stolid groups, wooden-faced Facing page 240

“I tell you, these Boche are dangerous! They have too many children.” Facing page 243

The 1st Battalion of the Rhine—5th Marines took the road 245

“Long Boy” Facing page 248

FIX BAYONETS!

I

BATTLE SIGHT

THE FIGHTING AROUND THE BOIS DE BELLEAU

1