F I L E N U M B E R 76 R E P O R T O N 3 R 0 U P R E S E a R C H OPERATIONS OP the Mth INFANTRY, 6Th DIVISION in the OFIENSIV
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FILE NUMBER 76 REPORT ON 3R0UP RESEARCH GROUP IX SUBJECT OPERATIONS OP THE Mth INFANTRY, 6th DIVISION IN THE OFIENSIVE. Reported by LLOYD C. PARSONS 1 Captain Signal Corps, 3d,Bn« 54th Inf«) MARCH ITINERARY OF THE 64t h INFANTRY (as par t o f th s 6t h Wriwion ) IN THE MEUSE ARGOHNE OFFENSIVE, 38 Oot. 11 »T . 1911, 28 Oct , RPJUXJUARTOR8 AND SPECIALTY C0TJTANIE8 • SAINTB MfNNEHOULD to NEUVE TOILERIE 7 miles, 1s t A 3 1 BATTALIONS OIVRY -an AROCNNE t o CAMP BANGES * RAOUES, respeotiTely , Ti a CHARMONTROIS l^ABBE IS mllat* 3d BATTALION GIVRY en ARGONNE Yi a BEVAL t o TRIAUOOUBT • • 9 mlltf, 29 Oct. REGIMENT (last 3d Battalion) - n^bhanga, 3d BATTALION - TRIAUCOURT to CAMP BAUPHIN 9 miles, 30 Oct« No change, 1 NOT. CLERir)Nl - an ARGONNE area to LES IHLETTES 11 miles, 2 Nov. LES ISLETTES to BOIS de BOTJZON 16 miles, 3 Nov. BOIS de BOUZON to biromc 4 Km. southeast of GRAND FRE. 13 miles. 4 NOT, 4 Km, southeast of GRAND PRE to near BUZANCY * 13 miles, 5 NOT. From naar BUZANCY to AUTHE 3 miles. 6 NOT. AUTHE to STE. PIERREMONT (on: the raaroh) 4 mils** 7 NOT, STE, PIERREM^NT to STONNE ' 5 miles. 8 NOT. NO change. 9 NOT, STONNE to AUTHE 9 miles, 10 NOT, J AUTHE to VERPEL 9 miles, 11 NOT. VERPEL to CHATEL CHEHERY 10 miles, 12 NOT, CHATEL UHKHM to MDNTFAUCON 9 miles, 13 NOT, MONTFAUCON to BELINCOURT 5 xailes, 14 NOT, BELINCOURT to FORT'DUAMONT 14 miles. 15 NOT, FORT BUAMONT to BEAUMONT • 7 miles, 16 NOT, BEAUMONT to SPINCOURT 16 miles, 17 HOT, NO change, 18 NOT. SPIHCOURT to CAMP FORNEAU (Billy) 5 miles, 19 NOT, CAMP FORNEAU to BELLEVILLE (Near Verdun) 14 mi les, 20 NOT, NO change, 21 NOT, BELLEVILLE to BLERCOURT ,.. • 12 miles, (1) m e NO, re. aa Nov. No ohange. 93 No/. REOIMKNT (!«•• » Battalion) BLTOCOURT to AUTRRCOURT .•«• 8 mLUe. 3d BATTALION - BLTOCOURT to IPPICOURT 94 NOT. NO change. Nov. REGIMENT (lees 3d A 3d Battalions) AUTFJSCO'JRV to CHARMON TOIS I 1 ABBE 13 ml lit. 3d BATTALION - AUTRECOURT to LE CHATELIER 3d BATTALION - IPPI COURT to BEVAL 96 NOT. All unit* snored to REVIGMT • • 16 miles. 37 NOT. REGIMENT (l«tft thr«a battalions) - RBYIONY to MOCLAIN .. 2D mil«§. 1st BATTMUON • REVIOIIY to VALCOURT 3d BATTALION - RWIGNY to HOERICOURT 3d BATTALION - REVIGNY to VILLIERS • en-LIEU 88 Nov. REGIMENT (le«s throe battalions) MOCLAIN to LA N3UVILLE - a - REMY ,. 14 mi lea, 1st BATTALION • VALCOURT to ROBERT I^AGNET 3d BATTALION - HOERICOURT to LA;iEUyiLLE - a - REMT 3d BATTALION - VILLIERS - en * LIEU to ROBERT MAGNET 39 NOT* REGIMENT ( less 1st A 3d BATTALION) - LA - NSUVILLE - a REMT to NULLT 13 miles* la t BATTALION - ROBERT M4GNET t o NULLT 3d BATmALION - ROBERT MAGNET tc TERMILLT 30 NOT. No change. 1 Deo. REGIMENT (less 3d Battalion) - NULLT to LEVIGNT 11 miles, 3d BATTALION - TERMILLT to ARSONVAL 3 Dec, REGIMENT (less three battalions) - LEVIfflTT to AILIEVILLE^ 10 miles. 1st BATTALION - LEVIGNT to JAUCOURT 3d BATTALION - LEVIGNT to DOLANCOURT 3d BATTALION - No cfeange. 3 Dec* REGIMENT (less three battalions) - AILLEVILLE to CRAMPIGN0L,,15miles, 1st BATTALION - JAUCOURT to CRAMPIGNOL 2nd BATTALION - DOLANCOURT to ANSONVILLE 3d BATTALION • A&SONV (3) file No, 76. 4 Deo. REGIMENT (less three battalions) - OHAMPIONOL *o CUNHN .... 13 alies, l» t BATTALION - 0HAMP1QNOL t o fONTETTE 34 BATTALION - ANS0NVILL5 to OUNFIN 3d BATTALION - 8HAMPIGNOL to FOOTETTI 5 D*o. REGIMKNT (!••• 1st & 3d Battalion*) - CUNTTN to VANVEY 31 ml lit, i»t BATTALION - TONTETTE to VANVEY BATTALION - TOOTETTE to MAI SET - la- DUO 6 Deo, HEGIMENT (lost thrte batUlloa«) - VANVEY to MDNTMDY?W 13 mll##. l» t BATTALION - VANVEY t o MINOT 31 BATTALION - VANVEY to ST. B80INB - las- MOINES 3d BATTALION - Conrpaniat & - le - DUO to MONfl- ICYKN ani "M11 to ESSA30IS. REFERENCES: R.R, 176-178 & PK : MEZIERES» METZ & DIJON sheets , scale 1/330,000 filed in C, & G. S. (3) No. 75. OR - 1C33. "OPHUTIONR OF TOE 64th INFANTRY, 6th DIYIHION, IN THE MTO3B - AROOmff! OFFENSIVE - Oot 98 - Nov. 11, 1918." "GENERAL HFJUDQUARTOR8 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONABT FORCEH. January 18, 1919. HtOM: The Cfcief of Staff, TO: The Comranding General, Sixth As*ilofin Division, (Through minding General, First Amerioan Army). SUBJECT: Appreciation of the Sixth Division. • • • • • EXTRACT * • • * • The Corm&nier- in - ChieJ&as not failed to note with great pride the soldierly achievements of tha Sixth Division. The fbllowing remarks concerning the Sixth Division aro of record at these headquarters: The Sixth Division detrained in the CLERMONT region in the latter part of October, 1918, On account of the vory serious lack of animals and motor vehicles in the Division there was a rery great doubt on the part of the higher staffs as to whether or not the Division could be utilised during the coming offensive. Nevertheless, with less than 1,000 animals and with.very little truck transportation, the Division advanced into the reserve position for the First Arny Corps* From November 3d to November 6th the Sixth Division closely followed the rapid advance of thje First Corps without complaint or even remark. The Infantry of the Division nude long marches on congested roads, pulling by hand their machine gun carts and carrying on their backs, or doing without, supplies for which transportation should nonrally be available. Upon the termination of the successful advance towards SEDAN, the Sixth Division innediately turned south and after a long march arrived east of VERDUN, ready and willing to perform any task which might be assigned to it* That the Division was not engaged east of VERDUN was due to the fact that at the moment of its arrival the amistioe becaa* effective. Altogether the porformance of the Sixth Division during the first eleven days of November, 1918f standjs out as oi*o-f the finest examples of the fortitude and soldierly spirit Jilt No, ?S« displayed by the American soldier during this war. It It not unjust to say that tha duties of the Sl*th Division during this period required more disolpllne and soldierly determination than many engagements with the eneny* » » * • • • • • • • • (Signed) JAMES W. MoANDREW, Vfcjor General United States Amy." (!)• "AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY F0RCE8 OFFICE OP THE COMMANDER - IN * CHIEF, FRANCE April 11, 1919. Mfejor General Walter H# Gordon, Conrcanding Sixth Division, A* E* F* My dear General Gordon: • • • • • EXTRACT • • • • It (the Sixth Division) Joined the First Army in the Meu»e-Argonne offensive and was the reserve division in the First Corps from November 1st to the date of the armistice. Daring this time the Division was ex** posed t* the eneny's artillery fire, and was used to fill a gap between the left of the Pint Army and the Fourth French Army, tfhich woe operatin to the west of the Argonne sincerely yours, (Signed) JOHN J. PERSHING." (3) After beirg relieved in tho GARARDMER Sector in the Vosges Mountains, the nights of October 9th & loth by the First French Division (3), the regiment staged and trained baok of this sector at ST* MAURICE, FRESSE and LE THILLOT, Department of Vosges, for about two weeks. Finally orders were reoelvod transferring the regimmt (as part of its division) to the First American Corps and it was ordered moved by rail to an unknown des« tination (4)« Units of the regiment entrained during the. nigjht of 26-37 1» RR 155-167; SS8j P 380. 2. RR 162.163; OOB 95; 3. RR 83} SS 7{ P 238; BIE; DF 155J HAEF 264* 4. SS 8 A PK 2. nit No, 76. of Ootober (6). Regiment*? headquarters and the speoialty oonjpanies w«rt detained on tho 36th at SAINTE MENNEHOULD and nardhed to HEUVF TOILERIE (near CLERMONT). The lit & 3d Battalions, under the oonnand of Ifejor Thocas H. Monroe, detrained on the 28th at OIVBT - en • AROONNE and were a*rched to CAMP BAWVKS & CAMP HAOUES (both near CLtfHKONT) respectively (6) Th> 34. Battalion , do training early in the afternoon of the san* day, with no nap, no gfcid*, no supplies, no transportation nor any information at to 'their destination,, tat out to find the regiment* It hiked until dark when it bivouacked for the night Juet outside of TRIAUOOURT, Knowing the direct ion of the front lines of the First Army from the cannonading, and, know ing that it was destined for that front somewhere, started hiking the morn ing of the 39th along a good road generally in a northerly direction. This road (the Triaucourt - Clermont road) led tho organization by noon that day to the division bivouac area south of the CLTCRJT)NT - S7# MENNEHOULD road (7). Tfcile the organization was in the CLERMONT aroa (headquarters area Of the 43d Dirision at the beginning of the Argonntf offensive) (6), it wae in Army reserve, although under orders as reserve troops of the 1st Corps, for the reason that it was not yet within tho corps area (9). As it advanced north on the 1st of November it was considered as having passed to the 1st Corps reserve (10)« It was transferred from army to corps re serve officially by the provisions of F. 0* ^95, 1st Army, dated 30th Oct ober (11). It may be h^re stated that the division was unsupported dfcthis time by artillery as the 6th Field Artillery Briagde had not been present with the division since it had been in France and it did not Join until the 6th of December (12), However, the 1st Corps, expecting to use the division in combat in extending the corps zone of action to the BAB River on the 6th of November, attached to it the 153d Firld Artillery BrifeAe from the 78th Division (13), This artillery attachment was effective from the 6th to the 8th of November 5.