5th Division History

5th Division. In the beginning in attempting to give an outline of the operations of the 5th Div. in the World Har, the outline will of necessity deal more intimately with the operations of the 10th Infantry Brigade of of the Div. than of the other units as I served throughout the time with the 6th Infantry. Organization. Hdqrs. and Trains at Camp Logan, Houston, Tex. 9th Inf. Brigade, made up of the 60th and 61st Inf. organized from 7th Inf at Gettysburg and trained at Camp Greene, N.C. 10th Inf. Brigade, made up of the 6th and 11th Inf. brought from the Border to Chickamauga Park, Ga. to organize other regiments and for training. 13th, 14th, and 15thM.G. Bns. 5th Field Artillery Brigade, 19th and 20th F.A. regiments organized from the 7th F.A. and the 21st F.A. (heavy) from the 3rd F.B. Engineers, 7th from two companies of the 1st. Eng. Sanitary units. Organization began in June, 1917 Training. Few officers, few old men. shelter, clothing, equipment. Filled up Jan. to MCH. 1918. Funda and Billish instructors. Began to arrive in France Mch. 1918. Bar sur AUbe area. Training in France. Demonshation platron Grenades, offensive and defensive. Chauchat automatic rifles Hotchkiss machine guns, very heavy but very reliable Range greater then our own Brownings. Rifle grenades, in the beginning,defective 6th Infantry to Pagny sur Meuse. Reserve for 26th Div. then to Annould Sector attached to the French 77th and 70th Divisions. First days in the trenches. Very quiet. Told by our French Instructors "This is not the war. "Patroling, training observers. Use of these same observers later in open warfare. Camouflage, supply, liaison, Scouts. French artillery over us. Difficulties due to language. Listening in set. Electrified wire covering part of German front. Move to St. Die Sector. Joined by own artillery. Tooanxious to fire. Capture of Frapelle. By two battalions 6th Inf Penetration 1K on 800 meter front. 36 batteries light and heavy supporting attack First chang in lines for three years. Casualties 24 officers and 318 men. August. Move to Neuvilleres Area for six days training in open warfare. Move by marching at night to Martincourt area. Difficulties in in keeping the right road. Secrecy. Keeping under cover during the day. St Jacques, billeted in wet woods. Skunk gas.