Don Martin diary entry for Monday, July 8, 1918:
Went to second division. Very little going
on. Got story in La Ferte, corps headquarters, of a document prepared by a
German general praising the American soldier (this for circulation among
Germans only) and returned to Meaux early in the afternoon. Sent 600 word cable
to New York.
Don Martin wrote a letter dated July
8 to his daughter Dorothy that reflected his mood at this point in the war: a
little uncertainty about his relationship with the Herald:
I have heard nothing
from the office yet and don’t know whether they want me to stay or return. I
daresay they want me to stay. I am not so particular about it myself. I have
seen a great deal now and the work certainly is no cinch. However, I wouldn’t
be surprised if I stayed until it is over,
the desire of a newspaperman to get
the best story:
I don’t know what will
happen during the next month. No one does. I know that the Germans are capable
of striking a terrible blow... I am trying to keep in touch with developments
so I can be close to the big drive and write about such Americans as are
involved in it,
and telling one of his
stories, not very appropriate for an
eleven year old girl:
... a story is told of an American
who met two Germans in No Man’s Land and prepared to fight them. They
immediately shouted “Kamerade,” which
is the coward’s cry. The American said: “Kamerade
nothing, I came here to fight, not to engage in conversation.” He didn’t
bring back any prisoners so you can imagine what happened... the motto of the
average American is... “We kill or be
killed.” That’s the only way to
carry on a war. War these days is no afternoon tea. It is a game of murder and
slaughter. That is the way the Americans intend to play it.
In one lengthy dispatch dated July
8, published in the New York Herald on Tuesday, July 9, Don Martin reported on
the French tribute to the American soldiers at Hill 204, and on the
hair-raising story of airman Lieutenant Benjamin P. Harwood.
AMERICANS ARE BEST SOLDIERS IN EUROPE, SAYS FRENCH GENERAL
AFTER THE FIGHTING AT HILL 204
Grit, Courage and
Eagerness to Learn in Face of Danger Amazes Poilus
BROOKLYN AIRMAN BAGS TWO
BOCHES
Montana Flyer Christened
“Horseshoe Kid”
After
Remarkable Escape in Sky Combat
By Don
Martin
Special Correspondent of
the Herald with the American Armies in France
[Special Cable to the Herald]
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE, Monday
[July 8]
The American forces, fighting in
the French region of Hill 204 in the vicinity of Vaux, where they had their
baptism of fire and earned new laurels, likewise have won the highest praise
for their bravery and efficiency in the fighting last Saturday and Sunday [July
6-7]. I am now permitted to say that they fought on the same spot on July 1,
and so signally did they distinguish themselves that they won the formal
commendation of the French commanding officer for the assistance they offered
the French and American units well back of the line.
“It is safe to say that the
Americans are the best soldiers in Europe,” a French general with whom I talked
told me.
Before the attack of July 1 to
which I referred the French asked for volunteers and all our officers and men
to whom the chance to get in the fighting was offered stepped forward. A
certain number of them were picked, and they went into the fighting like
veterans. I can say that the French were amazed at the courage and grit which
they showed.
Officer Bayonets Three
Germans
Especial reference was made to the
extraordinary performance of an American lieutenant, who, it was asserted,
bayonetted three Germans while they were operating a machine gun against our
men. These Germans had planted their gun in a tree, that it might have a more
deadly effect on our forces. The gun was spurting out a stream of death when
this American officer, with the agility of a cat, leaped into the branches of
the tree and killed the machine gun operators, who were covered in such a way
that a bullet would not reach them.
In the fight in which he met them,
single handedly, he was wounded in the arm and for the time incapacitated. He
went to a dressing station and had his wound attended to, but as soon as this
was done he returned to his company to finish the fight.
This is a sample of the pluck and
the grit of these youngsters who are members of the great army which is
expected to crush the Hun by next autumn or spring.
Americans Eager to Learn
A notable feature of fighting is
shown in their eagerness to gain experience, even in the face of desperate
danger.
The French and the British are now
looking forward to a fresh German offensive, which is expected to begin soon.
That the enemy has been preparing for a giant stroke is well known here. He has
forty divisions ready for action, which means six hundred thousand men. This is
a formidable force, but the French are prepared for it.
The spot where the attack was made
was Hill No. 204, which had been partly taken by the Germans by the employment
of their storm troops and which the enemy was determined to hold.
In the fighting the Germans lost
many dead and prisoners, but not a single American fell into the enemy’s hands.
Aroused French Enthusiasm
I am now able to publish a tribute which the
French commander paid to these Americans who on July 1 fought side by side here
with the French.
“From the beginning of the attack
the American detachments displayed marked ardor, bravery and enthusiasm,
despite the firing of the enemy’s heavy and light machine guns, trench mortars
and riflemen in the trees,” he said. “The Americans bravely threw themselves on
their adversaries in fierce hand to hand contests in an almost impregnable
wood, where each sought out his man in personal combat that was violent.
“Your men never ceased during the
operations to arouse the enthusiasm and admiration of their French comrades by
their magnificent behavior.
“Lieutenant Shenkel especially
distinguished himself and made a great impression on his own troops and our
own. He led them on with his own ardor, and when, with seven men, he found
himself surrounded by an enemy detachment he and his comrades cut their way
through by using the butts of their rifles and their bayonets. In this way did
they succeed in rejoining their comrades.
“Lieutenant Shenkel used his pistol
with such good effect that he killed a German officer.
“I would appreciate it if you would bring
to the attention of your regiment the splendid conduct of your men while they
were fighting with us for the first time. Let every one know that with such
admirable soldiers as yours the defeat of the Germans in the near future is
assured.”
Three Americans Capture
38
In the same fight Lieutenant Cedric
Benz, Sergeant Hoffman and Private Samuel Smith captured thirty-eight
prisoners.
These Americans are splendid
soldiers and their work on this occasion was a good augury for the conduct of
all our men, all who saw them said.
Many of our men are like young
colts—keen to get into the conflict. The only danger is that they, like the
Australians and the Canadians at the beginning of the war, are too venturesome,
but this danger is minimized by the work of their instructors and officers.
There has been a remarkable change
in everyone in France since gallant exploits of the Americans were first
published. It is no secret now when I say that both the French and the English
were dubious of the ability of the Americans to grasp the problems of the war
or the ability of our soldiers to hold their own against the Germans. This doubt now had disappeared and the word
generally is: --“They have won their spurs.”
Expect Offensive Soon
The French poilus, who are slow to
express an opinion and who looked doubtingly on the Americans at first, now
salute them with admiration.
The Americans are completing their
training course gradually, all of which is changing the situation on the
western front. In a short time the Allies will be superior to the enemy in
numbers, while the German morale will be lowered and the attack spirit of the
Hun weakened. To-day the German forces are not equal to the vicious assault
they made last March.
One of the most thrilling
narratives of aerial warfare ever told relates to Lieutenant Benjamin P.
Harwood, an American aviator, whose home is in Butte, Mont. Flying four
thousand meters in the air, he was attacked by an overwhelming number of Boche
flyers, and only by the remarkable manoeuvring of his pilot, F. L. Luhr,
coupled with his own daring and cool judgment, is he alive to-day and safe.
As a result of Lieutenant Harwood’s adventure
in the sky his companions have nicknamed him the “Horseshoe Kid.” After his
encounter with the enemy airmen he landed inside the American lines with thirty
bullets in his machine, its tank pierced, guns jammed, motor set smashed, his
eyeglasses shot off, his chin nicked by a bullet and his throat grazed by
another.
Tells of His Lucky Escape
Lieutenant Harwood, a
powerful, cool and daring observer, flies daily over the enemy lines. I am able
to tell his story in his own words.
“I was flying at an altitude of
four thousand meters when I saw a group of Germans above me,” he said. “They
paid no attention to me; but for this simple reason, if for no other, I at once
suspected an old German trick.
“With my back to the sun I looked
again and saw the enemy straight in the path of my guns. They were coming
directly toward me. That is the German trick that I referred to. Luhr and I saw
the situation at a glance, and it was just the situation that I wanted.
“At once I got my machine gun going
and fired ten rounds at them, when my gun jammed. All the time the Germans were
trying to get on my tail, and they passed within a hundred meters of me a dozen
times, meanwhile pouring a rain of bullets in my direction.
Bullet Grazes His Throat
“The bullets fell everywhere. Only
Luhr escaped them, which was very fortunate. One of them struck me on the chin;
another went through the seat of my airplane. They constantly spattered against
my tank and struck my engine. Then a bullet grazed my throat just over my
windpipe. Here is the mark; it was a pretty close shave.
“The next thing I knew a bullet
struck my eyeglasses and shaved off a few eyebrows. By that time both my chin
and my eye were bleeding.
“Luhr, who exhibited the greatest
nerve I ever saw, kept things going absolutely smoothly. He veered our course
and attempted to dodge their fire, which he was successful in doing because of
the German tracer bullets.
“While I was standing and trying to
fix my gun three bullets ripped my coat and one passed through my hat. It was
strange, but not a one of them touched Luhr.
“Finally I got my gun in working
order and opened up again at the Hun with it. Steadily, however, they pursued
us, and then my gun jammed again.
“We were going at a terrific speed,
but constantly descending. The German demon kept right after us, as if
determined to get us after all. But I guess he finally decided that our machine
was charmed, for he at last turned back. That, however, seemed to be a signal
that our troubles were just beginning, for our motor was barely working at all
and our tank was leaking badly. Why we did not catch on fire is something that
I will never understand.
“I was bleeding and Luhr asked me
if I was hurt seriously. I replied that probably I was not. Then after some
bantering talk and jokes we plunged downward and Luhr succeeded in effecting a
landing. He could not make the field he wanted to reach, but lit in a wheat
field, where our machine somersaulted and was wrecked. It was too bad, for she
was the greatest machine that was ever in the air.”
“Did you expect to ever come down
alive?” I asked him.
“Sure,” he replied. “I never
worried for a minute. I knew that the bullets were thick, but, too, I was busy.
I had full confidence that as long as our heads worked we were safe, and I
wanted to get that Boche.
Says He Will Get Boche
“Some day I will get him. Some
day I will drop a note in their lines and call his attention to the fact that
we fooled him. And we’ll get him.”
Lieutenant Harwood
told his story modestly. When he had finished, his comrades, who were
listening, slapped him on the back and said: -“Beanie, you are the horseshoe
kid. You had one chance in a billion and won.”
Lieutenant Harwood’s injuries
are so slight that he is working as usual and is eager to get his eye on the
Boche who pursued him to the American line. He told me that he will be sure to
recognize him if he meets him again, for in his latest combat he had a chance
to observe the enemy at close range.
In another combat in the air, in
which five Americans met five enemy aviators of the rejuvenated Richthofen
“tango circus,” Lieutenant James A. Meissner, of Brooklyn, is believed to have
brought down two Boches. That he brought down at least one has been verified.
If he downed two he is an ace, for he already had four to his credit.
With the increased air activity
along the line, the work of our aviators in the American sectors is showing a
corresponding increase.
Lieutenant Sedgwick, of St. Paul,
Minn., has just had a hair-raising adventure in an observation balloon of great
weight, when a German airplane attacked him. The enemy sent a bullet through
the basket from which Lieutenant Sedgwick was conducting his observations a
hundred feet in the air. He landed safely with the aid of a parachute which
observers always take aloft with them.
Don Martin wrote a shorter version of
the Lt. Harwood adventure, which was published in the Paris Herald on July 9.
It is interesting to see the minor differences in Lt. Harwood’s 'first-hand' telling
of his story.
Amex Fliers Safe After
Weathering Shower of Shot
Machine, Half Wrecked
After Desperate Mid-Air Battle,
Turns Somersault on
Landing
(Special Telegram to the Paris Herald)
By Don Martin,
With The American Army, Monday [July 8].
It was a thousand-to-one shot
that Lieutenant Benjamin P. Harwood and Pilot F. L. Luhr would be killed the
other day when a German aeroplane attacked them as their machine was over the
German lines making observations. Yet they are alive and reasonably well.
Lieutenant Harwood has a slight wound over his right eye, a tiny groove in his
chin and a bruise over his windpipe. Mr. Luhr has no injury at all. Two bullets
went through the lieutenant’s hat, three through his sleeves and more than
thirty struck his aeroplane, one piercing the gasoline tank, another striking
the engine and one badly crippling a wing. The machine somersaulted when it
landed in a wheat field.
Lieutenant Harwood was at work as
usual the next day. So was his pilot.
The men were well over the German
lines when five German aeroplanes were seen to the north, flying low. They were
apparently indifferent to the presence of the American observation machine.
However, the Americans were familiar with German air trickery, and glancing
back they saw a lone aeroplane making in their direction. It was in the sun’s
path and hard to distinguish. So far everything was as expected. The five were
flying low to divert attention from the attacking aeroplane, which was to shoot
suddenly out of the blazing path behind the American machine. I will let
Lieutenant Harwood tell the rest of the story.
“The German tried to get on my tail,
but was unable to do so because Luhr did some remarkable maneuvering. The Hun
passed pretty close several times, blazing away all the time with his
machine-gun. Bullets struck the fuselage several times. I played my machine-gun
on him, but the thing jammed and affairs looked a little bad for us. A bullet
clipped my chin. Then one hit the engine. Another went through the seat on
which I was sitting. They struck all over. Several went through my clothes and
one grazed my throat.
“I stood up and was trying to fix
the gun when a bullet knocked my glasses away shaving off a bit of my eyebrow.
It didn’t hurt. Meantime I was working at the gun, but it was difficult because
blood blinded me. Luhr all the time was circling in such a way that I am sure
he saved us from complete ruin. We were in constant communication through the
speaking tube. He wanted to know if I was badly hurt. I told him I was not.
“The German kept after us, but
turned for a minute or two when I got the gun fixed and shot back at him. But
the gun jammed on me again and it looked as everything was up. However, Luhr,
with the engine going bad and the tank leaking, managed to evade the German and
land. We couldn’t land exactly where we wanted to, but we made a wheat field
nearby. The machine turned bottom side up, but we escaped. It was a shame to
have the machine wrecked, because it certainly is a wonder. I don’t think
another machine on earth could do what that one did.”
Lieutenant Harwood is a Harvard man. He comes
from Butte, Mont., where he is engaged in peace times in the banking and
ranching business.
“I want that Hun to know that he
didn’t get us,” he said. “Some day we will get him. I think I could recognize
him if I saw him again. He was close enough certainly.”
Lieutenant Benjamin P Harwood served in the 12th Aero Squadron. Here is a photo of the plane that the squadron flew in France.
Lieutenant Benjamin P Harwood served in the 12th Aero Squadron. Here is a photo of the plane that the squadron flew in France.
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| 12th Aero Squadron November 1918 with Salmson 2A2 plane (Wikiwand) |
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