April 22, 1918 - Don Martin reports American baptism of fire at Seicheprey: "could tell a hundred stories of their daring and valor"

Don Martin diary entry for Monday, April 22, 1918: 

Went to Chaumont with Gregg. Had heart to heart talk with Colonel Sweeney, head censor, who agreed to post a bulletin each evening at the censor’s office, Neufchateau, telling us what has happened during the day. 
      Don Martin seems to take credit (for himself, above in his diary) for the start of issuance of a daily bulletin for the correspondents. Chris Dubbs wrote "During this period the Twenty-Sixth began to copy the French practice of issuing daily intelligence reports, to provide additional information for journalists." And, "Beginning in May 1918 the AEF followed the lead of the Twenty-Sixth by issuing daily news summaries." (American Journalists in the Great War, p 217, 221, Univ. of Nebraska Press, 2017).
Returned at 4 p.m. Had dinner at the club.

Got corking letter from Dorothy.

Quiet on the British and French fronts. Apparently the Germans are getting ready to make a new offensive.

Weather rainy and raw.

      Don Martin's extended report on last Saturday's attack at Seicheprey showed his story-telling talent. It was published in the New York Herald on Tuesday, April 23, 1918.

AMERICANS WITH BACKS TO WALL, OUTNUMBERED 12 TO 1, OUTFIGHT, THEN WHIP, GERMANS TO A FINISH

Three Hundred Dead Teutons in One Part of Sector Reply of Pershing’s Men to Blow by Picked Troops Which Were to Smash Way Through the Line in Engagement Lasting Without Break for Twenty Hours

ENDURE VERITABLE HURRICANE OF EXPLOSIVES, MUSTARD GAS AND POISONOUS VAPORS

First Real Baptism of Fire Finds Soldiers Only Recently Clerks and Workers at Home Battling with Courage and Brilliancy of Best of Veteran Allied Forces

By DON MARTIN

[Special cable to the Herald]

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, Monday

              Facts gathered from Saturday’s attack [April 20] on the American sector near  ...  show the Germans struck only after the most careful preparation with the expectation of dealing a demoralizing blow to the Americans.

          It was a costly venture. Three hundred Germans dead were piled in one part of the square mile where the engagement raged for twenty hours. To-day the Germans are back in the same position as before the attack.

             Twelve hundred picked shock troops, which were part of a large force used for several weeks to harry the Allies, especially the Americans, all along the line, had been rehearsing behind lines, but it was believed they would strike elsewhere. They swept out of the mists of dawn against four hundred Americans, and in some spots the Americans were outnumbered twelve to one, but fought gallantly, while German artillery sent a veritable hurricane of high explosives, mustard and other poison vapors.

             The scenes in the village of Seicheprey were like those in famous battle paintings. The Germans advanced in mass formation until the American artillery scattered them. There were many bayonet clashes in Seicheprey, as the Americans often were fighting with their backs to the wall, surrounded in many instances by three to one of the Boches. No Americans were found with bayonet wounds.

             In one scene of the liveliest fighting to-day I saw many Americans, representative of many cities, and heard stories which the soldiers told reluctantly, saying they have done nothing which the French and British have not done a thousand times. Nevertheless this is the first real baptism of fire for the Americans who until few months ago were clerks and workers of all classes, with no idea of ever fighting in the great war. Valor and modesty are their distinguishing qualities.

Bodies of Germans Everywhere

             Bodies of Germans are visible everywhere, all vigorous and well dressed, also some officers of the Boches.

             According to stories of prisoners, they intended holding Seicheprey, which, however, was retained only a few hours. The Americans had retired from the town because of the merciless shelling and blanketing by gas in the four hour bombardment from the heaviest guns and the infantry.

            A shadow creeping barrage burst on the American patrols, then upon the first line. Subsequent happenings put the Americans through the test.

        They clung to the trenches until the shells wiped them out. They clung to two patches of woods until thousands of gas shells filled with oily poison saturated the overhanging mist.   Though struck with the full force of the enemy’s artillery and his picked troops, the Americans insisted on recapturing Seicheprey, which they did by brilliant work in the open, using hand grenades, bayonets, pistols and rifle butts.

            I could tell a hundred stories of their daring and valor which would thrill the folks at home. The troops impressed me during the fight later, too, by two things, namely, their fortitude and their determination to get back their line at the earliest moment. They realize fully now that they are in real war with a foe stopping at nothing.   

        One boy was caught in a dugout with thirty others. When the Germans threw grenades and heavy shells upon the collapsed dugout the youngster dug a hole in the top and helped rescue many companions while shells were bursting all around. Later when attacked by five Germans he killed four of them.

           He took a handsome German trinket as a souvenir from the shoulder of an officer, one of his victims. When I saw him in the hospital the youngster proudly took the souvenir from under his pillow and said:--“That’s worth having.” The youngster is a patient from gas, but will recover.

Trophies from the April 20 Battle at Seicheprey, 
being shown at Bourq on April 29 
(National Archives photo no. 111-SC-11438, Boucq, Apri 29, 1918)

Outnumbered but Fight Foe to Finish

             An officer, known all over for his fighting qualities, was captured by five Germans. He grabbed a gun from one of them and escaped. Afterward he led a platoon in the recapture of Seicheprey. Another officer rallied a platoon and charged the oncoming Germans three times in the face of shells and gas and fought thrice their number of Germans to a finish.

            An American dragged a badly wounded German prisoner to safety who later played a dastardly trick upon the Americans. He shouted, “Kamerad!” and as the Americans approached the Boche pulled a string attacked to three grenades on one side, causing an explosion in the midst of the Americans. The American bagged him with a grenade, which had a disastrous effect upon the tricky Hun.

            An orderly who was sent to the rear from shell shock insisted on going back to the front and tried to sneak back. An ambulance boy with a badly wounded knee begged a physician to lend him a pistol so he could return to help his comrades out. The American artillerymen stuck to their guns for six hours and wore their gas masks the whole time.

           A soldier driving a motor truck filled with necessary supplies ran the car to the top of a hill under heavy machine gun fire, which plugged the vehicle full of holes and ticked his hat also. The engine was wrecked, but he got to the top with his load despite the fire which was still playing on the road and coasted down the other side, delivering the supplies to their destination. Two Boche airplanes fell victims to anti-aircraft guns during the attack.

          It was evident the Huns were determined to give the Americans a test of German fiendishness, for this is the seventh attack the Americans have repulsed in three weeks and is a splendid tribute to the troops, who are jolly well filled with dash and spirit and ready for any test.