Page:History of the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines.djvu/11

6 The 2nd Battalion remained in Quantico. The weather grew colder and more severe, but training progressed. French, British and Italian officers came to Quantico to lecture upon the various phases of modern warfare and schools were held in the basic principles of warfare in general and modern trench warfare in particular. As the days passed rumors for departure for France became more frequent and yet there was no move. The battalion as a result of its continuous training became very proficient in drill, maneuvers and general combat. A generous proportion of furloughs both for men and officers was granted for Christmas and eagerly accepted. But it was not until January 19, 1918, that the battalion, with Lieut. Colonel Lee, finally left Quantico for League Island. The transport Henderson was waiting there and on the following day, January 20th, sailed for New York Harbor. The Henderson lay anchored off Staten Island for five days. On the night of the 24th of January the convey got under way. The voyage was uneventful in a military sense. No submarines were sighted and nothing eventful occurred. Nevertheless the formidable convoy, the submarine watches and the numerous precautionary measures kept the atmosphere charged with suppressed excitement, especially in the submarine zone The convoy bore well to the south and deviated considerably from the usual trans-Atlantic routes. On February 5th the Henderson arrived at the Port of San Nazaire. Adequate facilities for transportation were not immediately available and the battlion remained aboard the Henderson until February 8th. The entire Sixth Regiment was now in France.

In the meantime the 1st Battalion, which had arrived at San Nazaire on October 5, 1917, was stationed just outside of the town in a large camp composed of French wooden barracks, which were not in the best condition. Immediately after its arrival the 1st Battalion was assigned to guard duty at the camp and on the docks, and those who were not included in these details spent their time unloading ships as they arrived in port. A large working party of about two hundred men a day was furnished by the battalion for work on a large dam near the camp, which was being constructed under the supervision of the 17th Engineers, who were also stationed in the same camp. On October 15th Major Hughes and twelve other officers left San Nazaire for Gondrecourt, where the 1st Corps School was held. Captain Robert E. Adams, who shortly afterwards received his commission as Major, was in command of the 1st Battalion while Major Hughes was at Gondrecourt. On November 7, 1917, the commanding officer, upon the order of the local military authorities, sent the 95th Company to do guard duty at Brest and La Havre, two platoons going to each of these places. This company was reassembled at Brest on December 13th, on which date it took over the Pontanezen barracks from the French. This battalion also sent one platoon, on December 17th, from the 76th Company and thirty men from the 74th Company to San Nazaire for duty as military police and dock guards at Nantes. The rest of the 1st Battalion remained at 5an Nazaire