Page:History of the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines.djvu/16

Rh History of Sixth Regiment, L. S. Marines. 1 1 established by ihe thruM for Paris. This, regiment was to be placed at the apex of this salient, and before it was one of the great crisis of history. The troops spent that day and night in camions and reached Montreuil-aux -Lions early oq. the morning of June 1st. They were given a short rest m house? sheltered from aerial observation At23<J P. ,l. the regiment moved forward again ilon» the Chateau Thierry-La Ferte road. The French were falling back. The 1st Battalion, Major . Sheaier commanding, took a position northea;t of Lucy-le Bocage, and the 2nd Battalion, Major Holcomb commanding, went into position along a line extending from Triangle Farm on the right to Lucy-le-Bocage on the left. The Jrd Battalion. Major Sibley commanding, took a reserve position northeast of La Vcie du Chatel. On June 2nd Regimental Headquarters wus established at Le Voie du Chatal, and the 3rd Battalion was better placed to maintain liaison, which was difficult; with the French tailing back the front line was constantly shifting and was irregular. Ihe enem> !.ad not as yet been able to bring up the bulk of his artillery owing to his rapid advance. There was considerable confusion of orders, many of them verbal, as to what French units were to ue relieved The result of this was that gaps in the line developed constantly. It v%d< onlv by the almost superhuman efforts of the Intelligence ofiicers and regimental and battalion commanders thai liaison was maintained. The w-jr of position had suddenly become a thing of the pas! The war uf move- ment, similar in some respects to the tropical fight ng with which old Marine officers and men were familiar, had developed. Enemy artillen fire increased -md there were some losses. All companies of the Ft Battalion were in line Captain Burns commanding the 74th Com- pany; Captain Fuller the 75th; Captain Stowell the 76th, and Captain Caldwell the 95th. The 2nd Battalion had three companies in line and one in reserve. The 96th Company, Captain Duncan commanding, was the right unit with its right resting on the Paris-Metz road at Le Thiolet. The 79th Company, Captain Zane commanding, was the center of the battalion front and occupied the Triangle Farm. The 78th Company, Captain Messersmitfi commanding, joined force- with the 79th at the guliey just northwest oi Triangle Farm on the rizht and w.tfi the 1st Battalion it Lucy-le- Bocage on the left. The 80th Company. Captain Ccfienburg commanding, was held in reserve French infantrv wa.» in front of the 2nd Battalion on the night of June Ft-2nd. which passed quietly. v Late on the afternoon of June 2nd information wa> received that a German fresh division was expected to attack the American right with twer regiments north ot the Pansroad and with one regiment -outh of the road. As result of this information the 97th Company of the 3rd Battalior was ordered to report to Major Holcomb. of the 2nd Battalion. The 3rd Battalion had spent the night of June 2nd in ih*