Page:History of the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines.djvu/48

Rh History of Sixth Regiment. L. S. Marinks. 4i camp-, where rurlher orders were to be received from the IX Arms Corps. French: the Second Division was to provide the nece^-ary -ignal and medical -ervice to encble the Brigade to function independently This regiment marched during a cold rain to Suippe; and adjacent ramp-. where it billeted for the night, and early on the morning of October 2 ht. with .deal weather conditions. l>egan the march to LenWourt — Mozagran — Medeah Farm area. It was the intention to depose of the Brigade in the new area in proper position for taking over the line a- follows : 5th Regiment on the right; 6th Regiment on the left; each regiment in column of battalions; a machine gun company assigned to each battalion. Owing to the distance, approximately fortv kilometer 5 . and march conditions existing, all organizations did not reach their assigned positions on that date. It was arranged for the 5th Regiment to relieve the 367th R.I. in the right sector with two battalions and for the 6th Regiment to relieve the 556th R.I. in the left subsector with two battalions : The remaining two battalions were !o be held in re>ere it l.emncourt. Orders were issued for the preliminary reconnaissance of thi* sector on the night of 2lst-22nd October. At 8 :45 P.M. the Marine Brigade received the following telephone message through the 73rd D.I ., French: "Stop reconnaissance by the American Brigade. 1 he relief will be made; on the ?ame day but by the elements of ihe 36th Division. No change for the artillery." This regiment was ordered to remain in place after it had concentrated all troops within an assigned area. On Ocloher 22nd the Brigade was ordered to rejoin the 1st Army and to march to the area Sousin — Forthes and camps southward, thence to Valmy —Auve area. At this area orders were to be received from the American 1st Army, but while in the first named area orders were received from the Commanding General, Second Division, countermanding the movement, which indicated that the Brigade had rejoined the Second Division. These movements taxed the endurance of the troops to the utmost, but a very good idea was obtained as to the marching endurance of the Brigade. The units marched for eighty to one hundred and ten kilo meters in four days with one day of rest included, a l arge part of the march being made under Dad weather conditions. Remarkably few men were evacuated with foot trouble, hut on fhe last day about twenty p.r cent of the command marched with difficulty and conditions were begin- ning to grow c enous. The trouble was mainly due to English shoes. which had been issued just before leaving the Buoy area on the 20th of October. Replacements recently joined stood the marches very well, all things consideied. However this regiment could not have continued the movement by marching on the 24th of October without its combat elficiency being seriously effected. Regimental Headquarters was estab- lished at Camp Montpeher on Octob er 23jcL Here the men were allowed to rest, clean up and give attention to their feet after the strenuous hike. Three hot meals went far toward reviving the spirits of the troops.