History of the 305th Field Artillery | Page 8

In a few days it would be bridged. The
awkward squad of the day before would face the awkward squad of
today with expressions of veteran contempt. For the recruits poured in
during October. On the first we received one hundred and thirteen, on
the ninth one hundred and eighty-three, on the tenth two hundred and
fifty-four, on the twelfth, two hundred and eight. So that by the end of
that month we had forty-one officers assigned, eighteen attached, and
one thousand three hundred and thirteen enlisted men. The 305th was a
regiment. All we needed were horses and guns to realize that we were,
indeed, artil-lery, designed to throw projectiles at the Huns.
To give variety to our stump-pulling sport Colonel Doyle called our
attention to certain long, low and harmless -appearing buildings across
Fifth Avenue. Still living in the J section, remote from these
constructions - the men hadn't suspected in them any further spur to
their vocabularies. Now, it seemed, they were to be our stables. The
civilian workmen's responsibility had ceased when they had put up
sides and roofs. The rest we must do. We had many fences to build
around them, and more land to clear for riding rings and paddocks. We
were encouraged to enormous efforts on October 18th when the
government presented us with eight mules. They were led to the most
comfortable stable. They were treated as honored guests.
Quite fittingly, our first veterinarian, Lieutenant North, arrived soon
after.
The problem of our missing field officer was solved on October 14th
when Major Thomas J. Johnson reported. No one had an opportunity
just then to know him very well or to judge him competently. It wasn't
until we had reached France that we were to realize our good fortune.
For on October 26th he was detailed to the School of Fire at Fort Sill.
Major Wanvig left for the same destination on November 7th.
Without formal battalion commanders the work of the regiment
continued, in view of the lack of equipment, amazingly well. Reserve
officers of only a few months training displayed exceptional qualities
of leadership. New soldiers wanted to learn. An artilleryman must be

able to do more than use a sight, work a breach, or pull the lanyard. The
chances of the draft had given the 305th a number of highly-educated
specialists for the more complicated work of conduct of fire, and the
delicate details of scouting and communication. To that important
extent the regiment was already better off than some of the older
organizations. By day the officers instructed and drilled the men, and
by night the officers went to school themselves to Colonel Doyle and
Lieutenant Colonel Stimson, who did the best they could with the slight
material at hand to keep us abreast of artillery developments in the war
zone. When finally we got to France we were over-whelmed to realize
all we had to learn.
When now we glanced from the slope of Division Hill at the bleak
landscape which only a few weeks before had aroused our skepticism
we saw barracks, quarters, and department buildings rising from the
ashes of the forest.
Piecemeal, during October, the regiment moved from the J section to
its own area. The change was complete on October 24th. As we had
policed J and its vicinity so we made our surroundings in M neat and
military.
Officers and men received a fortunate impression of permanence. As
long as we remained in Upton we would have our own home. Things,
we felt in our ignorance, were going well. Even a band had been
collected, and could play one or two pieces in public with comparative
safety.
During the latter part of October and the first part of November the
officers were brought a little closer to their mission. They were
conducted by twos and threes to Sandy Hook to watch the practical
working of projectiles and fuses; and forty attended a six-day artillery
course in New Haven under the experienced instruction of Captain
Dupont, of the French Army, and Captains Bland and Massey, of the
Canadian artillery.
It was on these trips that most of the officers saw for the first time the
famous soixaute-quinze. They admired it as a piece of artillery

perfection without being able to guess that it would be their companion
for many months, a thing nearly as animate as the men who served it.
What we actually got at Upton at this time was a single battery of
venerable three-inch guns, relics of the 51st Field Artillery Brigade,
New England National Guard. Lieutenant Colonel Stimson snared this
for us, together with much other useful equipment which aroused the
envy of less fortunate organizations who didn't have a former secretary
of war. Certainly one battery among six was better