York's famous Machinegun finds a home

[Brad Posey]

View of the cartridge and projectile base.

[Brad Posey]

In the ravine we found several fired German 7.92mm projectiles in the area around where we suspect the 4-Man temporary burial was located. All of the projectiles were damaged and indicate that they were fired at fairly close distance.

The majority of the fired 7.92 cartridges were found along the western facing slope above the ravine indicating that in this fight the German primary direction of fire had been reversed from the direction of fire of other German units fighting on Hill 244 and Hill 167.

[Brad Posey]

Here is a view from the German (Bavarian Mineur) position overlooking the ravine bottom. The entire slope here contained a good scattering of fired German 7.92mm cartridges.

[Brad Posey]

Fired American 30-06 projectiles were only found on the slope above the old dam. At the base of this slope, near the temporary burial of Corporal Savage an interesting cluster of fired 30-06 and .45 cartridges were found. It is thought that the fired 30-06 projectiles found on the slope originated from this position since it is the closest position and could explain why the American projectiles are so badly deformed from an impact at very close range.

The .45 ammunition will be discussed separately.

[Brad Posey]

This is a view from the American perspective in the ravine bottom looking east up the slope where the Bavarian Mineur platoon was waiting order from LT Thoma to move forward. At the base of the slope if an American firing position thought to be responsible for the badly mangled 30-06 projectiles found only a few meters further up the slope.

[Brad Posey]

This map illustrates that the fight in the ravine was totally separate and independent of the general battle raging in the valley to the north and on Hill 244 to e south.

As you can see the direction of fire for both the American and German soldiers involved in this fight basically reversed as a result of the American patrol surprising the Germans in the ravine and on the slope by attacking from the rear.

Discussion about the .45 ammunition and more tomorrow.

[Brad Posey]

Before I start back with the discussion I want to show a few artifacts we have not been able to ID and see if anyone here recognizes them.

This first item is made of pewter and has two precision set screws on each side.

[Brad Posey]

Traces of wood were found inside this artifact.

[Brad Posey]

And last; three caps

[Brad Posey]

inside of the caps.

If anyone recognizes what these artifacts are, please let me know.

Thanks

[Brad Posey]

Now to discuss one of the more interesting aspects about the artifacts we recovered in te ravine


Target Practice Artifacts


Here is a list of artifacts that were found at the scene of the fight in the ravine and mostly on the western facing slope above the ravine. All of these artifacts have at least one and in most cases more than one bullet hole. Most of the bullet holes in these artifacts appear to have been made by a weapon of at least .45 caliber and few smaller caliber holes from .30 caliber or 8mm rifle. The canteen (Artifact Number: 1164) has multiple strikes from .45 caliber and a smaller hole that appear to have been made by a 9mm weapon.

It is virtually impossible for this many objects to have been struck by several weapon types during the fight.

What is unusual or unique about these bullet struck artifacts is that they, apparently, are only found in this concentrated number in this ravine, at the site of the fight. We recovered no artifacts with bullet holes anywhere else on the battlefield except the G98 magazine well (Artifact Number 160.04 – listed below) that was found on the ridge slightly above MG Position 1. And to our knowledge the other team has not found any bullet struck artifacts at their site 500 meters to the north on Hill 167 where 2/328 Infantry main attack occurred. Having personally conducted almost a month of research at several other sites throughout the Argonne no artifacts like this have been found anywhere else other than here.

Something happened to give reason for someone to deliberately fire at these items of German equipment – target practice. Listed below are a few thoughts to consider:

1.) A number of artifacts have been found in a very small area with multiple bullet holes, in some cases from at least two different caliber weapons.

2.) The battle that took place beyond Hill 223 (west of) only took place on 8 October, 1918 and was over in several hours. There was never fighting here before or after this date during the entire war. The German troops who were in this ravine had only been there for several hours at the most before the fight occurred and never returned after the fight was over. The Americans did return to the site on several occasions as they did throughout the entire battlefield and that was:

a. The following day after the fight. York reports in his diary that he returned to look for anyone who may be wounded still lying there – he found no one. (More on what he says about this later).

b. In late October, 1918 the 303rd Engineers buried the soldiers killed in the ravine as well as the rest of the soldiers killed west of Hill 223. They were all buried where they fell.

c. At some point after the battle salvage units came through and policed up the spoils of war across the entire battlefield – not only the ravine.

d. In 1919 – 1921 US Army Graves Registration Service disinterred all of the soldiers still buried in the field and moved them to the American Meuse-Argonne Cemetery.

Artifacts struck by projectile(s):

Artifact Number: 061
German Model 1896 Large Pioneer Spade with three .45 caliber bullet holes

Artifact Number: 160.04
German Model 1898 Rifle lower receiver with .30 caliber or 8mm bullet strike through the magazine well

Artifact Number: 218.02
German Model 1898 Spade variant with three .45 caliber projectile impact entry and exit holes

Artifact Number: 1164
German Model 1915 Water Bottle complete bottle with multiple .45 caliber and 9mm projectile impact entry and exit holes, some blue enamel intact

Artifact Number: 1367
German Model 1908 or 1908/15 Machine Gun water can with pewter cap multiple .45 caliber projectile impact entry and exit holes

Artifact Number: 1396
German Model 1915 Mess Kit steel lid and handle with black enamel one .45 projectile impact entry hole and two .45 caliber projectile exit holes

From MG Position 2
German Model 1898 Spade variant with .30 caliber bullet impact/exit hole and .45 caliber impact at angle

Artifact Number: 1117070
German Model 1915 Mess Kit several steel fragments one large fragment with two .45 caliber projectile impact entry holes and two exit holes

Artifact Number: 1117086.01
German Model 1915 Water Bottle two large fragments and one small fragment large fragment with two .45 caliber projectile impact entry holes

[Brad Posey]

This map shows where the artifacts listed above were recovered.

[Brad Posey]

German mess kit lid with several .45 strikes

[Brad Posey]

Another view of the mess kit lid

[Brad Posey]

G98 Magazine Well