York's famous Machinegun finds a home

[Brad Posey]

Tooth paste tin

[Brad Posey]

And last, but not least.....

These little tins were found all over the place in the ravine bottom and on the lower slope of the hill.

This is a a weapon grease tin, this one still contains some grease. Dr. Nolan found one that when opened had a distinct thumb or finger print on the top of the grease inside.



I will add more tomorrow night

[Brad Posey]

I want to now describe what we know about Hill 167 – the center of the 2/328 main attack on 8 October, 1918.

This is an excerpt from Major Buxton’s files, the 82nd Division Historian. This is a transcript of a 1919 interview Buxton had with Major Tillman, the 2nd Battalion, 328th Infantry Commander about his battalion’s action that morning.

“….. At 6 o’clock we jumped off. There was some fog but our machine guns were on top of Hill 223. We put one-pounders on top of Hill 223. We advanced across that open space. The fog was clearing up then and up to the point that hill, just west of 223 – 167 – we found there a battery of 77’s – 4 guns – and about 25 yards to the rear was a signal outfit and trench mortar outfit. 100 yards up hill was a nest of 25 machine guns causing casualties in the left flank. The right flank got in behind them and cut them off from the rear and they were all captured – 43 men. We took that day between 250 – 275 prisoners. About 10 in the morning we got messages that the front line was held up by snipers and machine gun fire from the left flank. One platoon was sent around to protect left flank and another platoon from Support Company brought up to replace it. This platoon went out and an hour and a half later they brought back 132 prisoners. The platoon was under the command of Sergeant Parsons. Corporal York however is the man who took these prisoners with his one squad. He only had to shoot one officer of the three captured before he took these men. We took 124 machine guns that day. The 4 – 77’s were here (pointing to map) I think they caused Col. Ballock that trouble the day before and also cut up the advance Battalion of the 328th in the counter attack. These 132 men were gotten right there (pointing to map)…..”

In this statement Major Tillman describes finding a battery of four 77mm guns on the point of Hill 167. (These are the guns that the men from 1/328 reported direct firing at them when they occupied the western slope of Hill 223 on 7 October.) Just to the rear of the guns Tillman found a trench mortar and signal outfit. Further up the 100 yards behind the 77mm guns he found a nest of machine guns that he says were causing trouble for his left flank – G Company. Tillman says that the right flank – E Company – got on behind them and captured 43 men.

[Brad Posey]

This map illustrates the artifact distribution I witnessed in July 2008 when I was present during one of the Army group’s metal detecting trips to their site on Hill 167.

[Brad Posey]

These artifacts were found on the crest of Hill 167 where I indicate the “nest” of machineguns was located. A large number of American artifacts were also found along the lower slope of this same hill, along the crest and at the top of the hill.

[Brad Posey]

Here are some of the German 77mm ammunition spacers after cleaning that were found at two locations on Hill 167 that weekend in July 2008.

[Brad Posey]

This is a map Dr. Nolan made following the 2009 research at Chatel Chehery. While were in the field we returned to both 77mm positions and captured sub-meter accurate coordinates using the Trimble GPS unit. We also found 2 additional machinegun positions on the crest of Hill 167 where Major Tillman reported capturing a “nest” of German machineguns. Both of these positions were also recorded by the Trimble unit.

[Brad Posey]

In summary; based on the artifact evidence recovered thus far by both groups Hill 167 was the scene of a general battle and not a local or isolated action. The battlefront extends from the tip of Hill 167 along its southeastern edge for a distance of several hundred meters and in depth continue to the top of the hill and then westward in the direction of the former Decauville Railroad.

I will try to get a few more in this weekend, but will certainly have more material ready by Sunday night.

[Brad Posey]

I want to take a second and correct a few typos I have noticed in some of my earlier posts:

#104 - This photo is from 2008 NOT 2006

#106 - Same as above; from 2008

#120 and #121 - The German units on Hill 244 or Hohenbornhoehe are the 2nd and 3rd Battalion, 120th Landwehr under the command of Rittmeister von Sick 3/120 LDW. (not 1st and 2nd 120th LDW)

[Brad Posey]

This is a photo of the machinegun positions on the crest of Hill 167. The Germans used the sunken road and these depressions as improvised machinegun pits. There were literally piles of cartridges found on the forward edge and in the bottom of these features.

In and around the sunken roads were a lot of American unfired 30-06 and 8mm cartridges. More American artifacts were found further up the hill in the direction of the Decauville Railroad.

[Brad Posey]

Back to the ravine where the fight occurred.

Here is another piece of artifact evidence we found where one of the Bavarian Mineur platoons was located during the fight.

The 2nd Landwehr Division was primarily made up of units from Baden Wuerttemberg, however the 7th Bavarian Mineur Company, among other non-Wuerttemberg units, found themselves part of the 2nd LDW Division reserve. In order to fill the gap in the line near Chatel the Bavarian 7th Mineur Company under LT Thoma was dispatched to join the 120th LDW Infantry Regiment. Early on the morning of 8 October LT Thoma arrived at the C.P. for the 1st Battalion, 120th LDW with two platoons. LT Vollmer, 1/120 LDW Commander, ordered Thoma to occupy the gap in the line on the hill between his battalion and the forces under Rittmeister von Sick on the Hohenbornhoehe (Hill 244).

Thoma moved forward with one platoon leaving the other on the reverse slope of the hill to await instructions while he positioned the platoon with him along the ridge overlooking the valley.

This button certainly came from the uniform of one of Thoma’s Mineur soldiers.

NOTE: We cannot find reference to any other Bavarian units operating in the entire area west of Chatel that day other than the 7th Mineur Company.

[Brad Posey]

Here is a photo of most of the German machinegun related artifacts found at the scene of the fight in the ravine and on the ridge above.

[Brad Posey]

One particularly interesting artifact is this ammunition belt end with unit marking: “1 MGK” – 1st Machinegun Company.

This artifact was found in the ravine bottom near the creek about 100 meters south of the old dam.

As you may recall from earlier discussion the 1st Machinegun Company was positioned at the intersection of the North-South Road and the Chatel-Lancon Road. Here is the only entry for 8 October in their unit war diary:

“The enemy is firing on our position with light and medium calibers. Senior Sergeant Kirchner and Sergeant Willig were captured while looking for suitable machine gun positions.”

You may also remember LT Glass’s 1929 Reichsarchiv rebuttal statement where he is describing what happened after being captured and marched back to the American lines. He said:

“…..These first prisoners possibly included the two Corporals Willig and Kirchner of the Light Machine Gun Company; these two noncommissioned officers had preceded their machine guns for the purpose of reconnoitering suitable gun emplacements.”

[Brad Posey]

Before I go into the fired German and American small arms ammunition, particularly the fired projectiles we recovered in the ravine and on the western facing slope of the hill I want to first show a few examples of rifle cartridges.

On the left is the standard American 30-06 or .30 caliber rifle cartridge designed for use in both the M1903 Springfield and the M1917 Rifle. In the case of this battle, the 328th Infantry, like just about all National Army formations, was armed with the M1917.

On the right is the German 7.92mm S – Patrone designed for use in the standard infantry rifle, Gewehr 98, and the MG08 and MG08/15 machineguns. S – Patrone gets its name from the projectile or “Geschoss”. In 1903 Germany began production of the “Sptiz” or pointed projectile simply referred to as the S – Geschosses. The standard S – Patrone had a lead filled projectile whereas the S.m.K (Spitz mit Kern) which was a longer projectile with a steel penetrator, The S.m.K. ammunition was primarily issued to machinegun crews.

In 1916 Germany began producing steel cartridges as a result of brass and copper shortages. I do not show a steel cartridge here, but they are identical in size and function as the brass cartridge. Unfortunately the steel deteriorates rapidly once exposed to the elements and moist of those we found were only fragmentary.

NOTE: The high ferrous metal content in the German projectile jacket

[Brad Posey]

Here is a close up of the cartridges and projectiles