County of display: Adair County
Location of display: US 63, Rotary Park, Kirksville
Display erected by: Company G, 139th Infantry
Display donated by: Colonel James E. Rieger
Marker text:
GERMAN HOWITZER
Captured at Charpentry, France
Battle of the
Meuse ~ Argonne
1918
Presented to
Company G, 139th Infantry
by
Colonel James E. Reiger
The Battle:
"On the night of September 25, the 9 divisions to lead in the attack were deployed between the Meuse River and the western edge of the Argonne Forest. On the right was the Third Corps, Maj. Gen. Bullard commanding, with the Thirty-third, Eightieth, and Fourth Divisions in line; next came the Fifth Corps. Maj. Gen. Cameron commanding, with the Seventy-ninth, Thirty-seventh, and Ninety-first Divisions; on the left was the First Corps, Maj. Gen. Liggett commanding, with the Thirty-fifth, Twenty-eighth, and Seventy-seventh Divisions. Each corps had 1 division in reserve and the Army held 3 divisions as a general reserve. About 2,700 guns, 189 small tanks, 142 manned by Americans, and 821 airplanes, 604 manned by Americans, were concentrated to support the attack of the infantry. We thus had a superiority in guns and aviation, and the enemy had no tanks.
The axis of the attack was the line Montfaucon-Romagne-Buzancy, the purpose being to make the deepest penetration in the center, which, with the Fourth French Army advancing west of the Argonne, would force the enemy to evacuate that forest without our having to deliver a heavy attack in that difficult region.
"Following three hours of violent artillery fire of preparation, the Infantry advanced at 5:30 a.m. on September 26, accompanied by tanks. During the first two days of attack, before the enemy was able to bring up his reserves, our troops made steady progress through the network of defenses. Montfaucon was held tenaciously by the enemy and was not captured until noon of the second day." ~ Doughboy Center
The Howitzer:
"The 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 (10.5 cm leFH 16) was a field howitzer used by Germany in World War I and World War II. It shared the same carriage as the 7.7 cm FK 16. Guns turned over to Belgium as reparations after World War I were taken into Army service after the conquest of Belgium as the 10.5 cm leFH 327" ~ Wikipedia