RAID OF SEPTEMBER 23
IN order to impress upon the enemy the offensive spirit of the Allied forces, the army planned a series of
raids all along the front. The date for the 90th Division raid was set for the night of September 23-24. It
was decided that this raid should be staged in the 357th Infantry sector, as here the opposing lines were
closest together and the point of the Bois des Rappes furnished an excellent forming-up place.
The raid was successfully executed by the 1st Battalion, 357th Infantry, under command of
Captain Aubrey G. Alexander, supported by the 153d Field Artillery Brigade. The raiding party crossed
two bands of wire, reached the second line of trenches, captured five prisoners, and came hack intact
with valuable information regarding the famous Hindenburg line. The battalion suffered twenty-four
casualties, only a few of which were serious, none being killed. The majority of the casualties were
received from artillery fire in the vicinity of Les Huit Chemins as the battalion was going into position.
In this operation the trenches Grognons and Pepinieres were penetrated and a section about one
kilometer long of each of them mopped up. There was no artillery preparation, but a box barrage
protected the raiders until two green V. B. rockets fired by Captain Alexander gave the signal that all our
men had returned to our lines. Companies B and D, 344th Machine Gun Battalion, put down a barrage,
lasting one hour, with twenty guns. A dummy raid effected by artillery and machine gun fire on Preny
furnished a diversion which kept the enemy guessing as to where the blow would fall.
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