At dawn, the air was cool and damp. The weather was slightly cloudy with a little fog in the atmosphere, just enough fog to give the air a dull-gray color and prevent the soldiers from seeing more than a few hundred yards in the direction of the enemy.
There was a keen whistling of noises made by the shells from their support artillery. The shells passed over their their heads on a mission of death. The beginning of this action told the soldiers that the hour was 4:30 AM. At this time, the 351st Field Artillery Regiment began its advance upon Bois La Cote and Champey. Continuously, the firing was kept going until 10:45 AM. Also, the 350th Field Artillery Regiment renewed its attack upon the woods in the neighborhood of Bois Frehaut. At 10 o'clock A.M,
they ceased fire, forty-five minutes earlier than the 351st.
In support of the advancing infantry, the First Battalion of the 350th Field Artillery laid a rolling barrage across the sky and just north of Bauxieres-sur-Froidmont. The action commenced at five o'clock in the morning. Many of the same units that engaged the enemy the day before were again struggling for additional gains in the direction of Metz. Several fresh companies were brought up from the support to join those who had so gallantly repulsed the enemy on Saturday. Together, they made a supreme effort to deliver a blow that would silence the German guns and put the Huns to flight in a disorderly fashion. The only thing that saved the Kaiser's army in this sector from a crushing defeat was the order to cease firing at 11 o'clock.
While advancing, at one time during the morning engagement, the 56th Infantry ran into a strong barbed wire entanglement that had not been destroyed by artillery. The unit was composed of White Americans from the 7th Division. For them, further advance was impossible. To retreat under heavy fire from the German's big guns and merciless machine gun fire meant annihilation. Seeing the desperate situation that the 56th infantry had worked itself into, Major Charles L. Appleton of the 367th infantry manuevered several platoons to a position where they could hit the Germans from their flank. This action covered the retreat of the 56th. The timely act on the part of Major Appleton probably saved the 56th from complete destruction.
When the bugle sounded the call to cease fire, Company "H" of the 365th Infantry had possession of and held 500 yards of the battle-front. Five kilometers of the possession was taken from the Germans under heavy guns of the Hun at Metz. Under intense shell and machine gun fireCompany "H" held their possession against the odds of five Germans to every one American .
