Private First Class Clifford T Andrews
Clifford Thornton Andrews was born on September 14th, 1898 in Houghton, New York to Edwin Andrews and Lettie Johnson. He was the oldest of four siblings and therefore the first to complete high school. Unfortunately for Clifford, the United States was thrust into World War One just a year after he graduated in April of 1917, and Clifford chose to enlist rather than be drafted. Entering the Army on May 3rd, 1917, Private Andrews was assigned to the 18th Cavalry Regiment located at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont and was present when the unit was converted and redesignated as the 76th Field Artillery Regiment and then assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division in November of 1917. From here, Private Andrews moved with his unit to Camp Shelby, Mississippi to begin training as an artilleryman over the course of the next five months. Finally in mid April of 1918, the regiment was mobilized for deployment overseas, and Private Andrews left aboard the Mercury on April 23rd. Once they arrived in France, the regiment was quickly sent to Camp de Coetquidan where they underwent another month of training led by the French to prepare them for the battles ahead.
2nd Battle of the Marne On the night of June 5th-6th, the 76th Field Artillery entered the line south east of Chateau Thierry, with Private Andrews’s Battery A stationed at Janvier Fme. Relieving units in the darkness was tense for the inexperienced men, who threw off their helmets in unison during their first gas alarm and got lost in the pitch dark roads but eventually succeeded in reaching their positions. On July 6th, the 76th Field Artillery fired their first shell into the German positions and continued to harass their lines during the night and answer calls from the infantry in expectation for a large German attack. On the night of July 14th, that attack began. The Germans launched a massive offensive from the Reims to Soissons with the heaviest pressure at Jaulgonne in the Marne. At 11:50 PM, the regiment received the following message: “Enemy crossing at Gland, fire your general O.C.P until further orders.” Immediately, the regiment opened up with a tremendous barrage without intermission for the next twelve hours. Private Andrews’ 1st Battalion received a message the next morning that the Germans had crossed a river near Fossoy, and after waiting for confirmation, placed fire on the river to prevent German reinforcements for forty eight hours, with the gunners not having the chance to leave their seats. During the barrage, the German counter battery was very effective with their fire and inflicted casualties amongst the men, especially those of the 2nd Battalion. The 3rd Infantry Division, along with other allied units, held strong during the offensive at the banks of the Marne River and beat back the Germans, earning the division the title of “Rock of the Marne.” On July 20th, the Germans finally withdrew from Chateau-Thierry, enabling the allies to advance. The 76th Field Artillery moved across the river on the 21st, and Private Andrews’ battalion took up positions at Champillon and then at Mont St. Pere. From here, they supported infantry operations to capture the heights north of Mont St. Pere. On the 25th, the regiment moved once again to assist in the capture of Le Charmel and then moved into the town once it was secure on July 27th. The regiment continued to advance and supported attacks on Roncheres, Bois de Grimpette, Cierges, Redding, Bellevue Farms, and Hill 230 until finally being relieved on August 1st for a much needed rest. For the next three weeks, the regiment cleaned equipment, reorganized their units and trained for the upcoming St Mihiel offensive, a massive allied attack with the goal of breaking through the German lines and capturing Metz. St Mihiel Offensive On September 5th,the regiment began their journey to the Bois de la Reine to support the 1st Division, with Private Andrews stationed at Xivray. From 1 AM to 5 AM on September 12th, the 76th Field Artillery began firing in preparation for the attack and then switched to a rolling barrage to cover the advancing troops. As the allies punched through the German lines, Private Andrews moved to positions west of Richecourt and then towards the Nonsard-Pannes Road. The terrain was almost impossible to cross with the regiments artillery pieces, but thankfully the attack had caught the Germans in the process of retreating and had been a massive success, even with the artillery regiments well behind schedule. On the 19th, it arrived near La Mort Homme and supported an attack on Montfaucon before traveling near Montzeville to await further orders. The Last Drive In late September, the regiment was mobilized again for the Meuse Argonne Offensive which had begun just a few days prior with mixed results. The massive offensive was launched with the purpose of crushing the German positions and winning the war, but stiff resistance had held elements of the allied army back. During the night of October 3rd, Private Andrews and the 76th Field Artillery went into position south of Cierges to support attacks on strong points of the Kriemhilde Stellung, part of the Hinterberg Line. On the 10th, 1st Battalion shifted north of Cierges to fire on the heights northeast of Romagne and on the Bois de Rappes. During these attacks, the regiment suffered heavy casualties from German counter batteries who constantly fired on their positions whenever movement was detected. After a week, the regiment was on the move again to positions east of Cunel to support the 9th Infantry Brigade’s attacks on Ancreville, Bantheville, Clery-le-Grand, and the Bois de Babimont. During the first week of November, they fired on enemy positions to cover infantry patrols crossing the Meuse, and after a pontoon bridge was constructed, crossed the river and took up positions at Murvaux on the 8th. The armistice was called three days later, effectively ending the combat lineage of Private Andrews and the 76th Field Artillery Regiment during World War One. Private First Class Andrews remained in Europe for the Occupation of Germany until August 12th, 1919, when he boarded the Powhatan for his return home. Five days after arriving in New Jersey, Pfc Andrews was honorably discharged from the Army on August 28th and returned to New York. One year later, Clifford married Agnes Kelso and became an electrician and civil engineer until passing away in Pinellas County, Florida on October 9th, 1988. |
|