[ NOTE: IF YOU ARE READING THIS SERIES FOR THR FIRST TIME, IT'S BEST TO START AT THE BEGINNING]

Letter postmarked Jan. 17, 1918 -

Camp Wadsworth, S.C.

January 1918

Dear Aunt Nell: -

Well, I've started in at automatic rifle school, so have some more information about this gun - and the specific part it plays in battle. In as much as I will undoubtedly command an auto-rifle section, and it will become my specialty from now on, both as a fighter and section leader - but also, later, as an instructor to my men in the use, care, and operation of the arm and drilling them as "gun crews." I will tell you more of the drills - too - later. However, the new organization consists of four crews to each section - so I will have 4 of these Chauchat rifles [The Chauchat was the standard light machine gun or "machine rifle" of the French Army during World War I (1914–18). Its official designation was "Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 CSRG"] in my little command. I will have two corporals to help me handle the section. Then I can send one corporal in one direction with a crew, another someplace else and - perhaps - advance with the other two crews myself. Each of the four crews will be equipped the same. One man in each crew is the "gunner." He carries the gun and 8 magazines of ammunition, each magazine, or clip, holds 20 cartridges - or - he will carry - besides his gun 160 cartridges. He is also armed with a .45 Cal. Colt automatic pistol. The gun weighs 18 pounds and each clip of cartridges 1 lb. - so he will carry 26 pounds besides other equipment - making his load 42 - 48 lbs. in action. The second man in the crew is "carrier number one." He carries 16 clips of ammunition - 320 rounds - and a case of extra gun parts. He is also armed with an auto. pistol. "Carrier number two" carries 16 clips more and he is armed with a regular 6 shot U.S. rifle - such as all regular infantrymen carry. So you see a crew's total ordnance equipment on going into action is one Chaucet Automatic rifle, one U.S. magazine rifle, 2 automatic pistols, 3 bayonets or trench knives and 800 cartridges for the gun. They are used, both in attacking the enemy, both enemy trenches and open skirmish combat - and in repulsing the enemy when fighting a defensive fight whenever there is a group of enemy, there the automatic riflemen must hasten and shoot them down. The French officer who lectures us says only the men who possess the Croix de Guerre or V. C. (British) are permitted the honor of being auto-riflemen in the French & English forces. Because, he says, to be a successful automatic rifle man a man must be big and strong, enduring, courageous and have the greatest personal initiative - as, he's a man who, with his two carriers, works alone with only general direction from his section leader - the sergeant - and never, scarcely, does he even receive an order from a higher officer. So it's a real man's job, you see! This gun is fired from the hip, and in advancing the gunner fires a half dozen, or so, shots each time his left foot strikes the ground. She fires faster than one can count, when on automatic fire. 

[picture added]

Chauchat Auto Rifle

Just a few words about the gun. It was invented by Chauchat, later improved by two inventors, Sutter and Riberolle [Ribeyrolles] and is manufactured by a French firm, called "Gladiator & Co.". It is sighted to shoot from 200 - 2000 meters and is deadly up to 800 yards. Its bullet is 8 m.m. in caliber (.33 inch) and the gun can shoot about 350 per minute. At rapid fire the gun barrel lasts for the firing of about 1200 rounds, then a new barrel must be put in. This gun was first put in the hands of the French infantrymen in 1915 - and in the battle of the Marne, in 1916, it was used for the first time in action. So great was its success, even in the hands of well-nigh untrained gunners, due to its mechanical perfection, that it was immediately adopted and is now used in great numbers. Its advantages over the machine gun are quite numerous. It only weighs 18 lbs. where the Lewis gun weighs 31lbs., it can be fired from the shoulder while the machine gun has to be set on a tripod - and only costs $31.00 to manufacture, while the Lewis machine gun costs $500.00. Of course the Lewis gun lasts longer, is slightly more accurate and fires 550 - 650 shots per minute. It is very simple, this Chauchat gun and before we are qualified as experts, must take it apart and assemble it again in 4 minutes. We must also be able to tear it down and reassemble it in 6 - 7 minutes blindfolded. We will train as crews - and - in action, each man must know his job perfectly - as, if the gun goes wrong in action, the gunner drops on his stomach, and with a carrier on each side, disassembles the piece, and as each part is taken off, one of the crew grasps it, cleans, inspects or replaces it automatically - so that in action the crew can clean, or repair it in a minute or so. It'll be great work - and a real man's job - so I know now in the early stage of the game that I'm going to like it. If you're interested in the gun and the training of a crew, I'll tell you more about it, as I learn

I understand that we get an examination tomorrow. I presume it is our over-seas physical exam. What we have been expecting for several months. Of course we can't attach any particular significance to it - as we might be here for six months after that final test - but - it's fine material for the men to invent rumors about. Ha!Ha! Will tell you in my next letter as much as I can about the examination and it's significance and results, i.e. as much as I can from a conscientious military stand point, you understand! We can't tell everything, of course!

Everything is going fine. I am still platoon sergeant and my platoon is considered the best disciplined & drilled platoon in the company. Lieut. Stout and I get along very fine, as all of our conversations are absolutely military - although there's no love lost between us! Much it worries me, nix! Ha!Ha!

 Sergeant Toombs is at camouflage school and I suppose will become the company's camoufleur and will undoubtedly teach the rest of us later on.

There are 4 Sergeants at the training school, one at the bayonet school, one at the grenade school, 1 at camouflage school, 4 of us at the auto-rifle school and one sergeant at paper work school.

Oh! Yes! I am now in a new tent. The old bunch of corporals & sergeants in old tent 24 are now widely scattered. There is now a Sergeant in every 2 or 3 tents all the way down the street. I am in tent 26 now with Corporal Bartro and six privates, his squad. They are a very fine bunch of fellows - one - Walter McManus a graduate in law at Holy Cross, another - Jim Small a Cornell man - and all of them very fine fellows. I don't know any very well yet except Jim and McManus. I have the same location in the tent, and exactly the same arrangement of all my equipment, shelves, etc, etc - exactly in duplicate of my old tent corner.

In my present tent, I'm actually "in soft" as the corporal is in charge of the tent and his men cut the wood, build the fires, keep it clean, etc, all I have to do is keep my corner neat and ship shape. No more responsibility in the tent than a private - and no sharing of work. It makes it much easier for me to study & write although it takes me away from my fellow Sergeants.

Well, it's 2:15 and as I have to report at school at 2:30 for 2 hours instruction will close for now, hoping to hear from you soon, as always

With much love, / Clyde

Observations - Looks like Clyde is using the opportunity when writing to Aunt Nell to study for auto-rifle training. It also seems he has a need to assert his manhood and physical capacity for the burden of being an auto-rifle squad leader. This is not the first time he has proclaimed his physical fitness.

Next up - A quick look at his next letter reveals he is ill and in care. First, though, we'll catch up with his diary entries.