The listening post wasn't much protection just in the ground with a hole some planks for a floor surrounded by tall grass and barbed wire Roughly 50 yards 46 m behind Outpost 29 was Post 28 and the rest of Johnson's patrol Fifty yards 46 m behind that was the main trench where the rest of the troops were restlessly sleeping Johnson tensed in the darkness alert TRENCH WARFARE Trench warfare is combat during which troops fight from trenches or deep ditches Thousands of miles of trenches were dug during World War I The trench system consisted of three rows of parallel ditches The first row was the front line for fighting The second row which was approximately 3 5 to 5 miles 5 6 to 8 km behind the front line was another trench for reserve troops The third row approximately 5 to 7 5 miles 8 to 12 km behind the support line was a service line wide enough to fit supply trucks and ambulances Communication trenches ran perpendicularly between the three main trenches to connect them To reduce damage from attack trenches were not built in straight lines Instead they zigzagged to any possible enemy movement A approximately 1 00 am a sniper fired at Johnson Soon came more enemy fire Figuring he d better get ready for an attack Johnson laid out a row of roughly 30 hand grenades He didn't have long to wait Approximately an hour later Johnson heard the snip of wire cutters The Germans were clipping through the barbed wire defenses Johnson called to Roberts and told him to leave and go warn the lieutenant The snipping sound came again this time closer Johnson threw a hand
The enemy opened fire and charged Germans were everywhere at least 28 of them Roberts raced back toward the outpost to help Johnson but was hit by a grenade Unable to walk or use his arm Roberts lay on the floor and handed Johnson grenades Johnson felt shots clip him but he kept fighting He lobbed grenade after grenade and then opened fire with his rifle One of his three shots killed an enemy soldier but then Johnson's French rifle jammed after he accidentally THE MAJOR POWERS OF WORLD WAR I reloaded it with American ammunition World War I began in Europe and gradually His gun now useless Johnson turned countries joined together into two main groups it into a club and started swinging As the the Central powers and the Entente powers also called the Allies The main countries of the Germans tried dragging Roberts away as a Central powers were Germany Austria Hungary prisoner Johnson smashed the butt of his and the Ottoman Empire The main Allied rifle into the enemy He swung so hard the countries were the United Kingdom France and Russia with the United States joining in handle shattered With only one weapon 1917 Because the European countries had left a nine inch 23 cm knife Johnson colonies and international agreements World War I eventually spread around the globe and fought on Johnson received multiple included roughly 30 countries injuries but he got in one last fatal blow as he slashed at the German preparing to kill him Suddenly the Germans heard the sound of Johnson's reinforcements and fled Sinking to the ground with a total of 21 wounds Johnson lobbed a final grenade and passed
Rese As trenches were separated by no man's land and protected with barbed wire soldiers often cut through the wire quietly in pursuit of the enemy WAR HEROES Johnson and Roberts survived the attack and immediately became war heroes Their stunning victory against the Germans grew even more legendary when
Major Arthur Little investigated the combat site the next day A trail of blood easily showed where the Germans had fled Major Little found a variety of enemy equipment including bandages torn clothing 40 enemy grenades three automatic pistols and seven wire cutters This evidence plus the fact that the Germans issued one wire cutter for every four men led Little to conclude Johnson had single handedly defeated at least 28 men Some officials thought the number might be as high as 40 The story quickly spread as US reporters wired the news back to the states Former president Theodore Roosevelt said YOUNG BLACK JOE Johnson was one of the five bravest Americans to serve in World War I 2 In recognition of such bravery the French government awarded Johnson and Roberts the Croix de Guerre France's highest military honor These soldiers were White writer Irvin S Cobb helped spread the tale of Johnson's stunning battle Published on August 24 1918 Cobb's story Young Black Joe appeared in popular magazine the Saturday Evening Post A southern writer Cobb had a reputation for portraying blacks in racist terms Nevertheless in Young Black Joe Cobb praised the black regiment They were soldiers who wore their uniforms with a smartened pride who were jaunty and alert and prompt in their movements and who expressed sincere heartfelt inclination to get a whack at the foe Cobb's story brought Johnson national media attention and was widely reprinted in black papers 1e first two Americans ever to receive such an honor and Johnson's medal included the Gold Palm an even more prestigious award given for extraordinary valor or courage The entire French force fighting in the area lined up for the award
