South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-29

machine guns. have been in three
battles in four days"
a Guardsman wounded near Com
piegne has given account of the fight
ing there and Of the capture of 10
German guns by the British troops:
I'VE were in a field" he says.
when the Germans dropped on US
all Of a sudden as though from the
sky. The first hint we had of their
presence was when a battery Of guns
on the right sang out dropping shells
into a mob of Us who were waiting for
out turn at the sh-tub-the river.
There was no panic as far as 1 saw,
only some of our fellows who hadn't
had wash for a long time said strong
things about the Germans for spelling
the best chance we had had for four
days.
Rapid Firing Empties Saddles.
"As soon as they came within range
we poured a deadly volley into them,
emptying saddles right and left and
they scattered in all directions. Mean
while their artillery kept working up
closer on the front and the right, and
a dark cloud of infantry showed out
against the sky line on our front, ad-
vancing in a formation rather loose
for the Germans. We opened on them
and they made a fine target for cur
rifle fire, which was very we'll sup
ported by our artillery. The fire
from our guns was very effective. the
range being found with ease and we
could see the shells dropping right in
to the enemy's ranks.
Here and there their lines began
to waver and give way and finally
they disappeared. Half an hour later
more infantry appeared. This time
they were we'll supported by artillery
machine guns and strong forces of
cavalry on both flanks. All came OF.
at a smart pace with the apparent
plan Of Selling a hill on our right. At
the same moment our cavalry came
into view and then the whole Guards
Brigade advanced. 1t was really a
race between the two parties to reach
the hill first but the Germans won
easily owing to their being nearer by
half a mile.
"As soon as their guns and infantry
had taken up a position, the cavalry
came along in huge mass with the
intention of riding down the Irish
Guards, who were nearest to them.
When the stock came it seemed terri
fic to us in the distance for the Irish
men did not recoil in the least, but
flung themselves right across the
path of the German hOrsemen.
rifles and see the German horses i'm
paled on the bayonets Of the front
ranks of the guardsmen. Then the
whole force of infantry and cavalry
were mixed up in one confused heap,
like so many pieces from a Jig saw
puzzle. Shells from the British and
German batteries kept dropping close
to the tangled mass of fighting men
and then we saw the German horse
ornt o1aar ND al 70 f1fcrhf
fast as their horses would carry them.
Some had no horses and they were
bayoneted where they stood.
Pursued by Cavalry.
Taking advantage of the fight be-
tween the cavalry and infantry the
German artillery had advanced to a
new position, from which they kept
up a deadly fire from II guns. Our
infantry and cavalry advanced stimuli
taneosly against this new position.
which they carried together in the
face Of a calling fire.
1.-The infantry and cavalry support
ing the guns didn't wait for the on
slaught of our men, but bolted like
mad, pursued by our cavalry and
CALLED by heavy fire from our infan-
try and artillery, which quickly found
the range.
1--WE heard later that the Germans
were in very great force. and had at
tackled in the hope of driving US back
and so uncovering the French left,
but they got more than they bargain
ed for. Their losses were terrible in
what little of the fight we saw, and
when our men captured the guns
there was hardly a German left alive
or unwounded. Altogether the fight
lasted about seven hours and when
ii was over our cavalry scouts report
ed that the enemy were IN retreat"
AnnihiIate the "Dirty Shirts"
A wounded private Of the Royal
Munster Fusiliers (the 'sDirty Shirts')
tells a story of the fighting when for
some reason or other, he says, eve
were left in the lurch, and had to bear
the brunt of the whole German attack
while the rest Of the brigade fell back.
They came at us from all points
horse foot, artillery, and ALL and the
air was thick with screaming, shout
ing men waving swords and blazing
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