Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-31
SOLDIERS MAKE
WILLS BEFORE
FACING ENEMY
Description of Way Great Ar-
mics Prepare to Enter
Battle.


MONT SAINT ELOI, Department Of
Fas de Calais, France. Dec. 80 (de-
,syed in transmission) German ar
iiiery today again bombarded at long
sanRe the double-towered church and
she fifteenth century abbey here, but
Without doing great damage,
Night attacks have become the sole
: method of making an advance in this
underground war, as all attempts to
] assault the positions in the daytime
fail before the terrific rife and ma
When night falls, the artillery usu-
ally ceases fire. and all becomes mo
fnentarily silent. Then begins the
ask of relieving the men In the dug
puts. Companies and battalions
which are about to take turn on the
bring line warily approach the SER
pentine parallel leading to the ad-
vanced trenches.
The first platoon advances and
makes it's way through the zigsag
sunken path to q trench OUT OF which
the soldiers, who have been there In
most cases forty-eight hours, make an
|3aSit, covered with mud from head 10
work 81 Hospital Men.
knabulance men follow out OF the
ches with the wounded borne on
ulr shoulders, as stretchers are un'
to pass through the narrow
lels. Shortly after the operation
lief has been complete the new
ants OF the trenches, who have
refreshed by O rest in the rear,
Ia movement.
ecouting party, generally com
of five or six volunteers, leaves
nch to reconnoiter.
man is armed with a revolver
rifle, a bayonet and pair OF
Creeping fiat, they proceed
Dsdrect line toward the German
ches, their movements being as
Nv and as silent as possible, be-
&use the slightest noise brings forth
"A fusillade of bulleta
The men make their Wills and hand
hem to their comrades before start
ing on a daring exploit, as 1t is likely
hat some of the soldiers will never
return. Scouts often succeed in
evading the German sentinels and
cut the wire entanglements In front
of the German trenches, thus prepar-
ing the way for a general attack be-
fore dawn. Those left of them who
return to the allies trenches make a
report of the result Of their opera
tons. Then q whispered command
passes along and company
tjl&AlIDelS Oul anu ItoL NEd Atb way
erouchingly in an advance. If the
company reaches the vit4nity of the
German position without discovery
and before the oppoing machine
guns can be brought Suto play, the
men leap into and captme the trench
at the point OF the bayoneL
How French Trcaa Prisoners.
When prisoners are taken by the
French they are grouped under q
guard at one end of the trench, while
half of the attacking force with en-
1renching tools huTriedly builds up an
earthen shelter at the rear of the
captured trench and consolidates the
position against a possible counter
attack. The other half OF ths force
opens fire on the Germang In the next
line OF trenches. A gain OF sometimes
fifty and sometimes 100 yards Is made
5n this way during the night.
Young soldiers going for the nrst
time into the tNenches declare that the
work is extremely enervating, but
that they soon become accustomed to
their surroundings. Their excitement
when leaving the trenches to attack
the Germans soon resolves itself. they
say, into a peculiar caimness. Each
soldier, when he sees his opponents.
appears 10 select the man who appar-
emily is making directly Tor him with
q weapon. He takes steady aim with
his rifle, and II he misses he dashes
FORWARD and engages his man IN per. |
Ronal combat.