Evening star., 1914-10-11
GERMANS FRONT
WRITE Of BATTLES
Describe Bayonet Charges
Through Forest in Fighting
Against the French.
SPEAK OF HEAVY LOSS
IN YELLED LANGUAGE
Tactics of Enemy Lures the Kaiser's
Men on Further Into France
in Early Days.
of the Associated Press.


send to their families. Written by men
who describe what they actually see
and feel, some strange mixtures OF
sensations experienced and actuality
encountered result-documents of
strong appeal and wide human inter-
est. One Of these appears in the Koel-
nische zeitung of September 1s:
From wild French forest, on the
anniversary of the battle of Sedan
(September y. the best greetings Dur
ing the last two days we have again
been at the extreme front, after we
had been given chance to rest up
and get enough to eat. Our position is
| a dangerous one, being well advanced
into the French lines, and we are
obliged to fight off many attacks on
the part of an enemy much superior in
numbers.
Yesterday we fought from early
morning till late in the night, opposing
Alpine chasseurs and negroes. whose
courage it would be foolish to ques-
tion. The woods here are very extend
ed. and cover ground which is much
broken up. They are SO dense that
very often you do not see the enemy
until you are within fifty. even thirty
PAGES of him, and quite frequently we
get SO close to the blacks that we can
look into their eyes.
Uniforms Aid Germans.
I'VE are greatly indebted to the color
OF our uniforms. The French are con-
stantly at a disadvantage because of
their red pants and blue coats. The
Alpine chasseurs are fine fellows, and
in German uniforms they would make
a good appearance. In the French hotel
porter uniform nobody looks smart.
The chasseurs wear red or blue knee
breeches, ribbon puttees. long blue cut
Always and blue cap. Prisoners with
out arms make an appearance of utter
neglect. There are prisoners taken
every day. because the ordinary French
soldier is only too ready to throw
shout Pardon.
"It is now / in the afternoon. and so
far we have not been disturbed. The
dead are buried, and now we are lying
under the trees enjoying spell OF
have just finished reading the news
papers to my worthies, and most OF
them are taking little noon nap.
Everything about us is peaceful. me
foliage and pine needles. and the sky
laughs in a wonderful blue. 1t is hard
to believe that this is scene on which
men are butchered-the scene OF what
saw yesterday. But the dull thud and
thunder of artillery In the distance re-
minds me of this"
two days later the letter is contin-
ued:
day we began another advance and at
tack on the enemy's positions. We are
still in the forest and SO far az / can
Judge from the maps there are several
kilometers of it yet. part brush. part
.srhis is dangerous territory for US,
because the alternating strips OF high
trees and new wood make 1t easy ior
our opponents to get the best OF US;
The greatest caution ia necessary and
our advance is matter of taking one
foot Of ground after another. We just
advance 200 meters and then down Tor
cover. Bullets begin to chtrp through
the air But of the enemy nothing Is
seen.
Bayonet Charge in Forest.
when the trees are big enough fair
ly good cover is offered by them. Di-
rectly the fire opens the battle line
halts and falls fiat to the ground, every
man waiting and looking for target
There Is no shooting done here with the
German rifles except one has somebody
on the sight. But often there Is moth
ing to be done but to advance again, and
to frighten the fellows with our hur
Fix bayonets,' then comes the COM
mand. March march, and the lin4
springs to its feet, plunges forward
and a nerve-racking 'hurrah' smashes
through the woods; The enemy's fire
begins veritable hail of lead. Some
fall, but onward crashes the German
line.
"As soon as we reach the position of
the enemy his fire ceases, and all take
to fight. Our bullets follow them and
then many red-papt' lies on the floor
Of the forest But our bullets do not
find mark long-the enemy has dis
appeared; we after him, only to meet
| another terrific hail of lead. Again We
time felt blow-a bullet had struck
my cooking utensil. l owe my life to
the quick fall to the ground-for an
other second and 1 would have never
ground Just beside me-but never mind
that Up and at them-at the very hide
of the fellows.
Shoot Straight Now.
I'VE soon reach our goal-a trench
of a slight elevation to the left, from
where heavy fire has done much
| damage in our line. Many of us are
down, and others crawl to the rear to
get their wounds attended to- Now,
| fire! The crest of the trench becomes
| our target. The rattle of musketry
! from both sides becomes deafening:
| One of us will have to give in. Fire.
| fire! We have learned how to shoot
strai ght-the fire in the trench weak
| ems. the trench itself is veiled now by
| a cloud of dust raised by our bullets.
Advance" comes the command again.
| We all are impelled forward by the
mad desire to get at them. One hum
dred meters separate Us from the en-
emy. Many sacrifices are demanded