The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-09-03

by wounded British soldiers and 9th
ers sent here by war correspondents
from the continent show that the fight
ing around Mons was terrific.
One of the Een told of trick
learned by the British during the RoeI
war and which worked we'll with the
Germans. This soldier said:
The enemy, before sending their in
fantry against our positions opened a
hot artillery fire. Our artillery re
piled, at first warmly and then gun
after gun went silent as though dis
abled by German shells.
We didn't know what was up but
pretty soon the German infantry came
on in solid formation. We received
them with rife fire. Still they came
on. They were getting closer but the
mass of men was SO dense that they
moved slowly. Suddenly all our guns
opened fire. The cannon had not been
silenced at all. 1t was merely a trick
to lure the Germans on. They went
down in whole platoons The ad-
vancing troops were caught in open
ground and their ranks were raked.
II was common sight to see a burst
Of smoke followed by an opened gap
in the ranks where men spun dizzuy
before they fell, where others could
be seen torn and bloody crawling
feebly upon hands and knees as
fhnn0h fn % n
which was everywhere. Then the
ranks closed up and the line continued
forward, the men In the rear STUN
bling over the bodies of the dead and
dying. At time the rear ranks fell be-
hind because the men could not make
their way for the piles of dead. The
field was literally soaked with human
blood"
German Infantry Advancing.
Another soldier told this story:
I'VE had the shelter of a bit OF
woods and were supported by a York.
shire regiment Our colonel warned
US that the German infantry was adj
rancing We stretched out at length
in some coarse grass which covered
the ground and waited.
Soon we saw something like pur.
pie blur moving toward us. 1t was liz
definite and shapeless because the
German uniform is of such a color that
it is difficult to see
open with the artillery came the
order.
Within a few minutes the guns be-
gan to roar and We could see clouds
of dirt arising where the shells were
bursting around the German ranks.
Our platoon commander looked
through his glasses.
Fine work he shouted. They've
got the exact range
The artillery fire kept increasing in
volume as battery after battery was
brought up and joined the action. Our
ears we're deafened by the thunder and
we could hardly hear anything in the
brief lulls.
The German artillery was wheeled
into position and opened against US.
It was a sound to make one sick to
hear the shrapnel screaming overhead
or bursting with a shower OF bullets
which spread in every direction.
Some OF the shells did not explode
but tore holes into the ground. We
we're ordered to fix bayonets and did
so while we were lying in the grass.
Pretty soon we saw several aero
planes rising above the battle smoke.
Some of our longest range guns were
turned upon them to drive them back
for they were German aerial scouts
directing the fire OF the German gun
ners.
Take British Artillery.
"A heavy force OF German artillery
had deployed and taken our artillery
in the rear but we could not go to its
support because German infantry In
close formation was moving against
our front.
We poured in such a fire from rife
and machine guns that no human
ranks could stand before IT. The Ger.
mans had to ascend a slope to get to
uS anu We iSNelISu tUeiV TANKS as
they advanced. 1t was like snow melt.
Ing In warm sunshine. There must
have been one hundred machine guns
sending millions OF bullets against the
German ranks. All along the line the
squirt OF fire was continuous. The
noise was unearthly.
Another German line came on and
we treated II in the same way. PIa.
toon after platoon went down. The
ground was covered with dead. The
advancing Germans stumbled and fell
as they tried TO make their way for.
ward. Some Of the wounded, aroused
70 superhuman passions, by the excite.
ment OF battle. staggered forward with
the glaze OF death already In their
eyes, trying TO help their companions
IN the charge Parts OF human bodies
were blown about the field by the ex.
plosion OF shells.
I Those Prussians fought like devils.
But they could not live under the at
tack we gave than Thar lines grew