The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-12-31
WAR IN TRENCHES
SETTLES INTO A
GRIM ROUTINE
Troops Soon Grow Accustomed
to Procedure Employed at
Every Relief of Forces Do
ing Tour on Firing Line.

Mount Saint Eioi Department OF
Pas De- ala France. Dec 30-CDc-
layed IN transmission1 herman ar
tlliery today again bombarded al long
range the dourlo-towercd church and
the nfteentn century abbey here. but
without DONG great damage
Nirht attacks have become the sole
method of making an advance in this
underground war az an attempts 20
assault The positions in the day time
fail before the terrific rifle and ma
chine gun fire.
when might falls the artillery u.s.
unlly ceases firo and an becomes mo-
mcntariiy silent Then begins the
task Of relieving the men iu the dug
outs Companies and hattallons
which are able to take n turn on tho
Trims line war.ly approach the SER
pentinc parallel leading TO the adj
vanced trenchos
The first platoon advances and
makes It's way through the zigzag
sunkou path 20 20 trench out OF which
the soldiers, who ave been there m
most cases fortN-cight hours. make an
exit covered with mud from head To
foot.
Ambulance men follow out OF tho
bitches. with the wounded borne on
their shoulders. as s%trctchers are un-
able 90 pass through the narrow par
allels.
shortly after he operation of re-
lief has been completed. the new oc-
cupants Of the trenches who have
been refreshed by a rest IN the q
start "a movement.
\ scouting party. generally com
posed OF five or six volunteers. leaves
the trenches g. r%ecounoiter.
Each man g. armed with o rcvolv-
cr and a rifle. boyonct ana n pair oi
shears. Creeping fiat. the proceed
ia % direct lnc toward the German
trenches, their movements being as
slow and as silent as possible because
the slightest noise brings forth "a tu-
silade of bullets
The men make their wills and
hand them 10 their comrades before
starting on the exploit, as II is nkely
That some Of the soldiers viii never
return. sconts often succeed M
eyadng German scntinels and sue
reed in cuttins the wire entaugie-
mcnts i'm front OF German trenches.
thus preparing the way for "a general
attack before dawn Those left OF
them who rcturn to the allies
trenches make l report Of the result
Of their operations. Then "a WINS
percd command passes along and %
company chambers out and makes it's
way c~rouchingiy ia an advance lt
the reaches the vicinity at
a. tH.....- .-.rfFNn. HrNfhnmf NfnTAN-
cry and before the opposing machine
guns can bo brought into play, the
mon leap into and capture the trench
at the point ~ the bayonct.
When prisoners are taken hy the
French they are grouped under Z"
guard az one end of the trench while
half of the attacking forces with en-
trenching tools. hurriedly builds up
an curthen shelter al the rear OF IN"
captured trench and consolidatcs the
! position against "a possible c0unter
attack The other half of the force
opens fire on the Germans iu the
next line og trenches. a gain OF
sometimes fifty "a sometimes 100
yards is made In his way durinB the
night.
Young soldiers going for the first
time into the trenches declare that
the work il extremely ~enervating. hut
they soon become accustomed T."
their surroundings Their excitement
when leaving the trenches To stack
the German soon resolves Itself thcy
say, into q peculiar caluIn>s ~. hach
soldier. when he sees his opponents
appears 60 select the mar who APP
parently is making directly for him
with a weapou lie takes steady aim
with his 'rinc and IL he misses he
dashes forward and engages his man
IN personal combat.