Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-05
HANDLED BOMBS IN EXPERT AND
EXPERIENCED WAY FOR
THE GERMANS.
Is GENERAL INSTRUCTOR IN BOMB
THROWING TO THE ARMIES
IN ARGORNE DISTRICT.

French trcncc~ NJ the forest ~ ArgonnC d.
First bombs and minr~, then ourselves"
Writing il detail Of thc- attacks. u,
gives an hitherto unpublished account of
how an anarchist" I'D hi regiment won
the Iron Cro~~.
I'VE have a fellow in the battalion who
Il an anarchist and hc certainly under
stands hi handiwurk III throwing bombs"
the captain writes. "lIc ha~ rendered a.
services Of incalculablc value. Ills name
J. -. tie " somewhat of the Caia-
lonian type, but for such work a. this hc
i simply magnificent. He ha- won the
Iron Gross and ny famous throughout the
forest Of Argonnc: i'll fact. H. D. the gen
eral teacher IN bomb throwing. lie even
manufacture bombs. IT, doe not know
what fear H.. Every timc when about ~
throw a bomb he jumps up on The back
ot the trench. where hc stand iull length
and casts the missile with deadly accuracy.
like I'm old Roman throwing the discus.
What a daredevil the fellow i~, After such
work the cncmy'~ trench wu- actually drip
ping with hlood-but prefer to keep IL
lcnce about that. Anyway. We are able
~ this way "a break the courage MI the
French
other passages OF the captain'- letter
tell Of 4 certain attack nd twilight:
"All day Ions ~ hclahorcd the enemy
with bombs and haud ercnadc~. and our
mine catapult finally -cnt into their
trenches a few sugar loavc~' NJ dynamite.
After the fifth mime the infantry of the
- company was % iiX bayoupt~. dash
forward suddenly and rush the enemy
lir>l trench; every man OF them that re-
sisted wa~ 10 be shot or bayoncted. Every
thing passed uf a~ scheduled. The French.
quite ~tupciicd by the trighttuI explosion
of the mine. ~at like frightened rabbits
IN their trcuchc- and dil mot venture tn
show the tips ut their noses. Down arm~r
W. shouted. \ tcw who tried tu defend
Themselves were Knocked over. and Il tcw
succeeded ~ slipping away III the darkness
along their Trenches and escaping. The
rest We made prisoners. Of course hy thi-
time the French VII the adjacent trcuchr-
and IN those further toward their rear
had discovered what was going ON. and =
murdcrnu~ tire was opened unpu u- from
all sides. But that WAS all one tu IL. NJ
were gong 90 keep what ac had captured.
Darkness soon pUt an end M the shooting
and wc held On 10 our tfcuch. After send
lng the prisoners io the rear iuauuuratcd
4 night of ~uug-ir~t the uid N,thcrlnI
Prayer ct Thanksgiving. then patriotic
song and old soldiers mclodic~ for three
long hours. II wa~ q mild night. with The
full moon shining.
Our victory next day was ~tlll greater.
We took three trenches. lying one behind
the other. made l31 pri-oncr~. aud drove
the French 10 least 800 metres back and
down into a deep eulch. Cur recipe WIS
again the -amr-ir~i bombs and mines.
then our-clvc-. With Y few quick ti.cr-
hounds We were m the trench. These
bombs. east at such short distance hav, "
i%rightiul effect. We saw French arms and
leg flying ont of the trench. probably 80
feet high. And every bomb struck home.
Even before Va ~prang forward Tor uur
final storm We saw their raised hands and
heard them IN their trenches - pitiuu~h
crying. Quarter. quarter that our men
needed scarcely 10 make further use II
their arm~. Only those vino tried 10 run
away were shot down. On the following
day counted over 80 dead Frcuchmen be
tween their second and third trenches.
"Aud ~ II will proceed tim We shall hay,
squcczcd the French completely out III the
Argonne, although they are now defending
Themselves with the ~~tubhurnnc~~ Of de~-
pcration. But ID i- Y 'rightful tedious iohl
The trenches must hc dug al least two
metres deep. The ground l. filed with
thick roots and II very stony. With axe.
picks and spades our men work their way
toil,omcly forward-cycn under the fire
of the enemy. ever Ill danger tor their live..
The weather T. often bad. and II i very
difficult Ia provision the men properly. "a
MI the road~ ARE exposed tu thr enrm,--
artillery tire. ana The trau~purtahle kitrh-
en- can not approach nearer than three
miles behind the front. Every spoonful NJ
soup, every cup ot water. every Ut NJ
bread must be brought INTO the trenche,
bN night and often through the fog
tramp ot hours. For five weeks our men
have been living here IN the trenches. IN
the open air and always under fire. Their
many losses through sickness. severe
wounds. or death have a depressing effect
upon them. They have not been out of
their clothes IN three months. Their uni