Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-09-22
STORIES OF THE WAR

there is anything that puts spirit into
the men it is that kind Of support We
got four good machine guns and l
don't know how many were destroy
ed. Germany is one big battery. She
does it with artillery and machine
guns. Guns against her guns and we
shall be all right. Yes, we had fine
show"
He kept on speaking of the guns,
and so did the other officers and men.
with the depth of feeling expressive Of
realization that the guns meant life
and death and success and failure for
them. Singularly enough the British
loss in taking the trench was less than
in losing it. They got about a thou
sand yards with the first rush. Most
ly they met the Germans coming from
their dugoutS and ii was hand-to-
hand when the Germans did not yield.
AS soon as they had yielded they
were started back toward the British
rear, for in the maze of traverses
where rifles and bombs are lying about
loose prisoners may soon renew the
fray. The next day a faint rumble
like that of human voice came from
| a pile of earth and it was found that
one of the high explosives had closed
the door of dugout. The occupants
were rescued alive.
| When an officer and some men came
to the edge of the mine-crater they
| found nearly hundred Germans in
| the bottom of it, where they had TAX
en- cover from the bombardment The
British looked down at the Germans
and the Germans looked up at the
British. AS one of the men said, the
surprise was mutual, but the Germans
were little the more surprised of the
two. The British had bombs in theiI
| hands. All they had to do was tc
stand back and toss the bombs into
the crater,
Chucking bombs into a dugout wher
the occupants will not surrender Il
one Of the commonest proceedings ir
the course of taking a trench.
We'll give ourselves up" said
German officer starting up the wall Of
the crater, you've got u.s."
AS the Germans came up some o
the British shook hands with them; anC
soon they were marching along a road
smoking cigarettes given them b.
their captors. Meanwhile it was stal
and thrust in other places till Britol
or German was down.
Rushing up the traverse the British
drove the Germans before them witt
bombs, gaining more ground. In add
ton to their own bombs they used tn
Germans "One German prisone
showed me how to use them" said
British bomb thrower. He did it in
bling with 1t. That was very heApfu
or him. You had to pull a string OF
top before you made the throw. The
|, seemed to be first rate bombs"
Once over the demoralizati6h cause
by the crush of the bursting shell
from the British artillery concentra
ton in their ears, the Germans GU
OF their dugouts began resisting wit
bombs. and the British running shor-
had to fall back traverse by traverst
pursued by the Germans, thus losin
! some OF their gain before more bomb
were brought up from the rear Thi
: had to be done under gusts of shrap
; mel bullets, for now the German gun
were giving the British supports n
5 they had to give, and as fast as the
: could The struggle proceeding in tn
midst of the scream and burst of prc
= jectiles- Twice one of the sergeant
crossed the zone back to the suppol
y trenches, bringing supplies of .bomt
before he was killed. Others were {
e the same work. and others killed an
wounded, but they got enough up
: hold 1900 yards OF trench.