The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-10-15
FIGHT LIKE DEMONS
Bernhard KeIIermann Describes
 Trench War at Souchez.
Roads and Paths for Miles Around Under Fearful Fire-Llttle Ham, let Now Is Marked for
 All Time.
By BERNHARD kELLERMANN. International News Service)

On the western G0ru1dn FULL. have seen them and talked to them, the men fighting out there in the trenches of Souchez. Just now they are resting, but tonight they will be fighting again like demons. The roads and paths for miles around are under a fearful fire. Almost every second shell bursts with a deafening roar. Through this inferno they must pass. Then they will be in Souchez.
 What is Souchez? A small village which nobody knew a few months ago and which now will never be for gotten again. The little hamlet is marked for all time, like Gravelotte and Woerth. If hell keeps books the name of Souchez must be entered in large letters.
 There is nothing left of the village but heap of ruins. The trenches are a few hundred yards from the village, behind a curtain of fire. Through this curtain our boys in gray must pass. There are no communicating passages-the French artillery on the heights of Loretto does not permit them. The trenches can only be reached over the open field, through the unceasing hail of French shells.
 But our men are fearless. Their uniforms were all field-gray at one time, but nobody is able to distinguish their color now. Only the first ser geant looks as if he just came from the tailor shop. His uniform is spot less and his hands are carefully mani cured.
 With the long nails of his little finger he traces the position on the map. Before the war he was high school professor, but now he is a sol dier every inch of him.
 "This is our trench" he said, ex- plaining the map to me. lover there on the heights the artillery of the enemy stands.
 Yesterday we were under heavy fire from seven o'clock in the morn ing till nine o'clock at night. The trench was destroyed and we were buried.
 About nine o'clock in the evening the shells began to fly over us. The enemy was trying to drive back re- lief column and to storm what was left of our trench. Our lieutenant shouted a command and in a moment our trench resembled an ant-heap. We dug ourselves out Most of our guns r had become useless, but we had hand grenades.
 "The French swooped down upon us, but we sent couple of dozens of grenades into their ranks. The smoke was so thick that we could not see each other.
 "For a moment the enemy recoiled. but then believing us finished, he ad- vsnced again, as he had received re- endorsements; yelling, singing and laughing we threw still more grenades. "At the same moment we noticed that the Frenchmen were also begin ming to attack from one of their trenches at our right, in the direction of the sugar refinery. Like peas from a barrel they came pouring out of the smoke. The lieutenant shout, ed: One man to the front with grenadesr A single soldier advanced and started to throw bombs. Who was it?"
 'T did it," answered one of the men, B farmer from Silesia. '1 took an armful of grenades and fired away at random, but the bombs hit their mark. The Frenchmen fell back When they advanced again I had no more gren- ades and had to run. They sent vol leys after me, but I safely reached our trench again and jumped into one of the craters."
 Then the noncommissioned officer continued:
 "The Frenchmen believed them selves sure of their success, but our lieutenant was ready for them. He sent eight men ahead into the craters and the fire of this little detachment moved the enemy down when he came on in close formation. In the meantime our machine guns had been brought into action and the French were driven back in front and at our flank.
 But the section of the trench for which we fought had become useless to us. We gave 1t up and slowly re- treated, keeping the enemy at re- spectful distance by heavy rife fire.
 For a short while the enemy took possession of our destroyed ditch, but he could not hold 1t. When we re- took it by a counter-attack we found it filled with the bodies of dead French soldiers. We quickly dug our selves in again, but tomorrow the re- paired trench may be in the hands of the enemy once more. Then we will have to retake it again, and so it