South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-19
Order to Attack Sent Cold
ShiVerS Down Backs of the
BfcVeSt-"lt Is Like a Wild
Dream, That Hail Of Bull
IetS," Writes Soldier.

BEHIND THE LINES IN FRANCE,
March 19.-The following vivid story
of the battle of Neuve Chapelle IS told
by an officer who was wounded in the
fighting:
Modern warfare is such an internal
business that any man who is not kill
ed ought to be cheerful. 1t all seems
like a wild dream TO me. 1 never
heard such a row in all my life. And
the bullets and the shells-it was Ike
passing through the most awful hail
storm. Sly battalion had been in their
rest binets for some days when an
army order came round saying that
we were to attack the enemy'S lines
at dawn and that a great effort was
going to be made TO break through,
which it was hoped would lead TO de-
cisive results.
How did we feel about il? Well,
1 don't know how others felt, but the
mere idea of attacking sent cold
shivers down my spine-and / dOn't t
think any other spines were much
firmer than mine.
However, there il was. and We
started TO make all our Preparations.
1--WE were moved down TO a little
village close 10 our front Here we
were placed in trenches and were told
a division would attack NeuVe Cha
pelle and that our division was to CO.
operate and advance on Aubers as
soon as Neuve Chapelle was captured
We were I'm our trenches at dawn
when suddenly at = a. m a most in
fernaI din commenced-one such as
have never heard before and hope
never 10 hear again.
800 Guns Open Fire.
More than 400 OF our guns sud
denly opened up without any prelim-
mary notice i'm most awful bonn
bardment of Neuve Chapelle. There
were all sorts OF big guns, not to men
tion field guns and horse artillery
anything in fact that could be dis
charged.
You never saw such a sight; YOU
never heard such a noise. 1 heard
one of my men say. Bill, this is the
end of the world and did not blame
him Tor thinking SO.
I'VE could see i'm the distance
great masses of flame, earth and
brick i'm great clouds of smoke, all
ascending together as enormous shells
screamed over our heads and burst
among the German entertainments and
the houses Of the village. AT the end
of half hours bombardment the fire
ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
..Then we saw n division advancing
towards Neuve Chapelle. There were
rapid bursts of fire from machine
guns 1nd tEulScrlmlnilt Illle llIe. -
lot of our men feu. but in a short time
the division disappeared amid the
smoke and ruins OF the village.
All this time we were awaiting the
order to advance towards Aubers. BY
tAis time the German artillery, al
though greatly Outnumbered 10y our
guns. began 10 get busy Smelling all
our irons our two battaliOns jump
ed from the entrenchEsents and rush
ed forward in long weaves, speedily
disappearing amid the smoke. II
seems very pleasant TO lie covered in
trenches after what we saw taking
place in front OF US.
Get Order Co Advance.
"A little later we also got an order
TO move forward. IL was stirring
moment. I don't know how we all
really felt at heart, but we all pretend
10 enjoy 10. The men are splendid
They will go anywhere SO long as they
have an officer 10 lead them.
Well we jumped out into the open.
I had to get along as oest / could as
I was I'm charge OF the machine guns.
To me the air seemed alive with bull
lets and shells. There was a buzzlng
noise s3ch as YOU hear in a tropical
forest on a hot summer LAY. This