Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-11-19
THEIR WORK ENDED }
Troublesome Battery Located,
viii Trouble No More.
Interesting Description Of Artillery
Work on Battle line-Battery
Has Unique Record on Sew.
eral Different Fronts.

Berlin.-A picture OF battery
which has fought in several dinerent
battle fronts is given by a writer N
the vossische Zeitung. He says:
"Our position on the plateau had
been furiously bombarded through the
night by the Italian artillery. we
were able to locate most Of the bat
teries, but there was one which Kept
up an incessant Are until dawn, which
greatly puzzled US.
"The sun was rising behind the mist
In the Adriatic. which we could plain
ly see from our elevation. ] had just
been awakened by tremendous roar.
wrapped my blanket about me and
came forth to see what 1t all meant.
Captain Laytos was already peer'ng
through his telescope. His high coat
collar was turned up to protect his
throat and ears from the cold, and his
hands were buried deep in his pocA'
cts. Captain l-aytos is a Hungarian
artillery man. thirty years OF age;
has been twice wounded. and has just
been granted a six-weeks' leave, but
he refuses to leave his battery. He Is
an ideal soldier. his chest is covered
with decorations and he now COM
mands the battery.
He comes down from his position
a: the telescope and carefully studies
the map He lights cigarette and
again mounts his high chair in front
of the telescope. He calls Prentelli.
who knows the location of every stone
within radius of twenty kilometers.
and asks about the house. It stands
about one hundred meters to the LEFT.
near the cross roads. and was paint
ed white few months ago.
Look through the glass and tell
me II you see anything strange about
IT, said the captain.
II. is not all white: here and there
It > marked by what appear like dark
spots.
Precisely said the captain. That
Is where this battery 10 located. The
havs placed their gums IN the
rooms Of that kouse .3ut we'll fix
Them
Captain >Laytos and Lieutenant
Wehler study the map. figuring out
the distance. The elevation and angle
are given over the telescope wire. The
captain hands me cigar. g
"'You have time to light cigar.
he says. before we fire. We shall fire
IN thirty.five seconds Take q look
through the glass and see the result
Captain i.sytos takes out bis watch
and begins to count the seconds as
look through the telescope. ! see
the white house bathed In the morn
ing sunshine. and see also on the
road leading to II a wagon creeping
along. I feel like crying out to the
wagon party to get under cover. and
almost simultaneously | hope that our
shells will get them: The captain Is
at his post looking through the tele-
scope next to mine. ] hear, the order
given to fire and at once there is q
roar that shakes the whole mountain.
I'VE have hit the. mark!' shouts
the captain. t.. ..'-
Almost a minute elapses before
the smoke disappears. I. look again
through the glass The white house
Is gone: all ! can see is hole In
the earth where It stood and the bare
trunks of a few trees still standing.
That was good work. said the
handing me a cigarette. 1t
was the l,200th shot of Our Richard, as
we call this battery. so named after
Lieut.. Richard Karner, who fell in bat.
tie a few weeks ago. This same bat.
terry was at Liege. at Antwerp. in
France and don't know where else.
Ask Bauer
q, Bauer. a sturdy young chap. tanned
by the sun. heard his name mentioned
and came forward.
"'Again. do not see you wearing
your Iron Cross and your medals.'A
Sorry, captain. but haven't
room for them.
And later, when the enemy ceased
their firing, sat down with Bauer,
who was in Belgium, France, Poland
Serbia, and Is now here on
the Italian front AMI had him tell me
the story OF Our Richard