Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-26
Panic Among Germans

| Where the mines had actually ex-
rloded nothing was left of the occu
pants of the hostile line, but in the
neighboring trenches our assaulting
! infantry witnessed an extraordinary
| scene. Many German soldiers, posi-
bly, owing to the fact that they were
working, were surprised while in their
shirt sleeves and without equipment.
Stunned by the violence of the explo-
sions, bewildered and suddenly sub
! jected to a rain of hand grenades
thrown by our bombing parties, they
gave way to panic.
"Cursing and shouting they were
falling over one another and fighting
in their hurry to gain the exits lead
ing into communication trenches
Some of those in the rear, maddene1
by terror, were driving their bayonets
into the bodies of their comrades n
front Of them.
"Of all of this our infantry had but
a momentary glimpse before they fell
upon the enemy with the bayonec
burst through the maze of trenches,
poured into the craters and pressed m
down the communication trenches un-
til at last they were stopped by bar
ricades defended by bomb throwers.
The first line of trenches was cap
tured in few minutes with little diff
Guilty, and many prisoners fell into OUT
hands; but it was then that the real
struggle began, for the Germans
quickly recovered from their surprise
Gunners Open Fire
From our line the hill is salient
which is exposed to fire from three
sides, and it was only a few minutes
before the German gunners took adj
vantage of this fact and opened flre.
So on the whole position became OBJ
scured from the smoke Of bursting
shells. Meanwhile our batteries had
begun to support the attack, and
terrific artillery fire was maintained
far into the night.
From many points along our line to
the north and south Of Hill No. 60 could
be seen the flashes from the shells, while
the flashes from the guns were SO nearly
continuous that they resembled the effect
Of musketry fire. Under this fire our
men had to work throwing up parapets
munications and generally rendering the
position defensible.
German Hand Grenades
"Nor was the enemy's infantry idle
Advancing up the communication
trenches they threw hand grenades over
the barricades and also into the mine
craters, on the crumbling sides of which
11s-
to obtain protection.
Throughout the night the fighting con-
tinued, eliminating early in the morning
of the 18th in two massed attacks by the
enemy. These were beaton off, principal
ly by the fire of our machine guns, some
of which had been rushed up.
Nevertheless, in spite of the heavy
losses which left the hillside piled with
dead, the enemy continued his pressure
during the whole of Sunday until we
were gradually driven from the southern
edge of the hill. At P. M, help reached
our front line in the form Of reinforce
ments. who swept the Germans from the
foothold they had gained.
Conditions Improve
Prior to this the close proximity Of
the contending sides had led to slack
ening in the bombardment, but it then
broke out afresh. and with almost as
great intensity as on the preceding eve
ming. Our position. however, now was
more secure and. although the Smelling
and bombing never ceased altogether, the
night may be said to have passed in
comparative quiet"
The narrative says the lombard
ment was maintained Monday, April
Continued on Page 4-coIumn y