South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-19
TT WAS AN "INFERNO,"
SAYS WOUNDED OFFICER
OF NEUVE CHAPELLE

IRE Was not ulTGGlGu par dl
us; we were simply catching what was
aimed at those in front.
ION We moved until we came to an
open stretch which was being swept
by an internal shell fire. We crossed
this in rushes to gain the shelter OF q
few houses. We lost 40 or 80 men.
There we remained for some little
time, reforming the battalion and
awaiting further orders. When these
came we moved forward over rough
open ground, coming upon lots OF our
poor fellows lying dead. They were
from the other battalion which had
preceded us.
Then we entered some German
trenches which had been captured.
Again we halted. All this time our
shells and German shells and rifle and
machine gun bullets We're shrieking
over head.
Thank goodness. in an action like
this you kind of lose your senses and
cease 10 be your normal self. A kind
of elevation above all ordinary feel
ings comes over you and you feel as
though you were rushing through air.
There is so much to frighten you that
you cease to be afraid. Then your
senses gradually come back. That is
why all infantry attacks should be
carried through with one overwhelm-
ing rush.
Wounded Glad To- BE Alive.
While we were waiting under
cover a lot of wounded began 10 limp
back, delighted to escape alive from
that inferno.
Some German prisoners were
brought in, most OF them smiling and
evidently overjoyed TO be out OF it and
on their way 10 the comparative COM
fort of an inteInment camp.
q nr,1x Il ir~f 1,.a ara.1
gone forward came rushing back.
They are about To counter attack
he said. Bring up two machine guns.
I'VE rushed two of our four guns up
the road. but after having gone some
distance another officer came up and
ordered US back as the attack had
been repulsed.
Then 1 saw about 60 Of the --
regiment strolling back down the
road. We asked them where they were
going. one man replied:
1--WE have stOrmed every trench
and every blooming village in this
muddy country. All our officers are
shot, so we thought it about time some
one else had a go
4 got back TO the trenches where l
had left the battalion and shortly af-
terward we were ordered TO move for
ward TO the left. This we did until
almost opposite to Aubers At $50
y. m orders came that We were to
storm suburb of Aubers. OF course
we poor infantry have no idea what
is really happening and cannot say
whether we are winning or losing. /
had not the least idea of how things
were going except that NeuVe Cha
pelle had been taken.
You can take il from me, the gen
erals have no more idea than we have.
Things just go on somehow and there
is far too much noise and smoke and
far too many bullets and shells for
scientific operations.
Again we advanced across the
open under every sort of Internal mis-
sile invented by krupp and company
for the destruction of mankind. But
our guns were even more busy. and
although we could not silence the Ger
man guns we must have knocked the
stuffng out of their trenches.
Get Orders TO Entrench
I'VE crossed ground covered with
dead and wounded. SO 1 suppose some
battalion had already attacked with
out success. We did not make much
progress and just as IL was growing
dusk we received orders 10 entrench
ourselves where we We're. This We
proceeded 10 do with alacrity, the men
working like ants Here we passed
the night. but what "A night ] shall
never forget IT,
Every gun. every machine gun.
every rifle kept up an incessant IRE.
No one was aiming at any thins in
pa particular IL was just a great blaze
of. AS a spectacle IL was superb.
The Germans kept on firing their
Roman candles or whatever they were
called. lighting up our lines and blaZ-
ing away for all they were worth