Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-11-05

GREAT STRATEGY IN
AMERICAN Tells
Complicated Artillery Action
a Prelude to All Advances
Against Enemy.

The following detailed account of the
preparation and the attack on a French
vesteln front was written by a MEM
Der of the American ambulance in the
Bois lie Pretre on the eastern frontier
Of France. where the activity has been
continuous for several months:
'We have taken two trenches and
Hfty prisoners in the Bots le Pretre."
XYOU in faroff America read that
= " in the official communique, note
that this slight progress has
been made and pass on with
graph reporting from the next sector.
Did you ever wonder about some Of
the details briefed into those few
words1
OF course all actions vary. There
are times when trenches are taken
with relative ease and with but small
preparation. frequently when but few
2re killed and very often when the at
lacking force suffers but little loss in
comparison with those defending the
position. That Is one of the revolt
tionary developments Of this new war
fare, where artillery plays such an ex-
traordinary part In general. however.
the trench gains are effected in ap-
proximately the same manner.
It IS naturally impossible to take up
each and every detail Of what goes be-
fore and after an attack, for to do 80
one would have to follow through all
the intricate workings Of the entire
army, deal with facts ranging from
the peasants cottage to ammunition
works and take up lines Of supply
reaching into all quarters Of the earth.
will write only Of the immediate
preparations, the action and the scenes
following. This Is a picture rather
than an article.
It has been ten days since the last
attack in which the trench has been
taken. The trench gained has been
turned-that is, what was the unprO-
tected back has now been made the
fortified front. Bags Of earth are
ranged along the rim. and steel plates
with Sits for firing are secured at
about yard intervals between the bags.
Logs have been brought up, and in
Where shells demolished the sides Of
the trench or boyaux (the narrow chan
mel communicating trenches running
between lines and to the rear) the dirt
has been dug out and the caved walls
fortified with earth bags. The abris,
or small shelter caves, followed under
the sides and below the door Of the
nj nd Nc.
infected.
Preparations For Attack.
: Blue clad French soldiers are dis
tributed at comfortable intervals In
their newly gained trench. They speak
In whispers, for the German line is
but forty yards In front. Half Of the
boyau that connected this portion Of
the trench with the German second
line is in the hands of the French.
The other half is German. A wall Of
bags forms a barricade, and on the
crest Of the boyau about halfway back
to the French line is rack made Of
small logs and strung with barbed
wire that Can be pulled down to block
the passage should the enemy try an
advance through the channel. The bar
ricade is listening post, and the SEN
tries stationed there are armed with
shotguns. Some Of the soldiers in the
trench are peering out of the rifle holes
and keeping close watch on the white
line of bags across the little stretch
of shell torn ground There are cOrpses
out there that fell In a counter attack.
1t is impossible to get them. just as 1t
has been impossible to put up any
barbed wire acknowledgements. The Ger
mans occupy the upper portion of the
hill, and It is therefore sure death to
venture out even between the French
first and second lines.
a The life Is monOtOnOus. There Is al
ways that identical view Of bags lii
Tie in front. always the same things to
do, and the little there Is doesn't dis
tract one. One can write home. but
there is no news: or one can play
cards. but after year these are dull.
There have been commandments OF
the trenches. Great shells have shrek
ed down and exploded with crushing
detonations A few have fallen in the
trenches, and some Of the men have
been killed or wounded. Others have
been killed by being crushed when an
aerial torpedo, called torpille. has
hit near the edge Of the trench and
eaved in the sides or landed in the
trench and blown things to atoms. The
erapOuillOt, the crude stunted wood
capped cylinder Of explosive, has been
launched from little trench mortars,
and this, too. has claimed a few VIC
tins.
Ready For the Dash.
Taking the trenches in the immedi-
ate sector, as a whole, there is need of
staightening out the line. Just ahead
The German first line forms salient
into the alignment Of the French
trenches. and their second line follows
the bend for short distance. In or
der to consolidate the position proper.
~ about seventy-five yards Of the en-.
emy's trench must be taken. That
portion can then be connected up with
the forward thrusts Of the French line
that flank II. Two sections Of fifty men
each will make the attack.
The men have not been told an at
a MAJ stnr