South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-05
SCOTS GUARDS ARE
DEMONS IN BATTLE
SAYS GERMAN FOE
Young Troopers in Hand to
Hand Fight Put Up Magnifi-
cent Struggle Under Calling
Machine Gun Fire.

hASLE, switzerland. May B. -
have just seen letter from a former
German inhabitant OF Basic. an engir
eeT by profession, who, when mo,ii-
ized joined the German army. end
has been with an engineering corn
opposite the British lines in northern
France since last November He d.
scribes an attack OF the Scots guards.
Their equipment." he says, was
very good, and they were all splendid
finsly developed fellows. They fought
like demons and the proof OF 1t was
that between both sides some 1000
dead were left on the field. 1T was
really only a battle for positions, but
a hot one which we fought on Jan.
20. The Scots guards were holding
trenches which il was almost impos-
sible TO take by storm.
we got orders TO lay mines. and
the day before the attack / myself,
with my section, under the command
OF a first lieutenant, was entrusted
with the work OF laying the charges
IN the mine which was to blow them
up. On the morning OF Jan. 25 we
we're ali at our posts waiting for the
command. At $50 the order came,
and we set fire 10 the fuse. At the
same moment our mine-thrOwers were
busy, Suddenly there was an explo-
sion. which shook the earth for miles
around. Our attacking columns in
stantly rushed forward to take the
Scots by surprise whilst they were
still under the effect Of the explosion
and stunned. i could not take part
In the attack myself as ] had to see
10 removing our instruments To a
place OF safety.
Fight Like Demons.
a f.nNur
pandemOnium of rifle fire and of ma
chine gun discharges, that bOrdered
lon the incredible. The hand-tO- hand
combat had begun almost instantly
The Scots fought like demons. Many
of their comrades had been blown
into the air with the earth of their
trenches. The British artillery Joined
in, and fired with remarkable preci-
sion and a rapidly that gave US the
shivers. Whilst l was busy withdraw
ing our mine installation a British
shell burst inside the trench in which
our reserves We're waiting. 1t killed
every man within a radius of 20 feet
and escaped as by a miracle. 1 i'm
mediately helped TO attend the wound
ed.
"Our troops continued the attack
for two hours, and succeeded in push
ing on the second line OF the British
entertainments. Our operations were
considerably hampered by a number
OF brfckyardS and sheds which the
British had turned into Notifications.
At three o'clock in the afternoon we
were still fighting. and I had TO make
an inspection Of one Of the trenches.
had 20 do so crawling, as the enemy
sniped us mercilesSly. 1 have already
seen many horrors Of the war. but
never saw any horror like this. The
dead lay sometimes in twos and
threes on each other, and / had TO
crawl over them. At 4:3O the British
brought up reserves They rushed 20
the attack in columns along a road
where they were exposed TO a muir
derous fire from our machine guns.
las soon as we opened fire on them
they dropped down and took to shell
ter. so that In an instant the whole
column seemed 10 have disappeared.
The troops that faced us were entire
~ fresh, and had never before been
in action. and they behaved wonder
fully well. During the night, whilst
ives busy with my section erecting a
barbed-wire defense, they returned to
the attack. We let them come up
clost TO US before we opened fire, 1T
was one OF the most stubborn en-
gagements have seen. Later on in
the course Of the night. I had to ac-
company our lieutenant on an inspec-
tion across a field. We met some pa
trolls OF the guards. and we had an
other little fight OF our own. We got
away without losing a man, and I do
not know how the enemy Jared.
have been able TO come out of these
engagements with a safe skin. but 7
would not Ike 20 see many more like
Them. 1t was too much for my
Aar-vaSn