The Dolores star., 1916-05-05
sy OSWALD F. schUETTE.
Especial Correspondent Of Chicago
Daily News.)

ey OSWALD T. schUETTE.
Especial Correspondent Of Chicago
Daily News.)
With Field Marshal Won linden
burg's Armies. Near Postawy, Russia
Il have come to these blood-drenchsd
battlefields too late to see the ter
rific assaults of the great Russian Of
fensive, 80 l can only tell the story Of
this battle that ragged day after day
by picturing the scenes as l find them
and piecing together into one CHASTITY
mosaic the fragments of what l am
told. l have talked with ficers xnd
men Of the German regiments that
held back the Russian deluge and have
carefully gone over the statements Of
the Russian prisoners.
This battlefield consists of an open
glade cut through the Russian prime
val forest. 1t runs almost due north
and south and varies in width from
400 to 1900 yards. The Russians
were intrenched along the eastern
edge Of this opening. while the forest
behind offered splendid opportunities
for concealing movements Of troops
and emplacements Of artillery. The
German lines skirt the western edge
Of the rlade.
Battle Lasts Ten Days.
The Russian fighting at this point
lasted ten days before the car
troops finally gave up their attempt to
break through the German lines. On
the first day the Russian fire was spo-
radio. apparently to make certain the
range of the guns. Then for two days
more the Russian bombardment con-
tinued, but now it was a real drum
fire." This means that the cannonad-
ing Is so heavy that it sounds like the
rattle of . drum.
On the afternoon of the third day
the Russian drum fire was suddenly
lifted from the German trenches and
converted into "sperrfeuer" (curtain
are) back of the German lines to pre-
vent the bringing up of reserves. 1t
was the signal for a Russian attack.
Russians straight for the German
lines. straight into the curtain of Ger
man artillery fire that tore great gaps
in the attacking columns, though these
quickly closed up.
In the meantime the German troops
rushed out of their dugouts into the
water filled and shell-torn trenches. Al
most in q moment the machine guns
were jerked out of the bombproof
protection, and after being hastily
mounted on the wreckage Of the
breastworks. began to sputter their
fearful greeting to the Russians.
Between the machine guns ratified
the infantry fire. There was no time
for giving commands and there was
no need of any. There we're no VOL
leys. Each German soldier fred as
fast Is he could. The gaps in the Rus
sian line widened, and then the Rus
SLAMS would halt and fire toward the
German trenches, but 1t was hard to
aim, and the bullets scarcely checked
the whitening crash of machine gun
and rife fire.
Stopped at Barbed Wire.
The Russian wave reached the
barbed wire entanglements before the
German breastworks, but came no far
Their. Torn, beaten and shattered into
a thousand fragments, the remnants of
the Russian host beat a retreat. How
many reached the protection of their
trenches under the unceasing German
fire NO one can tell, but the ground be-
tween the German and Russian lines
was covered with dead and dying.
There was no further attack that
night.
Toward morning the thunder Of the
cannon quieted and the cries Of the
wounded were almost stilled by day
break.
The great battlefield was asleep only
for an hour when the action of the
fourth day began with another terrific
drum fire. which lasted until long past
noon.
Again the Russian wave broke from
the forests, but 1t had hardly got out
bf the woods before the German
artillery opened fire. Again shells
tore open the ranks: again the ma
chine guns piled up the dead. The task
was more terrible than on the day be-
fore. as the Russians had to storm
over the bodies Of their dead COM
rades.
Again the night was freezing cold,
again the hours were hideous with the
cries of the dying men out there on
the battlefield and again the darkness
was filled with the thunder of cannon.
To prevent q night attack, the Ger
mans kept up a discharge Of illuminat-
ing rockets and a blue-greenish glare
added to the ghastliness of the field of
death. But no Russians dared to ad-
vance.
At daybreak the Russians opened
with . third drum fire. This time 1t
WAS more terrible than on the preyi-