The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-07-27
ARMY LIFE AT YERDUN.
ACTIVITY PRESENTS BEWILDER-
ING PICTURE TO LAYMAN.
Like ClOckWork.-WhOle Field is
Suggestive of Perfection and
Sureness of Organization.

IL.
10th army corps, was bending over
a military map at his headquarters
when NJ. Painleve, a member of the
French cabinet, was announced. Gen.
de Castelnau, commanding the west
ern front, had invited the minister to
visit the several corps headquarters
near Verdun, and had authorized the
representative of the Associated
Press to accompany the minister.
Two of Gen. de Castelnau's personal
staff, Major Camut and Lieut.. La
guionie, acted as escorts to the party,
and in the circuit of several hundred
kilometers three army corps head
quarters were visited-the 10th army
corps under Gen. Antoine, the 9TH
army corps under Gen. Hellouin, and
the Srd army corps under Gen. Hum
bert.
1t was the first day of this trip of
inspection, made under most favora-
BILE auspices, designed to show the
cabinet officer the exact condition OF
affairs on the fighting line-the Of
fensive and defensive organization,
the morale of the men, the condl-
ton of supplies and equipment, the
trench warfare and the actual fight
ing on the front. NJ. Painleve, be-
sides being a member of the cabi-
net, had taken a leading part in the
debates of the chamber of deputies
on questions relating to the military
campaign, and this was to let him
see at first hand just how that cam
paign was being conducted.
Plain Quarters.
The commander of the 5th army
corps and the cabinet officers ex-
changed cordial greetings. Gen:
Antoine is man of commanding
presence, tall and athletic, a little
beyond middle age, with bronzed face
and iron gray hair and mustache.
He was in light-blue service uniform,
!. with high boots and spurs, the three
stars on the sleeve Indicating his
high rank. Here in his headquarters
the surroundings were plain to the
point of baroness. The room was
small and the floor bare. A rough
detailed map stretched out, over
which Gen. Antoine had been study
ing. Other maps and photographs
of sectors, trenches, and various di-
visions of the works were on the
wall, and these, with few pine
chairs, made up the furnishings of
the corps headquarters which is push
Ing forward the supplies to Verdun
and the fighting front.
M. Painleve was much interested
in the large charts showing in detail
the layout of the fighting and reserve
forces, and Gen. Antoine, standing
before the chart, pointed out the
main points-Verdun off to the right,
then the army corps massed to the
west, and then Gen. Antoine's corps
doing the work of preparation and
forwarding, as we'll as guarding a
considerable sector of the front.
Photographs of Field.
t'The photographs show the field
better" said the general, LEADING the
way to large room adjoining.
A score of officers were at work
here, sorting photographs, develop
ing them, and fitting them together
into huge panoramic views showing
every road and trench and tree.
These photographs were taken from
the clouds, by aviators, and now and
then the airmen came in with the
negatives just taken of their Sec
tions. The whole war zone was laid
out in small squares, the aviators
minutely photographing each square,
and then the squares were fitted to-
gether like jig-saw puzzle, making
complete picture of the whole zone.
When the edge Of a square was too
close to German battery for the
aviator to reach in safety, the photo
graph was taken by a camera, lashed
to a high pole, and held above a
trench.
These last, trench pictures, pre-
sented grewsome scene of the havoc
and desolation where the batteries
were doing the worst work-the
ground swept of trees and foliage,
Uttered with debris, and a few twist
ed trunks extending their distorted
arms.
Through the Camp.
Gen. Antoine now turned outside,
and with group of staff officers led
the way through the mazes of the
vast camp. Such a scene of varied
and intense activity. 1t fairly throb-
bed as the visitors passed along.