The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-20


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:
I'VE have taken two trenches and
VYOU in faroff America read that
" in the official communique. note
that this slight progress has
been made and pass on with
no further thought to the short para
graph reporting from the next sector.
Did you ever wonder about some Of
the details briefed into those few
words?
OF course all actions vary. There
are times when trenches are taken
with relative ease and with but small
preparation. frequently when but few
are 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 revolu-
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.
1t is naturally impossible to take up
each and every detail of what goes be-
fore and after an attack, for to do so
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.
1t has been ten days since the last
attack i'll which the trench has been
taken. The trench gained has been
turned-that is. what was the unpro-
tected buck 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
some places the trench is covered
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 floor of the
trench. have been cleared out and dis
Preparations For Attack.
Blue clad French soldiers are dis
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 |
he passage should the enemy try an
ADVANCE through the channel. The bar
.icade is a listening post. and the SEN
rles stationed there are armed with |
,hotguns. Some of the soldiers in the |
rench are peering out of the rifle holes /
md keeping close watch on the white
inc Of bags across the little stretch |
II shell torn ground. There are corpses
tut there that fell in a counter attack.
t is impossible to get them, just as II
las been impossible to put up any
,arbed wire entanglements. The Ger
mans occupy the upper portion OF the
ill. and it is therefore sure death to
enture out even between the French
irst and second lines.
The life is monotonous. There is al
ways that identical view of bags a lit
lie III front, always the same things TO
10. and the little there is doesn't dis
ract one. One can write home. put
here is no news: or one can play
ards. but after year these are dull.
There have been bombardments OF
he trenches. Great shells have shrek
d down and exploded with crushing
A few have fallen in the
repches, and some of the men have
cen killed or wounded. Others have
cen killed by being crushed when an
erial torpedo. called torpille. has
it near the edge of theN trench and
aved in the sides or landed in the
-ench and blown things to atoms. The
rapouilIot the crude stunted wood
apped cylinder of explosive. has been
lunched from little trench mortars.
nd this too. has claimed a few vic
ms.
Ready For the Dash.
Taking the trenches in the immedf
te aector. as a whole. there is need of
out the line. Just ahead
he German first line forms salient
ito the alignment of the French
.enches. and their second line follows
le bend for Il short distance. In or
err to consolidate the position proper
about seventy-five yards of the en-
mys trench must be taken. That
ortion can then be connected up with
le forward thrusts of the French line
nat flank it. Two sections of fifty neD
ach will make the attack.
The men have not beer told an Mt