The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-02-14

But IL this attack was for some
reason postponed for one or two
hours, the result was not SO sure,
and usually cost a great deal OF
blood; for this short time sufficed
for the French, who are very
clever at making any sort of de-
lenses, to seize quickly for their
purpose the captured trench and
to bring up several machine guns
to erect on each side a barrier
and sand bags-and the social
ed French NEST" was ready.
Attack ut Night
Then our regiments had the
heavy task of again taking this
NEST" after a long hard battle
sometimes lasting several weeks
We went at the enemy will
mines, while he threw from above
shell, hand grenades and bombs.
Then If we thought the nes'
was ready, a group of volunteer
made ready to storm it, led by of
ficers, al the head of a group o.
pioneers armed with grenades
and implements to tear away the
hand bag protection, and on boil
sides the storming began at the
same time.
Usually these attacks tool
place at night. When the gren
AIDES had exploded, our troops
stormed up with utter disregard
of death, and there arose a rag
ing hand-to-hand battle, wherein
bayonet and hatchets, bootheel.
and spade edges carried on a muir
derous work, until the enemy wa!
killed or surrendered.
With what terrible bitterness
it was fought, the following ak
amples will show:
A musketeer from a Rim
ish infantry regiment had his
thumb completely bitten of
by a Frenchman. II was the
hand in which he carried his
Ratchet. The brave man con-
cealed his pain, took his
Ratchet in his left hand, and
with IL smashed the head of
the Frenchman and the man
behind him.
In another regiment three mel
had come so close together tina
they looked like a clover leaf.
The middle one, the strongest
carried in his left hand two hook
ed together shields intended as ;
protection against machine guns
and in his right hand a Ratchet.
Shield-Bearer Ready.
Right and left close behind hin
followed the other two, one Of
whom carried goodly amount OF
grenades, while the other was
armed with a bayonet.
This strange cloverleaf Went
along, making a bloody way by
stabbing and hurting grenades. to
the terror of the French, and il
did us a wonderful service.
The shield-bearer announced
himself every evening willing to
do this dangerous duty. When
asked If he did not want re-
spite, or whether he wanted tC
work with bayonet or grenades
he merely said that no one could
serve with the shield as we'll as
he could, that that was his duty:
that others could do the other
things as well as he.
Two Sorts of Attacks.
So our brave regiment had to
fight in close night conflicts, but
during the day they had to lei
the inhuman fire from grenades
pass over them and in the pauses
of the firing they had to fight of
the attacks of the enemy; but this
was not all, for the positions that
were shot to pieces during the day
had to be replaced during the
night as far as was possible and
with all their available strength
And the reserves too had to help
In this work, men who really
should have had a chance to re.
freshen themselves farther bacl;
In addition to this they were often
alarmed during the night in order
to bring their bayonets to some
endangered spot, and their rest in
the rear shelters was of little dur
alton.
We can divide the French at.
tack methods into divisions and
mass attacks.
The first mentioned always
went in advance of the latter; the
strength of the troops thus relat-
ed fluxated from company to divi-
sion strength; their real aim was
as follows: After SCATTERING drum
fire they attacked position In
order to get possession of q
trench.
If they got themselves securely