The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-10-13
BIG GUNS SWELL,
FROM AWFUL HEAT
Rapid Rate Of Firing on Somme
Causes Expansion of
the Metal.
MUST STOP TO COOL OFF
Nuts and Various Small Parts Of Guns
Fly In Faces Of Gunners Owino
to Terrific Strain Of Con.
slant Firing.

London.-The following letter re-.
,eived at the home OF Driver w. ].
sdie OF the British Royal Field artil.
cry is graphic description of his ex.
peflence In the great push" Mr..
| rauie was London business man be-
tore Joining the army:
You start from village about ION,
kliometers In the rear on fine summer
night. The noise is terrific MS Won
ride along; batteries all round Won are
urlhg salyos; shells from the heavy
batteries and siege guns behind Won
nur'iing through the mir overhead, go
touring along on their way to the
herman lines. Ahead of you star
smells may be seen going up merrily
INTO the night air, to float gracefully
down and then go out.
Great clouds Of smoke hanging
over the trenches; our shells bursting
on top OF the German position: red
rockets going up from the German in
Fantry asking their artillery for more
support Tin vain, howeyerD and.
above all, the ceaseless rattle of the
machine guns. All combine to make a
perfect Inferno of fame and sound.
Last, but not least, while you see
ana hear all this, you have n consid-
cradle amount of attention paid you
py German shells-the shrapnel burst
ing with Its peculiar and wicked
whine, and the tear shells which. II
you don't get your mask on quickly.
produce such an unpleasant effect on
your eyes. This gas, by the way.
smells very much like strong mustard
and cress.
You have the satisfaction, however,
OF knowing that, for every shell that
comes, we let about 100 per cent back
In return believing as we do that ''Tis
better far to give than to received! Our
airmen have brought down all the
enemy's 'spotters,' or 'sausages,' while
ours can be seen floating In the air all
along the line.
In Constant Stream.
AT last, the day dawned and, after
an early cup of tea, we started to dis
patch few more specimens OF Eng
fish metal into the enemy lines.
"For couple OF hours, we las well
as every other battery In the lIne)
poured a ceaseless stream of metal
upon the poor 'blighters' waiting for
our infantry attack. In the gun pits,
stripped to the whist, with sweat run
ming down us and covered with oil and
dirt. we do some record firing.
Deaf, owing to the terrific noise
and conclusion; smartlng eyes where
lachrymatory gas had penetrated un-
der our masks, strained faces due to
lack OF sleep; but, withaI, a look of
on every face.
1--WE get the signal to pause for
as the infantry is going over
the top The London Terriers Oondon
Scots, Rife brigade, etc., who were
In front of us, went steadily across,
and In exactly 30 minutes from the
time of starting had penetrated the |
enemy's fourth line of trenches.
"As they got nearer the German
Ines, the latter rushed ont and threw
up their hands, but on the Terriers |
went to the next trench. though not |
without bestowing a kick on the fen |
Ter part of the 'bllghter's' anatomy. |
caving them for those who followed.
eve start firing again at a longer |
-ange, and work like demons MS our
'ange gradually creeps up, and the
uses are heightened accordingly, for
We know our men are going on rapidlv.
We set up a cheer when we knew they
lad reached the fourth line of
renches.
AT one time we reached such a
'npid rate of firing that water had to