New-York tribune., 1916-07-05
LR, Cssle % N, rnhune ]

Somewhere Northeast of Paris, July
s Were YOU glad to get the order
TO attack" asked a young soldier
in the hospital a; X?
Glad" he exclaimed. ut was the
best news We had in weeks. We had
been expecting II almost hourly during
the five days and nights while the
bombsrdmcnt continued. The cannon
adc was so heavy that the earth shook
with .t. and during all that time never
a Boche dared TO show his nose over
the trenches.
I'VE did not see German all the
time except those who surrendered out
a good many OF them, both officers and
men. came into our lines and gave
themselves up because they were un-
able 20 stand the bombarGment.
1T is surprising how many Young
men among them were hardly more
than bows. Excepting the officers,
many acknowledged that they were only
sixteen. Most OF them were well
clothed. but they looked tired. worn
out and half starved. They SAID that
their communications were cut by our
bombardment and they had been un-
able for two days TO get food INTO
the frst-line trenches. They sald that
for three weeks they constantly car
ried three days rationS IN sacks. but
when those gave out and hunger added
10 the terrors of bombardment. they
couldn't hold out any longer and mad
20 surrender.
Bad News from Home.
con top of il all. there was bad
4 if...sr
going well there and the pinch was
getting worse all the time. We could
not help feeling sorry for the poor
boys. but what they had 10 say made
Us all the more anxious for the order
TO charge.
with luck as well as big guns on our
side. we will wind II up this time, and
there will be no more war lord. Our
organization is wonderful. Every sol
der knew just what he had 10 do, Just
what positions his regiment had to
take. My regiment had Dompierre and
Bequincourt for objectives.
The general charge started at 1;3O
a. m. but we didn't leave the trench
until Q o'clock. Two hours later both
Dompierre and Bequincourt were IN
our possession. and We were half way
to Herbecourt. We had cleaned out
seven lines of German trenches.
There was little bayonet work We
, went forward at double time. cleaning
up trenches with grenades and sending
prisoners 20 the rear. With such an
organization as the Germans mad IN
front Of US. ! never thought we cou!d
do II so quickly.
II was so happy that when l got my
wound while near Herbecourt | didn't
know il had happened until an officer
called my attention and sent me to the
rear
Losses Never So Light.
Another soldier said that never in a
previous attack had losses been so
light. Comparatively very few were
killed and not so many wounded as
usual.
"The Germans don't seem TO have
heavy cannon TO reply TO our lombard
ment as they had in Champagne SAID
/ this man. From our position we came
out Of little wood to attack the Ger
mans. Their preparation had been stu
/ pendous. but nothing was left OF II by
I our bombardment.
"Thev had three lines Of trenches in
front The first was their attacking
/ trench right close up TO the barbed wlre
cntanglements, and behind that their
firing trench: then behind that was
their third line supporting trench AV-
eraginc nearly : kilometre back OF that
4rst nositlon. but connected with l.
bv communication trenches every few
Hundred wards. was another series OF
two trenches with barbed wire. and
still another kilometre in the rear, an
additional series Of two trenches.
"Bctween the first and second series
and the second and third were innum-
cradle small isolated positions like
mall forts or blockhouses. and ma
chine Gun positions. But our fire had
levelled them all Our great troubl ?
was that we met so little real opposi-
tion that we went too fast, and all The
time our officers were calling to us 10
hold back ard not 20 so fast, or we
would run into our own artillery hre.
Tells Of Nerdun.
"We did not have much real infantry
/ fighting. The Germans either put Their
hands up and surrendered or turned
and ran the other way. and we had a
lard chase to catch them. One prls-
oner said he had been at Verdun. He
said: After Verdun, to come here and
get killed no. that is too much. lie
was one Of those who put his hands
up"
All the wounded have come back
loaded with souvenirs OF all xmas
German caps. helmets, sabres. belts
and they hang onto them like. grim
death They are the happiest lot oil
men for a bunch of wounded that one
could imagine. All are laughing ana
say it is good TO get wounded In