El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-04
FRENCH DIDN'T
FEEL WOUNDS
Colonial Describes Tremen-
dous Elation as Army
Swept Through Foe.


Paris. France, July I've were
sent against Dompierre and Becquin-
court" said a young colonial infantry
man who was wounded in the battle
Of the Somme. Things did not drag.
The signal was given at . o'clock and
off we went. Two hours later, We had
Dompierrs, and Becquincourt and were
pushing along toward Herbecourt. We
had taken seven lines OF trenches. L
was real fine. There were few hand
to hand fights. We marched with fixed
bayonets but attacked the trenches
with bombs. I never have believed it
could have been done so quickly. 1
felt so good that when my wrist was
broken. near Herbecourt, didn't even
feel it,"
Another wounded man OF the same
regiment said;
While we were marching forward
We saw to the right OF US several tent
flaps peEged down to the ground.
Hello said the man beside me. the
Germans are drying their washing
We laughed and trudged along. But
presently shots came from behind US;
the Germans appeared from underneath
and We're shooting into our backs. We
fell upon them pretty quick Twenty
were killed and SO others threw up
their hands"
Germans Were Alert.
For month past the Germans have
been on the alert around the Somme
and orders had been given in a secret
circular TO construct special entrenCh-
ments- Saps had everywhere been
pushed TO within % yards OF the
French barb wire and numerous pas
sages were cut In the German wire
infringement TO enable their patrols 10
spy out every suspicious movement in
every part Of the French lines Fvtra
sneiJers mad been dug so feet behind
the trenches so that the men could
get into the trenches more quickly
when the French BON bardmeut ceased
Exits were made in the rear OF these
shelters
Woods Turned Into Redoubts.
Al. " oo9s, whenever well placed as was
that OF Mereaucourt. were turned into
formidable redOubts with specially con-
structed shelters with iron Orders over
the entrances Concrete protection was
erected TO resist the big shells At fire.
quent intervals there were srmored
concrete machine gun turrets-
In addition. villages were trans
formed houses were pulled down in or
der 10 give a uniform aspect and to
prevent aFlators from spOttng the guns
placed IN the cellars FINALLY all the
men were given four emergency ratfons
Of bread and coffee and $50 cartridges
and two bombs. Each section had also
a Hare pistol and 800 flares and two :
signal cartridges.
Reserves sent to Frize.
When the tack began July / the Ger
mans were so hard pressed they were .
obliged TO fall back upon Frize They
hoped 10 be able 10 cling there on ac-
count OF the marshy loop OF the Somme. P
but the German regiments holding that &
posluon were so badly punished by the {
bombardment that the reserves were R
ordered there This order was received .
al ] o'clock in the morning According I
10 a prisoner. they Immediately assem- .
oled and in companies marched through
Peronne- One after another they
reached Biaches. Flaucourt and then
Herec0urL Then progress was diff T
cult When they entered communicat-
Ing trenches leading TO F'rize they came
under terrible spell Of fire which I
heavy losses. Once or twice a /
panic started and was with great diff /
nculty allayed by the officers.
shells Pound shelters
Finally. toward Z o'clock. the rein
forcements which already had suffered
severely. reached the trenches and were I
posted between the second And third no !
sitons behind Frize where they were z
subjected TO n terrific bombardment. .
The men, crOuchinE in shelters 10 feet
below the ground could hear the ex-
ploslons OF the heavy French shells. /