Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-01-08

I;ut the "laukS" went along. Ii was
>,il early in the day when the order
10 advance was given. For half
hour or 50 the guns in the British lines
big guns, back distance from the
iir>t-!nc tronches-had been speaking
with Il roar such rs the Germans had
not heard in months of fighting. This
preliminary bombardment always gives
notice of an impending charge, and the
Germans were ready. in spite of an
artillery fire 50 terrific that trenches
were pulverized and bOmb-proofS torn
aSunder. Then, when the German
trenches had been hammered thor
ouEhly and for the prcarranged time
10y tn" heavy guns. the order TO charge
ran along the lines. Officers looked ut
their watches. found that the exact
second set for the charge had arrived,
saw To the last details. and waited for
the final signal which sent them leap
ing out with cheer.
The moment came. and the charge
was on. But leading the van were the
tanks" Tommy laughed and cheered.
the big. crazy craft, for all the world
like ferry boats climbing about on
land. wheeZed and banged their way
ahead, in front of the first ranks of
BritonS. 1t is related that the Ger
mans, seeing the strange mechanical
contrivanccS emerge with the leaping
battalionS, stood at their posts and
laughed with their foes. And then
their mirth became horror.
German machine guns began to play
their stream of leaden death upon the
monsters. German rifles spat mt them.
Gerlnan big guns, half mile to the
rear. had news of their coming by tel
ephone, and the sweating crews in the
gun pits toiled TO change the range.
But the tanks numbered on.
They numbered on in straight line,
of what lay in their road. The
Scared trunk of Il shell-blasted tree
stood in the way-a tank" Ieveled il.
and numbered on. Right in front of a
tank" was Il huge depression, as big
as the bed of Il pond, gouged out by
Il busy Bertha The tank" laZily |
slid down the near bank, and drunk |
emily staggered up the far one. Then |
came barbed wire. woven in a rusty |
SPIDERS web of tangled steel strands. !
The tanks" never hesitated-they |
numbered straight on through. And all !
the while these tanks" spilled out |
IF their steel bungholes streams of |
Heath.
And then they were at the trenches. |
The Germans We're standing their
ground, Pumping their magazine rifles
until the barrels were too hot To hold:
'ecding cartridges into the hoppers Of
heir machine guns as fast as The
rank would turn, hurting hand gre
lades and whiZ-bangs as swiftly as
hey could draw back their throwing
rms and let fly. But the tanks"
anne on. slow. numbering. complaining
'rutcS of machines that writhed over
Obstacles as a caterpillar wriggles
'ver Il knot on a twig. They came on.
light To the sandhag parapets of the
;rrman firSt-line trench.
And then happened fearSome thing.
The Germans on their firing plat
OrmS saw broad steel Snout root
through the SandbaGs on the trench
arapet. The whole mighty bulk of
hc monster was thrust forward and
pward. The broad caterpillar wheel
ndpr the SnOut hung poised for a mo-
lent. like the cropping foot feeling for
rm ground. Then the great mocha
ism jolted ahead trembling and groan-
~. while the machine guns in the
tank" swept the trench To right and
1T: hand grenadcs hurled by its crew
ought out the Germans in the bomb