Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-05-12

Their. Torn, beaten and shattered into
thousand fragments, the remnants Of
the Russian host beat retreat. How
many reached the protection Of their
trenches under the unceasing German
fire no one can tell, but the ground be-
tween the German and Russian lines
was covered with dead and dying.
There was no further attack that
night.
Toward morning the thunder OF the
cannon quieted and the cries of the
wounded were almost stilled by day
break.
The great battlefield was asleep only
for an hour when the action OF the
fourth day began with another terrific
drum fire, which lasted until long past
noon.
Again the Russian wave broke from
the forests, but It had hardly got out
Of the woods before the German
artillery opened fire. Again shells
tore open the ranks: again the ma
chine guns piled up the dead. The task
was more terrible than on the day be-
fore, as the Russians had to storm
over the bodies of their dead COM
rades.
Again the night was freezing cold,
again the hours were hideous with the
cries OF the dying men out there on
the battlefield and again the darkness
was filled with the thunder Of cannon.
To prevent night attack, the Ger
mans kept up discharge of illuminat-
ing rockets and a blue-greenish glare
added to the ghastliness OF the field of
death. But no Russians dared to ad-
vance.
At daybreak the Russians opened
with a third drum fire. This time It
was more terrible than on the previ.
GUS occasions, for It was directed not
only on the German trenches, but deep
into the lines behind them, to hold
back the reserves and prevent the
bringing up Of relief to the half-frozen
German soldiers, who, bundled up,
were standing in the water-filled dug
outs waiting for the attack which they
knew was inevitable. At eight o'clock
the attack came and this time II was
moro successful.
Despite the artillery, despite the ma
chine guns and despite the infantry
fire, the apparently inexhaustible regi.
ments OF Russians swept on over the
dead, over the barbed.wire barriers be-
fore the German line, over the first
trenches and routed the German SOL
diers, who were half frozen in the mud
of their shattered shelters. A terrific
hand-to-hand conflict followed. Hand
grenades tore down scores of defend
ers and assailants alike. The men
fought like maniacs with spades, bay
onets, knives and dubbed guns.
Within 100 Feet Of Victory.
But the Russians won at fearful
price for so slight a gain. 1t might
have been worth more had the Rus.
sian deluge swept farther, but 1t did
not. The Russians stopped within q
hundred feet Of victory. It may have
been lack of discipline. lack of officers
or lack Of reserves; no one knows.
The Russians seemed helpless in
the German trench: instead OF sweep
ing on into the second lines they tried
to intrench themselves in the wrecked
German first line. Immediately Ger.
man artillery hurled shells Of the
heaviest caliber into these lines. and
tore them into fragments.
Then came the German reserves, and
by nightfall the Russians had again
been driven out, 500 Of them being
taken prisoners.
Four days Of almost absolute quiet
followed. with only occasional artillery
fire and now and then a sputtering in.
fantry volley across the glade with its
burden Of death when the scout posts
on either side thought they saw the
enemy. The weather turned warm
again and the field OF battle was an
almost impossible swamp.
Attack Without Drum Fire.
On the eighth day reports reached
the German lines that the Russians in.
tended TO make a surprise attack that
night without any drum fire. The Ger
man artillery therefore shelled the
Russian woods at terrific rate at
hourly intervals through the night. All
the troops remained on duty without a
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