Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-25

new British trench. and beyond that,
across an area of dead grass and
wavy maise, was the old first line Ger
man trench.
Own Shells Just Overhead
Now out of the British trench ap~
peared a row of khaki-tinted mush-
rooms. the steel helmets the British
soldiers wear. then their heads and
shoulders and full forms as the charge
went over the parapet. Every man
was in full equipment with all it's de-
talls VISIBLE every figure uniform with
all others to the last item, as the
moved across the field If dead grass
briskly and steadily. No ominous,
wicked staccato of German machine
guns coming into action was heard.
NO machine gunner could live at his
post in hat trench.
h British line opened to go around
smell craters or other obstacles and
then closed up. Occasionally a figure
dropped and was lost in the grass.
Right into the face of that curtain of
death from shells going only a few
feet over their heads they were NOV
ing. Then, suddenly as it was laid,
the curtain of shell fire lifted. Not
a single shell out of the~thousands had
burst short.
-'SF IN GIG 6OlIk ON6IL III
German parapet with their bayonets
gllstening in the sun. AS they de-
scended into the trench the earth
seemed to have swallowed them up.
Little clouds of smoke from bursting
bombs rose from the trench. There
was hot work proceeding, out of sight
in the burrows.
Crumple Under Fire
one after another, as though they
were coming to the top of stairs, heads
and shoulders appeared out of the
trench. Each German had his hands
up and in file the prisoners moved
past a Briton standing on the parapet.
THESE Germans, who had not waited
to be bombed out of their dugouts.
but had surrendered, came Logging
II at top speed back toward the British
first line trenches.
What about the Germans who had
He'd back toward the German support
trench? A light machine gun the Brit
ish had put up ratified into their back.
Ahead of them was the British curtain
of fire, now lifted INTO the German
support trench. They seemed to dis
appear into the earth, some shot
down., some wounded. others seeking
security in shell craters. Few will
survive. n figure alone holds the
stage for a fraction of a minute there
in that l~ifeless space around them.
Tall and bold, a German officer stands
up Ol llG SuSG Oh a
trench and looks around. He goes
down abruptly as if he had been hit a
hard blow back Of the knees.
Prisoners Come Smiling
Now British helmets rise from the
German first line and start on with
another charge to the German support
trench. They will clean up any Ger
mans lying in shell craters on the way.
They grow dim with distance and in
the fading light, but they get there.
They ave the support trench, their
signals say. And that bunch of run
ming German prisoners coming toward
the British rear as fast as they can is
enveloped in some s%hellburst. The
German curtain of fire is now being
laid on the old first line British trench
area, which explains why all The pris-
oners taken do not reach the collec-
ton stations alive. Those seen fairly
out of range of shell fire were smiling
and seemed much relieved.
They will have a good, square meal
over in the camp by that clump of
trees tonight" said the general, and
they have been under fire for the last
time in this war"
Walking with them were the British
wounded, ais smiling.