The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-20
TAKING 4 TRENCH. /
Of MANY DETAILS /
Charge Is Made Over Bodies
of Comrades Killed as They
Leave their DugoutS.

! portion of the trench they are to cap
ture Is well known to them. Just be-
] fore the attack their officer indicates
to them the exact limits of the part
( they are to occupy The men that are
to fight through the boyau have been
allotted a complement of grenades.
The artillery men in charge of the
big guns in the rear, those manning
the fast firing fieldpieces back Of the
trenches. and the men who fire the
tiny cannon that shoot crapouillots or
work the spring contrivances that
launch aerial torpedoes have all been
notified. The officers In charge of the
various batteries have proved their
range guided by signals from aero
planes and by personal observation.
Quantities OF ammunition have been
sent up to the trenches. including a
large supply of hand grenades and
lance rackets. The latter consists OF.
tin box. the shape of sardine can. full
Of bits of cast iron and packed with
an explosive and nailed on a crude
wooden paddle SO as to make ii easy
to throw after lighting the fuse.
The attack is TO take place at 3
o'clock. The artillery goes into action
from one-half TO three hours before the
infantry charge. depending on the ma
ture of the trench to be taken. In this
case the trench is not exceptionally
strong. The artillery will prepare the
way for but half an hour.
The men in charge of the little trench
cannon in the second line get their eX-
plosiyes ready. An aerial torpedo is a
large conical shaped projectile with fin
like planes tapering from the sides,
which guide it evenly in its flight.
The reserves going past the gunners
on their way to the trenches call out.
asking them TO shoot well. for when
the explosives have fallen true and
wrought havoc in the trenches the in
fantry has an easy time of 1t. The
windings of the enemy trenches and
boyaux are known from aerial observa-
ton. and the trench cannon and cata-
pults are aimed accordingly. They are
ready. 1t is not long until $50 p. M.
From the second line comes the sound
of sharp. rasping swish. and tor
pile lunges into the air toward the
German trenches 1t drops into
boyau just back of the first line. There
is a terrific detonation, and great
black cloud of dirt and smoke shoots
into the air An arm. the body of Il
man, severed head and a rifle jump
grotesquely upward and fall back to
earth. The torpille has blocked part
of the boyau by caving in the sides.
Suddenly the air is split by the sharp.
rapid barks of the wonderful seventy
6ves that can shoot to within a couple
of yards. The torpilles lunge over in
increasing numbers. Little crapouillot
cylinders shot from the small trench
cannon whistle across to the German
line The gap remains. The soldiers
are under cover in their abris. More
shells roar in as the batteries open up.
The trench is being blown to pieces.
The Germans reply. Their shells break
near the French trenches and in the
area behind. The noise of firing and
explosion of shells blends into an al
most continuous deafening roar.
rlSulluS az OIosC ASouSC.
The lieutenant whose men will make
the attack has been looking M his
watch. Shortly before he gives the |
to prepare for the sortie.
The men pull down a few sacks just
In front of them to make breaches |
through which they can crawl. A few
men who have been assigned to the
boyau leading to the German trench |
creep up to the dividing barricade and
open up a grenade and lance racket
attack A few Germans behind a shell
ter there return the fire. A grenade
hits close. One of the men falls, an
other Is wounded.
Through a rift in the bags the Ger
mans are seen going back to their
inc. They are afraid of being cut of.
The bags are pulled down. Another
nan falls. He has been shot by a
German hiding behind an elbow of
he boyau. A grenade is thrown there.
More men are crowding into the boyau.
t is mean fighting in those narrow
confines. They dare not go ahead I'M
il the attack is made.
II is 3 o'clock. The artillery in the
ear lengthens its range. The officer is
,eeping close watch ON the time. He
ignals and. with his men. Chambers
,ver the edge of the trench. 1t is a
errible moment. Something within
.ou freezes, and you feel thousand
.een emotions. Automatically. though,
-ou are crawling out. and once out and
.oing ahead the tension leaves.
The attack has started. but it is not
uch a charge as one pictures. There
J no majestic forward sweep in
hrilling and glorious charge. 1t is
Keeping out and get across as best you
an before you are killed. You cannot
un fast. for the ground is full of shell
oles. A shell shrieks down and hide
us. jagged fragments tear into the ad-
ancing men.
There is a hammering whirr and a {
inging stream of bullets sweeps the
eployed lines. A mitrailleuse! 1t has
OF been broken by the artillery. Men
re falling quickly. They stumble.
rumple up ard lie still, but you do not
office them All you think of is get (