Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-08

ever, had brought their guns far for-
ward on the ridge and were prepar.
Mines Exploded.
Day VA scarcely breaking whom
from the dimly visible ridge Q score
OF merry volcanoes seemed suddenly to
spring from the earth. The night had
been filled with strange noises and
still stranger sights, but these masses
mad a meaning all their own. They
were the spectacular outward ana
visible evidences Of more than q mil.
lion pounds Of high explosives which
had been buried deep in mines below
the enemy's positions for months.
All the world appeared lurid ana
horrible under the sinister glow. The
earth shook an II torn by a great sells
shock. The force Of the explosion ac-
tually set the earth rocking to ana
fro. and under the influence Of the
giant guns which Immediately began
to roar from far and near. the trem.
bling continued indefinitely. It was
ten minutes past 3 o'clock 90 this
fnal, terrific bombardment began.
Greatest Bombaxdment.
It has seemed that the battle Of the
Somme attained the ultimate Ia the
close assembly of war weapons. but
this sudden outpouring on Messinss
Ridge was beyond all calculation
The lighter feld guns far forward cot
the assaulting troops trudged conf
IDENTIFY to their allotted goals. Far.
thor back. the deep-throated heavies
began to pour out torrents Of high
explosive shells on the German
trenches and communications. while
still other guns-enough to win any
ordinary battle-confined themselves
solely to the task Of deluging German
guns n runners In baths Of gas
fred in shells Of every conceivable
calibre.
Casualties Eight.
The effect Of this counter battery
work was not appreciated until later
in the day. when the infantry sent
back word h a their progress had not
been hampered by the enemy artil.
lery and that their casualties amount
ed to virtually nothing. :.
Great black observation balloons
din Of the newly begun battle. In the
wood back Of the windmill, spring
birds. awakened by the deafening
clamor, had begun to sing Joyously.
Like SO many children who have
come into tho consciousness Of being
IN the midst OF. the war, these birds
regarded the appalling noise Of the
battle a. . normal condition Of life.
The smoke Of the giant mines ex.
ploded along the battle front mean
time rose in great, curling plumes to-
ward the sky and was punctuated by
red signals for help from the stricken
Germans in the front and support
lines. Never was the air filled with
more frantic notices Of danger. Tho
entire horizon Flowed with red balls
of fire sent up by the nervous Ger.
mans.
More and more British airplanes
began to make their appearance. One
few over the lines. the flashes Of the
guns being reflected brilliantly on its
highly glazed wings.
Germans Daxed. s.f
Under this appalling nre trudged
forward on the ten-mfle front Gem
eral Plumer's army. At many places
the men found German troops utter
ly dazed by the mine explosion and
the ordeal of the artillery IRE. Many
OF these troops had but recently come
from Russia. where they had spent
eighteen months and knew nothing Of
what actual warfare was like on the
western front. They had bolted at
the first mine explosion ana had only
been gathered together in groups by
their non-commissioned officers when
h British appeared out Of tho smoke
and shells and made them prisoners.
Their surprise at what a modern bat
tie Is like wa no greater, some Of
the prisoners said to h correspond
ent. than the fact that they were not
killed Immediately by their captors.