The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-02-16
MANY DROWN IN MUD CKURNED UP
BY SHELLS ON the BATTLEFELDS
Modern Shell Fire Creates Probl EN- Such as No Army in History
Ever Had to Contend Wth-Artllery Smashes Trenches to
Mud and Pup-Great Strategy Has Disappeared and
Tactics Have Becom ne Commonplace.

his giant hammer blows make the most
aw%e-inspiring display Of pyrotechnlcs
the world has ever seen.
The wal alone Is interesting as a
study Of the psychology Of peoples.
and how that psychology changes in
the fierce heat Of the Somme melting
pot. Grand strategy has disappeared:
altogether tactics have become com
monplace, and no mind can now turn
victory into defeat by an inspired
decision at the decisive hour. Any
tyro Of the 1916 class after he has
spent q few weeks in the front line
knows how to take the iota Of pull
verified rubbish in his immediate front
just as well as Joffre or Iiaig or Hin
denburg.
Victory Depends on Guns.
All have learned that victory depends
on heavy guns and unlimited amlnu
milton. Germany appreciated the value
of heavy guns in the field before the
war. She was plentifuily supplied
with S-inch, 12-inch and 16-inch how
tiers. Other general staffs did not
consider it feasible to drag alon. this
monster ordnance with armies. Thus
we suffered heavily ut the start, es-
p~ecially the French. who relied eX-
c~lusively on their superb 70 quick fir
ING field gun. For the last two years
there has been a giant race in gun
production. Now the allies have not
only overtaken. but have got a long
way ahead of the central powers.
Our superiority on the Somme was
the most noticeable. and this. combined
with Il air-supremacy, rendered the
position Of the Germans, at times,
almost intolcrable. They We're not SO
short Of guns perhaps, as of ammuni-
ton. In August, September and Octo-
Der, three separate general orders
We're found on the dead Oh prisoners
o different generals commanding
groups of the army pointing out the alb
solute necessity Of outstanding the
ammunition supply and to take greater
care of the material itself.
The allies have not thus been handi-
capped. The Germans are busy aug
IN btiie Ait'AA AIN III
tion so as to compete this spring and
summer on more even terms. There
are acres of heavy guns along the
Somme front.
Imagine what 4 task ii is getting
these guns to their positions. The
roads leading to the Somme front cam
0 bear the weight Of the traffic.
They have disappeared into the mud,
and have to be constantly repnir~l.
The French have built miles Of light
railways. These monster 11-inch and
Pinch and 16-inch guns can only be
brought up On trains. Some of them
are placed in fixed positions. Others
have Il rowing mission and are fred
from the rails on anchored trucks ny
an ingenious arrangement. The oar
of the artillery is SO terrific that 1t
produces nervous prostration in many.
Get No Respite.
The unfortunate infantry in the
and day. | often have heard men say
Il don't mind the enemy's shells SO
much what l cannot stand is the noise
of u oWn guns"
On your way to the front you get
blown about from side to side by the
terrific blasts.
Some of the big shells which hurtle
through the air on the Somme front
weigh Il ton and a half. They can be
thrown 16 miles. Throughout the
night and day, without W a respite
the air Is filed with these steel mon
sters varying in weight from 10 pounds
to over i ton. What chance has the
poor infantryman got? A very poor
one.
Yet. With millions in the field, when
you are actually on the battlefield you