Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-01

r.4rH BESIDE or lie in front of the
mash guns and watch them hurl their
y, III tons Of hate into the German
.1e- = is quite something else again
,o q a German and have all this hate
med A. you.
Tr4 British remember the days when
.-t, Woe ~ but Gunless, and the Ger
VANS 'u!rod upon them their torrents
r. C.p.0siyo fire. Today. ard every
r., .hcy are paying off that old score
r..- compounded interest that would
--s,o Tho heart of usurcr beat with
.cl
German prisoners tell more and more
n m horror Of existence " thin their
.: vtcn the British guns are in an
VI, plaua TROY Ell also Of the grow
,-g ...a.n Upon body and mind of the
Ne -hc, are compelled TO live as deep
h. .fn ho~vc's of tho earth as they can
,c,e, oft"n s=htinG for the safer
7~r= NJ tho iover levels. All this is
,a-.ne is effect upon the enemy morale,
f. German military scipline has
res ,uch through the last 20 years
,-- - lnnI1nCe stiii holds the Emper-
orr armies together In worthy lighting
la.'-
captured letters and diaries taken
.-5m dead or prisoners depict condi-
.,cas n tho German lines in language
IS mpin a 10 he most convincing. 1t
Is doubtful if any such letters ever
pass the military censor ard reach the
Intended destinations in Germany. They
ducll too similarly upon the hell Of
,h>~preporde rating British guns.
+ was "A magnificent battle spectacle
70 watch Gay after day the British ar
,,lery preparation for the fighting at
Nc,s!nes ridge on tune la st. 1t is far
more Interesting, however. to read the
story from the other side" as told in
the translated copy of a German cor
polals diary from May Is onward.
Here II is;
May os-The English have become
more active in tho Nytschaete salient.
A. So we proceeded by forced marches
70 Menin where tho div sion assemblies.
We reach the support lines at Confines
ard arc at once greeted by round of
shrapnel. On we go to emergency and
alarm quarters. lying in the meadows
as It ia too dangerous in a house. In
the night the firing was almost insup-
portable. yet 1 slept tolerably well.
May a0-Three gas alarms jas some
gas shells are fred and gas is dis
charged against our front line. Heavy
fro all night. One cannot get to sleep.
May 30-In the evening the firing
Uses TO colossal intensity; in the night
{ svells and with the morning becomes
d.Lmlre
Juno ALI day intense artillery,
patty drumfire. We are all the time
lying on the qui vive. it is terrible
June 2-We visit the reserve posi-
tons. It is an absolutely terrible cor
nsr into which we have come, a regu
lar rat-trap. ! doubt IL we ever get
on. safe. We move off and take up our
quarters in cellar on the chateau
road From PIP. NJ. the English COM
rence an intense fire on back areas
and batteries. AS we are lying just in
front Of battery we are under heavy
FIRE Every minute we are ready to
hoI, So the endless afternoon passes
in anxious waiting. At 10 O'Clock the
English suddenly shift their fire fur
ther south. II rises to drum and
finally 10 hurricane fire. At II O'Clock
ward and in the Internal uproar which
now sets in from our batteries and the
enomys We are obliged to man the
signalling stations. The English have
attacked our left wing but are unable
g. advance The Internal concert goes
or until past midnight.
June 3-Heavy fire all the night.
sonnet me7 the back area is gassed. In
front they say things are in a frantic
state. no longer any trace of trenches.
Trio frs. battalion has heavy casualties.
What happened at Arras will happen
n Il. here About II o'clock the Eng
Isl give us drumfre. At O'Clock
rrca' hurricane of fire directed on the
front trenches; in the evening again
heavy fire on all communicat. or
trenches. ~ night gas shells are fired
OF a large scale, the whole place stinks
~ gas
June : Midday, heavy fire in front.
r tho afternoon increased artillery &C
tvitv. m the evening heavy bursts of
h-'0G IN front. and everything is again
Heav,ly gassed. Lively fire continues
'hc whole night. Many casualties.
The n1nn ~ tho Kricgschule course arc
'el'lnc away continually. 1t is a
regular plaque srot they have pushed
y into again, worse than Arras. The
mooi ~ MI troops almost one OF de-
s7a'r under the heav; English fire
'Junc Throughout three nights ar
'i.lsry activity has been intense. To-
7isht We so UP in relief. Who knows
VIA fate has IN store for US. Fore
r7ol somewhat quieter: afternoon all
TIE " der We are half mad with the
H-i3r - only the English would come
sror tN"n tho whole thing would ne
e,;;,ed ana this hell have its end. The
t0a- d7ys up n front fill me with nor
r.: Several hcaviss fall close TO our
fis0lt and we are forced 10 fly Tor
refuge . the telephone dugout as
Offers more protection. Not till 10
ocicok does the heavy bombardment
cease then only shrapnel comes into
pay Towards midnight the lombard
men. increases and all the routes OF
approach are kept under fire by the
English
At u o'clock our relief comes and
Fe are obliged TO advance in the most
o'ent shrapnel and she'll hre. In
site 81 the mad Are on we go.
AZ 1890 we reach the gigantic
5aabwald sheil-cra.er held Under