Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-07-24
times u||P / !, B b J !
over WITH Y0lU!!'''
loW Psrshing's Troops Will
Charge Gsrman Positions . !
DREAMS IN FACES OF men

.fssH -'-'-
DREAMS IN FACES OF men
At the Moment When Soldiers Leap
From Their Trenches Self coEnmun.
lon 10 Mors Than 4 Mare Phrase.
Time Before the Attack Hangs Heavy,
and Moments Pass Slowly.
A military writer in the Pail Mall
Gazette Of London gives this descrip-
ton Of an experience soon to be had
by General Pershing's men-an attack
on a German trench:
There Is a moment when dreams
come into the faces Of men. when self
communion is something more than
phrase and when for once the ideal
seems nearer than the real. That y
before the most momentous order that
can be given: Times up. boys! Over
with your
am q platoon commander. I have
Just left company headquarters dug
out after a powwow, and my watch
has been synchronized by brigade
time. T-...s,.
/ First, there are the sergeant and
Junior N. c. O.'s to be told. Even now
the shell fire is warmish. The orders
are concise enough. At 1896 noon we
are to mount the parapet simultaneous.
" with the first wave, who are occu-
plying the line thirty yards ahead Of
US. That indistinct ridge of mud Is
our objective. There is to be no hest
tation, no taking cover or hating In
friendly shell craters-and no failure.
The regiment has never failed in any.
thing 1t has set out to achieve, and It
must not fail now. The N. @. O.'s
listen quietly and without demonstra-
ton. Each returns to his unit, and
one and all of us settle down on the
floor Of the trench to wait for the
passing Of the odd two hours which
might elapse before we learn what
going over the top" means.
Two Long Hours.
It is the longest two hours I have
ever known. At last get stifdy to
my feet and realize little Of my tired.
ness. We have spent the previous
four days and nights strengthening
our position, digging, digging. digging,
for no attack is ever made from 9
weak position. .s I
Our clothes are muddy and torn
Our boards have grown their own
sweet way for week. Our eyes are
the eyes Of men who have slept little
and seen much.
Five minutes more. "a
"Pass the word down to AZ bayo-
nets" The man next to me Is looking
1t something in silver locket. There
Il curious lull in the firing.
Four minutes, three minutes.
catch sight of my sergeant, and
our eyes meet. There Is good deal
In our exchange Of glances. He Ia q
grizzled Mons veteran, and I am only
young subaltern in my first attack.
His gaze is very full Of meaning. ! am
to prove myself. Every man in the
platoon looks to me. My heart thumps,
One minute more.
Time.
Two Hundred Guns Roaring.
The world breaks into hideous clam
or. Behind us something like 200 guns
roar in one mighty chorus for our pro-
lection. I Chamber on the parapet, and.
miles down the line, other officers,
Junior and senior, stand as I stand.
for one second markedly conspicuous.
up with you, boys! At 'emg'
The advance begins.
We go in long, straight lines at a
curiously steady little dog trot. In the
air Is hell and confusion. Shrill scream
ing and ear splitting explosions Of our
shrapnel barrage, sicken!ng, ponderous
crunch Of German 81. E.. flying splin-
tiers, smoke and everything that beg
CARS description. I find myself getting
annoyed because two of my
men are In advance Of their fellows
shout at them.
AS well shout at the moon.
One Of them falls queerly.
We are nearly there; perhaps an
other fifty yards. The din increases.
It is unimaginable; 1t is staggering.
One feels at the same time helplessly
dwarfed, hopelessly subdued
and the next moment supremely ex-
allied. Men are now falling faster.
The wave Of men preceding us Is get
ting thin, and we are quickly gaining
on them. Soon we are among. them.
and as one mass we charge into the
German first line trench. For q mo-
ment pandemonium. Then things
clear up. These boches are outclass-
by sheer superiority
and unbeatable pluck. Rifles are