New Britain herald., 1917-05-25
PARTICIPANTS DIARY
 j BEFORE THE FIGHT
Troops Consider Attack As All
 in Days Work

French Front, May 2S-Two pa1es from the diary of a French soldier who was a member of an infantrv unit during the attack on the German mes in Champagne, which began on April 16 this year, will serve to dem-s onstrate the feeling of confidence or the French troops in their power to beat the Germans. The extract reads.
 "4:45 a. m.-A pale light whitens slightly the sky heavy with clouds. Since yesterday evening at six o'clock cannon have thundered uninterrupt- edly. the sound resembling the roll- ing Of giant drum. All night wind and rain. A shower has just stopped. The communication trench is full of water and we sink into mud up to the ankles.
 "5:30 a. m.-At the colonel's post. He chats with his adjutant and two captains. cheerful, smiling young men already wearing their steel helmets, their belts and equipment, with iron shod walking sticks in their hands, i ready to start. Outside the day breaks until little by little the wan light spreads over the grey plain. The two captains leave to join their com- panies after taking leave of the col onel. who shakes hands with them, re- 1 marking "All right! Go on! I will Join you out there.''
 "5:45 8. m.-In the jumpinK-off parallel. In the growing light the men are stopping in the mud at the bottom of the trench, or leaning with their backs against the sides. Some are sleeping with their helnets drawn over their faces. Others calfnly smoke cigarettes Many of them are young sters and their bronzed faces look quite boyish while they sleep. Two of them, in order to be warmer. cuddle up together.
 "6:55 a. m.-Everybody Is afoot, rifles in hands, with bayonets fixed. Buckles are frightened and haversacks adjusted.
 Far away. the sky clears and orange rays pierce the clouds, which have turned to pearl-grey. Tn spite of the incessant roar of the cannon, a nightingale is singing just in front.
 The plain in front of us gradually loses itself in the mist out of which flash from all points fugitive flames E1 CdOS0O Oy IA0 OUTSIlA8 Ol SH0llS. N "6:0O a. m.-"Fordward!" Noise
 leesly without whisper, the men chamber out of the trench onto the
 plain. The first out assist their com- rades by giving them their rifle butts
 to hold to. Then at a quick pace they advance with their bayonets pointed toward the boche trenches. There Is no shouting. not even of words of
 command. In small groups widely separated they 60 on without shade of hesitation. Each man knows where
 he is to go to and makes directly for
 his object.
 ''The machine guns crackle, bullets
 whistle by. shells burst around with a terrible tearing sound emitting black smoke from which screeching frag-
 ments of steel hurtle through the air. | But the waves of men, always advance not stopping even when they come across patches of barbed wire entan- l elements which have not been broken LID by the French artillery. These they go round and take up their
 alignment on the other eide. Then
 they disappear from view. "6:3O a. m.-The first wounded men
 begin to arrive and at the same time
 some prisoners. gaunt and covered with mud.
 ..In the meantime the position has bean won"