Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-06-11
FRENCH SURPASS
GERMAN TROOPS
AS FIGHTING MEN


AT THE FRENCH FRONT, June 10
If the morale" of troops may be based
on the initiative they display in face
of the enemy, then that of the French
soldiers at all points of the front must
be regarded as excellent. Three years
of the severest kind of warfare has not
Jaded them. In fact, the spirit of at
tack has, if anything, increased among
them. The recruits of the younger
classes learn quickly to profit from
the experience of their comrades who
have become veterans and past mas
ters in the art of furnishing surprises
to the enemy. and after their incorpora
+, ton into the fighting units in the
trenches, where they rapidly acquire
the routine of continual watchfulness.
| they lose no time in demonstrating
their desire to carry out some act OF
individual daring.
Living among them, as the writer
has done throughout the great opera.
lions of the Somme, in the Argonne
the Aisne, in Champagne, in Alsace and
around Verdun, one acquires an I'M
bounded admiration for the unceasing
activity and virility of the French sold
Iiers of all branches of the service.
Even during the intervals between
great attacks and battles, when il
would be expected they would be only
too eager to seek repose and relaxation
from the hardships and perils of trench
life, there are always to be found dar-
ing men among them who voluntarily
go out towards the German lines il
search of adventure, always with the
hope of bringing back some prisoners,
Oh disturbing the enemy's plans.
One outlet for their overlooking &C
tivity is the organization of trench
raids in which only few men com
pose the attacking force. In these
minor affairs, whose effect on the gen.
eral situation at the front is more i'm
portant than would at first appear,
since they harry the enemy and keep
him constantly guessing and worry
ing as to what may follow, the French
soldiers have become expert, and they
rarely return to their trenches with
cut some prisoners and some valuable
information as to conditions in the
Iopposing lines,
The commander of the army is not
consulted as to the carrying, out OF
these raids. Each colonel of regi-
lment has the final word as to whether
his men shall take the risk, and the
colonies take good care not to discour-
Iage their men from displaying them
individuality.
The problem of overcoming the net
work of barbed wire protecting the
front lines of the enemy's position pre-
sented difficulties at the beginning CT
the campaign, but artillery has now
acquired the mastery of that obstacle
and as a consequence the enemy no
longer finds himself in security be-
hind it. All the Frenhc colonel wants
to know, when a raid is about to be
undertaken, is the hour at which 1t Is
Intended to start. A few minutes suf-
fees to make penetration by resolute
infantrymen possible. Sudden out
breaks of artillery fire are so frequent
that the enemy often pays no more at
tention to them than to return some
shells, while the troops manning his
front trenches seek shelter in their
dugouts until the shower of steel has
stopped.
The enemy's uncertainty as to what
s to happen frequently leads to his
Iundoing, for before he has made up
his mind that the French guns have de-
c.ded to cease firing and that it is safe
10 came out from the shelters again he
finds French soldiers leaping into the
trenches and throwing grenades into
the mouths of the dugouts while CALI
ing on the occupants to surrender
Refusal or hesitation means a further
volley of grenades and almost certain
severe injury or death to those inside
Therefore they shout "Kamarade,
throw down their arms and come ont
t.. be chased before their captore back
Through the broken network of barbed
wire to the French line.
In one division the regiments made
a speciality of surprise trench raids ana
acquired almost unbelievable skill II
carrying them out almost without loss
to themselves, as result of which, be-
sides killing many enemies, they cap
tured ffty-three German prisoners
without the loss of single French
man.
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