The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-10-11
AT FORT SMELLING
HARRY SHuLTZ TELLS OF THE
OFFICERS SCHOOL.

TT. Smelling, Mimi, Oct. 2, 1917
Time, which is usually very scarce
article with me, is hanging heavily
upon me today and hence these few
lines. | happened to be detailed as
mail orderly for today and hence the
| leisure time.
Things, are being pushed at the
usual high,rate Of speed but the men
have become accustomed to the hard
work and seem to enjoy themselves
pretty we'll except when the regular
army instructors happen around
These regular army instructors are
regular "kaisers." They are eagle
eyed autocrats and look from them
puts the fear of God in a mans heart
1t seems queer now frightened 15C
men will become at the approach of
their instructor. But this is as it
should be, for without this feeling on
the part Of the men the results that
have been attained would never have
been possible.
This week marks the sixth week Of
our stay here and as yet the "ghost
has not walked" Old General Delay
is as efficient as usual, it seems.
Tn the RIfie Range .....
This weeks program provides for
the entire week on the rife range,
and although the men are very little
practiced at shooting with high
powered rifles, they arc making some
excellent scores. Very few Of them
have failed 10 qualify as marilsmen
or better. 1t. is very amusing to
watch tgrccn" recruits approach the
firing point with fear and trembling
Men who have had experience, take
great pains TO inform the novice what
wicked "kick" the U. S. magazine
rifle has. As a matter of fact the
rife does have a powerful recoil but
not SO great that one need become
alarmed over it. But the new man
always goes up to the firing point
thoroughly convinced that he is going
to get his shoulder broken.
The artillery here has been COM
PEELED, through lack of field pieces, to
drill with soap boxes for caissons and
a rife on board for a cannon. 1t
would make anyone laugh to see Bert
Wander Wilt galloping across the
parade ground, dragging soap box
at the end of a piece of string and
then to see him run the other way
when some leather lunged individual
yells, "Caisson, right wheel. Hol"
However, it is said that in Europe at
the present time all artillery men are
trained with small two-wheeled carts
before they are given work with ac-
tual materials. The student artillery
men here are soon to. get training with
real cannon, however, as batter of
the 168th Regular United States ar
tillery has been detailed to this post,
to be used by the students.
An Officer From the Front
The coast artillery students have
departed for Fort Monroe, where they
will receive special instruction in The
handling Of the big guns. These men
will be assigned to duty in the heavy
field artillery, which at present is so
effectually ripping up the German
lines. It Is said that at the present
time, there are more artillerymen in
the field than there are infantrymen
This is undoubtedly true because at
the present time fire superiority
must be gained by the artillery before
the infantry can successfully advance.
We are having. some very excellent
special instruction from Capt. Chef !,
faud, French machine gun Office
He says that machine gun companies
today do not last very long. Out of