Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-25


IN that time we lost more than $50
dead. Out of 600 others 4o2 were
was Impossible.
The British gunfire ragged around us,
| wrecking shelters. sending the strong
est works tumbling about our ears, CIV
ing US the Impression we were always
| world, only waiting for the British sol
dfers to push US over the brink. We
stood 1t as long as we could. and then
! told our superior officers the useless
slaughter must cease. We were to go
back to the rest trenches and have re-
| lief or we would. take the first oppor-
tunfty Of surrendering to the British.
Plot in the Trenches.
Our officers took no notice, but we
knew that a report on the subject had
been, made to headquarters. The next
day two of the non-commissioned Off
GERS who had taken the message to the
commander were placed under arrest
for breach of discipline. During the
hull in the fierce British bombardm emit
our men met and discussed the matter.
They decided to send word to the Off
GERS that the two imprisoned men must
be released at once and was sent with
the message. I was received by the
commander, who told me I was to wait
until he had time to consider the mat
ter. By that time telephone commune
cation with headquarters was reopened
and in my presence our commander
spoke to the stan He, afterward had
me arrested. and was placed in a dug
out along with the two other prisoners
for removal to Rou1ers, where it was
proposed to try us by court-martial:
Fortunately for. us. our comrades got
uneasy at the delay, and they came in a
body to see the commander, who was
told that he must hand oyer the three
Of us or take the consequences.
=. Started Abuse of Men.
He was unwilling to do SO, and
started to abuse the men, He was
seized ana thrown into the dusout
from which we were taken. After re-
leasing us the men went to hunt up
the rest Of the officers, but in the
meantime one OF them had got into
tercepted a message to say that troops
were on their way to deal with the
mutiny. -
WEI had gone too far to turn back,
50 Swe imprisoned the whole of our If
hcers and remained in shelter until the
British attack would give us a chance
Of getting away.
Meanwhile the British fire was get
ting stronger than ever. and we were
! soon relieved from anxiety regarding
our own position by the. intense fire
Of the British guns. which made 1t i'm
possible for the troops sent to quell
the mutiny to reach US. We had to re-
main for another eight hours in these
British guns, and when they found
they could not get at US our own COM
mand = turned their guns onto the
trenches and gave US much the same
dose Of she'll fire as they were giving
the British.
Hold Trench for British. -
really on the British side, holding out
against our own side in a trench which
the British were able to capture with
out the loss OF single life. It was a
very anxious time for US.
The. British troops could not know
what was going on, and they attacked
US as though we were still enemies
We had to go through trying time
until the attacking British troops were
in sight.
We put up-a white flag as the British
approached and shouted out that we
were sick of the war. Seeing that our
gunfire was still dropping around. the
British soldiers thought it was only
another white flag trick, and were un-
willing to treat US as having sur
rendered. However. they were soon
convinced on that point, and we were
all glad to get out the hell we had
been In. There were then only some
200 of the battalion unhit.
Bavarians Refuse to Attack.
Bavarian battalion refused to remain
in the fighting line any longer, and
when the officers threatened to shoot
them the men broke into open mutiny
and killed the whole of their officers.
For sixteen hours after that they re-
manned in the trenches, but one day
they managed to get into communities
ton with the British and they sur
rendered.
On another occasion a Saxon battal-
ion which mutinied was punished by
being sent into a particularly danger
Gus part of the line, where they had
to remain under fire for four days. Be-
fore the British attack this battalion
was removed from the line and Prus-
sian. regiment was sent in its place.
The Saxons were taken to the reserve
base and after being addressed by Gen..
Won Armin two non-commissioned off,
were taken out and shot. with the init
nation that every day the battalion
remained mutinOus the same number
Of men would be shot until the regi-
ment was wiped out.
1t was only after the men had each
signed a written expression of regret
for their conduct and expressed their
determination to fight better in future
that they were forgiven by the COM
mand.
: The 249th. which is also a Bavarian
regiment. - though bearing a Saxon
name,' broke into mutiny after suffer-
ing heavy casualties in the front line.
Word was taken in time to German
headquarters, and machine gun parties
were sent out to- cooperate with the
artillery in shooting down the mutt
neers.
nuly about half the battalion escaped;
The men of this battalion were forced
I'd provide the firing party which shot
their comrades accused of being ring
leaders The condemned men begged
their own firing party to obey orders
saying they did not wish more lives
sacrificed.
People outside Germany do not know the
whole truth about the natal mutiny. II
was far greater than has been admitted.
When news of 1t leaked out the letters
for the men in the army were censored.
We fret heard Of 1t by the arrival on our
part Of the front of party of seamen
who had been turned into soldiers as pun
ishment for their share in the mutiny
They told us that there had been a reign
of terror, at Wiihelmshaven when the trou-
bic broke out. The heads of the navy
came to investigate the matter personally.
and for two days firing parties were kept
busy, shooting the men condemned by the
naval courts. Nearly every ship in the
navy had some Of it's own crew shot
The mdtiny has not~been quelled alto
gether. but it is not likely to be SO serious
a, long as the navy. is engaged on it's