The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-11-29
ALL FIGHTS HAVE
TIMETABLES As
RAILROAD TRAINS
It's No Easy Task to Keep
Track of Allies Advance,

PARIS.-Probably the hardest work
ed officers at the field headquarters
OF the allies on the western front are
those responsible for keeping the time
table when the great drive is on. To
these men are rushed all dispatches
from the firing line and their busy
pencils mark the exact progress OF
each division or regiment, the new
changed position of each battery.
Careful scouting from kite-balloons,
aeroplanes, and by daring raids here
and there has established the strength
Of most OF the enemy positions, and the
artillery is grouped here, scattered
there, in order to make sure that by
the end OF the bombardment every
trench, redoubt and village is pounded
out OF effective reSiStanccs .
It's His Skin.
The cataract of shells podrs on with
out ceasing until the hour appointed
for the advance. Prips- 20 this same
skilful scheduling of movements has
been carried out and reserves, sup
ports, food, water, and ammunition are
on the road.
Each commander Is given a sector
of enemy trench TO rush, and the pace
Of his work is fixed There is little
practical use in bursting remnant OF
men through the opposing lines, as they
would he enfiladed by machine iuns
and rifles.
Progress is therefore fixed rather
than the known obstacles will cause
and a platoon finding an easy part o.
the enemy line may spend much OF IL
days and nights lying in shallow
trenches, awaiting the proper hour fol
another move. Elsewhere a mile o.
front may have perished in furry o.
shrapne There may be bidder
Uench or barbed wire entanglemen
which has been set in some hollow ou
Of sight of the guns OF the allies.
Whole Line Must Pause.
There may be great crater so full
Of poison gas that even the masked
helmet is useless, and a deploying tC
right and left with all lis delay mad,
essential. At each such check the at
taekinR line must pause until the Who'll,
front line of German trenches is
carried
1t is by telephone from the rear thai
the reserve regiments are moved L
the weakest points. The mem with th'
timetable have not only to record IN,
progress In the past, the latest Of which
they have news, but to calculate tn,
position of a regiment some hour
hence, the time il may take TO move
battalion TO the actual fighting point
though Of course artillery move int
action sooner.
When Men Struggle.
Then, sometimes for hours there vii
J be no report from 4 certain regimen
II is struggling for dear life, has los
Its chief officers, may even have bee
reduced TO q few parties fighting in
dependently at different parts OF tn
front
The timetable men take notice o
these things, and take notice, too, of IN
enenyS plans. They also may hav
time to reinforce some threatened point
Why Trains Are Held.
II Is the steady timetable at genera
headquarters that has scored for tn
allies many times in the past two year.
One Of the most notable Instances wa
in the great drive which has becom
known as the battle of the Somm,
When Pokieres held up the advanc,
the whole line Of the allies halted o.
orders based on the calculations of tn
time e-keepers. II was deemed better (
hold up the advance for a brief tim
than to present a ragged front throus
which the enemy might force an arm
in eounterattack.. The recaNitrar
village was outflsnked, surrounded
and then smashed into subjectior
After which the suspended general At
tack resumed it, vigor and continue,
success,