Ripley County democrat., 1917-12-14
GERMANS HURT IN
]. PRACTICE Fight
Diary Exposes CareIessness Of
Teuton Gunners With Their
Own Men.
REHEARsE FOR Big BATTLES
Realism Carried to the Extreme by
Germans In Preparing for Trial Of
New strategy-says Human
Strength Is Powerless.


With the French Armies.--It Is now
pretty well known that both the
French and Germans frequently re-
hearse their battles, under conditions
as realistic as possible on specially
prepared maneuver grounds. But,
whereas the French on these occasions
take great care that no men shall be
injured, the Germans have carried
realism to such point that each exer-
else of this kind costs them number
Of wounded. The fact Is attested by
the following extract from the note
book of a German Of the 218th regi-
ment of infantry:
"The exercise was to represent O
new method Of attack used by the
French, and was to take place on the
21st, in the presence Of the duke Of
Wuerttemberg, and other personages.
"On the 18th our artillery regulated
Its fire preparatory to the exercise.
Men Wounded In Drill.
"On the 21st we were put In place
ut S:15 q. m. From 8 80 to 10 80 the
artillery and the trench mortars fired.
We were given each fifty explosive
cartridges, while the men Of the first
and second waves were given each,
respectively, six and two loaded gren-
ades. From the start, during the FIR
Ing Of the trench mortars, men were
wounded by spllnters. At 1890 the
business began, and toward / 80 p. m.
our companies were assembled for the
goose step parade on the Hochwalsch-
Welderystal road. This parade also
took place before the duke Of Wuert-
temberg. The exercise, 1t appears,
satisfied these gentlemen entirely. So
1t will not be long now before we en-
ter into the hell. Unhappily, several
men were wounded, one seriously. It
Is really sad to see exercise of this
kind carried out with real artillery
and trench mOrtars. Aside from the
fact that 1t costs great deal Of
money, men are wounded almost regu-
larly. So 1t Is not enough that we
should risk our lives when we are at
the front, we must even be exposed
to danger when we are supposed to
be at rest"
And here are some extracts from the
notebook of German captured lately
at Hill 304. near verdun:
Yesterday Just after midnight we
went up to the first line. The march
was terrible. We were shelled from
every side and the night was black.
We got lost and had to wander two
and half hours in the open. After
difficulty of every description we
finally reached our shelter. And what
a shelterl The entrance and the exit
were half caved In. I hope the shells
won't finally block them, for escape In
such circumstances is not to be
thought Of. Our safety depends only
on divine aid; human strength is pow
erless.
"Next day, $50 q. MI have just
got up. In spite Of the violent bonn
bardmcnt of shells and torpedoes I
succeeded in getting more or less
sleep. But we have gone without eat
ing or drinking. as the supply men
have not been able to get through the
barrage fire. / stlll have q piece Of
bread and little to drink; / win re-
tain myself as long as possible. Who
knows when we shall be revictualedf'
Why He Could Not Write.
On the day following the same SOL
der wrote a letter which was found
on him when he was captured. / give
this extract:
'Thou hast been waiting long time
for news Of me, my dear Gertrude, but
I can send thee nothing because the
artillery FIRE is generally so intense
that the supply men who take our let
ters cannot get to us. Last night, or
rather today, we went to gather what
the others threw away when they ran,
and had some success, otherwise we
would have had nothing to eat or
drink. To suffer hunger and thirst,
thou seest, is terrible. Every one
says: II the French come now It's all
up Thou seest In what a state we
are"
And then the French did come
pauI Scott Mowrar in Tho Chica g0