Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-29
finds HIDDEN
GERMAN FORT
Correspondent Discovers Re
markably Well Protected Un-
derground Cave Deserted.
BY Philip Gibbs.

BY Pnl0p CSlOOS.
War Correspondents Headquarters.
March 3s.-Along every step Of the
way by which the Germans retreated
how they lived and fought when they
were hidden from across No Mans
Land.
Everywhere outside Bapaume and
Psronne and Chaulnes and all those
deserted places near the front lines
one ugly thing stAres one In the face
German barbed-wire. 1t is heavier
and stronger stun then the British or
French wire, with great crosspieces OF
iron. They used amazing quantities
Of it in great wide belts in the three
systems and in all sorts Of odd places.
by bridges and roads and villages.
even far behind the trenches. to pre-
vent any sudden rush Of hostile in
fantry or to tear British cavalry to
pieces should they break their lines
ana get through. The German
trenches are deeply dug: and along
now retreated they are provided with
great concreted and timbered dugouts
leading into an elaborate system OF
tunnelled galleries perfectly proof
from shell fire. and similar to those
which described often enough in the
Somme battlefields. But, in addition
to these trench systems. they made
posts, cunningly concealed and COM
manding wide field of fire. with
dominating observation over the Brit
ish side of the country.
I found such a place quite by aci-
dent yesterday. My car broke down
by a little wood near Roye, looking
across to Damery and Bouchoir and
the woody wired fields which till
week ago were No Mans Land. When
looked down an enormous sand pit
covering an acre or so, and saw 1t
was a concealed fortress of extraor-
dinary strength and organization. an
underground citadel for garrison of
at least 5000 men. perfectly screened
by the wood above. Into the sand
banks on every side of the vast pit
leading deeper down into maze OF
tunnels which ran right around the
central arena. The officers quarters
were all timbered and paneled and
papered, with glass windows and fam
cy curtains. They were furnished
with bedsteads looted from French
houses and with mirrors. cabinets.
and easy chairs Each room had an
enameled or iron stove, and I no.
ticed in several Of them empty cages.
from which singing birds had flown
when German officers opened the
doors before their own fitting. The
mems quarters were hardly less COM
Portable. and the whole place was
organized as a self-contained garri-
son, with carpenters shops. black
smiths sheds. quartermaster's stores,
still crowded with bombs and aerial
Observation-Disclosures of them which
the Germans had left behind in their
hurry-kitchens with great stoves
and boilers, Red Cross establishment
for first aid, and concrete lighthouses
for bathing.
At times when the French gurz
shining the Germans built alfresco
corners with garden seats and table
around which enormous stocks of
wine bottles Uttered, showing, as I
have seen in all these abandoned
places. the enormous quantity of
drink consumed by German ofncers
in their lighter moments. This
liar strong points along the lines now
abandoned by the Germans.
Peronne. with Mont st. Quentin on
its flank and with the Somme wiring
around it and with forests of barbed
wire in the marshes below it, could be
called impregnable if"any place may
defy great armies. 1t was wonderful
ly fortified with great industry and
great skill for over two years, and
walking into these places now, mar
yelling at their strength, 7 can only
ask one question which certainty the
Germans will find it hard to answer
why have they abandoned such for
midable strongholds? 1t seems to me
there is only one answer; it is be-
cause they had to go and not because
thew uanfed To