Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-06-14

EARN sliook rs u torn ht a great ssis-
nile disturbance. Ii was not a single
sh"ck. The force of the explosion
actually set the earth r,cking To and
fro. and under lie influence Of the
giant guns. which immediately began
IN roar from far and near. the trein-
bling continued Indefinitely. II was
$40 O'clack when this final terrific
bombardment began.
II has seemed that the battle of h
Somme attained the ultimate Ia the
close assembly II war wsai"is. but
this Sudden ouipoHrln: "n Mr>>incS
ridge was beyond all calculation. Tie
lighter field guns far forward set up u
perfect curtain fire. undcr which the
assau.i;ny troops trudged confidently
~ their allotted goals. Farther back
the de%ep-throated heavies began 10
pour out torrents Of high explosive
shells on the German trenches n
communications. while still other guns
enough to win any ordinary battle
confined themselves solely 10 the task
of deluging German guns and gnnners
in baths Of gas fired in shells Of ev-
cry conceivable calihcr.
The effect Of this counter battery
work was not appreciated until Inter
in the day. when the infantry sent
back word that their progress had
not been hampered by the enemy ar
tillery and that their casualties
amounted to virtually nothing.
Enemy Signals for Help.
Great black observation balloons
had stolen skyward during the din of
the newly begun battle. In the woo!
back of the windmill spring birds,
awakened by the deafcning clamor.
had begun to sing t~cyously. Like 50
many children who have cnule int" the
consciousness of being in The midst of
the war. these birds regarded the APP
palling noise NJ the battle as Il normal
condition Of life.
The smoke Of the giant mines eX-
ploded along the BATH" front mean.
time rose in great. curling plumes 10.
ward the sky and was punctuated hy
red signals for help from the stricken
Germans in the front and support
lines. Never was the air filed with
more frantic notices of danger. TIE
entire horizon glowed with rcd balls
of fire sen up by the nervous Ger
mans.
More and more British ajrplanes he
gan to make their appearance. On,
flew owe the lines. the flashes of III,
guns being reflected brilliantly on it,
highly glazed wings.
Under this appalling fire tru'lged for
ward on the tcn-mlic front Genera
Plumer's army. At many places tn
mrn found Germun troops utteri,
dazed by the mine explosion and til
ordeal Of the artillery fire.
First Taste of New Warfare.
Many of these troops had but recent
I, ~ come from Russia, where they hat
spent IS months and knew nothing o
what actual warfare was Ike on tn
{ western front. They had holte1 AT tn
first mine explosion and had only bee
gathered together in groups by thci
| noncomlniSsioned officers when tn
British appeared out of the smoke an
shells and made them prisoner,
e They said they had been given
understand by their officers that tl'
British always killed their prisoner
1t was really nitiful in MI instance
to see the maniler in which these pri'
$ oners cringed to their cnptnrs.
o As Il matter of fact. the British 50
der, when the fighting is done, Is !!
e ciined almost too strongly to treat II
German prisoners as pals. Some
d the prisoners taken today had on
g gone into the German lines last nigl
S and had made their way forward III
e der Il calling fire and had lost heavil,
But the troops already in the line we
calling for relief in such n manner tn;
l. their appeals could not be denied.
l. Failed to Time Attack.
In view of the fact that the att6t
l. had been expected the German col
mandcrs were en%deavoring to get the
best units actually into the tightiI
e front, but had underestimate VIII,
IS the British would strike. The troo1
IS in a strange l!ne were utterly bew
l. dered when the attack began and fl
easy prey to the advancing British.
v The Irish. New Zealanders and Au
tralians, who had been rehearsed
II every detail of the show" knew ju
a what to do from the moment the wo
" to advance was given.
The battle was far more visible dt
n ing the first uncertain moments tn
,e later when the sun gradually burn
its way through the eastern banks
N clouds. BY that time the smoke of c
~ ploding shells and the vapors from t
Id binding barrage, which had becn pa
of the artillery duty, obscurcd the mt
,e distant landscape to such an eXte
s. that the roaring guns could moi Nc So
rs at all, although the firing was almt
es at ones feet. The brilliantly leapi
#. shrapnel shells. breaking far abo
80 ground, appeared through Il thick m
n. only MS brief and brilliant elect
&c. sparks.
rs British Planes Rule Air.
MS For a month pnst. but especia
since June !, the airplanes on Il
1t. front have been indefatigably at VIC
r. during every possible flying no
rh They had brought down nearly 30 n
H. chimes in six days as II means of Bill
&C. ing the enemy. Lately the Germa
Of have endeavOred valiantly to obt;
BY nirplane observations for their ar
IT.. lery, but their observing machii