Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-01
TRENCH FIGHTS START
ON CAMP LEE FIELD
Officers, Led by Frencl,man, Are
Shown How to Attack Through
Wire Entanglcmcnts.
INSTRUCTION FOR MEN LATER
Pay Day Soon-Day Shortened by
Flfty-Five Minutes II ohnso
Comes From China to Enlist.
Pennsylvania Slackers Brought.
[By a staff Corrcspondent.l

I
CAMP LEE. VA. November 3o.--Thc
first trench raid in which men OF tho
;ishtieth Division participated oc-
Cured this afternoon. 1t was executed
with great success, the Americans com
! Ing out victorious. and capturing nu-
mcrous of the cnery. The raidinG
party moved OH the trenches of the OPP
posing force according TO the method
now being carried out by the French.
making their way through the maze OF
barbed wire, and then crawling along
the ground. concealinE themselves
wherever possible In the shell holes and
other places Offering protection. until
Il propitious time for making the as
sault.
Only officers composed the party
making the raid. 1t being the first in
which they have been instructed in the
division school OF arms. Captain Jerome
Toujan one of the French officers
here. carried the men through the work.
first lecturing them on the subject. cS-
planning in every detail the moves to be
made. and the manner OF successfully
carrying out a trench raid. AS soon as
the officers have been instructed. the
noncommissioned officers will be put
through the work. and they will, in
turn. carry the knowledge they have
gained to the enlisted personnel OF
their commands.
y number of troops were selected.
, representing Germans, and placed at
various positions in the trenches on
which the assault was made. Some
thirty officers entered woods nearby
and. first concealing themselves iii the
thicket started their advance. Prone
on the ground. they crawled rs noise
lcSsly possible towards the enemy
trenches. across mo mans land" Conn
ing to the barbed wire entangl DEMENT'S.
the men 'wiggled" their way through.
Into the many shell holes they made
their way. also hiding behind tree
stumps. or any other conccalmcnt made
possible.
Approaching the trench In which the
men were located. they made dash.
going over into the trenches and bag
Eing their man. 1t was all done rapidly,
and soon the party was returning to It's
own line. bombing the enemy trenches
as they proceeded, to prevent being at
tackled by members of the enemy forces
who might still be in the trenches.
Dead erenades were used for this in
struction. On account OK the weather
a large number OF men were released
from drill early this afternoon. and n
large crowd of troops witnessed the
trench aid. These will be frequent
occurrences at the camp from now on.
MANY APPLICANTS
FOR ENLISTMENT
I While Camp Lee is not u mobiliza-
/ ton camp for volunteering. there arc
/ constant applications for enlistment.
I Up to this time the only way in which
4 :. IN ~
tcrsburg. sign up there for the regular
army. and then be transferred to the
/ National Army for duty here. \ num-
! Der OF men have Joined in this way and
/ so frequent have the applications be-
come that it was decided to make the
! process easier for all concerned and
! consequently recruiting station has
been opened at the camp
The base hospital was decided on
az the best place for 1t. as there the
| doctors are convenient for the physical
/ examinations necessary. An officer is
: in charge, and when Il man presents
/ himself at the camp and applies for
/ enlistment. he Is sent to the base hos
, pftaL where he is taken into the reeu-
lar army. and then into the National
/ Army. No man can enlist directly into
the new forces. 1t Is understood that
F.. December Is.
y man. q native of Powhatan County
applied here for enlistment to-day
coming all the way from Shanghai
China. to get in the service OF the
country. He is w. r. Johnson. and has
made his home In the Oriental city for
number Of years. The selcctive SER
vice law. for some reason. did not ap-
ply TO him. but he desired to enlist. and
has been on the way here for several
weeks He will be taken into the Ma
tional Army Tomorrow.
Rain this morning and wet and
muddy drill fields prevented the usual
work OF the men. However, some of
thcm brarcd the elements and for 8,
short time went through their PAGES.
Just to timber up after the big day yea
terday. The morning was given over
principally to lectures. which were held
IN the moss halls. Rainy weather serves
well for this kind OF instruction, and
the officers took fun advantage of the
opportunity offered them.
There was one welcome ceremony
this morning. That was the monthly
muster for pay. About five days from
now the men will receive their pay.
W0RKDAy SHORTENED
ny NEARLY AN HOUR
There was another welcome occur
renee in camp to-day. That was the
announcement by division Headquarters
that rcveiilc would not be sounded
until 6:i5 o'clock beginning tomorrow
morning This means that the men
will have II half-hour longer TO sleep
the hour for revcllie having been 5:4I
In the past. Retreat Will now be
sounded at $40 o'clock. thus shortening