Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-29
GERMANS IN TRENCHES
PLAGUED BY OWN DEAD
Picture of Ghastlincss in Vicinity Of
Bapaumc Never Before
EqualIed in War.
BODIES MARK WAY OF FRONT
Inevitable Skeleton Hands and Feet
PrOtruding From WalIs-Rcvela-
tions OF Evacuated Land Reveal
GrucSome Success OF Allies Guns.

tFroin STAFF Correspondent OF the Asso-
ciatcd PresS)
BRITISH II 4 DQU \ RTERS IN
FRANCE, March IS Cvia I.ondom Now
that the desperate episodes in the war.
known in history as the battles Of the
Soinme, have been definitely ended by
the German retreat from .ArraS to the
AiSnc, II has been possible more lcis-
urely to Investigate. the conditions
winch existed along the German front
just prior TO the back ward swing to
tn" so-calied limdenburs line
When the retreat first began moro
than month ago. the British swept
over some old Sommc positions held by
the Germans, and even The most bur
ricd glimpse of the evacuated trenches
Indicated how untcnable they had be-
come. and why II was decided TO run
no risks Of another allied offensive in
this sector Five miles OF slogS ing
along the old German lines in the
vicinity Of iapaume to-day revealed
. - picture OF ghaStlineSS which win
never b" seen again in this or amy
other war. The front line long
open. dilapidated, CrumblnS grave.
which disappeared in the mud at times
but could bc picked up further on by
means OF the bodies that marked the
way.
one realized with a shudder how the
men doomed 10 live in these trenches
had been plagued b. their own dead
Suth a ceremony as decent Duflal ndu
been wholly out of the question. and
there was no means OF conveying the
bodies to the rear. II had been like
passing through fiery rain from
Hades to bring W. food and water to
the living. so the dead had simply
been tossed out OF the trenches. only
to be blown back again by AN eXplod
ing shell. Sometimes they came back
in fragments. for there We're arms and
legs feet and hands everywhere.
DEAD CANNOT REST
IN SIDES or TRENCH
Occasionally graves had been dug in
the sides of the trench itself but the
dead could not rest there. ~ frequent
intervals the ineVitabl. skeleton hands
walls.
Grim sights tins war has had for
the men who passed up and down
those trenches during the long and
bitter nights Of winter
1t has been AN enthra!iinG thing to
stand 10y the British guns in the last
three or four months. and wonder what
was the Meaning Of all their contin-
uous roar There was no set battle
in progress. and the gunners said i,
was merely the daily hate" going OH
To Keep Fritz unhappy. The hdeous
revelations Of the German trenches.
however. gives the gruesome answer TO
what the guns We're doing. In some
places there were veritablc nangled
masses of what were once human
beings. Neither by day nor by night
had the Germans rest. Their trusted
barbed wire, in which they always
place such grea, reliance. had been
swept completely away over thousands
OF yards. and they dared not venture
ont 10 repair Il.
All trace Of communication trenches
leading to the front lines were wiped
ont hDI
bring UP supplies and relief at night
over country blown into endless
shell holes, many OF which were filled
10 such Il depth with water that men
were drowned in them. White bits
OF broad tape could he seen here and
there attached 10 the iron posts These
were for the purpose Of guiding the
men up TO the front line.
STREWN WITH FRAGMENTS
OF HUMAN BODIES
These paths over the fields OF death
also Were strewn with fragments Of
human bodies. Some of the dead had
the looks OF mImmes. one of the
fallen soldiers had his right arm
thrown over his rife. as il his last i'm
pulse was to protect this weapon of
defense. But there was no defense
against the constant sheiliuc. Some
pieces Of metal thrown about by the
high exr losive shells must have weigh
ed al least ten pounds. and the result
of hitting man with It ten pound
bullet can easily be imagined.
At one point in the trenches was
just the lower half g.. a German sol
der identified by the boots ana leg
gins he wore. His legs were crossed
tailor fashion. Trench helmets of
heavy steel had great holes torn in
them.
The front line. of course. was scanned
with the inevitable deep German dag
outs, but cTen these had not been
immune. There were hundreds of di-
rect hits on top of them, which must
have made life intensely miserable and
hazardous within. Around the famous
Butte de Warlencourt. the German
I rCMChcS have niirelN Il