Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-14
oHArTER XIV. {oontinucd.)

Sometimes it seemed to me as II
the whole front slept. or had been
abandoned by men, so dead was the
silence that reigned. But at these
timesN found that the watchfulness
was Of the keenest, and that more is
to be learned of the enemy and his
plans than in periods when there is
greater activity.
The first necessity Of wal is obser-
evidence produced day by day, by
piecing together the reports Of thou
sands Of observers, the whole tactical
scheme is hung.
For every mile OF front, many pairs
OF eyes are perpetually watching,
each Cleaning an occasional scrap Of
information, here and there, seeming
ly uninapcrtant in itself, but actually
a fiber in the web Of knowledge that
headquarters The aim OF all this
watching is to discover the enemy's
intentions. For example. if he mean
to attack. he will bring up and re-
tain q large number Of troops In the
zone where the attack Is to be launch>
ed. II he abandons Tho ided, the
strength will be reduced. A massirg
Considerable movement ehind the
enemy's lines suggests the relief Of q
division. 1t is by continual consid-
GRAFTON Of these things that = COM
mander deduces the plans Of his op-
ponent.
The ordinary everyday observation
is embraced under three main heads
ground observations kite balloons
and airplanes.
The ground observation work is
done in ground posts and the duty Of
the men in these stations Is to keep
their eyes peeled every minute on the
Sometimes the observer - concealed
in a dugout on the side OF Il hill or
he may be perched on the top Of a
chimney with q hostile battery try
ing every minute to knock down the
chimney with . well-aimed shot. The
is provided with maps,
glasses, telephone, n a notebook.
What the Observer Secs.
Looking through his peephole the
observer. sees Immediately before
him his own trench system. hen No
filled with rusty barbed wire. Be-
yond this ans the irregular line Of
the front parape. Of the enemy. and
behind this the eneIly's reserve. and
communicating trenches. Still fur
ther back is a country dotted with
ruined farms md clurps CT trees
shorn Of their branches. To the cas-
onlooker there Is no sign OF move !
in this scene OF desolaeion. but
the trained observer sees many things
through his glasses. things which
sometimes help to win bactles or en-
Il forces to anticipate attacks ,
from the enemy.
The second night after our return
20 the front we were ordered to drop
4 heavy harrase into the German
front line. An attack was a%nticipat- |
ell l guess. and it was our job to see :
Iat It didn't coCe OF. Fo: forty !
minutes we pumped shells over No
Mars Land. MASKING in many yards |
Ct TIE hoche front line and prevent
lng the enemy from going over the
i
TIE hoche batteries. located about
a.519 Earcs away. began to reply hot /!
y Shells hit all around US, blow
ing ~ 6ugours and blasting big holes
II he landscape, I kept at my gun
lE1i il was hot: a stx-inch she'll lit
within thirty yards OF me, and when
tE exploded I saw stars, half-moons
and Grlsr codsteIIations- At first I
thought NY end had arrived. but
v1sa I FELT myself over I saw 1 was
Q, & \ rinUte later 1 heard a noise
Z bottle Of water being hurled
-1-coEh the air and then came the
wa--+ng cry Cas-"