Gunnison news-champion., 1918-05-10

. Hf-N-s ENlF-A'5 uH1 NUN. lFpbA-
/ Ing In. and long columns Of troops con-
stantly passing. We were preparing
. for the big offensive, the fOrerunner
OF the battle of the Somme or big
] Push"
The neyer-ending stream of men.
supplies. anmunition and guns pour
ing into the front lines made q mighty
spectacle. one that cannot be de-
scrtbed- II has to be witnessed with
your own eyes TO appreciate its vast
ness
At our part Of the line the influx OF
supplies never ended. II looked like
u huge snake slowly craving forward.
never a hitch or break. Il wonderful
tribute 10 the system and efficiency of
Great BritaIn's Contemplate little
army" Of five millions of men.
Huge ffteen-inch guns snaked along.
; foot by foot. by powerful steam tract
tors Then long line OF four point
FIVE" batteries, each gun drawn by six
horses. then a couple OF nine point
two" howitzers pulled By immense
caterpillar engines.
When one Of these caterrillars would
pass me with Its mighty monster In
tow. a flush OF pride would mount to
my face, because could plainly read
on the name plate. Made In U. s. A."
and would remember that II wore a
name plate II would also read Prom
the L. $. A" Then I would stop TO
think how thin and straggly that
mighty stream would be II all the
Made In L. S. A.. parts OF It were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds of lin
bers and &c. s. wagons drawn by
sleek. well-fed mules. ridden by sleek.
well-fed men. ever smillng. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine. white dust OF the marvelously
weIl.mnde French roads.
What a discOuraging report the Ger
mar Alunen must have takca back to
their division commanders. and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big
ger and bigger every day, and tn. pace
l. always the same. No slower, no
faster. but ever onward. ever forward.
Three weeks before the big push of
July las the battle Of the Somme has
been called-started. exact duplicates
OF the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines.
The layout OF the trenches was taken
from Hlrplane photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench
IS were correct to the foot: they
showed dugouts. saps. barbed wire de-
fenses and danger spots.
BattulIons that were to 90 over In
the first waves were sent back for
three days TO study these trenches. en-
gag" In practice attacks and have night
mancuycrs. Each man was required TO
make Il map of the trenches and IA
mlllnrize himself with the names and
location of the parts his battalion was
to attack.
In the American army noncommis-
stoned officers are put through a course
OF map making or road sketching and
during my six years service In the
United States cavalry had plenty Of
practice in this work. therefore map
ping these trenches was compare
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map TO the company
commander 10 be passed upon. and
was lucky enough TO have mine select
ed as being sufficiently authentic to use
in the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowed
to leave France, but in this case IL ap-
pealed to me as a valuable souvenir OF
the great war and | managed to SNUG
gle 1t through At this time 1t carries
no military Importance us the British
lines. l am happy to say, have since
been advanced beyond this point. %
IN having It In my possession Fam mt
breaking any regulation or cautions
Of the British army.
The whole attack was Pehoafsed
and rehearsed until We heartily cursed
the one who had conceived the idea.
The trenches were named according
to a system which made 1t very simple
for Tommy to find. even in the dark.
any point In the German linea.
These imitation trenches, OF trench
models. were well guarded from obser-
walton by numerous allied planes
which constantly circled above them.
No German airplane could approach
within observation distance. A re-
stricted area was maintained. and no
civilian was allowed within three
miles, SO We felt sure that we bad
great surprise In store for Fritx.
When We took over the fpootl line
We received an awful shock. The
Germans displayed signboards over
the top Of their trench showing the
names that We had called their
trenches. The signs read Fair"
Fact" Fate" and Fancy. and %
on, according to the code names On
our map. Then to rub it In. they
hoisted some more signs which read,
Come on. we are ready. stupid Eng
ilsh."
1t is still a mystery to me how they
obtained this knowledge, There had