The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-30
CHAPTER XIV.
Preparing for the Bio Push.


l had hard time trying TO keep my
secret from him. think must have
lost at least ten pounds worrying over
the affair.
Beginning at seven in the evening iu
was our duty to patrol all commuters
ton and front-line trenches, makina
note of unusual occurrences. and ar
resting anyone who should, to us, ar4
pear to be, acting in a suspicious man.
ner. We slept during the day.
i'ehlnd the lines there was great ac-
tiviiy. supplies and ammunition pour
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 never-ending stream of men.
supplies, ammunition and guns pour
ing into the front lines made mighty
spectacle, one that cannot be de-
scribed. II has to be witnessed witis
your own eyes to appreciate its vast,
ness.
At our part OF the line the influx on
supplies never ended. 1t looked like
a huge snake slowly crawling forward,
never a hitch or break, a wonderful
tribute TO the system and efficiency OF
Great Britain's Contemplate .littis
army" of five millions of men.
Huge fifteen-inch guns snaked alonsl
foot by foot, by powerful steam tract
tors. Then a long line of -four point
five" batteries, each gun drawn by sia
horses, then II couple of @ninc poins
two" howitzers pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
When one of these caterpillars woulIa
pass me with its mighty monster I'M
tow, a flush of pride would mount I'd
my face. because could plainly read
on the name plate, .Afade in U. S A.
and would remember that If l were nj
name plate it would also read, "Fronli
the U. s. A" Then 1 would stop to
think how thin and straggly that
mighty stream would be il all the,
.Made in q. S. A. parts of 1t were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds of iirn-
bers and &c. s." wagons drawn by
sleek, well-fed mules, ridden by sleek
well-fed men. ever smiling. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine. white dust of the marveiously
well-made French roads.
What n discouraging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back toe
their division commanders, and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big
ger and bigger every day. and the pacn
is 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 dua
about thirty kilos behind our lines
The layout OF the trenches was taken.
from airplane photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench
es were correct TO the foot; they
showed dugouts. saps. barbed wire de-
fenses and danger spots.
Battalions that were to go over in
the first waves were sent back for
three days to study these trenches. en-
gage in practice attacks and have night
maneuvers. Each man was required to-
make a map of the trenches and fa7
miliarize 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 i had plenty oc
practice In this work. therefore map
ping these trenches was a eoinpara7
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map to the company
commander TO be passed upon. and
was lucky enough to have mine select
ed an being sufficiently authentic to uss
In the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowed
TO leave France. but In this case it ap-
pealed to me as valuable souvenir er
the great war and managed to snug
gle II through. AT this time 1t carries
no military importance as tiie British
lines, / am happy to say, have since
been advanced beyond this point. SO
In having II In my possession am not
breaking any regulation or cautionsl
Of the British army.
The whole attack was rehearsed
and rehearsed until We heartily cursed
the one who had conceived the idea
The trenches were named according
to system which made 1t very simple
for Tommy TO ind. even In the dark.
any point In the German lines.
(To Be Continued.)