The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-05-02

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among us, and after waiting there for
three hours, expecting TO be blown to
bits any second. we finally moved for
ward Just as we left the copse, from
behind us, up over ridge, came a
stream of galloping horses.
ITS the cavalry" someone shouted,
but soon ! made ont limberS and field
guns.
They galloped past US, going like
mad. took up position to our right,
| swung into position, unlimhered, and
| in two minutes were blazing away. 1t
was thrilling sight.
Torn by Shells.
In going forward we went around
| the end OF the larger wood in front of
us, over ground that was torn 10 bits
by the heavy shell fire that had Just
! preceded. over another edge, across a
valley. and under the crest OF a hill.
And here we found the tanks going
over the top Of the hill to take up
their position. AT this point we were
| still about mile from the front line
Al this place | opened up an aid post
under the crest OF the hill to take care
of what wounded came in while we
were getting into position | looked
back across the valley we had just
traversed.
Shrapnel was bursting In the air,
shells were whizzing overhead, and our
guns behind me were belching forth
the Are. The noise was deafening.
A railroad ran through the valley
and an engine pulling couple OF nat
cars was going by. A couple OF sol
diers were sitting on the rear truck
swinging their feet A shell burst on
the track and only missed the last car
about fifteen yards. Neither man was
hit and the train went blithely on.
BY this time il was getting along
toward evening, the sun was sinking
in the west, and finally went down a
great ball of fire. At the time. / re-
member | noticed Its color. 1t was
blood red and had n sinister look. Was
1t my Imagination, or might it have
been premOnition? At any rate, |
shall never forget the color of the sun
as II set that night at the end of the
first day of probably one Of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good 10 me.
The drumming Of the guns cOntin-
ued twilight gradually deepened into
night, the signalers stopped their wig
wagging and took up their flash sig
nails, a fog dropped down on us and
put the lights out OF business, and
when We left TO 20 forward under the
cover Of darkness they were busy put
ting out their telephone lines-signal-
ers aud runners don't have an easy
time.
She'll Dump Goes Up.
Behind us shell landed in an am
munition dump and it went up with a
roar. then the rifle ammunition started
going Off like great bunch of fire
crackers, and great tongues of flame
lit up the sky.
It is reported that the Germans had
broken through our line and We were
to cOunter-attack In the morning. We
got into positions without a single
casualty. / opened an aid post In an
old dugout and settled down TO sleep
until morning You may think Il fun
ny that one could sleep under such
conditions. but I had been up since
80, had tramped about six or seven
| miles had had a rather trying day
and was dog tired.
So settled down on the rough plank
floor and was soon asleep. | must
have been asleep a couple OF hours
when a runner came from headquar-
rerS and told us we were to move off
Immediately. | looked at my watch and
II was 80 a. m. on the second day,
We went back TO the railroad, fol
lowed It around to position some six
miles to the north OF us, landing there
about i'm the morning and Topped
down on the floor of some abandoned
huts to wait further orders our or
ders came along about o'clock We
marched up across the open prairie,
the sun shining, and IL was really hot.
Just like some of the warm days we
got the last OF March at home. I'm
going forward II was necessary
for ny 10 march seventy Ave yards In
front Of three batteries OF field guns.
There are six guns 10 a battery They
shoot an eighteen-pound shell and
while We were there each gun was
shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when | tell
you that the discharge OF one gun can
be heard about forr nlles In add
ton the Boche was trying to knock
out this battery and he was dropping
his six iuch shells little too close for
comfort
Nearly In Trap.
Then | made lovely mistake.
was 10 establish an aid post near bat
tulion headquarters and went blthely
on when I met company commander
and n8ked him where 10 go.
Back there about a quarter Of a
mile" he replied. This is the front
center company. II you keep on In
/ tie direction you are going you are
/ going up over that ridge aud Fritz will
be- Whiting for you with machine
gun"
SO my sergeant and orderly and
myself didn't waste any time In clear
ing On the way back found gallon
/ can full ~ water, got into Il corrugated
iron shelter and had wash and a
shave II certainly felt good don't
believe ! had washed for thirty-six
s writnr in the farm Of hunks II mpung