Arizona republican., 1918-07-08
YANKEE OFFICER
 TELLS IF FIGHT
 IN JULYFOURTH
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel
 WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN July Hast night the cor slept on the ground among the troops of one star company of Americans who played a prominent part in Thursdays great show Here is a story told by one of the officers:
 The Americans went itno the line after a hard march. The Fritzes un- doubtedly had an inkling that the at tack was to be made. At midnight Wednesday we were sent forward to lie out, ready for an advance at 3:10 o'clock Thursday morning.
 Many of our boys were tired when they reached the positions and, despite the fact that they were just embark ing on the biggest adventure of their liVes-a leap into the unknown-they threw themselves on the ground and slept soundly. It was an encouraging sign to us, for 1t meant that the men were not jumpy. They never did show any sign of nerves. as a matter of fact
 For us officers there was no sleep.
 
 the Australian officers, who told stor- ies as if nothing was going to happen, though we Americans knew that short ly before the kickoff the gunners would put down barrage which would be the signal for all hands on the job.
 "A few minutes before the barrage was due, the allied artillery opened with a harrassing fire and we Ameri- can officers were out among our men hot foot to keep them steady, fearing they might mistake this for the bar rage
 Then came the barrage, and we never dreamed there could le such gunfire. It was tremendous. The gunners certainly did a wonderful job.
 "The infantry started to advance. My men were headed for Hamel village and our first trouble was encountered ir a broad belt of barbed wire in front of the boche forward hne of defenses The tanks had opened the way through most of this, but in spots some of our men were held up for a little. T saw a funny thing here. One of my corporals, who had been a guard officer in a penitentiary and has rep utation for being a hard customer in a l liShlr SOl hullS up III llc wire. -ts | he had no cutters, he sat down ard started pulling the stuff out of his | legs, barb by barb.
 "A boche got a machine gun on hin and was making things hot, but tho corporal kept on pulling the wire meantime roaring curses at the Huns | Frame a thing like this on a white man, will you? Let me out of here anC 1 I'll show you
 He got out and what he did to tho | bOches was a-plenty.
 About this time a boche shell ex ploded near us and two of my mel went hurtling through the air. thought sure they were killed, but in ; minute I hear done of them call to hi! pal, Hey, John, are you dead?'
 From down among the churned LII ground came the response, No. arr your
 We got through the barbed wire yer, well and reached the boche front lin trenches. They were thinly held an' we cleared them out with bombs ant rifles, on the jump. We hardly. stopped at all, but passed over toward the vii lage.
 You understand that when I speal of we I am talking about the Yankee and the Australians. for we were onl, helping in the show.
 "The support trenches, which ha dugouts, were more strongly held, bu we cut our way through without mucl difficulty. A lot of Huns were bein killed or captured by this time. Fror | the direction of Hamel the German machine guns and rifles were workin hard and there was plenty of stuf coming our way.
 "When we reached Hamel we foun la lot of dugouts filled with boches an their snipers up trees with machin guns. We cleaned them out systemati cally.
 "One of our sergeants, with a American private and an Australia came upon a dugout containing fou German officers and some men. Tn officers started to come up and c-e c them pulled a revolver. The sergean shot him through the head and two c ithe other officers who started to figh were killed. The others surrendered
 '1n another dugout one of our ser geants and three privates captured Germans. Just to the left of Hamt an Australian corporal and two pri yates cleared out another dugout con ltaining numerous Germans.
 "In the center of Hamel we capture a company headquarters. 1 saw mighty fine thing ia Hamel. A dare devil Australian officer climbed to tn top of a building and raised a bi French flag from the flagstaff undo ! a heavy shell fire. The German gun |. ners tried to shoot him down and sue ceeded in tearing away corner ( the building while the Australian wa still working. He got the flag u finally. The last l saw of it it wa still flying with the German guns on
 There was a lively battle southea! l, of Hamel, where the Germans ha some strong machine gun posts ar : the Geramns surrendered when W charged with the bayonet. ''We worked around the Vaire ar n Hamel woods. which had been prett n well cleared of boches by gunfire. Ju = in front of Vaire wood one of our bo. . called 'Scotty' had great experienc 11I !, boo