The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1918-12-28

had only just been stopped, so both |.
sides were busy digging In
During this time food was plentiful
We not only had the regular ration,
but also all kinds OF garden stuff.
This area had been planted before the
drive that pushed the Allies bach to
the Marine, and we helped ourselves
literally to the vegetables in these.
gardens. Every now and then COW
or sheep would wander inside our
lines only to be adopted at once. Back
OF the reserve lines all roads We're
patrolled by the military police who
wore red arm band with black mi
tials NJ r. on them. Their duty was
to police the roads. keep unauthorized
persons from going up and unauthor-
lied soldiers from running away.
One day some OF our men found
that one OF our infantry regiments
had COW tied to the picket line. That
night a patrol went out but found the
picket line guarded and another party
out ahed OF them. All OF sudden
fight started on the far side OF the
picket line. The COW guards were
drawn over TO the flight and the COW
was taken into the safe keeping Of
the first patrol. Our boys waited un
til the first patrol had gotten the
COW a safe distance from the infantry
camps. then two OF them put on IN.
r." bands and went up TO the first
patrol and arrested them for stealing
cows. After many pros and cons the
guilty patrol was allowed TO go home
unmolested, but without the COW, that
much desired animal stayed with the
NJ Ps who led II gently into our
, camp.
We went right TO work digging
! trenches and stretching wire mostly
: and making small machine gun en-
placements with dugout thrown in
} here and there to break the monotony.
About July 9th the ALERT" was pass
ed along. Work was progressing on
our new positions at top speed. Moth
ing happened on the fifth. The date
was changed to the tenth and then e
the fifteenth. At midnight on July
fifteenth the German barrage was
laid down. There had been practical
ly no firing from the German batter
les for the two days previous. The
Germans were moving their guns into
what they hoped were unrecorded
! positions. At o'clock the next morn.
! ing the barrage which incidently was
/ a mixed affair OF gass and high ex-
4 plosives extending over all the known
! camp areas and along the roads ter
miles to our rear, was raised.
0 Our companies Immediately took III
u their positions supporting the infant
q ry, but we were not needed on thu
a sector as the infantry was more thar
}. enough for the Prussians who came
: over. 1t Was during this time that
y got a glimpse OF what the French ar
n tIllery were doing.
: Prior to the start OF the show thu
y 75s erea, just in the rear of the sup
port vas crowded full OF light artil
y lery There were guns in all th'
i woods. under most every tree an'
e in every hedge. In fact all the guI
positions were taken. During the 16tl
and 18th three crews OF one particula
il battery had been cleaned out, and
! fourth had taken over the guns. l
1 must have been the evening OF tn
y seventeenth the Germans were max
= Ing another attempt at our sector an'
i the guns were called on for protec
Il tive barrage.
"a This means one shot following an
e other as fast as the crews could throw
the shells into the breech. The gul
n crews were standing In the open op
a Grating their pieces when a batter,
Is OF German heavies started some coun
" terv battery work. The first sho
"a landed some hundred yards short.
a Each OF the next six were comm
Ia closer. until one landed what locke
AZ like a direct hit on the gun. Ths
w French crew never hesitated one in
ly slant. They fred one shot just b
as fore the big German she'll landed :