Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-21


excitement. too. and had run some
risks. but it was worth it. seeing the
nice little bag OF prisoners we had.
The next raid took part in three days
later. however. was of n different ma
ture. for not only was II arranged on
Il bigger scale. but it had all the elc-
mcnts OF small battle about it. and
gave us just as much scrappins TO do
as ono could wish for on an occasion
when scrappins' had to be avoided II
at all possible.
This raid took place on Sunday
night.
1t had been raining heavily the whole
day, and when darkness came on the
conditions were awful.
In fact. so wrctched and unpropiti-
Gus was the outlook that there was
talk Of postponinE the raid. for that
night at any rate. At tho eleventh
hour. however, il was decided to make
tho venture.
That was a lucky decision, as you'll
hear.
Thirty of US all told crcpt out on
tho venture.
The whole business, of course. We
had at our finger ends betorchan nd,
so that we were perfectly ready for
anything that might turn UP. Not
many minutes had elapsed either, be-
fore something did turn up, and very
unpleasant something, too. The dis
lance to tho point OF tho cncmys
trench which wc had marked for entry
had only been half-covercd when, al!
OF sudden, there came the rat-tat-tat
Of a machine gun.
Fritz was not asleep this night,
"They Were Not There"
Indeed, he was very much awake
Tho fire was not mere "nervey"
outbreak on the part of the gunner.
Far from II.
Obviously VIC had been spotted, SO
it was a crouch for cover for tho lot
OF us. Unfortunately. there were no
she'll holes in which TO hide. All We
could do. therefore. was to freeze to
the Garth. and try to convince our
sclvcs--and the German Eunnertthat
We simply weren't there. Not an easy
thing TO do, but, although VIC had one
or two minor caeualtics--so minor"
/ IN fact that the victims were able to
go back unaiicd-wc managed to lie
dogso until tho din was over.
And then. at the proper minute. we
were on all four3 again and making
straight for the cnemy's trench. The
part we entered was very dangerous
section. as 1t was near the entrance
to another trench.
Things happened very quickly from
the moment VIC entered. There was a
hoarse challenge. and before any sort
OF reply at all could be given. per-,
fcct horde of Germans had sur
rounded u.s.
The Good Old Bayonct
There was fix for you!
Grcnades were out of the question
as Nc would assuredly have killed as
many OF cur own men as We would OF
the enemy. And SO tho good old never
fail-me hayonet came into play Some
of our boys were great adopts with
inc steel. and in regular fight would
nave wiped out the To- but il was
prisoners VIC were after, not fighting
and "A devil of job it was for the
. bayonct boys TO keep the evcr-increas-
ing crowd of Huns at bay until the
others of US ecooped in the quarry.
| When there's a crowd of him, Fritz
is very bold man.
There was some crowd this night.
and IS they were out TO take us. alive
or dead. and We were out to take a
few of them alive only--dcad 'uns were
no use TO us-thc scrappinE became a
/ bit mixed. to say the least. Several
times had TO send one or two to
sleep with my fists. Others Of US had
TO do the same, but gradually order
came out of the internal chaos and
hubbub. The hayonct boys held the
rinS, and the rest of us gathered the
prizes in.
We got Just a nice lunch. and be-
tore the Germans congcstcd as they
we're by this time in their trench. could
get properly at us. we were off and
away With our two-lcgscd booty.
Yes, it was a bit exciting that night
from the machinc-gun surprise down
to the tight with fists in the darkness
Of the trench.
How does the Hun fight with the
fists?
oh. he's a bad fighter hand to hama,
bad in two senses.
First OF all. he is an awkward brute
and the heavier he is, the more awk.
ward he is.
But he can't help that He's built
that way.
His worst feature, however. is his
wicked craftiness. II Fritz can get a.
man from behind. he will down him
sure.
That's Fritz.
Well. now. I mentioned that il was
a lucky thing we decided TO GO over
that night. and I'll tell you why. We
! took a different track home from the
one on which We had set out. and on
M M,''"m Clothes $l.75