The Yale expositor., 1918-05-09

chance If the Germans only knew! But
the shells continued to drop in front of
us and on either side, but none landed
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 a ridge, came a
stream of galloping horses.
'It's the cavalry" someone shouted,
but soon / made out limbers and field
guns.
They galloped past us, going like
mad, took up a position to our right,
swung into position, unlimbered, and
in two minutes were blazing away. 1t
was a 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 to 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 a mile from the front line.
At this place l 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. l 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 fire. The noise was d~eafening.
A railroad ran through the valley
and al engine pulling a couple of fiat
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 N.
BY this time ii was getting along
toward evening, the sun vas sinking
in the west. and finally went down a
great ball of fire. At the time, / re-
member, l noticed it's color. 1t was
blood red and had a sinister look. Was
it my Imagination, or might it have
been a premonition? At any rate, l
shall never forget the color of the sun
as it set that night at the end of the
first day of probably n of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good to 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 go forward under the
cover of darkness they were busy put
ting out their telephone lines-signal-
ers and runners don't have an easy
time.
Shell Dump Goes Up.
Behind us a shell landed in an am
munition dump and it ven up with a
roar; her the rifle ammunition started
going off like a great bunch of fire.
crackers, and great tongues Of flame
lit up the sky.
1t is reported that the Germans had
broken through our line and We were
W OuilltI-dlluN III III IlO III We
got into positions without n single
casualty. l opened an aid post in an
old dugout and settled down to sleep
until morning. You may think it fun
ny that one could sleep under such
conditions, but / 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 or the rough plank
floor and vas soon asleep. | must
have been asleep a couple of hours
when a runner came from headquar-
ters and told us we were TO W. off
Immediately. l looked at my watch and
it was ! 80 a. m l.. on the second day.
We went back to the railroad, fol-
lowed it around to a position some six
miles to the north of us, landing there
about 4 in the morning and Topped
down on the floor of some abandoned
huts to wait further orders. Our or
ders came along about 9 o'clock. We
marched up across the open prairie,
the sun shining, and it was really hot.
Just like some of the warm days we
get the luSl VI NldICH at llOllt. HI
going forward 1t was necessary
for us to march seventy-five yards in
front of three batteries of field guns.
There are six guns TO a battery. They
shoot an e~ighteen-pound shell and
while we were there each gun was
shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when l tell
you that the discharge of one gun can
be heard about four miles. In addi-
ton the Boche was trying to knock
out this battery and he was dropping
his six inch shells a little too close for
comfort.
Nearly In a Trap.
Then l made a lovely mistake. 1
was to establish an aid post near bat
talon headquarters and went blithely
on when l met a company commander
and asked him where to go.
Back there about n quarter Of a
mile" he replied. This is the front
center company. If you keep on in
"