Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-05-09
CHAPTER XIV.
Preparing for the Big Push.

Preparing for the Big Push.
Rejoining Atwell after the execution
had hard time trying to keep my
secret from him. think l must have
lost at least ten pounds worrying over
the affair.
Beginning at seven in the evening it
was our duty to patrol all communion
ton and front-line trenches, making
note Of unusual occurrences, and ar
resting anyone who should, to us, APP
pear to be acting In u suspicious man
ner. We slept during the day.
Behind the lines there was great ac-
tivity. supplies and ammunition pour
ing in, and long columns of troops con-
stantly passing. We we're preparing
for the big offensive, the forerunner
Of the battle Of the Somme or "Big
PUSH"
The never-ending stream of men,
supplies, ammunition and guns pour
Ing into the front lines made mighty
spectacle, one that cannot be de-
scribed. It has to be witnessed with
your own eyes to appreciate its vast
ness.
At our part of the line the influx Of
supplies never ended. 1t looked like
a huge snake slowly crawling forward
never hitch or break, u wonderful
tribute to the system and efficiency Of
Great Britain's contemplate little
army" Of five millions of men.
Huge fifteen-inch guns snaked along,
foot by foot, by powerful steam tract
| tors. Then long line Of -four point
five" batteries, each gun drawn by six
horses. then couple Of "nine point
two" howitzers pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
| When one of these caterpillars would
pass me with its mighty monster in
tow. flush Of pride would mount to
my face, because could plainly read
| on the name plate, "Made in U. s. A."
and would remember that If wore q
name plate 1t would also read, "From
the u. S. A." Then I would stop to
think how thin and straggly that
| mighty stream would be If all the
."Made in U. s. A." parts of it were
withdrawn.
| Then would come hundreds of linn
bers and &c. s." wagons drawn by
sleek, well-fed mules, ridden by sleek,
well-fed men, ever smiling, although
| grimy with sweat and covered with the
flne, white dust of the marvelously
Well-made French roads.
What discouraglng report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back to
their division commanders, and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big
ger and bigger every day, and the pace
is always the same. No slower, nc
faster, but ever onward, ever forward
Three weeks before the big push OF
July las the battle of the Somme has
been called-started, exact duplicates
OF the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines
The layout of the trenches was taken
from airplane photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench.
es were correct to the foot; they
showed dugouts, saps, barbed wire de
lenses and danger spots.
BattaliOns that were to go over ir
the first waves were sent back fol
three days to study these trenches, en-
gage in practice attacks and have nigh
maneuvers. Each man was required tt
make map of the trenches and IA
miliarize himself with the names ant
location Of the parts his battalion wai
to attack.
In the American army noncommis
stoned officers are put through course
Of map making or road sketching, anG
during my six years service in the
United States cavalry I had plenty Of
practice in this work, therefore map
ping these trenches was a compare
lively easy task for me. Each mar
had to submit his map to the company
commander to be passed upon, and
was lucky enough to have mine select
ed as being sufficiently authentic to USE
in the attack.
i No photographs or maps are allowed
to leave France, but in this case it ap
pealed to me as valuable souvenir o.
the great war and managed to SNUG
gle It through. At this time it carrie:
no military importance as the British
lines, ] am happy to say, have since
been advanced beyond this point, 81
ITO be Contlnued)