The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-08-22
May 26th, 1918.

passes in horror anything that this
war, so fertile il the production of
terrible things, has yet produced.
You remember that on the 18th of
March, 1915, I had arrested the Of
fensive of the Boches on the NORTH
omme, which from that date was de-
fnitely' broken. For three months
they have steadily gained slightly in
terrain, but at terrific cost in men.
Finally, after July, 1916, they had
attained with greater difficulty posi-
tion before Verdun.
In order to hold Morthamme they
excavated under the mountain an
enormous tunnel, in which were
stored quantities Of food and
munitions, as well as houses,
infrmaries, hospitals, etc., the
whole length intersected by a
railroad and lighted by elec-
tricity. Here they lived. using the
tunnel as passage by which they
could reach their front lines without
encountering the danger of our guns.
But they reckoned without their
host.
During nearly year they enjoyed
peace, if one can so speak of their
subterranean labor, but in August,
1917, I was sent again to this same
region, with other officers and some
cannon of a new style that were ca
pable of good work.
It was an interesting thing that we
who had been on so many other
points at the front, notable at Noyon
and St. Quentin, should have been
detailed to beg the Boches to retire
from a situation in which they were
so comfortable installed. I need not
tell you with what delight we under
took the mission-remember, only,
that on the Goth of August, 1917,
and during the days following, we
achieved a complete victory, took
10000 prisoners and recovered all
the Boches had taken so long to con-
auer in 1916. That was nine months
ago and again I find myself in the
same region.
A Strange Story.
There is q rumor among the poilus
whom I encounter that among the
tunnels abandoned by the Boches in
1917, there are certain parts which
have never been penetrated because
they can be entered only by going in
front of our lines, in the zone called
by the English ''No Mans Land"
They say also that the Boches who
were killed in August, 1917, still
remain in these sections to which the
enemy has never been able to effect
an entrance, as the slightest move
ment in that direction is stopped by
q rain of bullets.
I decided to clear up this mystery
and to visit these tunnels myself. 1t
was necessary to start at night and
to arrive before dawn that our pass
age might not be intercepted by the
Boches. We were aroused, therefore,
shortly after midnight and reached
Mertomme after long ride by au-
tomobile until we reached point so
encountered by bomb holes and wire
that we were obliged to finish the
journey on foot. The night was dark
and one had to be guided by instinct
and by the slight declivities of the
ground. There were three of us who
had the physical strength and the
determination to accomplish our OBJ
ject, but our way was strewn with
difficulties. Each misstep threw us
into a shell hole or into nest of
barbed wire.
A Perilious Adventure.
We walked in this way for two
y gAOU1 4O11 O1SSAA S1AoI VIZ AASN AOSS
our. way and that We should fail to
accomplish our mission. Fortunately
it was the Boches themselves who
aided us by sending up innumerable
colored lights, which thoroughly IL
Illuminated their own lines, showing
us what to avoid as we'll as the di-
rection which we should take. In a
quarter of an hour we reached the
mouth of the tunnel, through which
we entered, and after a descent of
forty meters reached a great tunnel,
through no mans land and entered
one kilometer only to find the end
closed. One of our shells had burst
and completely demolished this Sec
tor OF the tunnel, killing hundreds of
Boches.
Further progress was impossible.
We must retrace our steps, pass
through No Mans Land and enter the