Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-09-11
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
Stopping the Huns at Dixmude.
was standing in a communication
trench that connected one of our front
line trenches with crater caused by
the explosion Of a mine. All around
me men of the third line were coming
up, climbing around, digging, hammer
Ing, shifting planks, moving sandbags
up and down, bringing up new timbers,
reels of barbed wire, ladders, cases Of
ammunition, machine guns, trench
mortars-all the things that make an
army look like general store on legs.
The noise Of the guns was just deaf
ening. Our own shells passed not far
above our heads, so close were the
enemy trenc..es, and the explosions
were so near ard so violent that when
you rested your rifle butt on something
solid, like a rock, you could feel it
shake and hum every time a shell
landed.
Our first line was just on the out
skirts Of the town, In trenches that
had been won and lost by both sides
many times. Our second line was in
the streets and the third line was
almost at the south end of the town.
The Huns were hard at it, Smelling
the battered remains Of Dixmude. and
to the right stretcher bearers were
working In lines so close that they
looked like two parades passing each
other. But the bearers from the COM
pany near me had not returned from
the emergency dressing station and
the wounded were piling up, waiting
for them.
A company Of the 2me Legion Etran-
gere had just come up to take their
stations in the crater, under the para
pet Of sandbags. A shell landed among
them Just before they entered the era
ter and sent almost a whole squad
west, besides wounding several others.
Almost before they occupied the
crater the wires were laid and reached
back to US, and the order came for US
to remain where we were until further
orders.
Then we got the complete orders.
We we're to make no noise but were all
to be ready in ten minutes. We put
on goggles and respirators. In ten
. minutes the bombers were to leave the
trenches. Three mines were to ex-
plode and then we were to take and
hold a certain portion Of the enemy
trenches not far off. We were all
ready to start up the ladders when
they moved Nig's section over to ours
and he sneaked up to me and whis-
pered behind his hand, BE q sport,
: Doc; make it f1fty-ffty and gimme a
chance"
I did not have any idea what he
meant and he had to get back to his
squad. Then the bombers came up to
the ladders, masked and with loaded
sacks on their left arms. zone min
ute now" said the officers, getting on
their own ladders and drawing their
revolvers-though most Of the officers
of the Legion charged with rifle and
bayonet like their men.
the mines went of.
- "Allezl" and then the parapet was
filed with bayonets and men scram-
bling and crawling and falling and get
Il ting up again. The smoke drifted back
on us, and then our own machine guns
began ahead Of US.
g, Up toward the front the bombers
2 were fishing in their bags and throw.
ing. just like boys after a rat along
i the docks. The black smoke from the
"Jack Johnsons' rolled over US and
probably there was gas, too, but you
could not tell.
The front lines had taken theil
h trenches and gone on and you could
see them, when you stood on para
net, running about like hounds through
the enemy communication trenches
bombing out dugouts, disarming pris
oners-very scary-looking in thei
masks and goggles. The wounded
5@ were coming back slowly. Then w
got busy with our work In the dugout
and communication trenches and fir,
bays, with bayonets and bombs, dig
eing the Boches out and sending then
"west." And every once in while .
Fritz on one side would step out ant
D.. yell .Kamerad," while, like as not, OF
;. u the other side, his pal would pot 20,
! with 8 revolver when you started t.
B pick him up, thinking he was wounded
7isSSs Then We stood aside at the entrance
to 4 dugout and some Boches came
ont IN single file, shouting "Kamerad'
b for all they were worth. One Of then
had his mask and face blown of: ye
q no was trying to talk, with the tear
". rolling down over the raw flesh. HI
Ct died i've minutes later. .....
One night. while was lying back Il
a the trench trying not to think of any
thing and 80 to- sleep the bombs begal
q Iet kzeth thick aEonnd ther4, ena