Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-22

twenty meters from there to the rign:,
YOU Will find the left wing OF the oa,-
TALON. In order to snOO; We mad TO
push the corpSes aSiue TO the riEi,
and the left. and as we cou;G never ~.
Just surg where ne, were aiming. Sc
cause Of the irreSularity o. the line
many times we killed our own con-:
radcS
WHAT we feared the most was the
aerial bombs You heard them wa.n
they were fired. Then suIGen:y you
see something in the air that looas
Ike :, bottle: which curves SLOWLY
through the air and comes down in :,
trench. where IL buI SITS. IL you couid
get into shelter when you saw III
coming. then you have chance I,
place to h!de. After 1t had burst all
The men who had thrown themselves
Hat on the ground raised their heads
to see what damage had been done
IL was always a terrible sight. re-
call having seen at one time TWO mc.i
positively cut to pieces third was
the bomb that his body seemed as fun
of holes as skinner. The heads
from these three had entirely dIsap-
peared. AS 1t was not possible TO Duiy
bodies out over the front or the ba,.l
Of the trench. it is impossible to rc-
endured in those four days.
AT last the moment came for us %
leave this inferno. But II took
three more hours before We could
!eave, we had 10 be cautious The
battle field was as bright as daylight
almost all the time. because of Ia.
French and German star shells. and IL
was only by leaving the trench one by
one and creeping between the bodies
Of the dead that we got out We
passed like ghosts. II one OF us was
it was impossible. without r:skinS our
own lives. to carry him even To The
second line.
We had only one idea IN our minus:
a "a
possible. for we were literally starved
TO death. as We had devoured most O;
our ,rations the first TWO days. We
finally reached place wncrc a ma
CHI nc gun was in position and wner.
the ground was such that we cou:d
S at,eily, straaighten up "nG go more
were raining shells on us. which terri
fed us. Al last. after Il bad quarter
OF an hour we arrived at the support
ing position. really par; OF our first
line. for We were still on:y sixty or
eighty meters from the French bu,
here We had shelter ana were In reaii-
tive security.
There were no aerial bombs falling
here. but there were shells; worst %,
all. shrapnel shells. which spfinHled
MS continually. The litter hearers am;
attendants had so much to do that the,
did not have time TO cat rho
wounded were carried To the rear, ana
cemetery laid out behind the shelter
occupied by Commander Schmidts star
officers. They put a helmet or n p,cc.
or shell on each grave.
One day helped TO bury one or the
had been killed shells were falling
On all sides of US. while severai
man aviators began TO come to attack
tho French rs the soldiers were sing
ing sort OF funeral litany while
grave, "a bomb fell from the sky in the
midst OF us. killing six men and
wounding as many. We left the corpse
without finishing. the ceremony. and
regular hurricane OF French shells fcll
on our cemetery.
our stay In the hrst-lne trenches. we
were sent Tor four days rest in Ripont
we would nave been better Pleased TO
have remained where we were. be-
cause at Ripont there was little shelter
ana the French artillery are was ter
ribic However. for the nrst time III
Twelve days We were able TO wash
ictive. the soldiers played cards or
cleaned their new Russian guns. when
sometimes went off unexpectedly and
cauSe ed several accidents. because oil
the BON bardment we had no drill.
BACK TO DEVILS HOLE
SAD AND DISCOURAGED
Our rest time over, we had 10 re-
turn , TO the devils hole" where VIC
OF four days. tifty-eisht ucad ana as
many wounded. All the soldiers wcrn
SAD and discouraged at the thought or
when RoEsc gave us tho order to get
ready to attack that night. The men
received n mixture Of tea and liquor
Our attack. which WAS not successruI,
was directed by Captain Freiherr Won
Ter Recke. who was severely wounded
The next day a communication came
from the Eighth Army corps, with
which we were Incorporated. The gen
cTal complained OF the cowardice O.
our battalion. that had not succeeded
IN its attack, and we were ordered
French. who had succeeded in eainin:
a hold in one Of our lines The So
aiers were very downheartcd ana
thinking it would pronanIy be tnc:r
last letter.
That night the tea contained a
dition to that. just before the attac.>
cognac was distributed 10 .ne men, one
p ,br Tor every eight men - deadrn
,heir feelings and make them ike
brutcs. AT IL O'Clock we started OUT /
l rom our trench like spcCIcrS crawl |
ing between the corpses. lying flat on
our bellies, our knives uetwecn or
teeth. our bags full OF Srenades. gun,
in our fists. until the moment when the /
order to rush forward would be given. |
our men were like savage beasts Tne |
the wounded must he killed But tine
French defended themselves like lions. !
ana we had to go back. fhe only re-
suit obtained was the greater numDcr /
Of our men were put on the Casualty |
list.
There were so many star shells /
thrown up into the air by the French
and the Germans it was as bright "a, |
day The Thirty-ffth anu EightIeln
Regiments on our left. and the Eign-
teenth at our right. never stopped mr.
ing all night, and the artillery anu /
French machine guns on their side
made as much racket. Schmidt couiu
not help muttcring: Isn't there IL hui
iet Tor US also? oh. when will this
butchcry be over"
After this attack we were sent back
to rest between Grateful and RIpont
at a place where the engineers had ,
followed out great subterraneau
shelters. each one abe to hold 2aU |
men. These Iheltcrs were covered |
with earth and the trunks OF trees 10
protect them against shells.
Scarcely had we reached there wncu
an order came from the r'ifty-sIxIu
Division directing Schmidt to pretend |
TO be sick and to goi :mmediately 10 |
Nauziers RoGge hud taken tnr
pleasure OF accusing Schmidt OF being |