The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-27
RAIDIHG THE
GERMAN LINES
RAIDING THE GERMAN LINE
RECIPROCAL NEWS SERVICE.
13 Queen Anre's Gate, London.
Relayed by Kansas City Office.

London, Feb. 2.-(By MaiD.-
The following is a graphic descrip-
ton of the work American soldiers
have to learn in France; it is told
by a British Tommy who is here in
hospital:
Il got this packet in a raid on the
Gerries' line. 1t was a good little
show-took you back to the finish
of the Somme. We used to have a
raid every other night then. like
a raid better than a push, though
of course a push is more useful.
What | mean is this, you get good
and close to the Gerries in raid
right in amongst them-and you
sometimes can get to grips with
them. In a push they're too keen on
getting away to let you right in
amongst them. You get bits OF their
line, though in push, and | sup
pose that's the game right enough.
"Our officer was first class chap
in a raid. lie was a great big man,
not fat, but hellish powerful. ! bet
he weighed fifteen stone if he
weighed a pound, and it was all big
bone and hard muscle. 1t gave you
a tickle in the throat to go after
him. lie used to go into the raid
with a revolver and two knuckle
busters. 1t he got close enough to
use his fists, God help the Gerry
that he hit. He used to grunt as he
hit, you know, 'Auch !-bidn and
over they would go. 1t was bit OF
all right watching him. OF course
no one German had a chance against
him, but the wonder was how he
escaped being coppcd out they used
to go for him so much in punches.
We'll, this was the officer that
took us out on the raid that night
1t was in a bit Of the line we took
in the last push we did, and the
Germans hadn't been able to put up
much wire What there was had
been fattened out by the T. NJ. BIS
Trench Mortar Work.
at was a good little 7. Nj. battery
we had in that bit Of the line. The
officer in charge Of them was a
Yorkshire man-one of those keen
chaps that are always on the job.
He didn't belong to our regiment,
but he'd have been a credit to us if
he had. He lammcd it into the Ger
ries the whole day, and of course it
meant that they hit back. They
strafed us with Gve-nines, and that
was a bit deadly; still, suppose
you've got to take that as it comes.
Anyhow, this r. M. B. officer was
a pretty fair dodger. He would give
the German trenches two bombs
and the wire one. They thought he
was after their blood, | expect, and
all the time it was the wire he was
at. He blew two or three clean
paths through the wire. He was a
workman, a journeyman at his job,
that 7. NJ. b. officer.
The Raid.
I'VE knew that the Gerries would
be out mending their line that night,
putting up wire and that. SO our
officers arranged that the raid was to
come off as soon as it was dark. 1t
was very well done. The T. NJ. b
officer kept banging away till the
dark was just coming on, then he
started to cut down the firing a bit
and let them have bursts at odd
times. Half an hour, a burst, ten
minutes, another fifteen minutes
another, with odd bombs in between
The Gerrie5 must have been Won
dering their heads off. 1t must have
been just after 7 when we crept out
while the mortars blew over a few
bombs, natural-like.
1--WE were out for the usual thing
sheer devilment in the German line
damage dugouts, take prisoners anC
generally kick up hell. Our big Of.
fcer led the way as usual. | had q
couple of bombs, though I'm a bay.
onet man, but a bombs 4 handy
thing to have about you. We nippeC
into the German lines and found {
pretty good wind-up among them
There was a bit of 'Kamerading' anC
a bit of fight in them. There was ;
tidy mix-up then, and / engaged ;
fellow with the bayonet. He free
at me and got me in the side just a.
| made a point at him. Whether i
was being hit or if slipped | dom
know, but got him in the shoulde
when | meant to get his chest. II,
did the 'Kamerad act, and | go