The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-11-06
AMERICANS PREP ARE CALMLY FOR
BIGGEST OPERATION; ADVANCE is
MADE WITH EAGER ASSURANCE
Tribune Staff Correspondent With Pershngs Army Northwest
of Verdun Tells How Our "Yanks' go to It,"
! In Face of the Huns.
BY. c, c. LYON.
e. A. Staff Correspondent.

N. e. A. Staff Correspondent.
With Pershing's Army Northwes
of Verdun.--All day long the divisions
have been filled with underground
rumors" of an impending offensive.
For three days. day and night. CIV
cry road leading toward the Ger
man lines, has been clOgged will
horse and motor-drawn artillery. thou
sands-it seems-of ammunition wa
CONS, loaded to capacity; and the1
the never-ending stream of heavy
trucks carrying the paraphernalia o.
the engineers and material for max
bridges and roads.
T. The infantry has been in billets
close to the jumping off place. fol-
some days, and the doughboys watch
the passing traffic with keen inter
est
Early in the day the colonel sends
for all his majors and captains and
they are in conference for more than
an hour When they return to theil
own commands all the officers are
close-mouthed, while the doughbOys
are consumed with curiosity.
The captains send for their lieu
tenants. More conferences. Then
the lieutenants. in turn. are close
mouthed with their men.
See That Rifles Are in Order.
But right after dinner each lieu
tenant announces inspection"
See that your rifles and bayonets
are in perfect ORDER he says. signifi'
cantly.
There follows the regulation inspec'
ton, during which the men are Told
to do into bundles everything but
the actual fighting equipment.
Emergency rations are passed; out
to those who haven't any.
Everything buzzes with excitement
during the supper hour.
The company cook has received or
ders to have all equipment connected
with his rolling kitchen outfit ready
for moving.
THAT settles it," the boys agree
among themselves. Were goin over
the top tonight sure
After dark, the captain comes
around and addresses the entire com
pany:
Eyes, boys he begins, we're 60
ing into a fight at daybreak fomor'
row. L couldn't tell yot before this,
hut now j want you to know what VIC
are going to do. d.
=. Biggest Operation Yanks Have
Tackled.
"The German lines run through
those woods yonder'-he points to a
d dense forest some three miles to the
north. This is going to be the big
gest operation the American army has
ever tackled The corps artillery will
open up at 11:3G> tonight, and will
hammer the German back areas fol
two hours and a half. We're going
to give them plenty Of gas, too. sc
they can't bring up their reserves.
Then, at 5 o'clock in the morning
our division artillery will begin play
ing on the German wire and trenches
for another two hours and half.
Were going forward and TAKE
those trenches at $50 in the morn
ing" ..'
! "A 5isuzE of conversation and numer
our expressions Of satisfaction run
through the company. Everybody
has an Il told youjso" expression on
his face. The captain continues:
Nov, boys, this is not going to be
any picnic party. We have informa
ton that some of the best troops the
Boches have are Immediately in front
Of us. In fact. some Of them have
been identified by our intelligence de
partment as Prussian guards.
Company Keyed to Combat Pitch.
I'VE have just as big part to play
in this offensive as any other OF the
hundreds of companies that go for
ward. We must reach our company
objectives. else the troops on our
left. and right can't advance accord
ing to schedule.
II know you boys. and I'll stake
my last dollar every one of you viii
put into this fight the very best thai
is in him.
"All ask of you men is that yor
follow me. and go where CO.
The whole company joins in one
big shout when the captain has fin
ished
Twill they follow him and give the
best that is in them: Just wait an6
see! There could be no other inter
probation of that shout.
This operation. marking the open
ing of the great battle to the north
west Of Verdun, was. as the one cap
tain had told his men. the biggest
thing the Americans had yet attempt
ed. Facing the Germans on from
of 20 miles. that night were severa
hundred thousand American troops
And the back areas were damned will
tens of thousands of reserves, wht
would wait to be thrown into the bat
tie II they were needed.