The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-01

description of modern warfare, was
written recently by First Lieutenant
Jno. E. Evans, who had actual ex-
perience in "Tank Drive" made
against Boche by the British, late
in November:
"Dear Sisters and Brother:
1 am going to write you OF the
battle that began Nov. Goth. OF
course the names of places have to
be omitted. .. . -..
We got our orders to move and
found we were a single brigade de-
tached from our Division and sent
to a fight, we knew not where nor
when. We left our comfortable
lines the 18th and did all marching
at night. The first night we went
about sixteen miles through a mis-
cradle, cold, disconsolate downpour'
It was inky dark, and you only fol-
lowed the one in front. All Off
GERS rode but had to 60 at walk.
When I dismounted from my horse
I was so cold I could hardly stand.
After short sleep we had to stand
by" ready to 60 when orders came.
Next place we stopped for three
days so knew we were nearing the
fight. On the 10Th the Colonel and
Adiutant went forward to recon
hotter and left me to bring up the
Headquarters to our position, before
the battle. s., ,.
The roads were simply packed
with traffic and we finally reached
our position in big wood. We had
supper consisting of tinned beef
and army biscuits. There were about
90 of rs in a cupola not as long or
&C wide as our front hall. ALI about
rs were other units and tanks by the
score. a. ] ~. e.,
This was a new departure in the
! mode of fighting and all were on
| edge over it. I have already writ
ten that the artillery usually hre
incessantly for two or three days be-
fore an attack to cut the barbed
wire between the trenches. NO"
VOL, heard only an occasional gun
along the front with nothing to IN
dicate that a great attack was aDout
to be sprung. .......,
The weather was dismal, clouds
low. with a slow drizzle. All at once
Vol, heard the guns begin firing all
alonp the line. You knew the Tanks
had gone, but you didn't hear them
when they went. The guns were
simply firing smoke barrage to
cover the approah of the Tanks
Thew went first, crossing the trench
es, trampling and pulling up the
almost impossible snarls of barbed
wire. Behind them came the infan'
try. Then the guns would dash for
ward to better positions in true open
warfare style. Here the artillery
used "open rights" for the first time
since trench warfare began.
The Boche were completely taken
by surprise, though at certain places
machine guns resisted stoutly. fhe
tanks would go crawling up to tneir
emplacements and silence them
Next morning we advanced quite a
distance. Had nothing to eat all
day. Numerous Boche prisoners
could be seen coming back. We slept
in the famous Hindenburg trench
system in a kitchen where the cook
had Just put on about thirty pounds
If beef and about two bushels OF
dried vegetables to cook. The stove
was a beauty. Everywhere you sa"
an abundance of provisions (ne"s'
naper talk to the contrary that
they had to throw away. The ad'u'
tant and I shared blanket, it was
bitterly cold and we were covered
with mud.
Next morning we advanced to a
ridge to a position that viewed the
whole of the proceedings. 1t was
here that the Tanks suffered quite