Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-25

ground would make you think that
Iindcnburg was actually. as no is
nguratively. behind him with lash.
There's another thing.
Our artillery nowadays. II is true.
clears tho way for us In u manner that
reduces our actual work to minimum.
but. on tho other hand. having to live
under its canopy. 80 to speak. for so
long, makes you wonder at times II
you are really sane.
ground where the shells have been
sporting around. and find you've to go
over a series of miniature hills and
dales. believe me. you've got to keep
your wits as we'll a. your legs II you
want TO get forward at ALL But it's
modern warfare. and, as I say. we have
pushed Fritz over the ridges all right,
which is the main thing after all.
It's funny feeling every one seems
to have now that we arc really ap-
preaching the big crisis in front.
can't explain it properly, but l
know that for some time before we
attacked that feeling seemed to be in
tho air. I've had a fairly long OK
periencc of scrappinE now. and 1 can
recall that on former occasions evan
when big things were afoot, we felt
as ir IL were more or less of prclimi-
nary work for tho big things itself.
In sense it was. but the point is worth
!
to great extent the absolutely con-
! fdcnt way in which the boys now
go forward 20 any task set them. OF
that confidence there cannot be the
slightest doubt. and, take my word for
it. the Huns themselves are beginning
10 realize it TO their dismay.
I need not tell you about the ar
! tillcry preparation. 1t was terrible 10
have to listen TO it. but IL was much
more terrible to see it's affects after
, wards.
The ground we had to cover was
not bad at first-at least 1t was com
paratircly dry and. therefore, easy.
Going-but once we got into the region
where our big shells had been falling
the region of the pill-boS and tho con
crete fort--it looked like another coun =
try. There were not many pill boxes
to be seen III our area. TO be sure and
those that were there gave US little or
no trouble. The inmates had either
fed or had been overwhelmed
Our first real trouble was some W here
! beyond the edge of the crater field
caused by our artillery. We had just
, reached that quarter when the tell
tale patter OF the machine-gun bullets
began 10 come along and inform us that
the Huns were out to intercept US
How they had escaped our barraze
| don't know-unless they were fus;.
u
they were and out of that they had
TO 60. Our objective. you sec, lay be-
yond and II was imperative that We
| should take 1t.
There was nothing for 1t but bomb
ing We had anticipated some such
/ hindrance of course, and we were pre-
! pared. The oustinS OF the machine
! gunners did not take long. A number
of us worked ourselves round the edges
! Of the big crater in which they lay
There was only one gun in il. and a
bomb or two did the trick. Those oil
the crew who survived the little pres.
ents' We showcred over speedily gave
| themselves UP and we're sent back to the
rear. We ourselves went on. There
| was more important-and grimmcr-
work ahead
never look back upon the rest OF
| that day without a tremor. 1t was
fairly carly in the morning when We
went over. and not an hour had elapsed
| before we got the one machine gun
action. But that was to he the least
| of our troubles. We forged right
ahead, and soon we found that the
| Huns were preparing in force to keen
us from any further progress. Word
was sent back TO our gunners and we
| hadn't TO wait long. ] assure you. be-
| fore they were sending over enough
! to make the l'rtzies hop around to a
; lively tune. There's nothing on earth
| to think. 10 compare with our artil-
| lery. and We were tated to find out the
| truth of that, and to he thankful for
| it. before the day was over.
HOT TIME WITH HUNS
UNDER THE IRON HAIL
The Germans scattered right and
| left under the iron hail. and before
another hour had passed we were I'm
possession OF the line OF our objec-
| tive.
! Now came the real test-the holding
| of IL. For some time nothing hap
| Pened. except the continuous roar Of
our "barrage" like a steel waterfall
! right ahead. Through that the Cor.
mans could not pentrate. So We work
! ed on as hard as we could. and from
right and left OF us came the good
news that everything had gone like
| clockwork. But things were presently
4 10 change bit. The Germans had got
| their batteries into action by this time
and before we knew where we were
their shells began to spit around US
we were in very exposed place, and
1t was not long ere it became too no,
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