The Big Sandy news., 1918-06-28

/ $50" hcWitzsrs p4.ed by immense
caterpillar engines
When one OF these cnterpIllars would
pass me with It's mighty monster In
tow, flush of pride would mount 10
my face. because / could plainly read
on the name plate. "AIade In U. s. A."
| and would remember that II wore n
name plate IL would also read. "From
the u s. A." Then / would stop to
think how thin and straggly that
mighty stream would be II all the
made in U. S. A." parts OF it were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds OF linn
bers and &C. 81 wagons drawn by
sleek, well-fed mules. ridden by sleek.
well-fed men. ever smiling. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine. white dust of the marvelously
well-made French roads.
What diseouraging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back 70
their division commanders, and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big
ger and bigger every day. and the pace
is always the same. No slower, no
faster, but ever onward. ever forward.
Three weeks before the big push OF
July las the battle OF the Somme has
been called-started, exact duplicates
Of the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines.
The layout of the trenches was taken
from airplane photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench
es were correct to the foot; they
showed dugouts. saps, barbed wire de-
fenses and danger spots.
BattaliOns that were to go over in
the first waves were sent back for
three days to study these trenches, en-
gage in practice attacks and have night
maneuvers. Each man was required to
make a map OF the trenches and IA
miliarize himself with the names and
location Of the parts his battalion was
to attack.
In the American army noncommis-
stoned officers are put through a course
Of map making or road sketching. and
during my six years service In the
United States cavalry had plenty Of |
practice in this work, therefore map
ping these trenches was a compara-
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map to the company
to be passed upon, and
was lucky enough to have mine select
ID as being sufficiently authentic to use
IN the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowed +
10 leave France, but In this case It ap-
,ealed 10 me as valuable souvenir OF
he great war and / managed to smug-
lie II through. At this time It carries
10 military importance as the British
ines. am happy to say. have since
,een advanced beyond this point 20
! having 1t in my possession am not
reaking any regulation or cautions
the British army.
The whole attack was rehearsed
nd rehearsed until we heartily cursed
he one who had conceived the idea.
The trenches were named according
D system which made 1t very simple
or Tommy to find. even in the dark.
ny point In the German lines.
These imitation trenches. or trench
lodels. were well guarded from obser-
alton by numerous allied planes
'hich constantly circled above them.
. German airplane could approach
-ithin observation distance. A re-
tricted area was maintained and no
william was allowed within three
lilies. so we felt sure that we had a
reat surprise in store for Fritz.
When we took over the front line ,
'e received an awful shock. The
Germans displayed signboards over
lie top of their trench showing the
ames that we had called their
enches. The signs read .Fair," ,
Fact" Fate" and Fancy" and SO