Oxford eagle., 1918-07-11

0Aa Attacks and spIea

F1s4 0<st CuLS4 us ullhNhTess Drchusf Lns
wind had been made TO order, that is,
bt Wa blowing from the German
6snches toward ours at the rate Of
nbout i've miles per hour.
Warnings had been passed down the
usnch 70 keep a sharp lookout for gas.
We had a new man at the periscops.
q this afternoon in question; / was
att1ng on the FIRE step, cleaning my
fahs. when he called out 20 me:
There's q sort Of greenish. yellow
eAoud rolling along the ground out In
Front It's coming"
But waited for no more. grabbing
~ bayonet, which was detached from
Ae rife, gave the alarm by banging
m empty shell case. which was hang
ng near the periscope. At the same
enstant gongs started ringing down the
trench the signal for Tommy to don
his rssptrstor. or smoke helmet, On we
an T.
Gas travels quickly, 30 you must not
hose any time; you generally have
ho0uf eighteen or twenty seconds In
which 30 adjust your gas helmet.
A gas helmet is made If cloth, treat
d with chemicals. There are two win
Down, or glass eyes, In II. through which
30 can see. Inside there is a rubber
lowered tube. which goes IN the mouth.
1ou breathe through your nose; the
"a passing through the cloth helmet.
y nsuc1liEed by the action Of the
ahGmicalE. The foul air is exhaled
mruugh the tube In the mouth, this
tube being 80 constructed that II pre-
vents the inhnling Of the outside air or
UA One helmet Is good for FIVE hours
- ne strongest gas Each Tommy
6fries two Of them slung around his
nhOulder In q waterproof canvas bag.
de must wear this bag at all times,
svsn while sleeping. To change a de-
cscuve helmet, you take out the new
soe. hold your breath, pull the old one
I'd. placing the new one over your
nsad- tucking in the loose ends under
n collar Of your tunic.
Iur q minute, pandemonium relgnec
y our rench-Tommies adjusting
eAear helmets. bombers running here
eno there. and men turning out OF the
ensous with fixed bayonets. TO man
IL IRE step.
Hsenforcsments we're pouring out @.
~ communication trenches
Our guns crew were busy mounting
Sns machine gun on the parapet and
er9ngtng up extra ammunition from
NJ ougout
oerman gas is heavier than air and
ooon nils the trenches and dugouts
vhrs IL has been known 10 lurk 70,
no or three days. until the air is puri
Nd by means Of large chemical spray
GA
We had u work quickly, as Fr1t,
U0Fany follows the gas with an In
elntxy attack.
4 company man on our right wa,
80 now In getting on his helmet; b,
nnx 70 the ground. clutching 1T hii
hroet and after a few spasnodi,
Usunes went West (died). II wal
norrfble 70 see him die, but we wer,
pcwerfess 70 help him In the corne.
- traverse. little. muddy cur dog
- of the company's pets. was lynn
o0d with his paws over his nose.
Es the animals that suffer the mos
hs horses. mules. cattle, dogs. cat,
md rsts-they having no helmets d
ave them Tommy does not symps
thiss with rats In a gas attack.
AZ times gas has been known Z.
mvea. with dire results. fifteen mile
Ashind the lines.
a gas. or smoke helmet, as II 4
called. at the best Ia q vile-smeIlinl
thing. and II Ia not long before one get
. violent headache from wearing II
Our eighteen-pounders were burs,
eng In No Mans Land. In an effort. b,
4s artillery. TO disperse the a
uaouda
NE ire step was lined with crouch
NC men. bayonets fixed, and bomb
osar &C hand TO repel the expected a,
tnak.
Our artillery had put a barrage o
Durtain IRE on the German lines. 10 tr
nAd break mp their attack and kse
back re-enforcements.
trained my machine gun On theI
kronch and its bullets were raking Ii
eaxApet-
Then over they came. bayonets gill
snang. In their respirators. whic
avs q large snout in front. they lool
= hks some horrible nightmare.
An along our trench. rifles and ma
rhans guns spoke. our shrapnel wa
bursting over their heads They wer
newn in heaps. but new ones took II
raacss Of the fallen. Nothing coul
uecp that mad rush. The German
rsached our barbed wire. which ha
previously been demolished by the
hAezls. then II was bomb against bonn
and the devil for all.
b2adenly my head seemed 10 bur
- Ao0d -craek- IN my ear. Tha