Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-31


AT our part Of the line the influx
; of supplies never ended. II looked like
Il huge snake slowly crawling forward.
never 4 hitch or break. wonderful
tribute TO the system and efficiency OF
Great Britain's "contcmptiblc little
army" of 100000 men.
Huge iiftccn-inch guns snaked along.
foot by foot. by powerful steam trac-
tors. Then long line OF four point
I'VE" batteries. each gun drawn by six
horses, then a couple OF mine point
Two" howitzcrs pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
When one OF these caterpillars would
pass me with its mighty monster in
tow. a flush of pride would mount to
my face, because could plainly read
en- the name plate. Made in L. 5. A..
and 1 would remember that if l wore
? name plate il would also read. Made
I'm L. S. A." Then | would stop to
think how thin and straCgly that
mighty stream would be il all the
ra"Made in L. :. a." parts OF ii were
/ withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds OF linn
bers and 'G s. wagons drawn by
sleek. well-fcd mules. ridden by sleek.
wcll-fcd men. ever smiling. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine. white dust OF the marvelously
well-made French roads.
What dscouraging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back to
their division commanders. and this
stream is slowly but surely getting
bigger and bigger every day, and the
pace is always the same. No slower.
no faster, but ever onward, ever for
ward.
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 lay
out OF the trenches were taken from
airplane photographs submitted by the
Royal Flying Corps. The trenches were
correct 20 the foot: they showed dug
cuts. saps. barbed wire defenses and
danger spots
- Battalons that were TO go over in
the first waves were sent back for three
days 10 study these trenches. engage
in practice attacks, and have night
. rIneuvcrs. Each man was required
10 make q map OF the trenches and
familiarize himself with the names and
location OF the parts his battalion was
"a attack.
In the American army nonccmmts-
stoned officers are put through a course
OF map-making or road skc;ching. and
during my six years service in tho
United States cavalry | had plenty OF
practice In this work. Therefore map
ping these trenches was u conpara-
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map to the ccnl-
pany commander TO pass upon. ana
] was lucky enough TO have mine
selected as being sufficiently authentic
to use In the attack.
No photographs or maps arc allowed
TO leave France. but in this case 1t
appealed TO me as a valuable souvenir
OF the great war. and l managed to
c-No ,,r1, l., g,
carries no military Importance. rs tho
british lines. am happy to say. have
since been advanced beyond this point.
- ii has been reproduced in this book
without breaking any regulation CT
cautions Of the British army.
The whole attack was rchearsed and
rehearsed until we heartily cursed the
ono who had conceived tho idea.
The trenches were named according
30 system which made il very simple
fcr Tommy Ia find. even In the dark
any point In the German lines
These imitation trenches e. trench
n'ohcls were well guarded from OBJ
aa-vation by numerous allied planes.
which constantly circles above them.
No German airplanc could approach
within observing distance y restricted
area was maintained. and no civilian
was allowed within three miles. so We
felt sure that we had a great surprise
in store for Fritz.
When we took over the front line
we received an awful shock. The Ger
mans displayed signboards over the
ton OF thc}g trench showing the names
that We had called their trenches.
The signs read Fair Fact" Fate"
and Fancy" and SO on, according to
the code names on our map Then, to
rub II IN. they ho!sted some more
signs which read, when arc YOU COM
ING over" or Come on. we arc ready.
stupid English"
II is still Il mystery to mo how they
obtained this knowledge. There had
been no raids or prisoners taken, so
il must have been the work OF spics
in our own lines.
Three or four days before the big
push we tried 20 shatter Fritz's nerves
by fctnt attacks, and partially sue
ceeded. as the official reports OF July !
show.
Although we were constantly bonn
harding their lines day ana night. siill
wo fooled the Germans several times.
This was accomplished by throwing
an intense barrage into his lines.
then using smoke shells we would put
curtain of white smoke across mo
mans land" completely obstructing his
view CT our trenches. and would raise
our curtain OF fire IL In AN actual
attack All down our trenches the men
would shout and cheer, and Fritz would
'urn loose with machine KUN. rinc and
shrapn"l fire, thinking We were com
!ag over.
After three or four Of these dummy
attacks, his nerves must have been
near the breaking point
ON June Is 1916 at $40 IN the
morning our guns opened up. and he'll
was lot loose. The ain was terrific. a
constant boom boom boom IN YOUR car.
ht night the sky was red glare.
Our hombardment had lasted about Two
hours when Fritz started replying.
Although we We're sending over ten
shells to mis- ono, our casualties were
h.aNy' Iherc was Il constant stream
OF stretchcrs coming on, Of m. r,',,,'
munication trenches, ana burial uar,jns
were 4 common sight
Ia the dugou,s the noise cf the guns
amos; hurt. You had tho same scns,.
ton as when riding on the subv;a,, yon