Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-07-29

seem intolernbly loud ana could see
the bursting shells. particularly those
from the British ships
Then we came across some Turkish
prisoners who were sheltering In an
old barn. ! guess II was. and we
stopped for shelter and rest. They
told US that their troops were very
tired from long nghting. but that they
had plenty Of men. They said n couple
Of shells had dropped about hun
dred yards from the barn Just before
we came. NO we knew the batteries
were trying TO get our range and we
did not stay amy longer. but went
away from there and on our road.
About 800 yards farther on we came
to ruins. and when we went inside
we found 90 or 90 Of our boys cooking
and sleeping and not giving a thought
to the shells or shrapnel. The mules
outside were banging AWAY ut the hay.
as though there never had been war
In the world. There was no shell made
that could bulge them away from
that hay unless II hit them.
Then along came n cart making a
lot OF racket. One Of the fellows In II
had half Of his face shot away and
was oil bandaged up. but he was try
Ing TO sing aud lnugh Just the same
M the rest were doing. They were
Anzacs. and were pretty badly shot up.
The'word "Anznc." as you probably
know, is made from the initials OF the
Australian and New Zealand army
corps. They had n regular town. called
Anzac, on the peninsula. At Suvla
bay and around Gabn Tepe the Anzacs
got further Into the Turkish lines than
any other unit In the allled armies.
They were wonderful fighters.
BY this time the Turks we're making
an attack. and all you could see TO
the front was one long line Of smoke
and spouting earth. Then our guns
stnrted and the noise was deafening.
II wns worse than In the turrets
aboard ship during an engagement.
My head rang for days after we left
the Dardanelles.
The Turks were getting a better idea
OF our range now and the shells were
falling pretty close TO us, but finally
we tore In with the 14.inch navals
and ripped up three Of their batteries.
In the lull that followed we made good
time and reached our front line posi-
tions at Sedd-el-Bahr during the after
noon.
The next morning we made our first
attack. had had bad night Of II,
thinking about Murray. and when the
time came there never was chap
more glad to charge and get n chance
at the enemy with the bayonet than
I was.
We attacked according to program.
Time cards were issued to the officer
OF each section. 10 that we would work
exactly with the barrage. To be ahead
Of. or behind the time card, would
mean walking into our own barrage.
The time Of attack Is called zero
that Is, the minute when you leave
the trench. Some Of the Anxacs said It
meant when your feet got the coldest,
but do not think they suffered very
much with trouble In the feet--not
when they were advancing. anyway.
The time card might read something
like this: First wave. zero. advance,
rapid walk. barrage 25 In 10 seconds,
take first trench, 0:20; second wave,
same as the first pass first trench,
0:23; take second trench. 0:35. The
third wave Is ordered to TAKE the third
trench, and 80 on. for as many lines
ns the enemy Is entrenched. The other
waves might be instructed to occupy
Hill Z, l2:0S. or dig In behind rock
IL 40. Here. zero Is understood, the
first figures standing for minutes and
the others for seconds. II might take
several hours to carry out the pro-
gram. but everything is laid out to
an exact schedule.
wns In the sixth line of the third
wave OF a.tnck and zero was 1850
a. m. Whistles were to be the signal
for zero and we were TO walk 10 the
tirst line Turkish trench. As we came
out our barrage fire would be burst
Ing 80 yards ahead Of us and would
lift 20 yards every 10 seconds. Our
stunt was to take advantage of 1t
without walking into 1t.
No one man can see all OF an attack,
which may extend over miles of
ground. but during the three weeks
| was In the trenches on the Gallipoli
peninsula we made four grand attacks
and many minor ones, SO l know In a
general way what they are like. Each
wave is organized like the others.
First come three lines OF what you
might call grenadiers. though they are
not picked for size as the old kings
grenadiers used to be. They are de-
ployed In skirmlsh formation, which
means that every man Is three yards
from the next. They were armed only
With grenades, but, you can take 1t
from me, that is enough Behind them
come two lines, also In skirmish for
nation, and armed with machine guns
and grenade rifles. The first men on
the left carry machine guns, then come
three rife grenadlers, and then anoth-
ar machine gun and so on down the