The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-06-06

These imitation trenches. or trench
models. were well guarded from obser-
walton by numerous allied planes
which constantly circlcd above them.
No German airplane could approach
within observation distance. A re-
stricted area was maintained nnd 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
Germans displayed signboards over
the top of their 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 nnmes on
our map. Then TO rub 1t In, they
hoisted some more signs which read
Come on. we are ready. stupid Eng
lish.''
II is still a mystery TO me how they
obtained this knowledge. There had
been no raids or prisoners taken. so
IL must have been the work OF spies
al our own ines.
WI
push we tried to shatter FrIiz's nerves
10y feint attacks. and partially sue
ceeded as the official reports OF July
/ show.
Although We were constantly hc:s-
harding their lines day and night. s,ili
we fooled the Germans several times
This WIS accomplished by throwing
an intense barrage into his lines
then using smoke shells we would put
u curtain Of white smoke across No
Mans Land. completely obstructinc
his view of our trenches, and
would raise our curtain of fire
ns II in an actual attack All
down our trenches the men would
shout and cheer. and Fritz would turn
loose with mnchlnegu rifle, and
shrapnei IRE, thinking we were com
ing over.
After three or four OF these dummy
attacks his nerves must have been
near the breaking point.
ON June "a. 1916. at 40 In the
morning our guns opened up. and hell
WAS LET loose. The din was terrific. n
constant boom- -boom-b boom In your ear.
At night the sky was red glare.
our bonbar,lmcnt had lasted abou;
two hours when Fritz started reply
ling. Although We were sending over
ten shells to his one. our casualties
were heavy. There WIS constant
Strenm of strcichers coming out of the
communication trenches and burial
parties we're common sight.
In the dusouts the noise OF the gsns
almost hurt. You had the same sensa-
tion ms when riding ON the subway you
enter the tube under the river going
10 Brooklyn-a sort OF pressure on the
ear drums, and the ground constantly
trembling.
The roads behind the trenches were
very dangerous because Boche shrap,
mel was constantly bursting over them.
We avoided these dangerous spots by
crossing through open fields.
The destruction In the German lines
was awful and l really felt sorry for
them because realized how they must
be clicking 1t.
Frem our front-iinc trench. every
now and again. we could hear sharp
whistle binsts In the German trenches.
iut>t hihNts were the sifuht> TOT
stretchcr bearers. and meant the
wounding or killing OF some German In
the service of his fathcrland.
Atweli and had tough time OF II.
patrolllng the different trenches ut
night, but after awhile got used TO IL.
Ny old outfit. the machine gun COM
pany, was stationed in huge elephant
dugouts about four hundred yards he
hind the front-line trench--they were
in reserve. Occasionally ! would stop
In their dugout and have confab with
my former mates. Although we tried
to be jolly. still. there was lurking
feeling OF impending disaster. Each
man was wondering. if, after the
slogan. "over the top with the best of
luck" Ind been sounded. would he stlll
be aiiveor would he be lying -some
Wherein France" In nm old diiapidated
house the walls of which We're SCARED
with machine gun bullets. No. 3 sec
ton of the machine gun company had
its quarters. The company's cooks pre-
pared the meals In this billet. On the
NTH evening of the bombardment
German cight.inch shell registered a
direct hit on the billet and wiped out
ten men who were asleep In the sup
posedly bomb-proof cellar. They were
buried the next day and attended the
funeral.
CHAPTER xxvI.
All oulet ~ on the Western Front
n - n