Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-17
CHAPTER XVI
The Gas Affdck

WE clapped on our masks like light
for already we were beginning to feel
the effects of the poisonous vapors.
The enemy sent over total of one
hundred shells containing phosgene ana
chlorine gas Five Americans were
killed and sixty-one were sent to the
hospital
The gas shells were fired from trench
mortars (minenwerfers) Officers in the
front line. phoning for barrage fire to
offset the gas attack, found the wires
had been cut and sent up rockets as
signal to the artillery in the rear.
We responded to the signal with will
anf within an hour had plugged 1860
shells into the German lines. blasting
dugouts and mussing up enemy trenches
in fine shape. We must have shuffled
off lot o. boches that night, ! have
never had doubt that we squared up
for the Yankee boys who were gasstd'
The Americans who were killed in the
attack had taken refuge in dugouts:
1t was certainly a strange eXpericnc.
firing a IS with a gas mask on. had
hardly see the sights of my gun But |
got used to it after while.
graveyard where many hundreds OF
French soldiers had been buried.
Occasionally a shell would light in the
cemetery and dig up some or the dead
ones Just then it was no place for a
superstitious person. We were all DOG
tired when the firing died down ana we
quit for the night
My battery came into action again OIL
JANUARY 90 when the tHuns threw. a
hoX barrage around one of our listening
posts. cutting off our men there: When
the barrage lifted one of the Ianks IN
He popped at them with his automatic
and saw one Of them fall. He kept on
firing until shell splnters hit him on the
head and arm. He lost CONSCIOUSNESS
and didn't wake up until he reached the
hospital. ,..
Right here I want to assure American
mothers. wives and sweethearts that tne
best of surgical care in the world Is
available to their loved ones fighting In
First there is medical organization
attached to each regiment. with regi-
mental inflrmary for simple cases There
Is also regimental surgeon and medi
cal officer ranking as captain to each
battalion. To each division there is at
tached an ambulance company. hos
pital corps and division hospital for
In action these work as one unit. The
wounded are given first aid at an emer-
gncy station right back of the line. then
taken on StretCnerS 10 an ambulance IOI
transportation to an advance hospital
some miles behind the front. Operations
are to be avoided at this hospital unless
the case absolutely demands II. When
the patient Is able to be moved, or II
he can be forwarded without danger by
postponement of operation, he Is sent
10 the rear by division ambulance and
railroad to base hospital. These are
far enough behind the battle lire to be
considered almost outside the army zone
The men in charge of these base hos.
| pitfalls are the very cream of Yankee sur
geons and medical men,
They rank as majors in the United
States reserves with the title of direc.
tors. Many of them have internationa
regulations as specialists in their par
| ticular lines Some of these chaps have
| abandoned big incomes to serve theii
country at a majors pay.
/ know of one surgical doc. who threw
down practice in New York which
! briught him a cool 100000 a year. Ant
/ he didn't look bit worried about II
| either. He always had pack of cigar
cites for us artillery buddies. and every
time he passed our dugout he would stoI
and swap stories. My freckles used Il
amuse him. and nearly every time HI
saw me he'd bawl out:
Hey, Reddy. when are you going Il
| let me graft some decent white Skin
over those copper spots?"
| Never" l would call back.
! Foolish boy" he would return. "You's