Atlanta semi-weekly journal., 1918-02-05
j. s. POSITIONS ON
WEST FRONT ONLY
50 FEET FROM HUNS
American GunnerS Keeping Up
Intermittent Cannonade f
German Trenches Along the
Whole Sector

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Friday. Feb. L--(By the AS
sociated Press. )-American troops in
trenches on the French front at one
place are only sixty feet from the Ger
man line. In another place a mile of
ground separates the opposing posi-
tions. At this point, however, there
are a number of ponds and neither side
apparently desires to occupy the water
covered ground.
The American trenches are all in
more or less marshy ground and were
but since then they have been deepen
ed and improved. In every dugout the
soldiers work almost constantly at the
pumps keeping out the water which
seeps in. But the watery conditions are
unfavorable for trench rats and few of
them are SEEN
In some places the artillery is on
ground but little higher than the
trenches, although a number of our bat
teries manage to keep dry feet" most
of the time. The enemy artillery in
some places is on higher ground than
the American, and within sight of one
Of our positions there is a German OBJ
servation post overlooking much ter
ritory. This has been shelled repeat
edly and doubtless has been hit on sew
eral occasions. On clear nights the hill
upon which this post stands out against
the sky is illuminated occasionally BY
rockets sent UP by one side or the
other so that the men in the line may
see the shadows which mean that the
enemy is near.
Night Scene Thrilling
The scene at night is thrilling and
inspiring. On the firing platforms the
men stand near their rifles. Others
splash through the trench, sometime
slipping into water above their knees
They are probably going out on patrol.
If the position is near the enemy lines,
when a word is necessary, it is spoken
in a whisper. Far away to one side
of the position a white stream shoots
up to the sky and breaks into white
balls that throw a light as If from
powerful electric batteries. The reflec-
tions show wire entanglements and
scrubby bushes on the hills nearby,
then the lights die out.
All the while there is the intermit-
tent roar of guns and a whistle as of
express trains as projectiles of differ
ent calibres go rushing over the Amer
ican trenches seeking a German tar
get The American soldiers have be-
come so accustomed to such sounds
that now they apparently pay no at
tention to them
Every man in the line at all times
mas his eyes open for two kinds OF
colored rockets. One is green and the
other is red The first means asphyx-
iating gas and the other calls for bar
rage.
Internationally during the night there
comes from different parts of the line
the single crack of a rifle, as a sniper
fires, or the rapid spit oe machine
gun at some suspected point or object,
for the machine gunners shoot first and
ask questions afterwards.
In the daytime it is different because
the men in the line can see what is
before them and there are no deceptive
shadows.
Aerial Activity
During the past few days there has
been no aerial activity because of the
fog, but during the clear days preceding
the bad weather the men in the line
witnessed many thrilling flights in the
air. German airplanes, coming over at
a considerable height on observation
trips, would be shelled vigorously as
they came within range Usually they
flv in groups of three, but they sepa-
rate when the shrapnel puffs begin to
break among them. A trail of smoke
from bursting shells follows the enemy
planes across the sky until they are
out of range.
If the German. after ducking and
lodging shrapnel, get back of the Amer
lean lines French alrplanes climb up
after them and every time the Germans
turn tail and retire.
At other times our men watch French
airplanes under the fire of German anti
aircraft batteries. The planes dodge this
way and that if flying low, or continue
straight on their course if they are
high in the air. Sometimes the Shrapnel
bursts close to the plane and IL it is a
German machine, every man in the line
forgets what he is doing for the mo-