The Arvada enterprise., 1918-05-09
0neis Officer RsIates Experience
Of Hun Attack on tho
British.
Ten DIVISIONS AGAINST ONE
osspIts Overwhelming Number Of In.
ssny, He Losses Were oreat-
Miraculous Escape From eap-
tlom Of She'll Fire.

SssAWe suuetSuiVslb CUiOuys anu puD.
, ushed In the Chicago Tribune. relates
the thrilling story Of the great battle
In Picardy. The American officer was
in the thickest of the fighting for nine
days. during the retreat Of the British
Fifth army from before st. Quentin.
Lieutenant Pettit's account of the bat
dc thrills with the stress Of the con-
aict. ~ It was written Immediately
after he had passed through the tre-
Dendous experiences and before his
Impressions had been In any way dulled
By time. His letter follows:
Lieutenant PsttIt's Letter.
March 80.
Dear Father: Now that the show 10
ever for me for the time being. and I
have time to breathe and sleep and eat
and write, til try and tell you about
he battle. Before you receive this
you will have had the whole story from
he papers, but know you will be
interested In knowing what I did in the
amir.
OF course. the things saw were but
an infinitesimal part Of gigantic
whole and It would be impossible for
me to give q correct description Of the
battle. And as l write this. I do It
with NO knowledge whatever Of what
has been going on even q few miles
from me.
Ihave not seen paper in eight days;
have received no mail. and the only
Information we have received has been
6y word Of mouth, and most Of what
we hear must be wild rumors. For ex.
ample: The French have advanced
20 miles at verdun. the Ameri-
cans have taken Ostend. and are on
their way to Zeebrugge. and a great
naval battle has been fought In the
North sea.
All know IL that on this part Of the
front the Germans attacked us in over.
Whslming numbers, In places ten divi.
aons to our one: that they suffered
tsrEible losses. but finally broke
through our lines Of defense. one after
another. and fighting for the most part,
q rear guard action, we have retired
about Is miles In straight line.
For a week before the battle started
ws had been expecting It; we were
ready to move on 30 minutes no
tiee. I had been out with combatant
- well ~ medical oificers on tours Of
reconnaissance. definite methods Of
evacuation Of the wounded had been
worked out, and our plans Of counter
attack been made. After four or i've
oayS Of waiting, the storm finally
broke.
The Boche opened up on % at q. m..
March q. with the heaviest barrage I
have ever heard. "Stand to-" was
sounded. We turned out dressed. and
bad all our equipment packed In 80
minutes. Then ws sat down and
waited for orders to move. The bar
Saes kept up Continuously. sometimes
heavier and then Of LEES intensity.
sometimes II seemed to Be to the north
q 10 and then suddenly II switched to
~ south.
Our balloons were up a. soon a. II
Vas Night and tie airplanes were bus
alng Over our heads. The ground mist
OFaAually cleared and The Germans
D0t Q hail Of shrapasl On our camp
end W sll took cover. but three men
W9s hit. Why Il 10 Q fellow always
toels safer With q roof over his bead.
svsa II hs knows bullets and shrapnel
a0l p1eees Of she'll viii 70 through
boards and corrugated iron just Mks
Dapse.
ordsesd - Mswe.
Our orders to move finally came and
~ marched Of 10 The brigade assem-.
bly, point several miles away. This -.
ssably point was IN little bunch Of
oPoos about he ass q Allsa park and
boAind and sspantsd from Q larger
wood IN freot. In ths larger wood
tAsee was Q battssy of heavy artillery
and shslls wses droppins IN there Two
q three b Q minute. and it Was heavy
se1&. too.
Oo0stimss thsy ovefshoe the big
wood and shells were landing In the
spsa around the little wood where my
beisaos had 10 assembly point. A.
~ approached our little eopss ws
soujd make oil this ost from some dis-
taaes away and II wasn't . pleasant
oo0satioa 10 fsel hat ws were march.
iaG straight Into Il
Al the battalioas arrived and IN that
little eopss there must have been at
least two thousand men. What Q
chance n the Germans only knew But
~ shells continued to drop 10 front Of
- and On either side. but none landed
among %. and after waiting there for
tArss hours, sxpactins to b blown to
bits any second. ws finally moved for.
ward. Just % ws lsft the eopss. from
behind 10. up over . ridge. came q
stream Of gailopiug horses.
"le's The cavalry" someone shouted,
but soon I made out iimbers and Geld
gsns
They gaiioped past -, going IKE
M, took up q position 70 our nght
0Wuae iate position. unlimbsrsd. and
Z