The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-09-23
WATERFOWL boys"
HOME FROM FRANCE
and FRONT LINE
Sergeants Joseph KiOes and Fred B.
Hollenbeck Assigned To Machine
Gun instruction Near Tacoma,
Washington.

Sergeant Joseph Kioes and Fred
B. Hollenbeck are home from France
and the fighting front, and have been
assigned as machine gun instructors
at Camp Lewis, near Tacoma, Wash,
and they will leave for their new du-
ties on October g. Both men went out
| with Co. e of WatertOwn, an infantry
| company, but which was changed to
a machine gun company while at
Waco, Texas. Both men are in the
pink of condition and look rudy and
healthy They arrived home Friday
evening and have been kept busy ever
since shaking hands with friends and
telling of some of the experiences
| with huns at the fighting front. They
brought home several trophies of the
war, but as their departure was hur-
ried they were unable to transport
Germans.
Sergeant Kioes in talking to News
reporter stated that the company was
In the trenches two and One-half
months and they participated in the
second battle Of the Marine in the
Chateau Thierry sector. He states that
a propaganda is carried on against
the American soldiers in the German
army through the officers who tell the
men that the Americans take no
prisoners and when they do it is for
the purpose of getting information
and then executing them. This is done
to keep the soldiers from surrender
ing. The American army is we'll fed
and except when they drive so fast
that the kitchen cannot keep up, there
is no lack Of food.
Brought Home Souvenirs.
Among the trophies brought home
by the boys is German helmet, made
Of metal and pretty heavy. 1t fits
we'll over the head, ears and neck,
while the American helmet is lighter
and protects the crown Of the head.
Unless bullet hits it squarely it will
glance off without doing the wearer
much harm. Dunn dunn bullets, ex-
plOsive bullets, are also used by the
enemy, some of which were picked up
and brought along as souvenirs. Then
there is the German hand grenade,
called the potato masher," from it's
resemblance to that culinary tool 1t
has handle foot long or more with
a string attachment When it is to be
| thrown the string is pulled which sets
off the charge and it is then thrown
by hand. The charge will explode in
Az seconds and is deadly within a
| radius of rs feet The defensive gren-
ade is of serriated metal about the
size of an ordinary rubber ball. 1t is
| thrown from the hand in the same
manner as the larger one, but is eff
fective within radius of 200 feet. A
German dagger, carried in the boot
| top is usually found on the dead bod
| les. 'r-s es-fs'5, - -9l
One of the German gas masks was
also brought along. They are good
| for five hours, while the ones used by
! the allies is good for so hours. The
gas bombs are discharged from big
guns and do but little damage unless
they fall within a hundred feet or
! less Of the soldier, and if the wind
|
| blown away. A French aerial bomb
with a steering rudder was one of the
trophies. These are dropped from the
aeroplanes and are kept upright by
the rudder and explode when they
strike, They are about eight inches
long and three inches in diameter.
| Found on the big belt buckle of the
Germans is a small plate inscribed
"Gott nit uns.'' One of them was
taken from soldier who had nc
more use for it.
Each American machine gun is
taken care of by a crew of eight men
although three only are necessary tc
work it when in action. 1t is set on a
tripod and fired The equipment
weighs about 100 pounds and is car
ried on small truck drawn by &
horse and is easily transported int
position.