Connecticut western news., 1918-08-22
CHAPTER VII.


Stopping the Huns at Dixmude.
I was standing in a communication
trench that connected one of our 'front.'
line trenches with a crater caused by
the explosion of a mine. All around
me men of the third line were coming
up, climbing around, digging, hammer
ing, shifting planks, moving sandbags
up and down, bringing up new timbers,
reels of barbed wire, ladders, cases of
ammunition, machine guns, trench
mOrtars-all the things that make an
army look like a general store on legs.
The noise of the guns was just deaf
ening. Our own shells passed not far
above our heads, so close were the
enemy trenches, and the explosions
were so near apd so violent that when
you rested your rifle butt on something
solid, like a rock, you could feel it
shake and hum every time a shell
landed.
Our first line was just on the out
skirts of the town, in trenches that
had been won and lost by both sides
many times. Our second line was in
she streets and the third line was
almost at the south end of the town.
The Huns were hard at it, Smelling
che battered remains of Dixmude, and
10 the right stretcher bearers were
working in lines SO close that they
looked like two parades passing each
other. But the bearers from the COM
pany near me had not returned from
fhc cto nd
the wounded were piling up, waiting
Cor them.
/ A company Of the 2me Legion Etran-
gere, had just come up to take their
stations in the crater, under the para
pet Of sandbags. A shell landed among
them just before they entered the era
ter and sent almost a whole squad
west besides wounding several others.
Almost before they occupied the
crater the wires were laid and reached
back to us, and the order came for us
to remain where we were until further
orders.
Then we got the complete orders.
We were to make no noise but were all
10 be ready in ten minutes. We put
On goggles and respirators. In ten
mdntues the bombers were to leave the
trenches. Three mines were to ex-
plode and then we were to take and
hold a certain portion of the enemy
trenches not far off. We were all
ready to start up the ladders when
they moved Nig's section over to ours
and he sneaked up to me and whis-
perad behind his hand, ''Be sport,
Doc :; make it fifty-ffty and gimme a
chance"
did not have any idea what he
meant and he had to get back to his
squad. Then the bombers came up to
the ladders, masked and with loaded
sacks on their left arms. zone min
ute now" said the officers, getting on
their own ladders and drawing their
evolvers-though most of the officers
Of the Legion charged with rifle and
Dayonet like their men.
Then-Boom Slam! Bang land
the mines went off.
~Allezp and then the parapet was
Allied with bayonets and men scram-
bling and crawling and falling and get
ting up again. The smoke drifted back
on us, and then our own machine guns
began ahead of US.
Up toward the front the bombers
we're fishing in their bags and throw
ing, just like boys after a rat along
the docks. The black smoke from the
Tack Johnsons" rolled over US and
probably there was gas, too, but you
could not tell.
The front lines had taken then
trenches and gone on and you coulc
see, them, when you stood on para
pet running about like hounds through
the enemy communication trenches
bombing out dugouts, disarming pris
Ieners-yery scary-looking in thei
masks and goggles. The wounded
were coming back slowly. Then W.
got busy with our work in the dugout
and communication trenches and fire
bays, with .bayonets and bombs, dig
ging the Boches out and sending then
''west.'' And every once in a while {
Fritz on one side would step out ant
veil "Kamerad," while, like as not, OF
the other side, his pal would pot yol
with a revolver when you started tt
PICK him up, thinking he was wounded
Then we stood aside at the entranc.
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