Evening star., 1918-02-02
ONLY 60 FEETFROM
GERMAN TRENCHES
American Troops Now Have
War Thrills at Close
Quarters.
RATS, GAS, AIRMEN, MUD

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, February American troops
in trenches on the French front at one
place are only sixty feet from the
German line. In another place mile
of ground separates the opposing posi-
tions. At this point. however, there are
a number of ponds and neither side ap
parently desires to occupy the water
covered ground
The American trenches all are In
more or less marshy ground, making
the use of "duckboards'' necessary al
all times, except when the trench water
and mud are frozen. The trenches were
shallow when the Americans moved in
but since then they have been deepened
and improved
Too Much Water for Rats.
In every dugout the soldiers work
almost constantly at the pumps keep
ing out the water which seeps in. But
the watery conditions are unfavorable
for trench rats, and few of them are
seen. One unit spent more than a week
apparently was in hurry to get some
place where the ground was drier.
In some places the artillery is on
ground but little higher than the
batteries 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 q German
observation post overlooking much ter
at fef H.
ly, 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, sometimes
slipping from the duckboards into wa
ter above their knees. They are prob
ably going out on patrol. If the po-
sition is near the enemy lines hardly
a word is ever spoken. and when word
is necessary it is spoken in a whisper.
Far away to one side of the position
white stream shoots up to the sky
and breaks into white balls that throw
Hight as il from powerful electric
batteries. The reflections 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 whistle as Of
express trains as projectiles Of differ
ent calibers go rushing over the Ameri-
can trenches seeking a German target
The American soldiers have become so
accustomed to such sounds that now
they apparently pay no attention to
them. Every now and then the sound
of shell explosion is audible, but most
of the time the artillery targets at
night are too far back from the trench
es for the men to hear the projectiles
explode.
Colored Rockets Give Warning.
Every man in the line at all times has
his eyes open for two kinds of colored
rockets. One is green and the other
is red. The first means asphyxiat1ng
gas and the other calls fer barrage.
And the green light to the men in the
line means more than anything else,
for in a gas attack they know that
their lives often depend upon the speed
in which the gas masks are adjusted
after an alarm is given.
Intermittently during the night there
comes from different parts of the line
the single crack of a rife. as a sniper
fires, or the rapid spit of a machine
gun at some suspected point or object,
for the machine gunners shoot first and
ask questions afterward.
In the day time 1t Is different because
the men in the line can see what is be-
fore them and there are no deceptive
shadows Also their eyes can occa SION
ally glance skyward as shrapnel breaks
there with a. hollow sounding pop. Not
infrequently during the day time man
looks skyward and then quickly bends
his head SO that his shrapnel helmet
faces in the direction of the bursting
shell.
Air Flights and Shrapnel Puffs.
During the past few days there has
been no aerial activity because of the
fog, but during the clear days preced-
ing the bad weather the men i'll the line
witnessed many thrilling fights in the
air. German airplanes, coming over at
considerable height on observation
trips, would be shelled vigorously as
they came within range. Usually they
| fly in groups of three. but they separate
| when the shrapnel puffs being 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 Germans, after ducking and
lodging shrapnel get back of the Amer
| lean lines French airplanes climb up
after them and every time the Germans
| turn tail and retire.
At other times our men watch French
airp1anes 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, If it is a German machine, every
man in the line forgets what he is do
| ing for the moment, hoping that a
| piece of shrapnel will find it's mark and
the enemy will dash to the ground
Saw Airman Tumble From Sky.
| On at least one occasion the men have
seen machine come down. 1t fell
within the German line. but by the way
| it tumbled from the sky there was no
mistaking what had happened to it's
occupants. and cheers and yells arose
Today the whole American position is
bathed in white. Fog has frozen to
trees. bushes, poles, wires. and the
ground. In some places the ice coating
Is nearly an inch thick.
All the men apparently are well sat
isfied with the food. Two meals a day
are always served ana sonnet times there
are three. For breakfast the men fire.
quently get large bowl of oatmeal as
the principal dish. while at dinner
there is beef or some other meat and
vegetables. Supper sometimes brings
Fbacon, corned beef hash or canned sal
mon. There is always good white bread
made from American -four. and plenty
of it.
| Dugouts Under Ruined Houses.
( The American regimental headquar-
ters just back of the line is established
in dugouts under the ruins of houses