The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-11
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AN Ar1TRI(AN SOLDIER
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VACCINE GUNNER SERVING N FRANcE

mander as OnclaIly coming through
the observation post. Then the bat
terry would open up. Afterwards, dur
Ing the investigation, Cassell would
swear he received 1t direct. They
would have to relieve him, because 1t
was impossible from his post in the
battery dugout to know that the road
was being used at that time by the
| Germans. And also 1t was impossible
/ for him TO give the target, range and
degrees. You know battery chart is
not passed around among the men like
newspaper from Blighty. From him
the investigation would go to the OBJ
servation post. and the observing Off
I Ger could truthfully swear that I had
not sent the message by phone, and
1 that no orders TO fire had been issued
/ by him. The investigators would then
/ be up in the air, we would be safe, the,
! Boches would receive a good bashing.i
/ and we would get our own back on Old
/ Pepper. It was too good to be true.
II gleefuIly fell in with the scheme,
and told CasselI I was his meat.
"Then I waited with beating heart
and watched the captain like hawk.
HE was beginning to fidget again
and was drumming on the sandbags
with his feet. At last. turning to me-
| he said:
Wilson. this army is a blankety
blank washout. What's the use of hav-
| ing artillery if it is not allowed to fire?
The government at home ought to be
hanged with some of their red tape.
It's through them THAT we have no:
Shells
IT answered, Yes, SIR and started
sending this opinion over the wire to
Cassell, but the captain interrupted
me with:
"sKeep those internal fingers still.
What's the matter, getting the nerves?
When I'm talking to you, pay atten-
tion.'
my heart sank. Supposing he had
rumbled that tapping, then all would
| be up with our plan. 1 stopped drum
ming with my fingers and said:
/ "'Beg your pardon, sir, just habit
with me-
"'And a ID silly one, too he an,
swered, turning to his glasses again.,
and / knew / was safe. He had not
! tumbled to the meaning of that tap
ping.
"All at once, without turning round,
he exclaimed:
"sWell, of all the nerve I've ever run:
across, this takes the cake. Those,
- Boches are using that road,
again. Blind my eyes, this time it is a
whole brigade of them, transports and
all. What a pretty target for our
! ASS The beggars know that we.
won't fire. A ID shame, call it.
I nh irc% for. chance fn f11rn n CSS
loose on them
81 was trembling with excitement.
From repeated stolen glances at the.
captains range chart, that road with
its range was burned into my mind.
"Over the wire tapped, ID 23S bat
terry, Target IT, Range 600O, 3 degrees
30 minutes, left, salvo, fire. Cassell
! o. KID my message, and with the re-
| ceiver pressed against my ear, wait
ed and listened. In a couple of min
utes very family over the wire came
the voice of our battery commander
] issuing the order: ID 23S battery.
Salvo! Firer
"Then a roar through the receiver
as the four guns belched forth, a
screaming and whistling overhead, and
| the shells were on their way.
''The captain jumped as if he were
shot, and let out greatabi expressive
1-n, and eagerly turned his glasses
in the direction of the German road.
i also strained my eyes watching that
target. Four black clouds of dust rose
up right in the middle Of the German
column. Four direct hits-another
record for D 23S.
1.-The shells kept on whistling over
head, and / had counted twenty-four
of them when the firing suddenly
; ceased. When the smoke and dust
clouds lifted the destruction on that
road was awful. Overturned limbers
and guns, wagons smashed up, troops
fleeing in all directions. The road and
roadside were spotted all over with
little field gray dots, the toll of our
guns.
The captain, in his excitement, had
slipped off the sandbag, and was on
his knees in the mud, the glass still at
his eye. He was muttering to himself
and Shaping his thigh with his olsen
gagged hand. At every slap a big
round juicy cuss word would escape
from his lips followed by:
"'Goodl Finei Marvellous Pretty
work Direct hits ALL
'sThen he turned to me and shouted:
Wilson, what do you think of it3
Did you ever see the like of it in your
life? On fine work, call it,
"Pretty soon a look of wonder stole
over his face and he exclaimed:
"'But who in HI gave them the
order TO fire. Range and everything
correct. too. I know didn't. Wilson.
did / give you any order for the bait
'tarp& noan pn2 OF cnnrsa L dian's-