Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-04-23
CHAPTER XIV.
Preparing for the Bic Push.

had hard time trying TO keep my
secret from him. think l must have.
lost at least ten pounds worrying over
the affair.
Beginning at seven In the evening II
was our duty TO patrol all communica-
tlon and front-line trenches. making
note Of unusual occurrences. and ar
resting anyone who should. TO US. ap-
pear>to be acting In n suspicious man
ner. We slept during the day.
Behind the lines there was great ac-
ilyiiy, supplies aud ammunition pour
ing In. and long columns of troops con-
stantly passing. We were preparing
for the big offensive. the fororunner
Of the battle Of the Somme or big
PUSH"
The never-endlng stream Of men.
supplies. ammunition and guns pour
Ing into the front lines made u mighty
spectacle. one that cannot be de-
scribed. II has to be witnessed with
your own eyes to appreciate Its vast
ness.
At our part Of the line the Influx OF
supplies never ended. II looked like
a huge snake slowly crawling forward.
never n hitch or break, a wonderful
tribute to the system and efficiency Of
Great Britain's ''contemptible little
army" Of Ave millions Of men.
Huge fifteen-lnch guns snaked along,
foot by foot, by powerful steam tract
tors. Then long line OF "four point
five" batteries. each gun drawn by six
horses. then couple Of mine point
two" howitzers pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
When one OF these caterpillars would
pass me with Its mighty monster in
tow, flush OF pride would mount TO
my face. because could plainly read
on the name plate. "Made in U. $. A.
and would remember that II wore a
name plate 1t would also read, "From
the u. S. A. Then would stop to
think how thin and straggly that
mighty stream would be IL all the
"Aiade. in u. S. A." parts Of 1t were
| withdrawn. tr
Then would come hundreds Of lin
hers and &c. s." wagons drawn by
sleek, ,well-fed mules, ridden by sleek,
well-fed men, ever smiling. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine, white dust Of the marvelously
well-made French roads. eEcs7
What a tliscouraging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back to
their division commanders, and this
stream is slowly but surely getting big.
ger and bigger every day, and the pace
is always the same. No slower, nc
faster. but ever onward, ever forward
Three weeks before the big push Of
July las the battle Of the Somme has
been called--started, exact duplicates
Of the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines
The layout Of the trenches was taken
from airplane photographs submitted
by the Royal flying corps. The trench
es were correct to the foot; they
showed dugouts, saps, barbed wire de
fenses and danger spots.
BattalIons that were to 60 over In
the first waves were sent back fol
three days to study these trenches, en-
gage In practice attacks and have nigh
maneuyers, Each man was required t
make a map of the trenches and fa
miliarixe himself with the names ant
location Of the parts his battalion wal
to attack.
In the American army noncommis
stoned officers are put through cours,
Of map making or road sketcEing, ant
during my six years service In thu
United States cavalry had plenty o
practice In this work, therefore map
ping these trenches was compara
lively easy task for me. Each maj
had to submit his map to the compan!
commander to be passed upon. and
was lucky enough to have mine select
cd as being sufficiently authentic to us
In the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowe,
10 leave France, hut In this case 1t al
penled to me MS valuable souvenir o
The great war and managed to SNUG
| gle It through, At this time 1t carrie
no military Importance rs the Britis
lines, l am happy to say, have sine
been advanced beyond this point, 8
I'm having It in my possession / am not
jbreaklng any regulation or Cautions