The review., 1918-05-30


might have lain down about ten mil
utes when suddenly we heard frin,
We jumped up like lightning and hui
ried to our guns. The firing whic
was about three kilometers away grey
more lively. At once we were on tn
march again.
From the expressions on the face
OF the soldiers we could read the mind
OF the men. Something took posses
sion Of them which they had never ex
perienced before. AS for myself
became very restless. Fright and curl
osity 1ashed my brain. Everythins
Whirled around in my head and my
heart was beating wildly. But I strove
to conceal my fright from my com
rades. am sure that tried energeti.
cally. don't know that I succeeded
better than my companions.
Although knew we would be in
the fight in an hour, / tried to per-
suade myself that our interference
would not be necessary. clung tight
ly to everything which might strength
en- this hope.
The bicycles lying in the road indi-
Gated that the bicycle division was in
the fight at this point. How strong
the enemy was we did not know as we
raced toward the firing line. Every
body crouched down as low as possi-
bic while jumping to the right and
left. Before and behind us the bullets
were flying continuously, yet we
reached the firing line without losses.
1xyNh
pressed comrades. The bicycle regi-
ment had not suffered any losses ex-
cept for few slightly wounded men
who were still able to take part in the
fight.
We were lying fiat on the ground
and firing in the direction ordered for
all we were worth, even though we |
had not seen our enemies. That was
apparently not interesting enough to
some of our soldiers. They wanted
to know how the people were looking
"hom they had to shoot at. They got
Up to kneeling position. Two men of
ny company had to pay for their curl
's1ty with their lives almost instantly
The first victim of our party went
iOwn without a sound. The second
hrew his arms high in the air and fell
n his back. Both were dead In
tantly.
1t is impossible for me to describe
he feeling that overcame me in the
rst real volley as we advanced and
anne directly within the range of the
re. no longer felt any fright, only
n impulse to get into action as quick j.,
as possible. Yet at the sight of the
rst corpse a terrible fear seized me.
or minutes 1 was completely stunned,
'st all seli-control and was absolute
unable to think or do anything.
l pressed my face and hands close
the ground. I wanted to clutch nv
IN and shoot blind1y. Presently 1
Timed down. I suddenly became con-
nted with myself and conditions
'out me and when soon afterward
e command was sounded along the
hole line, "Spring out !" Forward
arch J" charged as did everyone
Sc like one possessed. The order to
1t followed. Like wet bags we
lmped to the ground. Firing had be-
n anew.
Our firing now became more lively
and increased to a fear
IOudness. If we had occasion to
anything to our comrades we had
shout so loudly in their ears that it
rt our throats.
Under the effect Of our fire the enc
grew restless, the fire weakened
his line wavered. AS only 500
tiers separated us from them we
lid observe exactly what happened
re. We saw about half the enemy fe
ire in the following manner: Everv
er man quit the line, leaving his al De
nate in his place. Those remaining be
q on until the retiring party halted.
USED this moment to inf1ict the .
st severe losses on the retreating T
my. AS far as we could scan the
1zon to the right and left we saw
Germans advancing in several Sec
5. Also for our detachments the
er came to advance as the enemv
'eated. wa
he task of clinging to the heels l
the retiring enemy so tenaciouslv hel
no time would be allowed to make 1
eW stand fell to us. We followed pu]
Belgians, scarcely stopping to VIII
athe on the way, in order to pre-
their fortifying themselves in q
age situated just ahead. We knew
bloody house-to-house fight Law abe
're us, yet the Belgians never at
pied to establish themselves, but bee
laged to escape with astonishing ed
erneSs.
the meantime we received re-en-
Our company was now
ty we'll scattered and fought with the
tever unit was nearby. The BODY ask
lned had to remain in the village
earch Systematically for scattered II
lers. From this village we saw
the Germans had gained on all
5. Field artillery, machine gun +
chments and other enninmon+ dan