Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-02
CHAPTER XIV.
PREPARING for the Bio Push.

Preparing TOR the Big Pusn.
RcjoininS Atwcll after the execution
had hard time trying to keep my
secret from him. ! think ] must have
lost at least ten pounds worrying over
the affair.
Beginning at seven I'm the evening 1t
was our duty to patrol all communica-
ton and front line trenches, making
note of unusual occurrences, and ar
resting anyone who should. to us, ap-
pear to be acting in a suspicious man
ncr. We slept during the day.
Behind the lines there was great ac-
tivity, supplies and ammunition pour
ing in. and long columns OF troops con-
stantly passing. We were preparing
for the big offensive. the forcrunncr
of the battle of the Sommc or big
Push"
The ncver-ending stream OF men,
supplies, ammunition and guns pourJ
in~ into the front lines made n mighty,
spectacle. one that cannot be de4
TEcFibcd. IT has TO De wTnessed SSegS
your own>eycs to appreciate its vast
ness.
At our part of the line the influx of
SAMPLES never ended. II looked like
Il huge snake slowly crawling forward,
never Il hitch or break, wonderful
tribute to the system and efficiency oi
Great I'ritain's contemplate little
army" of five millions Of men.
Huge fftccn-inch guns snakcd along.
r,ct ~. !oot. by powerful steam tract
tors. Then a long line of -four point
five" batteries. each gun drawn by six
horses. then n couple OF mine point
two" howitzcrs pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
When one of these catcrpillars 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. 5. A..
and would remember that if wore n
name plate it would also read. From
tn" l.. =. A." Then I would stop to
think how thin and straggly that
mi"hty stream would be il all the
Made in u. s. A." parts of It were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds of lim-
hers and &c. s." wagons drawn b!
sleek. wcll-fcd mules. ridden by sleek
w,ll-fcd men. ever smiling, although
grimy with sweat AMI covered with the
fine white dust of the marvelously
cll-made French roads.
What n discouraging report the Ger
ilan 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. no
faster. but ever onward. ever forward.
Three weeks before the big push OF
July las the battle of the Somme mas
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
cs were correct to the foot; they
showed dugouts. saps. barbed wire de-
fences and danger spots.
Battalions that were to go over IN
the first waves were sent back TOT
three days to study these trenches. en-
rage In practice attacks and have
night uaneuvers. Each man was re-
quired to make n map of the trenches
and familiarize himself with the names
and location Of the parts his battalion
was to attack.
In the american army non n-commis-
stoned officers are put through course
of map making or road sketching, ana
during my six years service In the
United States cavalry had plenty oi
practice In this work, therefore map
ping these trenches was compara'
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map to the company
commander to be passed upon, ana
was lucky enough to have mine select
ed as being sufficiently authentic to
use IN the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowed
to leave France. but in this case 1t ap-
pealed to me as valuable souvenir OF
the great war and managed to SNUG
gle It through. At this time 1t carries
no military importance as the British
lines. I am happy to say have since
hNcn advanced beyond this point, SO
in having 1t in my possession am not
breaking any regulation or cautions
OF the British army.
The whole attack was rehearsed
and rehearsed until we heartily cursed
the one who had conceived the idea
The trenches were named according
to a system which made it very simple
for Tommy to find. even in the dark
any point In the German lines.
These imitation trenches. or trench