Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-17

ink: We were in Q country We had
never seen by the light Of day, and
only q few hundred meters from the
boche.
Earth Seemed to Quake.
"At 1910 am. a message arrived
saying that a barrage and prepare
last four hours, and that we would go
over at am. At l o'clock the earth
seemed to quake. The bombardment
was continuous, each gun firing from
three to ten shots per minute"
Here follows a particularly inter-
esting account of the extreme ac-
curacy and thorough and appropriate
distribution Of a barrage. which
some may have thought just a "hit
or miss" affair.
''The firing was directed on every
possible target" says the writer. 1.-The
light guns fred on machine gun po-
sitions; the 155s on strong points:
our. heavier pieces struck at German
artillery positions at German bar
racks behind the lines, and at NUM-
ton dumps and railroads.. while the
heaviest guns played on the distant
strongly fortified hills Of our fifth
and sixth detectives, and some even
upon the once famous Hindenburg
line and the outer defenses of the
city of Metz
Comes the 1sZero Hour"
FINALLY the zero hour comes. Go
now says a voice. On we move in
battle formation, in the thinnest coll
umns. eight men deep. Indian fash
ion, straight over the level ground to
the Huns f1rst-line trench. Draining
living foe remains to retard our adj
vance. The second and third trenches
were easy-that Is, easy when I think
of Soissons."
A little river was the first objec-
tive. This the infantry waded and
then rested twenty minutes while the
light artillery hammered the second
objective.
the artii1ery @0 EViden mt Se Lieut. IT.
Creveling had had no trouble SO far
with his phone connections.
No. I'm going to rush them He
rose and ran straight for a fringe Of
utes after our men entered the wood
lean Germans, fat Germans, young
Germans and old Germans began to
pour out, hands held high and run
ming at the double. Maj. Travis had
bagged the entire party Of 1877. with
their twenty-five machine guns"
Other Detectives Easy.
The second and third detectives were
easy, says Lieut.. Creveling. The Ger
man artillery was becoming thor
ough1y frightened and was heading
for der vaterland,' while machine
gunners were easy prey for the Amer
lean infantry. At the fourth objective
the doughboys dug in for an expect
ed counter attack. None came, so
little before dusk they pushed on be-
fore settling down for the night at
La Marsh. With the dawn they were
up and going forward again, with
helmets, guns, food and blankets
dropped by Germans strewing every
road. Without interference the Amer
leans attained their fifth and sixth
detectives. the final ones.
'"That this important battle was not
attended by the enormous losses SINH
lar advances have cost" concludes
Lieut. Creve1ing, was, I think, all
due to the careful planning of the
American high command. I am told
that Gen. Pershing said something
like the reliable old LIST Division
so we are all rightfully proud"
Lieut.. Creveling was member OF
old Company L, Sd District of CO.
lumbia Infantry. He served on the
Mexican border, and has been in
France for eleven months. particle
pating, in every major American en-
gagement since last February. His
wife is at present serving as chief
yeowoman IL s N R F.