River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-05-09
in two minutes were blazing away. ]
was q thrilling sight.
Torn by Shells.

the end Of the larger wood in front OF
us, over ground that was torn to bits
by the heavy shell fire that had just
preceded, over another edge, across a
valley, and under the crest Of a hill.
And here we found the tanks going
over the top Of the hill to take up
their position. At this point we were
still about mile from the front line.
At this place I opened up an aid post
under the crest of the hill to take care
of what wounded came in while we
were getting into position.
Shrapnel was bursting in the air,
shells were whizzing overhead, and our
guns behind me were belching forth
the fire. The noise was deafening.
A railroad ran through the valley
and an engine pulling a couple of fiat
cars was going by. A couple of sol
diers were sitting on the rear truck
swinging their feet. A shell burst on
the track and only missed the last car
about fifteen yards. Neither man was
bit and the train went blithely on.
By DIS time it was getting along
in the west, and finally went down a
great ball of fire. At the time, ! re-
member, noticed it's color. 1t was
blood red and had a sinister look. Was
it my imagination, or might it have
been a premonition? At any rate,
shall never forget the color of the sun
as it set that night at the end of the
first day of probably one of the great
est battles in history. 1t certainly
didn't look good to me.
The drumming of the guns cOntin-
ued, twilight gradually deepened into
night, the signalers stopped their wig
wagging and took up their flash sig
nails, a fog dropped down on US and
put the lights out of business, and
when we left to go forward under the
cover of darkness they were busy put
ting out their telephone lines-signal-
ers and runners don't have an easy
time.
Shell Dump Goes Up.
Behind us a shell landed in an am
munition dump and it went up with
roar; then the rifle ammunition started
going off like a great bunch of fire
crackers, and great tongues Of flame
lit up the sky.
It is reported that the Germans had
broken through our line and we were
to cOunter-attack in the morning. We
got into positions without a single
casualty. I opened an aid post in an
old dugout and settled down to sleep
until morning You may think it fun
ny that one could sleep under such
conditions, but / had been up since
5 30 had tramped about six or seven
miles, had had rather trying day
and was dog tired.
Just like some of the warm days we
get the last of March at home. In
going forward it was necessary
for us to march seventy-five yards in
front of three batteries Of field guns.
There are six guns to a battery. They
shoot an eighteen-pound shell and
while we were there each gun was
shooting twice to the minute. You
can imagine the racket when / tell
you that the discharge of one gun can
be heard about four miles. In addi-
ton the Boche was trying to knock
out this battery and he was dropping
his six inch shells q little too close for
comfort.
Nearly in Trap.
Then I made q lovely mistake. /
was to establish an aid post near bat
TALON headquarters and went blithely
on when / met company commander
and asked him where to go.
''Back there about a quarter of
mile" he replied. '"This is the front
center company. If you keep on in
the direction you are going you are
going up over that ridge and Fritz will
be waiting for you with a machine
gum
So my sergeant and orderly and
myself didn't waste any time in clear
ing. On the way back / found gallon
can full of water, got into corrugated
iron shelter and had a wash and a
shave It certainly felt good. / don't
believe / had washed for thirty-six
hours. 1t was warm and bright. l
could look out of my shelter and see
our support lines digging themselves
in several hundred yards away. The
cannon fire ceased, the machine guns
settled down to an occasional fitful
burst and it was midday of beautiful
spring day.
A couple of partridge flew over me.
What did they know or care about all
this noise and racket and men getting
up in line and killing each other?
Along about three o'clock things be-
gan to liven up again. In the mean
time headquarters had been establish
ed in a sunken road with banks about
fifteen feet high on either side Cater
this cut was half filed with dead.
My aid post was in a dugout near by
and gradually things got hotter and
hotter.
Our men had dug themselves in
and were popping away with their
rifles. The field batteries behind us
were putting up a barrage, airplanes
were circling overhead, both ours and
the Germans. The Germans put up