The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-06-11
Karl Dupes Tells
His Experiences
Indiana Harbor Marine Has Interesting Story
of War In Which He Was Taken a
Prisoner By Germans.
Prisoner BY Germans.

Kari Dupes. one OF the devil dogs
Of Lake county. son of Mr.. and Mrs.
n. W. Dupes. 3446 Fir St. Indiana Har-
Dor. the thrilling news OF whose i'm
prisonment in a German prison camp
have appeared in these column from
time to time. has written for THE TINES
an extended account OF his experiences.
which is as follows:
III try and give a short synopsis Of
what 7 saw and found. The story of
our trip from the American sector in
French camnions is too we'll known TO
be repeated here. and how we went in.
taking our positions on the S1st OF May
and the 1st of June and the initial con-
tact is also well known
Sanguinary engagements took up our
attentions until on the night OF June
5th orders came in for us 10 move-we
didn't know where. We marched about
three kilos and took up our wave for
nation to the Immediate front of the
Third battalion Of the Sixth regiment.
Ordered TO lie down and wait for further
orders. which came about 3;45 a. m. 1t
was just breaking daylight so that you
could easily distinguish our men. We
started to advance and almost immedi-
ately our machine gun battaltons put
over g machine gun barrage for about
fifteen minutes. We advanced about a
quarter of a mile before we began to
feel any resistance. but that is hard to
say for they may have been firing. but
high. and you cannot tell which way a
bullet is going by the sound, our machin
guns barrage was pretty heavy and the
bullets were cracking over our heads.
7 was about the fifth man from the
right flank in the second wazre. The
first man stumbled and after taking a
few staggering steps fell. shouting.
Don't stop. keep on going, so we kept
on. It made me mad to see that boy go,
because I knew him and liked him well.
The object Of our attack was a woods.
part Of the main forest-Bellesu Woods
and We were 10 clean It cut. The
woods was not large, covering probably
se~venty-fve or eighty acres. and ending
in straight lines Oh either side-one
straight side and parallel to oar line of
advance. Our line WAS so long that 1t
put our end clear of the woods in a long
open field. which was hanked on either
side by woods. The one to our LETT was
our immediate objective. and We were
told not to fire at the other one for our
own men occupied part of It.
The advance continued-we kept edg-
ing TO the left as the line closed up
where men dropped out. and finally we
edged into the woods TO find a rather
deep ditch in which were 5 or s machine
guns and several dead Germans The
machine guns had their belts in place.
about half through. but had been aband-
Cd before We reached them. WetfolIowed
this ditch until il came out on the far
side of the woods-our part of the line
had reached its objective.
The fighting was furious on our left.
but we could not see much of what was
going on because of the dense under
brush.
We had scarcely shown ourselves in
the corner of the woods when a rasher
light scattered fire commenced from the
corner Of the wood tofthe Ugh
Gunnery Sergeant Jerry Finntgan
said. Come on boys, let's get in" be
cause they we're everywhere threatening
our flank and might make the main
position untenable.
About thirty of US started. Anyone
who Mapped to be there went. Some Of
the men from the Second platoon Joined
and we went IN a single skirmish line,
We had about thirty yards to advance,
and made it in two rushes. keeping UP q
heavy fire from our rifles and Chau-
chettes (shoo shoe guns) as we went
Everything went well until we topped the
little bank hat ran along the edge OF
the woods when two machine guns cut
loose on Us and It was all over in about
five minutes I got seven bullets through
my clothes before 1 managed TO get be
hind a little pile of cord wood which
happened to be there. and just in time
to save my hide, too. because chips
stores, sticks and dirt began TO come
out OF that wood pile. Then he raised a
little and began to tear my combat pack
on my back. II seemed as it would raise
me a foot off the ground every time 4
bullet went through that pack. and
was hitting like a rivet hammer for q
few minutes Then they would stop and
what few Of US were left would fire