Evening journal., 1919-02-06
HUNS MACHINEGUNS
SIGNALED IN code.
Jersey Fighters. Returned
to Dix. Tell OF Boches'
Ingenious Device
UNDER HAIL CT
FIRE FROM BATTERIES

CAMP DIX, wrightstown. Feb. g.
German machine guns in the forests OF
the st. Mihiel sector fred shots in a
sort OF Morse telegraph code in order
10 signal their trench mortar batteries
the lorations OF New Jersey patrols
and ra.ding parties when the 18th Div
sion first entered the war at that point
last summer, according to Captain Ber-
nard Smith, member Of a prominent
Princeton family. who has returned.
oonvalescent from illness. to the base
hospital here. He was taken III dur
ing the last days OF the war after nav
ing participated In and witnessed lhe
terrific lighting which won fame lot
the Jerseymen, bo.h at St. Mlhiel and
later al Grande Pre-. in the Argonne.
The Huns, anticipating the drive
against the Hlndenburg Line. had con-
verted the woods facing their strong
holds into a maze Of paths. all care
fully sketched. and the maps were 10
the hands OF battery commanders.
American patrols and reconnoitering
parties operating In these woods'
would suddenly hear the SOUND OF a
nearby machine gun, would dodge mo
the underbrush and then wonder why
no bullets came their way. The answer
10 their wonderment would arrive a
moment later In the form OF a salvo
OF trench mortar shells. The Jersey
men. says Captain Smith. finally local'
ed most OF these machine guns In Trees
and discovered that they were chiefly
observation posts, from which the
machine gunners fred In q series OF
dots and dashes that told the battery
commanders in nearby sections OF the
German trenches where TO place their
shells 10 reach the Americans.
The New Jersey infantry brigade OF
the lightning Division" composed OF
the 3iith and 3i2th Regiments. had 4
verltable baptism Of mud under condi-
tions aflerward very laughable when
going into the first action. Captain
smith told the incident today. Tho
brigade at night had been concentrated
in a small village near the front, walt
ing 10 go into the relief OF another
American division. The mud was knee
deep and It was raining Suddenly
there was a tremendous crash and r
brilliant flare. The immediate thought
OF practically every man OF he 1OOJ
Jerseymen crowded there was that
big German shell had exploded In their
midst and following self-preservation,
instructions which had been drilled
into hem for weeks. officers anu men
alike dropped fiat on the ground. Then
somebody yelled Gas" and there was
a turmoil as the Jerseymen rolled
about in the mire 10 adjust their
masks.
Five minutes lates the message came
through the companies that there was
no danger. Unknown TO the Jerseymen
a giant French naval gun was oecups
ing a camouflaged position In the MIDST
OF the little town and the terrific eX-
ploslon had been It's opening shot on
The distant German positions.
Both the North and South Jersey
regiments saw some terrific hand-to-
hand lighting in the St. Mlhiel sector
and some OF the companies suffered
heavy losses. Captain Smith said thtt
no part OF the division was fee from
casualties as the Germans were con-
tinually shelling she bacR>areas and at
times even the division headquarters
was under constant shellflre. During
one night in the St. Mlhiel hundreds
az shells fell in the field at headquar-
ters OF Major General McRea and IN
the morning orderlies counted %
'.duds" or unexploded shells, within
a stones throw OF the actual head
rniarters area