Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-08
GERMANS USED MANY
KINDS OF WAR ARNOR
Harold Wygant Tells Of Ex-
cursions Made Into En-
ernys Territory.

The days Of steel breastplates and all
sorts Of armor as worn by the knights
of old are not out of date and were
used in the late war, according to let
ter received from Private Aarola v.
Weygant of the 23rd Engineer band, A..
g. F. in France.
In exploring a hill formerly held by
the Germans, he writes:
We went into one Of the entrances
of the hill which had been shelled and
progressed about 200 yards through ell
eetric lighted passages, when a poliu
told us 10 'Allsyez' which means beat
it'. We tried to bribe him with some
cigarettes and tobacco but he eplained
that we would have to get q commits
stoned officer to show us through the
tunnels.
"Three or four Of us were prospect
ing in one of the buildings formerly
held by the Germans and run into some
kind of gas. We beat it but were sick
the rest of the day and the next. After
that we were more careful of our no.
ses.
1Ouuu 11l6 OF AIuOur.
All Hun ordinances, rifles, grenades,
shell and cartridges were dumped out in
the streets and we found one pile of ar
NOR, with breastplates fitting over the
entire chest and four smaller parts COM
ing half way to the knees.
'"The steel was about quarter of an
inch thick and the outfit weighed from
30 to 35 pounds. There was about 25
Of these steel suits in the pile. / expect
these were for snipers and machine gun
ners. These were the pick of the rifle
men and were often marksmen. The
Americans were not the only ones who
could shoot straight.
"For my mess today we had fried
mutton steak, spuds fried, evaporated
apples, bread and chocolate which con-
slider very good meal.
"I salvaged German saddle bag at
Nafennes from the salvage dumy there.
There are from rs to 100 German artil
Iery guns there from the small 30-inch
barrel of the small mortar to the big
guns, 8 and 9's with barrels 20 inches
ong. A number of the large ones had
he muzzles blown off and the breech
blocks gone.
Happy-G -Go-Lucky Bunch.
"This is sure g. happy-go-lucky bunch
n this band. Whenever we hit a new
olace it takes about 20 minutes and we
ire as comfortable as in our own bar
acks at camps gs .e
KIT would make you laugh to see
,orae Of the things we pick. up as we
20 along. I have two bayonets and
one. gas. mask, three alsohoi
toves and, one chair and cushion. "
After the armistice had been signed
he 23rd engineers to which Harold wy.
,ant had been attached, were assigned
o the care of transportation supplies
Harold Wygant being wounded and un,
bile to do active duty was transferred
o the band. This band was ordered to
i've concerts for each company and
ruck wagon thain in the regiment and
his gave him five weeks trip through
iermany hunting upthe different units ,
II turn. IN
The 23rd engineers to which Wygant .
elonqed is one of the best technical !
nits in the amy II is Of special pride
0 the 23rd to know that tAere was !
nee job proposed which the scientific |
len said could not be done. The 2ord /
idn't know what had been said, so a
hey went ahead and did the JOB. i
Ienee they publish on the editorial S
age of the paper they print this
eading, "All the scientists said 1t t
ouldn 4 be done. But the dam fool en- u
ineers didn't know this, SO they went $
head and did it. o