Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1919-01-10
CHAPTER TX.
Laid up for Repalrs.

LAID Up Tor Hepaire.
One night. after l had been at Dix
nude for about three weeks, we made
y chnrge In the face OF n very heavy
IRE. Our captain always stood at the
parnpet when we were going over, and
made the sign Of the cross and shouted,
For God and France" Then we would
go over. Our officers always led us,
but ] have never seen a German officer
lead a charge. They always we're be
hind their men. driving instead Of lead
Ing. ! do not believe they are as brave
as they are said 10 be.
Well, we went over this time, and
che machine guns were certainly going
II strong. We were pretty sore about
the chaplain and the Swiss aud all
that, and we put w. an awful fight. but
we could not make II and had to come
back. Only one company reached the
Boche trenches and not u man OF II
came back who had not been wounded
on the way and did not reach the
trench. They we're Just wiped out.
The captain was missing. too. We
thought he was done for. but about
two o'clock In the morning. he came
brck. He simply fell over into the
trench, all In. He had been wounded
four times, and had lain In n shell
crater full OF wa'4f for several h ~.
He would not go back FOR treatment
then, and when daylight came, II was
too late, because we were practically
cut off by artillery fire behind the front
line trenches.
When daylight came, the artillery
fire opened up right on us, and the
Germans had advanced their lines into
some trenches formerly held by us and
hardly forty-five yards away. We re-
ceived bombs and shells right In our
2aces. A Tunislan In our company got
crazy, and raj back w the p~arados.
He ran n few yards, then stopped and
looked back at US. I think he wal
coming to his senses, and would have
started back to us. Then the spot
where he had been was empty. and n
second later his body from the chest
down fell not three yards from the
parndos. I do not know where the
top part went. That same shell cut n
groove In the low hilltop before It CA
ploded. He had been hit by a big
shell, and absolutely cut In two. |
have seen this happen to four men, but
this was the only n In France.
About seven o'clock, we received re-
endorsements, and poured fresh troops
over and retook the trench. No sooner
had we entered II, however, than the
Germans turned their artillery on us.
not even waiting for their own troops
to retire safely. They killed numbers
of their own men IN this way. But the
fire was so heavy that. when they coun-
ter-attecked, we had 10 retire again.
and this time they kept after us and
drove us beyond the trench we had
originally occupied.
We left them there, with our artll-
lery taking care OF them, aud our ma.
chine guns trying 10 ennlnde them. and
moved TO the right. There was a
bunch OF trees there. about like a small
woods, ana as we pissed the Germans
concealed In Il opened Are on Us, and
we retired 20 some reserve trenches.
We were pretty much scattered by this
time, and badly cut up. We reformed
there, and were Joined by other Of our
troops, 10 small groups-what was left
OF squads and plntoons ana singly.
our captain had got II a fifth time.
meanwhile, but he would not leave us,
as he was the ranking officer. lie had
a scalp wound, but the others were IN
his arms ard shoulders. lie could not
move his hauds at all.
But he led our charge when we ran
for the woods. We carried some ma
chine guns with us as wa went, and
the guuners would run "A piece. set up,
fire while we opened up for them. and
run on again. Some troops came out
OF 4 trench still further to tho right
and helped rs, and we drove the Ger
mans out OF The woods aEd occupied Il
ourselves.
From there, VIC had the Germans In
our old trench almost directly from