The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15

yards from a corner of the woods
where the Germans were located,
sweep the woods with machine gun
fire and drive them out. Not a man
flinched as we left our trucks in
'Beauclair. put on our packs and
started down the road few hundred
feet to the left, carrying our equip
ment.. Within five minutes we were
ready. Silently-there was not word
spokenAa man with tripod on shoul-
der would slip into the plowed road.
where he was sheltered by a little
ridge about two feet high. Then
No. 1, the gunner would run out and
mount the gun; next came No. 2, with
a box of ammunition, $50 rounds in a
belt. Thus each of the twelve guns
of our battery was mounted and
made ready. Each gunner had sig
nailed ready and the officer in COM
mand was just about t lower his hand
to fire when dispatch rider brought
a new order and the stuff was off.
We were to move. to get into position
to fire on Laneuville, which was to be
taken that night"
Hun Planes Fly Low.
Poignantly illustrative of the high
efficiency attained by the German air.
men was indicated in the following:
Net morning a boche plane came
along flying just over the tree tops.
1t started back-then some doughboys
opened on it with their automatic
rifles. At first the plane continued
on, then the aviator decided to return
and let US have little lead. He
swooped back with his machine gun
more than suffering, and I tell you
the bullets were certainly scattering
around. All you could do was to lie
in your little hole in the ground and
watch him-there was lots of lead fly
ing his way but he got away with it.
He had no more than returned to his
lines than we began to get ours, in the
form of one FOUNDER, three inch and
six inch shell. You see he gave the
| range to the boche artillery. All
morning long they shelled US. The
or five. You would hear the boom
of the guns and then the soft whine OF
the coming shell, which grew into a
shrill scream, then a roar like exhaust
ing steam, coming to earth with an
/ explosion which lifted you from the
/ ground and sent shrapnel, splinters
rocks, sticks, leaves and pieces Of dirt
flying everywhere
| On Into Germany.
| On going into Germany Sergeant
Hoppe says, I'VE had a most enjoy
able trip from Beaufort. France
where we went after leaving the from
at the close of hostilities, thru part OF
| Belgium and across Luxembourg into
! Germany. We made stops of a few
days in Houdrigny and ST. Leger. Bel
! GUM, anu at MeTScH ana ELCHleTIldCIi
{ Luxembourg. Everywhere we were re
ceived as liberators and were giveI
every honor. The streets of every vii
| lage thru which we passed were dec
grated with flags, banners and tri
umph arches. Before Z o'clock on De
cember our battalion rolled out o
| Echternach, across the thousand
year-old bridge across the Saare rixel
| into Germany. Before noon WI
reached the town of Wisenschmitt. the
people we passed along the road wer'
| dressed in black, and with prayer
books in hand were returning from
| early morning mass. AS we sped alont
| they SHE'D into the fields for the hug
I tires of our trucks sent the light mut
tof the roads scattering to both sides
They exhibited mild, perhaps subduet
interest. Timidly the women woul'
| glance up at us and usually would re
! cefve smile in return. OF course i
was a novel situation for both an,
| there was ice to be broken"
/ But according to Sergeant Hoppe i
| is not the business in Germany that il
causing half as much talk and discus
| sion among the men as the question
when are we going home?"