The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-02

Land-for there il q sort Of COMPARE
tive stiffness there-there came to the
ears Of our listeners the sharp snap Of
wire cutters near at hand. The Ger
mans were at work on the last line Of
barbed wire.
The word was quickly passed along
and the automatic rifles blazed out.
The Germans replied with such vigor
and volume that our men at once rec
ognized 1t for a raid in force. They
kept their automatics going, but the
Germans refused to be beaten back
Help was imperatively needed.
Lieut. Parkinson ordered his men to
signal to our artillery for a barrage.
but the rockets had become damp and
refused to go of. Then two men
Privates Sleeth and Hulllnger-volun-
teered TO go back to the first line
| trench for a fresh supply OF rockets.
Sleeth was a ten second sprinter
When our rifles spoke the Germans
signalled back to their gunners for a
harrage to prevent 'reenforcements
from being sent to our men. AZ our
two runners started out on their dash
W the slope this barrage was being
methodically laid down. The runners
had to make their way directly through
It and return the same way.
Now an artillery barrage Is a pretty
effective check to advancing troops.
but a single man may hope. with luck,
to get through with a whole skin in
the interval between two shots from
the same guns.
Runners Beat out Barrawe.
Our runners had their wits about
them and they made their calculations.
Both Of them got through by a miracle,
though Hullinger fell exhausted when
he reached the shelter OF the trench.
q, The sprinter came Looping hack to us
with an armful OF rockets. beating the
barrage on his return.
| AS II turned out, these rockets were
not needed after all. for Lieut. Perkin-
son and his men beat the Germans
back without aid. About daylight
| small patrols were sent out to investi-
gate. They found two dead Huns, be-
| side spots of blood and other signs of
numerous casualties. They also picked
up about 500 hand grenades, fifty big
| two handed wire cutters and a guam
tity OF tubes OF liquid fire. From the
evidence gathered 1t was estimated
that the Germans must have outnum-
bered the fifty Americans more than
two to one.
AS for the marines in that action. not
one was killed and only one man
wounded. He received seven separate
| wounds, but he crawled to his position
and stuck there throughout the en-
gagement. Lieut.. Parkinson received
the CroiX de Guerre and 80 did the
two runners.
On the whole I am inclined to think
that the gas was the worst evil we
| had TO encounter. The Boche must
certainly be given credit for knowing
how to use gas and for his cleverness
in getting It over without warning
Later gas was mixed with explosives
and you couldn't tell a gas shell from
any other by the sound or look of II.
We remained in this subsector one
month and then traded positions with
French regiment This placed the
Sixth next 10 the Fifth and brought
our brigade OF marines together In the
region of Les Eparges. At this new
position at one point the opposing
trenches were only 100 yards apart
Here we had listening posts Just out
side our first line of wire.
During the month tina. We Eey1ained
In this position the Sixth had no
actual contact with the Germans
though the French had twice been
raided there Just before we came Pa
troll work, however, went steadily on
One night an unlucky patrol stumbled
into a cleverly placed trip wire which
exploded grenades when II was struck
and caught the men In the legs. Sew
cral were wounded. including Lieut.
Wallace, one of my battalion intelli-
gence officers.
knew More of Gas Attack Then
That same night one OF our compan-
ions was gassed, but we knew more
about gas and gas masks by that nrne
a few gas shells fell near the post
of command, and I had my mask on
Toward morning l heard bird sing.
ing In a tree near by, 1t struck me
that II there wasn't enough gas in the
air to kill a bird, 1t wouldn't kill me
and I took of the mask.
Early in May. shortly before we lef
the trenches. Gen. Doyen, on accoun
Of Ill health. was relieved Of his com
mand Of the brigade by Brig. Gen
, Hartford OF the army. OF course w
were a bit disappointed not to have ,
: Marine officer at our head. but Their,
was no Brtgadier-General OF Marines
! In France at that time. Every Marin,
In tt- brigade knew that a better MAJ
! could not have been assigned 10 tin
4 post. Gen. Harbord had been Gen
Pershlng's Chief Of STAR: the ver!
, best had been sent To us. and that W
/ appreciated.
III, speak Of these things because Ger
u Harbord was our commanding Office