Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-07
No Wonder Germany Quit
NUMBER

81 wonder how many people have
any idea how a relief is made in
the trenches" said Major Frank c.
Mahin of the Army Recruiting sta
ton, 325 Market street, Harrisburg.
I'm the first place, in 1917 they
changed the system of occupying the
trenches from a continuous line of
men to the so-called combat group
system. Under this system the
trenches were held by groups OF
from twelve to twenty-five men with
u~noccupied gaps of from fifty to
four hundred yards between combat
groups. Patrols in No Mans Land
and through the trenches prevented
the Boche from coming in. In the
active sectors the groups were fifty
yards or SO apart, blu as you got
into quieter areas the distances in
creased up to four hundred yards
or even more If the country was
mountainous. Each company of in
fantry would hold a certain front
fof THE trenches with four or five
combat groups in the front line;
about an equal number in rear in
Il SuDPOI III vi y SliNllVo dlld US
ually two larger groups in the third
or reserve line trenches. Each
combat group had a permanent
number so that it would be known
for example. as G.. c. No. 3 (Trench:
Groupe de Combat). When a relief
was to be made, the relieving troops
would be moved up to a village or
woods six or seven miles back of
the trenches and would be scheduled
to arrive in this woods or village
Just before daylight. They would
rest there all day and at dark would
be lined up. Perhaps a company
was to occupy an area containing
eleven combat groups. During the
day the Captain would be given a
list showing the number of men for
each group by number. When his
company was lined up at dark, he
would designate fifteen men for u
c. No. /; twelve men for G.. c.
No. 2, and so forth, until every man
is assigned. About that time four
or five men would report to the
| CAPTAIN as guides; the company
would be split up into the combat
groups with the guides scattered at
intervals through the column m
away the first group would go. SIN
| gle men-called connecting files
would follow at about twenty-five
Yards between men,, until the first
group had gone perhaps two hun
dred yards when the second group,
less the connecting files already
| gone, would start. and so forth until
at last the whole company was
under way. If the guides and con-
Meeting files are not on the job
every minute some group may take
a wrong turning in the dark and
/ get lost. Since they are following
little trails, often through dense
woods and frequently in~tersectine
with other trails, it is a most easy
thing to get lost. In silence, nc
smoking, no lights of any kind the
men tramp along through the dark
carving everything they own or
their backs. including two days food
and two hundred and twenty rife
cartridges each. Now and then there
will be a distant flash like lightning
and then after a long time a dull
boom; then a .rat-tat-tat of a ma
chine gun ~harassing the enemy
then perhaps a rocket shooting high
I'D INTO the air. bursting out into
a vivid white light that seems to last
for hours but is really only second:
and lights everything up so you fee
sure the Boche have seen you. Fin.
ally a voice from the shadow of
tree will demand what G.. c. is that
NC. u 'Numero Sept the voice
will say. and y Frenchman will steT
ont repeating Numero Sept and lead
off down into a trench. The erouT
bv now nrettv tired, muddy. ant
perhans also a little tramr
for miles through apparently end
less trenches with not a thing II
soc except n strip of skv. They pas,
innumerahle cross trenches and. fin.
aIIv someone calls ont halt thu
ruide advances and there is a NUT
tered conversation: than the grour
mass nm through a barb wire cate IN
the trench and nmeon who cal
sneak English sings ont "welcom.
IN our citv' or Some similar grnet.
ing. For n few -ninrtes all is con,
Fusior; carer Frenchmnn voluhI,
oxnlaining IN Frernh p lot ~ stuff
nobody understands. The lieuten
ant apparently gets some ideas
4hhugh. and shows the men thnir
Sngouts. nost eenf-'es 10 relieve tn.
French and in fifteen or twent.