Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-03
No Wonder Germany Quit
by MAJOR FRANK C. MAHIN
OF the Army Recruiting Station

Just a year ago all eyes in France
were centered on the Verdun Front.
Each day the French papers had
maps showing the advances day by
day in Chamagne and Picardy, on
the Aisne and on the Somme, in the
Lens area and around Ypres. At
this particular time the map showed
the Americans on the Verdun front
as being static nary, but everyone
knew they were just taking a breath
ing spell, not between rounds but
in a clinch. 1t was a stalemate;. the
Boche couldn't drive us back and
we were unable to advance. Even
though our guns were all up in fir
ing positions the trucks could not
get enough ammunition forward to
enable us to smother the Boche with
shell fire. Their ammunition was
coming up without intermission but
despite the awful volume of fire they
were pouring in on us we were
hanging onto every inch of ground.
All through the American Army the
word had been passed that what the
A. Il. +. took, it kept. 1t was said
that every inch of ground we ever
took we held and that to finish the
job we must keep up that record.
During those early days of October
last year, we could not advance, we
would not retire: the Boche could
not drive us back; they dared not
weaken their lines or we would break
right through, and they simply could
not get any more men on the front
than they already had. A year ago
that Verdun Front was nothing more
nor less than plain He'll! The roads
were gradually being repaired across
No Mans Land, Iut there were
practically no trenches dug and alb
solutely no dugouts. There was no
shelter even though it was bitterly
cold and drizzling all the time. The
mon would pick shell holes in por-
Gus soil in which the water had
drained away: they would shovel
out the loose dirt, building small
parapet which serve as dam 10
keep the water out and helped stop
machine gun bullets. Then they
would take their shelter tents ana
stretch them over the mole, PIE
brush and grass on top for camou-
naoe and there they We're with a
nice little house. Here and there a
prouD would succeed in finding some
nieces of corrugat ed iron and then
they would build a real honest-to- :
goodness roof over their shell hole.
Usually two men would occupy each
hole but sometimes four or five
wouId garrison one big hole. In the
sides of the hole they would hollow
out covered shelves in which can
die could be placed llShtlng the
"happy home" without shining up
ward and giving the Boone planes
mark on which to drop pom ps'
Rain coats were spread on Ihe
ground. rifles, automatic rifles or
mocbine-guns were placed in posi-
tion peeping through the little para l.
net and the men lay around in their
holes wrapped in blankets, shiver-
ing and waiting. When the Boone
would start in heavy barrase' one
| man in each hole would stand up
| looking towards the north and when
he saw the gray clad lines appear
| in the counter-attaCk that everyone
knew the barrage foretold, he would
| casually remark here they come
I and the other men would throw
away their cigaret butts ana stanu
| nv. By that time the men were all
| veterans and there was no wild,
hasty shooting. Perhaps they would
! stand watching for ten or hfteen
| minutes and then seeing a good
chance to get in a little dirty work
/ they would shoot at top speed fof
a minute or two, or perhaps some
| good shot would fire a single shot
| all that was needed to get" some
particularly ambitious Boche. Ther
again they would wait till good
! target showed itslef and give 1t the
/ devil If the attack was in consider
able force the observers in theii
stations in trees, clumps of bushe!
on hills or wherever they could ge'
/ would telephone back to the bat
teries and some of our precious
shells would come over to help ou'
the hard pressed Doughboys. Wher
the attacks came over at night L
was wonderful scene, splitting
flashes of fire from rifles and ma
chine guns. vivid patches of red fire
from bursting grenades, patches o.
white fire from bursting shells ant
over all, floating peacefully high IL
the air were the illuminating flares
each suspended from its little para
chute, lighting up many acres TO
its half minute of life. AS one dice
out, up with a roar. would go soar
ing another to light up scene o
wonderful beauty, but of awful ten
sion on the nerves of those partici
lpating in the play.