Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-01-30

1t was r1gnL on the ruins or that little
bridge just below us that Fritz was
halted, held and then forced to retreat
1t was but few miles down in Bel
leau wood where he attempted his last
offensive of the world war.
1t was at this point that the Ameri-
cans began the drive that at the pres
ent time has landed Fritz back in his
own country and has freed the world
of the ruler who tried to intrude on
it's liberty.
1t was from this point early the
next morning that we started the last
lap.
Expectation would soon give way to
reality What would it all be like?
We had been on the front, but never
in a real good scrap. How would it
seem to take part in this first great
battle that the Americans could claim
the victory Of? 1t wasn't much fun,
but things were progressing too rap
idly to take time out for fear.
How would it seem to have German
iron rained all around you? Our only
regret was, would we ever catch up
with that rapidly advancing victorious
army? We expected to meet the Hun
behind each little woods, and around
each bend in the road, but all we met
and passed was an abandoned battle
field which our victorious troops had
already passed over.
xy.1I xxvllo INC
were still smoking; but on we went,
although the horses were spent and
the grub was getting low. At last
Lady Curiosity experienced the
burst Of a few of Fritzs long-range
shells. But still we advanced. The
shells that~we carried with us were to
be started on their mission from
position muc E further advanced.
AS we moved on the shells grew
thicker and thicker, but even war has
it's power Of fascination. Eagerly we
moved forward, each kilometer bring
ing us closer to the front lines. We
came closer and closer, but each block
seemed miles long. The shells cans
closer and closer. One would pass
over our. heads and explode just to
the rear of us;, another would throw
up a ton Of dirt in the road just ahead
of u.s. The stone buildings were now
all shot down and the road was full
Of trees that the retreating Hun had
chopped down to delay our progress.
But they did not delay old Battery B
nd nF
them; others we dragged out of the
road; every now and then a hole big
enough for a cellar for large house,
where a German mine had exploded
in the road, would force us to cut
new path through an open field. Trees
were stripped of their limbs and every
where you could see little holes where
Fritzs machine guns had scattered
their pills about. The advancing
Americans were not meeting German
infantry; they were encountering
nest after nest of Prussian machine
gunners. Finally, as we reached che
summit Of a. little hill, the suffering
sound of Fritz's typewriters reached
our ears. We were close to- the front
lines. We knew that we would soon
go into position, and that which we
had spent so many hours impatiently
awaiting would soon be at hand.
The fighting Tanks would teach
Fritz a. few new American tricks just
the other side of that next little hill.
Still we kept on until we had almost
reached its summit. Shells were burst
ing all around US; we could hear ma
chine guns telling stories of stubborn
resistance: enemy planes were cwet-
ing around in the air above US; his
observation balloons we're high in the
air Just ahead Of us. There was war
everywhere It seemed as though the
entire German artillery was trained
on us. Shells of all CaTibres-every- I
fling tfrat Fritz had-were shrieking
through the air, some Bursting near
us, Others travelling over our heads far
tC~the rear.
We were all waiting for the time
when we could take hand in this
ddgt-raising contest, WREN suddenly
the command, Column left" then
faction right, was sounded out. Like
a flash, the commands were executed!
We were on the ground, the guns were
rsrriimbergd The cassionsr were pulled
up alongside the pieces and the
horses, which had attempted to run
away as each shell burst, were re- /;
leased and sent to the rear The
guns were trained in the direction o.
FTitz's lines, the breech cover and
nuzzle cover were off in a second. !.
Number One man had handed the gun
ner. corporal the sights, the aiming
post was put up, and the guns were
laid parallel.
without close examination, one
would think that MILTON ground
nroIes were digging in for the winter,
but instead it was No. 4 and No.
man digging g. tail pit. The gun had
been laid at an estimated distance OF
25, 900 yards, the bubble was level; the
drum and plateau were set at zero;
the cassioa doors had been swung
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