Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-06

our positions were in swampy rc.
sion, full of mudholes and marshes
II was impossible to construct and
maintain regular trenches there. We,
therefore, built a barrier OF sandbags,
behind which we CrouChed, kneedeep
in water. One could not endure long
in such circumstances. One was com.
PEELED to snatch bits of sleep standing,
and even the strongest constitutions
broke down quickly. We were re.
lieved at tho end Of six days and sent
to tho rear for recuporation. Then we
had to relieve the men who had taken
our places.
rhus we continued to hold the line
As lie summer neared its end and the
rains increased, the water would rise
and at times reach our waists. 1t was
important TO maintain our II ont intact,
although for several miles the bogS
were virtually impossible. The GER
mans, however, made an attempt IN
August TO outflank the marshes, but
failed
Later we were shifted TO another
position, some distance away. Ihere
was comparative quiet at our front.
| Our main work consisted OF sending
out raiding parties and keeping keen
watch over the enemy's movements
| from our advanced listening posts. we
slept in the morning and stayed Wlde
awake all night.
| I participated in numerous obserNa-
ton parties. Usually four OF us would
be detailed TO a listening post, located
| sometimes in bush, another time III
a hole in the ground. behind the stump
of a tree or some similar obstacle. We
! Crawled TO our post so nolseiessly that
not ONLY the enemy but even our own
mon would not know our hiding places
| which were on an average OF ffty rect
apart, Once at the post, our safety
and duty demanded absolute immobi''
ity and caution. We were TO MAKE
every effort to catch any unusuai i
sound and communicate 1t from post
TO post Besides. there was always a
chance of an enemy patrol or post
being in close proximity without our
knowing it. Every two hours the hold
ers of the posts were relieved.
One foggy night, while on guard at
listening post, I caught n duh noise
II sounded like a raiding party. and !
took Il at first for our own, but there
was no answer TO my sharp query lot
the password. 1t was imposslD'e 70
see in the mist. We opened IRE anu anu
the Germans fattened themselves
against the ground and waited.
There they lay for almost two hours,
until we had forgotten the incident.
Then they crawled toward our post
and suddenly appeared in front OF US
There were eight of them. one threw
a grenade. but missed our hole, and II
exploded behind us. We fired, Killing
two and wounding four. Tho remain
der escaped
When the company commander re-
ceived an order 10 send out scouting
party he would call for volunteers.
Armed with hand grenades. about
thirty of tho best soldiers would 20
out into No Mans Land to test the
enemys strength by drawing his hre
or TO alarm him by intensive bombing
and shooting. Not infrequently scout
ling parties from both sides would meet,
Then there would be a regular battle.
It has happened that one party would
let an opposite party pass by and then
attack it from the rear and capture H.
The 18th of August, 1915, was
memorable day in our lives. The
enemy opened violent fire at us at
3 a. m. of that date, demolishing our
barbed- wire defenses, destroying some
of our trenches and burying many sol
diers alive. Many others were killed
by the shells. Altogether we lost fif-
teen killed and forty wounded out of
$50. 1t was clear that the Germans
contemplated an offensive. our artiI
lery replied vigorously, and the earth
shook from the thunders of the can
mon. We sought every protection avail
able, our nerves strained i'm momen-
tary anticipation of an attack. We
crossed ourselves prayed to God, made
ready our rifles and awaited orders.
At the Germans were observed
| climbing over the top and running in
our direction. Closer and closer they
came, and still we were kept inactive
while our artillery rained shells on
them. When they approached within
100 feet of our line the order was