El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-07

In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK

The Overseas Notebook contains a
variety OF material cathgred By the editor
Of The Herald In Eurore during the war
and after. Excerpts VIII be published in
this column daily during the next several
months Toduys instalmcut continuing
the general narrative, relates experience
on the Mcuse-ArEoune battle front
10 is suggested that readers clip these
articles each day and paste them iu scrap
books they VIII not be reprinted and back
numbers cannot be supplied
CLOUDLESS night with bright fun
y moon, 2l October 1918. Enemy
planes drop bombs near us. al
lied planes chase them off. a clear
night over here always means not
merely one but two OF three air raids.
Back home they welcome the word Of
clear weather over here, and the rain
is a nuisance, but the soldiers viii all
ways associate bright nights with the
persistent hateful rhythmic BURR
burrr-burrr Of the German raiding
planes.
Enemy shells Verdun and our back
areas Toward morning, heavy guns
active harassing German rear areas
while up forward a barrage is ON.
Allied bombing fleet returns from Ger
man lines after leaving visiting cards
Our l79th brigade tonight took over
front lines from 9Th division in Bots
des Rappes, northeast of Bantheville
Some Of the hardest fighting Of the
entire war going on along our I'M
mediate front now. Losses exceedingly
heavy. Enemy continually bringing
divisions from the Wcst front and
throwing them in here in desperate ef-
fort to protect his lines Of retreat.
Enemy Is fighting continuous rear
guard action on British and French
fronts now but here he is still putting
up the best frontal resistance he is
capable Of, though forced to fail back
y October 19IS-Germans heavily
shell Verdm and our lines of support
and roads through division sector all
morning. Bright sunny day, distance
misty; some flowers still in meadows;
enormous rose hips on the wild rose
bushes all along the roads in every
thicket and in deserted yards. The
French planted cultivated asters on the
slightest provocation around their bill
lets and hospitals, also fleur de lys.
This morning our 10th brigade
gained more than a mile in - minutes
against terrific resistance. Our triage
NalAAN aaAAaA AAAAaAAAAA- Na.NAlA Aa.a
WOundedl has plenty Of business. At
night our heavy guns again cOntinu-
ousiV pound the Germaus-life must be
right Interesting back Of their lines.
% October l9IS-Confideuce is in
spired among our troops as the number
Of allied airmen increases Beginning
at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. all
afternoon and all night the artillery
rolled and Numbered along our front.
At a. m. this day our gun fire great
" increased in violence and kept up
until 10; French troops and some Of
ours are attacking east Of the Meuse.
east Of Ferdun. Germans heavily shell
our lines and back areas from the
north, northeast, and east; our entire
right flank badly exposed for long dis
lance along the Meuse, presenting a
vast tactical problem Of absorbing in
terest.
Bright day, very foggy in morning
Afternoon I walk on hills seeing de
fences and battlefields Of Verduu
Nearly all the forts in sight and close
We sit on a gun emplacement and
watch the German shells explode in and
near Nerdun a mile away, below as IN
the valley. Six German planes fly over
Us and back again Our sausage bal
looms burned by enemy airmen and
drop quickly with flaming trail leaving
tail column Of black smoke. I try my
level best to feel thrilled at being here
and fail completely; things and hap
penings that BY all the rules ought TO
seem weird and strange seem the most
natural things In the world; watching
German shells fan in Verdun nearer
than the Juarez church TO the Paso del
Aorte hotel seems the only normal
thing TO be doing.
French and American heavy artillery
spotted around Nerdun in Quarries and
along roads can be plainly seen as the
guns squirt fire, Smelling the German
lines east and north only a few miles
away. The Germans are irving to put
these guns ont Of action, but also they
have been sheling Nerdun FOR more
than four years night and day and
can't seem TO get ont Of the habit.
The vast ancient cathedral with its
two tail square towers still stands.
There isn't a house in Verdm that
hasn't been hit. but the most intensive
Smelling seems TO run in lanes, strips,
OF bands through the city. some strips
being pulverizsd while others parallel
are not so badly Quilted. Obviously
the cathedral has not been a special
object Of the German fire for there has
never been a time when It could not
have been demolished with a few shots,
vet its towers stand intact. and they
are used continuously by the French
observers and wireless and wire tele-
graph and telephone.
The Verdun battlefields are a real
desert; in many places no spot larger
than a handkerchief untouched by