The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-03-21
CHAPTER XI-Coptinued


hearo the cries of pain, and the
Shriil OF commanders whistles. the
park OF subalterns above the below
ing artillery. Rifle flashes stabbed
the CRAVING dawn as the enemy
Sprawled to the ground and fired
back. Boynton Rugged the earth
only long enough to satisfy himself
mat 1t was an attack wave. not a
mere patrol, he had encountered:
then ne fell back, his men firing in
termlttently as they ran, to the shell
ter OF fox holes in the OUTPOST
The outpost line, lightly held.
poured lead from its semi-automat.
les and machine guns. When it found
itsen confronted by superior forces,
It's defenders promptly retreated to
the main line of resistance which
ran a ragged, irregular line of
trenches and centers of resistance
over front of ten thousand yards.
van Hassek's infantry, in waves
OF men that reached across the
whole front, struck the main line of
resistance just as visibility exposed
the attack.
Colonel Hail of the 9th, observing
the attack from vantage-point ex-
pected nothing more than that. Lat
er, when Van HaSsek's scheme of
maneuver had cut a critical hole
into the divisions vitals, the whole
force of the frontal attack would
come rushing in to mop up with
firepower and bayonets.
The 9th's Garand rifles, light ma
chine guns, 37-millimeter cannon,
and small mortars poured all their
not fury INTO the Surging assault
One enemy wave after another melt
ed into dead and wounded, but only
to be replaced by living waves that
poured relentlessly on.
Half an hour of furious fighting
passed before Colonel Hail accepted
the evidence of his own eyes.
My God, the fools are going to
penetrate our center!" he roared.
Astride the Laredo-San Antonio
highway, Van Hassek's infantry
drove ahead while successive waves
OF men melted across open terrain
where there was little benefit Of COW
er. Desperately the enemy COM
manders fed in reserves from their
superior hordes of men out of which
they could pay the red costs of their
error in Understanding an enemy
who had not been expected to offer
serious resistance here.
What Van Hassek's infantry lost
to their slower bolt-action rifles they
made up by auxiliary arms, light
machine guns, mortars of many cal
lberS, light and heavy tanks, superb
GRITTY of artillery. Shrapnel, NOR
tars, and musketry now beat down
on the American centers of resist
ance with the red convolutions of
some Satanic scouFge escaped from
hell. Van Hassek's men burst ahead
until Boynton could see the distend-
ed eyes and gaping, grimacing ter
ror of their faces, as they barred
themselves to a death against which
they did not dare turn their backs.
The enemy poured on into Boyn-
TONS strong-point. Boynton became
aware that the survivors of his men
were breaking, stubbornly fighting
with bayonets, grenades, and mus
kerry as they fell back. Now he saw
enemy tanks rolling in on his men,
tanks whose steel armor DETECTED
the regiments ancient 37-millime-
ter guns that we're being used until
the new anti-tank guns could be re-
duced from paper models to actual
weapons. Boynton turned to rally
his men, giving to his voice the full
strength of his lungs.
up and at emil" he cried. ITO
hell with the swivel"
His voice rose above the storm.
A second time he raised his voice,
then he staggered drunkenly, spun
half around, and fell as conscious
ness snapped from his brain and
his life snuffed out.
Having committed themselves to
this folly of frontal attack, the Van
Hassek commanders fed in reserve
after reserve regardless of cost in
their determination to break through
with as little delay as possible. Once
they succeeded in driving a wedge
deep enough into the American CEN
ter, they knew that the whole Ameri-
can sector would roll up in a chaos
of defeated regiments.
But to accomplish this, Van Has
sek's infantry must drive through
succeeding lines. Capturing one,
they faced another equally resist
ant. What the Americans lacked in
auxiliary weapons they made up by
their unshakable fighting spirit, a
discipline hard as steel that put men
through the terrors of battle and
turned a deaf ear TO impulses of
fight and surrender. Even succeed
ing waves of tanks failed to terrorize
them or drive them out Of position.
All the advantages of auxiliary
weapons failed 70 avail.
One surging mass Of enemy In
fantry engulfed the right of the I'D,
and left OF the 9th Infantry, late in
the forenoon. Now the storm rose
70 new heights Of desperation az
Van Hassek's infantry sought to
break on through.
Five hundred yards the invader
progressed, swapping one strong
point after another. The Seconds