Arkansas State press., 1941-05-23

:" =" e''''h WI the United states
caused grave concern In arm head.
quarters, but the people branded the
statement as war mongering," lie had
Just returned from Mexico City where
e 4 !
CHAPTER X-Conlinued
AS the commanders scattered to.
ward their station wagons and mill
tary sedans, the bright sky festered
into a hideous hiss of sound, II
came crashing in out Of the dis
lance. The ear could trace it's
as 1t settled toward the AA
An ~lnstant's silence al.
trembled under the..lE 1I1
explosive. A eeysfORLp,s A sTAt
earth shot skyw
with the mighty n, ork topped Ell
The departing in In the Sky"
an anxious look at uis, which, by /
but changed nelned light on the cf
tu g, General = +
q match TO the SIS W
and gave several Wy VIII sooa 81
well there's the .etter role-airi
muttered. 'Soundceotel is as good
l%ong-range baby v......After bel
twenty or thirty mile,u nor,oooi =,
An observation plas ~
the information soou III
heavy artillery red at the very fl
the Nueces. Molnd ridiculed RIG
ment. There was N by others in I
do about it until the q. continuous
within range of his howitzet -,
own l05-millimeter eannons, goue1
for fifteen miles, had yet to be mold.
ed, mounted, tested, and delivered
to the Army.
AS for his airplanes, there was
no taking further risks over Van
Hassek's moving columns. II didn't
matter that the air service had sent
in the crack combat groups from
all three of its powerful wings, Nor
that American pilots and unner
had proved themselves this morning
much more than q match for the
Van Hassek airmen.
The American squadrons had paid
a heavy price for their swoops
against Van Hassek's invaders. Into
n anti-aircraft trap after another
the Americans had fallen.
The first big shell fell in an empty
field well back from the Seconds
front lines. A second shot followed
quickly, and the business Of long
range cannonading settled down into
| glum, racking routine. From a
range OF approximately twenty-five
miles, observation reported. The Van
Hassek columns were still rolling
forward in a great, tortuous martial
serpent whose tail reached far back
across the Rio Grande into Mexico.
The ten thousand men Of the divi-
sion worked feverishly through the
hot afternoon, deepening and extend.
ing their trenches, adjusting gun DO
sitions. They pretended indifference
to the roar Of Van Hassek's artil-
lery. to the frequent squirting foun-
tains Of earth hat rose hideously
about them. In mid-afternoon one
shell caught a full squad Of men
who in a flash were shreds of flesh.
A stark reminder Of what was to
come. But the men who saw this
tragedy went stubbornly on with
their work.
Out of the distance came the rum
Bile OF light American artillery.
The firing came from the Frio Riy-
er, which meant that Major Randi,
commanding, was potting at the head
OF the main attack force. The sound
OF Van Hassek's counter-battery as
sault waited in fifteen minutes lat
er. 1t rose in volume. The artil-
lery duel went on, growing in vio-
lence, which told the whole Second
Division that the intrepid Randi was
forcing the Van IIassek advance
guard to extend itself.
Firing broke out TO the north and
south on the extreme TANKS. AT the
division command post Mole and his
staff waited on these actions with
tense nerves. Three o'clock was
near. II Van Hassek's invaders
could be delayed much longer, they
would not be able to deliver their
attack in force against the Second
before daybreak.
General Mole and his staff made
an estimate Of the situation. Mole's
faded face frightened in a moments
exultation as his staff unanimously
agreed with his own deduction. The
Van Hassek commanders would not
be able to attack now until morn.
ing. Their advanced divisions had
not even started into assembly areas
for battle deployment.
That mean we've delayed them
n day without a fight" Mole ex-
claimed. ut gives us q real chance
Of getting through tomorrow with.
out getting blown out Of our shoes.
After that-we viii see what we will
see. But what a hell of a pounding
we're in for tonight, without any
anti-aircraft and long-range artil.
leryl"
When the hot Texas sun slipped
down TO the horizon through the haze
In the west, q furious roar OF mo.
tors swept the Second Division. The
flight Of enemy attack planes, flying
an altitude Of less than five hun.
bred feet, struck with the sharp bite
of forked lightning.
Over the 9th Infantry's sector the
attack planes appeared close enough
to be hit with a hand.grenade. Men
gaped after the apparition, or
ducked into their holes in the ground
against the menace Of fragmenta.
ton bombs. But there came no ex.
plosion. The enemy had not opened
up with their machine guns.
"Gasi"
The warning cutlery rose in vol.