Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 264, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1914 — STORIES OF INDIVIDUAL HEROISM DISPLAYED ON FIELD OF BATTLE [ARTICLE]

STORIES OF INDIVIDUAL HEROISM DISPLAYED ON FIELD OF BATTLE

Germans Drop on Enemy as Though From Sky—Artillery Works Awful Havoc, But Rifle Fire Not so Good—Wounded Private Tells of Heroic Work of the “Dirty Shirts”— Bombs Success in War.

By LAWRENCE ELSTON.

London. —A guardsman who was wounded near Compiegne has given a vivid account of the fighting there and of the capture of ten German guns by the British troops. "We were in a field,” he said, “when the Germans dropped on us all of as sudden as though from the sky. The first hint we had ot their -presence was when a battery of guns on the right sang out, dropping shells into a mob of us who were waiting for' our turn at the wash tub—the _rtaer. There was no panic as far as I saw, only some of our fellows who hadn’t had’ a wash for a long time said strong things about the Germans for spoiling the best chance we had had for four days. We all ran to our posts in response to bugles which rang out all along the line, and by the time we all stood to arms the German cavalry came into view in great strength all along the -left front. “As soon as they came within range ’we poured a deadly volley Into them, emptying saddles right and left, and they scattered In all directions. Meanwhile their artillery kept working up closer 6n the front and the right, and a dark cloud of Infantry showed out against the skyline on our front, advancing in a formation rather loose for the Germans. We opened on them, and they made a fine target for our rifle fire, which was very well supported by our artillery. The fire from our guns was very effective, the range being found with' ease, and we could see the shells dropping right Into the enemy’s ranks. Race for a Hill. "Here and there their lines began to waver and give way, and finally they disappeared. Half an hour later more Infantry appeared on our right front, but we could not say whether It was the another body. This time they Were well supported by artillery, machine guns and strong forces of cavalry on both flanks. AU came on at a smart pace, with the apparent plan of seizing a hill on our right. At the same moment our cavalry came Into view, and ’ then the whole Guards brigade advanced. It was really a race between the two parties to reach the hill first, but-the Germans won easily, owing to their being nearer by half a mile. “As soon as their guns and Infantry had taken up a-posltion, the cavalry came along In a huge mass with- the intention of riding down the Irish Guards, who were nearest to them. When the shock came it seemed terrific to us tn the distance, for the Irishmen did not recoil in the least, but Jung themselves right across the path of the German horsemen. "We could hear the crack of the rifles and see the German horses Impaled on the bayonets of the front ranks of the guardsmen. Then the whole force of -Infantry and cavalry were mixed up In one confused heap, like so many pieces from a jig-saw puzzle. Shells from the British and German batteries kept dropping close to the tangled mass of fighting men,, and then we saw the German horsemen get clear and take to flight as fast as their horses would carry them. Some had no horses and they were bayoneted where they stood. Ten Guns Captured. "While this was going on there was a confused movement among the German Infantry, as though they were going to the assistance of the cavalry, but evidently they did not like the look of things, for they stayed where they were. After this little interruption the whole of the Guards continued their advance, the Coldstreamers leading this time, with the Scots in reserve and the Irish in support "Taking advantage of the fight between the cavalry and Infantry, the German artillery had advanced to a new position, from which they kept up a deadly fire from 12 guns. Our Infantry and cavalry advanced simultaneously against this new position, which they carried together In the face of a galling fire.. In the excitement the enemy managed to get away two of their guns, but the remainder fell into our hands. The Infantry and cavalry supporting the guns didn’t wait for the onslaught of our men, but bolted, pursued by our cavalry and galled by a heavy fire from our Infantry and artillery, which quickly found the range. "We heard later that the Germans were in very great force, and had attacked in the hope of driving us back and so uncovering the French- left, but they got more than they bargained for. Their losses were terrible In what little of the fight we saw, and when our men captured the guns there was hardly a German left alive or unwounded. Altogether the fight lasted about seven hours, and when It was over our cavalry scouts reported that the enemy were in retreat” Argyfla Are Hard Hit A private in i* Highland regiment, who was wounded at Mons, in the course of a letter to his parents In Musselburgh says: “The poor Argylls got pretty well hit but never wavered a yard for all their losses. The Boots Greys are de

ing great work at the front, in fact they were the means of putting 10,000 Germans to their fate on Sunday morning. I will never forget that day, as our regiment left a town on the French frontier on Saturday morning at three o’clock and marched till 3 a. m. on Sunday Into a Belgian town. I was about to have an hour In bed, at least a lie down In a shop, when I was wakened to go on guard at the general’s headquarters, and while I was on guard a captain of the crack French cayalry came In with the official report~of the 10,000 Germans killed. "The Scots Greys early that morning had decoyed the Germans right In front of the machine guns of the French, and they just mowed them down. There was no escape Tor them, poor devils; but they deserved it, the way they go on. You would be sorry for the poor Belgian women having to leave their homes with youpg children dinging to them.” Bombs Are a Success. Bombardier A E. Smith, who was wounded by a bomb dropped from a German aeroplane. In a letter to a friend In Edinburgh, says: "Those bombs have proved a great success in the war, as they find the enemy’s range very accurately. The bomb, when dropped, leaves a thick, black, smoky line to enable the gunners to take the exact range; We were In a good position, but suffered loss. The enemy could not find us until the aeroplane came on the scene. Then we had It rather hot. The gunners had to leave the guns, but later saved them all after being .re-en-forced by other guns. "The Germans have a funny way In fighting. Their Infantry, when advancing, fire from the hip and come on in masses, splendid targets for our guns. As soon as one lot gets mowed down the gaps are filled up with fresh men. They are In terrible numbers—about ten to one In some places. Nearly all the men’s wounds are from shrapnel, and heal wonderfully. Men almost cripples a day or two ago are going on splendidly since being treated here.” "Like Blue Murder.” A wounded private of the Royal Munster Fusiliers'(the "Dirty Shirts”) tells the following story: "For some reason or other we were left In the lurch, and had to bear the brunt of the whole German attack, while the rest of the brigade Tell back.

“They came at us from all points —horse, foot, artillery and all —and the air was thick with screaming, shouting men waving swords and blazing away at us like blue murder. Our lads stood up to them without the least taste of fear, and when their cavalry came down on us we received them with fixed bayonets In front, the rear flanks firing away as steadily as you please. All round *us we saw them collecting until there was hardly a hole fit for a wee mouse to get through, and then It wks that the hardest fight of all took place, for we wouldn’t surrender, - and tried our hardest -to cut through the stone wall of the Germans. “It was hell’s own work, but I can say that we never hoisted the white flag, and if the battalion was wiped out, as they say, it fought to the last gasp. The spirit of our lads was that grand that you couldn’t help being proud of them, and they accounted for a lot of the Germans. First of all, I got a wee taste of a punch In the ribs with a sword, and then I got a bullet In me, but when I was able to see what was going on the men were cutting their way through the Germans. I was floored for I can’t tell you how long, but when I got back my senses the Germans were gone, leaving only heaps on heaps of the dying and the dead, our hoys and the

Germans being mixed up like anything. “Some of our boys who geKaway .told me that the 'Dirty Shira’ had been almost cleaned up by the Germans, but made the Germans pay dearly for thinking they could cut off an Irish regiment without having to fight" Admires German Artillery. Private Charles Dudley Moore of the Yorkshire light Infantry, who was at Mons and is now at Lynn, had the misfortune to be wounded half an hour after he went into action. "The shrapnel shells of the Germans were bursting over the trenches where we were lying, and I was struck In the foot with a piece of shell which took the sole of my shoe clean off. Five minutes later, when I was trying to help a fellow near me who had been hit In the shoulder, I was struck in the right thigh by a pellet from a shrapnel shell. I fired one more shot after that- I fired at the driver of a German machine gun and kit him. This was my first experience of actual fighting, and I can tell you it is a funny sensation at first to see the shells bursting near and around you, to hear the bullets whistling by you, and to see men being killed and wounded near you, but you soon get used to It all. It tries your serves a bit at first, but you soon get in the way of It. “I have tjie greatest admiration for the German artillery, but their infantry is absolutely useless. They fire from the hip and take no aim at all. The Germans are also badly_fed. At the hospital at Amiens I saw a wounded German officer who tolcTme he .and the others had been living on anything they could lay hold of, and that they had even eaten, grass." Do Not Like Bayonets.

Private J. R. Tait of the Second Essex regiment, who was wounded at Mons, also speaks with respect of the German artillery. Writing home, he says, In a description of the fighting: “We had several charges with their Infantry. We find they do not like the bayonets. Their rifle shooting Is rotten; J don’t believe they could hit a haystack at 100 yards. Their field artillery Is good, and we don’t like their shrapnel. I heard ourinen singing that- famous song, ‘Get Out ‘and Get Under,’ and know that for an hour In our trench it would make any one keep under, what with shells and machine guns. I have been in three battles in four days.” The following Is an extract from a letter written by Otho Bromfield of the signal section (Territorials), Royal Engineers: "I’m doing and going as Pm told, not worrying, but taking things as they come. I’ve slept in barns, wool sto-es, cinemas, casinos, dock sheds, and for a bit had the stars as a counterpane. The lighting has been very fierce and close; as one pal said: ‘Oh, ain’t it ’otl’ We are outnumbered sometimes 10,000 to 2,000-, but our boys stick to them, and have played havoc with their ‘mass formations.’ The Maxims have cut them down like corn, and when we charged with fixed bayonets, see ’em run. They will get no quarter from our ‘mob.’ Their dead were so thick that their re-enforce-ments couldn’t advance over the top. Of course, we lost, too.” Fred Wilson of the Fifth Royal Lancers, who was wounded at Mons and reached Leeds invalided, says he has seen the Germans bayonet our wounded as they came across the .field, and force women and children in front of them as they passed our guns. He reckons nothing of the fighting powers of the Germans. They were fairly peppered ,ln five charges, and when their cavalry saw us coming they whined like dogs. Our blood was up after witnessing their terrible atrocities.’”’ The British soldiers, he adds, sing and jest while bullets are flying thick and fast.