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Show TELEPHONE OPERATOR TELLS BATTLE SCBE His Dugout Becomes Meeting Meet-ing Place for Officers of Artillery. EXCHANGE IMPORTANT Veterans Are Calm, but Younger Soldiers Tremble at Bomb Explosions. (Correspondence of the Associated Press.) BERLIN, Feb. S. A Hamburg soldier sol-dier who acted as telephone operator in the latest fighting at Soissons had a remarkable view of the operations from his dugout. "My den," he writes, "suddenly be-I be-I came the meeting place for officers, and l for several days it haa borne the name, 'Central telephone station of field artillery. ar-tillery. ' The name says enough to explain itself. All orders pass through my wires, giving directions for our artillery ar-tillery fire at important points. "Outside we hear the wild rage of the battle. Suddenly our dugout seems to be caving in ; stones crumble from the room; we stop breathing and a terrible pressure in the air seems about to flatten our chests. What was that? The younger soldiers tremble and grow pale, 'but the veterans give a quick and meaning glance, and the new men who have not yet been in battle recover themselves and proceed calmly witn their work. It was, after all, only a little ten-inch bomb. The veterans know that it did not fall directly over our dugout, and proceed with their i telephone work, knowing that any delayed de-layed message might cost much German blood. Meanwhile the tide of battle is turning back and forth. Describes Messages. i " 'Our infantry is falling back and has lost connection with adjoining troops; the first and third companies 1 of tlie regiment have disappeared;' or 'Height number must be stormed at once. 'The first battalion is under a flank fire; its losses heavy; help wanted at once.' 'The artillery must lengthen its range 300 meters at once, as it is endangering our infantry. 'Captain X has just fallen; Lieutenant Lieuten-ant 8 assumes command. ' ' Field artillery must immediately open fire on height number ; upon road and enemy's artillery galloping away.' Two minutes later that road is screened with smoke as our shells fly further and further fur-ther into the thick masses of men and horses. Horses dash away in a mad panic, and men creep forth from under capsized gun carriages and caissons and limp away in search of cover. They nearly succeed, when a little white cloud is suddenly seen, and the tottering totter-ing figures and everything around are mowed down. That was one of our shrapnels. Victory Announced. "The smoke has cleared away, and our field artillery is shooting at more-important more-important game a field battery in the road, which is now at rest forever. 'Hurrah I' is shouted through the tcle- Ehone, with the announcement, 'Cufhes as been taken completely, also the height 132 (naming a little fort). Enthusiasm En-thusiasm for a moment and then the telephone service goes on with the same zeal and energy. We have had great successes, and not a man thinks of getting his dinner. We only drink black coffee from morning till night, and that is all that keeps us on our feet. Thfi enemy's artillery gradually stops firing, but our 's fires still more hotly, if possible. Suddenly the urgent call: " 'The whole artillery will prepare; Crony and Vauxrot to be taken by storm.' At 2:40 Crouy is taken after a hard struggle, and occupied by our brave field grays. Two hours later Vauxrot is ripe for attack, and is taken bv storm with only small losses. Another An-other hour and the glass factory, after having been frightfully shot to pieces, falls into our hands. That was a strong supporting point of the French; and now there is no loncer any holding hold-ing out on their side. Their riflemen run for the Aisne in wild masses and press to cross the bridges for the south bank. Our artillery tears with rapid fire through the disorderly masses. Hundreds of these brave soldiers redden red-den the soil of their native land with their blood. "Another 'Hurrah! ' Announcement from division headquarters that the kaiser, our beloved kaiser, has just arrived ar-rived in an automobile behind our front. Hundreds of telephones carry the news into the front battle lines; and our men are no longer to be held back. In a short time all the country on this side of the Aisne is cleared of the enemy." |