| Show lETTE LETTERS S OF GE GERMANS MANS IN M BOTTLE BATTlE EAGERLY lY READ EAD BY s PEOPLE n J Correspondents Correspondence Associated ted Press ROTTERDAM Oct 10 Much Much of the news s of or the war gets Into the German press In the form of letters which officers officers cers and privates at tho the front send to their families Written by men who nho describe describe describe de de- de- de scribe what hat the they actually ec see and feel reel some strange e mixtures of or sensations ex experienced ex- ex and actuality encountered re result re- re documents sult-documents sult documents of or strong appeal and ind wIde human Interest One of oC these appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears In the of or September Septem Septem- ber 16 From a a. wild French forest on the anniversary of or the battle of Sedan Sedate Sept Sc-pt 2 The The best greetings During the last lut two days v we have again been heen at the extreme front after we o had been baen given Jl a chance to rest up arid and get et something to cat eat Our position Is a a. dangerous one being b well advanced Into thin tho French rench lines and wo we are obliged to fight off oCt many man attacks on the part of or an enemy much superior in numbers Yesterday wo we fought from early carly morning morn morn- Ins ing till late In the tho night opposing opposing- Alpine Al- Al Al Alpine pine and negroes whose courage It would be foolish to question Tho The woods hero are aro very extended and cover er a u ground which Is much broken up They aVe bre so dense that very often orten you do not nt seo see the enemy until you are arc within tift fifty even thirty paces of him and quite frequently wo get e so close clo to the tho blacks that o we can look Into their eyes ees We Va are greatly Indebted to the color of or our uniform The French are aro constantly constantly con con- at nt a disadvantage because of their rod T pants ants and blue coats cants Tho The Alpine Al AI- Al 5 pine aro are fine fellows and In Jr Gorman uniforms they would make a n good appearance In the French hotel porter uniform nobody looks smart mart The wear red or blue knee breeches ribbon puttees lon long blue cutaways and blue caps Prisoners without arms make an appearance of utter neglect neglect- There ore are prisoners taken every day because the ordinary French soldier Is la only too ready read to throw away his Ws arms make hands up u and shout pardon It Is s now 1 o'clock In to the afternoon and so BO far Car we wo have havo not be been n disturbed The Tho dead are arc buried burled and now we e are lying under the tho trees enjoying a spell of quiet and tho the peace of or the forest I have havo Just finIshed reading the newspapers newspapers newspapers pers to my worthies and mo most t of or them are taking a n. little noon nap Everything about us Is peaceful The forest Is fragrant fra Ira grant araut with the tho smell of toll foliage se and pine n needles edles and tho the sky laughs In n a a. wonderful wonderful wonderful won won- blue It Is hard hani to believe that this lints Is a scene on which men are arc butchered butch butch- ered the ered-the the see scene lie of or what hat I saw yesterday yester ester esterday day But tho the dull thud and thunder of or artillery In to the tho distance reminds me of or this T Two o d days s s 's later the letter leller Is continued Wo We Yo are aie le out of our position Yesterday Yesterday Yesterday Yester Yester- day wo bc began n another advance and atta attak at- at ta talk tak k on the enemy's positions We are still In the forest It and so far 01 as I 1 can enn judge from tho map there are several se Kilometers of or it yet jet part brush pa part rt high growth This Is dangerous territory for us because be- be causo cause tho the alternating strips of or high trees and nn r new ew wood make malo It easy for our opponents opponents opponents op op- to get gel the best of u us UM The greatest great great- est cot c t caution Is nece necessary sar and our ad advance advance od- od vance Is a matter of taking one foot toot of ot wound round after another We Just advance od OO meters and then down for cover Bullets begin to chirp through tho the air But of the tho enem enemy nothing is f seen fen en en When the trees are ale big lIll enough h n fairly ly good cover er Is offered bv by them Directly the fire the tho battle line lint halts halls amt anil falls tails CIa flat t to tho the ground every o ma nun man n waiting wallIn an and looking for Cor a target lien 1 la no shooting done here with the German German German Ger Ger- man rifles except one hl has haa somebody on the thc sight ht But often there l i is nothing to bo lIa done but to a advance aguin and to frighten tho the fellows with our hurrahs h Along the lines travel tra stentorian Fix t bayonets and then hen com comes s the tho command March March larch and tho the line springs to Its feet plunges tun forward for and a a. nerve nene racking hurrah smashes through h the woods woods- Tho The enemY enemy's fire tt begins llIs a veritable yen veri table hall han of lead head Some fall but onward crashes hes tho German lineAs line As A AYs soon POOH as 89 we reach tin the position of the tho enemy his hll fire teases ceases and all take tako taketo to flight Our bullets follow rollow them ant then many man u tl red pant lies on tho the floor of or tho the forest But lint our bullets builds do not find finda a a. mark lon long the long the the enemy has lias disappeared Cd We a arc Hrc after him only to meet another I terrific hail hall of or lead Lain aln wo we tall tail to the tho th ground for cover and this time I felt Celt tea blow a blow a bullet had struck m my cookIng cook cook- log Ing utensil I owe m my life lICe to the quick fall to tho ground for tor another second and I would never have risen again Another Another Another An An- other bullet hits Jilts the ground Just lust beside me but me-but but never mind that U Up and at them them them-at at the very elj hide of the fellows fellows We Te soon reach our goal goal goal- trench of a slight elo elevation tion to the left tram where a n. heavy fire has hae done dono much damage In our lines Many lany of or us are down and others crawl to the rear to get let their wounds attended to Now fire The crest of tho the trench becomes our tar target et The rattle of musketry from both sides aides becomes become deafening One of us will have to gi give c In Fire Jre fire tire Wu We have learned how to shoot I straight ht The fire In tn the reli trench h weakens the then II trench Itself Is veiled now by a cloud of dual dust raised by our bullets Advance Athance comes conies the command command nd again We all an ate art ar Impelled forward b by the mad desire de lre to tol r got et nt t them One hundred meters separate us from the enem enemy Many any sacrifices are aro demanded in the final charge A Again the tho enemy's fire Ire weakens then then It almost ceases Advance anee shouts somebody The fellows u Jt roust t be driven out of the I trenches Some of o- them already alread arc aro leaving our bullets bullet lay them their lowas low low- lowas lowas as the they run rune Another halt another Unit another ad- ad vance Only fUt fifty meters to the trench- trench barbed wire entanglements block our pro progress rose nut But the tho fellows s In the trenches have lost lot faith In themselves They desert their position In masses running masses running scrambling tumbling stumbling falling sumo falling some In a manner that ho B they will wilt never rise again We c forget to take cover r StandIng Standing Stand Stand- Ing In we pour our fire Into the groups of or fleeing men Good comrades fall fall cry all cr cry for or help bid help bid you jou ou with the last breath Farewell good oo friends we must advance I Soon we ha e disposed ed of this enemy enem I Iwho who has laid low ho tO lORn many of oC us Tho barbed wire Is hacked through with our I ba bayonets bayonet Wo We 0 reach the trench Jt It Is filled with writhing struggling Ing oodles Wo We aimed well In the lies a ha I mixture of or bodies bodleS swathed tn In n blue and rod rod and and pale ones from which 1111 glassy eyes look Jook Into the azure sk I But nut on with the pursuit Some Somo of us os remain behind to disarm tho the wounded so 50 I they thc cannot fire in our backs Many Mam another another an an- other sprawls falling 01 on the soft sort forest floor loo The height is taken but the tho I la Is Is I nut not yet et done l Everywhere cr where I the he heren ren n have laken prisoners to stem the tide ot of retreat There ib Is yet ct man mall many a bloody blood encounter en en- counter but wo we gel eel cl the enemy eneim out of M the forest Cont and once they deny reach the tho open opel our waiting artillery does the rest Our share of or the work IB ItS done the done the forest R and Us its e experience are ours Most of us had lost Jost their comrades in inthe inthe inthe the mad grad rush throe through h the trees s and brushwood Indescribable were cro the scenes which followed when we re found Cound ono onn un- un other s till still alive So wo take H R rest icet and while doln doing this listen to the humming and whistling of our shells as they go bO over ann us on their which the French way wa to H Ii village in ha have ha e bought refuge Soon boon tho the buildings s sarc are arc aflame and the French are arc again on their thel r way a You Vou haYn hav Nava lone done well well said fald our our air corps commander With Uh you ou fellows 1 Ld Id d fetch the Uie devil out of el hell heU |
