Show OVER THE T n lino TM 10 TOP T 0 by an american arthur aa guy empey machine gunner serving in m france copyright 1 by arthur ouy guy empty ep E p CHAPTER continued 24 when took over the front line we hecei i 1 en an awful hock shock the german germans displayed signboards sipi boards over the th top of their trench showing the barnee names that we had called their trenches the th signs read lair bract pate and FAM i nucy and xa 0 o on art according to the code blimes on a e ir map then to rub it in they hoisted me more signs which read come OD oil we are ready stupid I 1 ne ng ilah it Is still a mystery to me how they obtained this knowl knowledge edse there bad been no raids or prisoners prie oneri taken ao so it routt must bare have been the work of plea spies la in our owe own lines three or four day days before the big vu bueb we me tried to shutter shatter altz brites a nerves by feint at attack and partially suc ceedee aa an the official report reports of july I 1 show although we were constantly oom their lines day and night still till we fooled the germans several time times this was accomplished by throwing an intense barrage into bla his lino lines then using smoke hells shells we would put ft a curtain of white smoke across no stans I 1 and completely obstructing his law blew of our trenches and would raise our curtain ti tire aa as if it in an actual atta site k all clown our trenches the mu m u would shout and cheer and fritz would turn looie loose with milli machine gun rifle ride and shrapnel are thinking we w were corn com inc over after three or four of these dummy attacks his nerve nerves must have been daear the br breading bre aUnt point on june 21 2010 at in the morning ino ruin air guns ocene I 1 up and sod hell as lit itt loose the da din as terrific a constant cona lont boom boom boom in your ear car at night the sky ky was a red glare our bumber dment merit had bad about two hourd when frita fritz started replying although Althou fb we were sending over ten aliello to bis his one oar our were he heiy py there was a constant stream of stretchers coming out of thu the communication trenches and burial part parties lex were a common richt sight in the dugouts tho the nobe t the gulls almont burl hurt you had the sanie same tiou 9 as when riding on the subway you ater the be tubo tulle the rim river going to brooklyn a sort of pressure on tho the ear tar drum drums and the ground constantly trembling lne the roads behind the tren clies were yere very dang dangerous trout because bothe ernp ahral nel as constantly bursting over them we avoided these dangerous spots spot by crossing th through rough open fields the destruction in the german gernian lanei was and anti I 1 really felt sorry for them because I 1 realized how they be clicking it from our frontline every now sod again wu wo could bear ebarp sharp whistle blasts la to the german trenches these blasts the signals f for r ther bearers benr ers and meant the tile 0 wounding woun dink or killing of some german in the service of hie his fatherland amuell and anti I 1 had a touch tough time of it patrolling lne the different at night but after awhile cot rot tu to it uy my old outfit the machine gun com vany was wn stationer in huie buie elephant dugouts about four hundred undrel ti yard yards behind the front line llao trench they were la in reserve I 1 would to in their dugout end rod hitte a confab with lay toy former fortner matee mates although we tried to be b jolly still there was a feeling of impending disaster kach lach roan man was wondering wonder lne if it after titter the locan slogan I 1 over the top with the bet best ct ef luck lack hod had been sounded would be stil stilt be alho or would he be lying some wherein prance in na old dilapidated hoase house ili ahe balu of which wire scarred with fun ballets bullets no 3 sec see tion of the machine eun gun company had its quitters the cooks prepared the in this billet on the fifth evening 1 of the bombardment a german daht inch shell a direct hit bit on the billet and wiped out tea ten wen who were asleep in the supposedly bombproof bomb proof cellar they were buried the next day and I 1 attended the funt funeral ral CHAPTER all quiet f en an the western front at brigade headquarters I 1 happened to overbear ore rhear a bet between aveen our 0 0 Q gen general ce erst officer commanding and the divisional commander krom l rom this conversation I 1 leathed thit that we I 1 tre to bombard the german lines tor for ight daye days anil and on the first of july the big push was to commence in a few days ordis were leod issued to that effect and it was common property all alone along the line oa on the aner aftergood noon of the elmoth day of our cut atwell stud I 1 were sit bac in to the front frontline hun bronch fags S and making out our reports of the previous pre itous night s g tour of the trenches width we had to turn tam la in to fem rs the follow loc tog day hea hen an order as passed down he the trench hat that old pepper requested twenty vo lunte to go over ou a trenel raid night 1 tc to try and nd gat t a few w ott ganin roan prisoners onen for purport I 1 immediately ft tot this job and shook halaas with atwell and went to the rw to glis 1 lay name to the IQ in et of abi 1 rudla I 1 aas accepted luck at 0 9 45 that night we reported to the brigade heade lueters lout to receive instructions Instruct loa from old I 1 pr after reaching this dugout we lined up in to a le around him and he addressed us as follows tol lows all I 1 want you boya boys to do in I 1 to go over to the german lines tonight ton leht surprise P them secure a couple of prisoners ers and return immediately our artillery has bombarded that section of the 11 line for two dayi days and personally I 1 believe that that part of the german trench in unoccupied so juit just bet get a couple of irs and return as quickly an as poil po t ble the ergeant sergeant on my right in an tin un bertone der tone whispered to rae me say ay lank how are we e going to get a couple of prisoners it the old fool thinks personally that that part of the trench Is unoccupied sounds eo unda kind of fishy flaby docant t it mate I 1 had a funny sinking sensation oens atlon la in roy my stomach and my tin lat felt as if it it weighed about a ton and ray my entrust rain wae was melting away old pepper must have heard the sergeant peak speak because he be tamed turned la in his direction and in a thundering voice asked what did you eay say the sergeant with a scarlet look took on oil his face and hi his knees trembling tre mOling smartly saluted and an angered answered nothing sir air old pepper aid said well don ion t say it so 0 o loudly the next time then old pepper continued in thia this section of the german trench trenches thero there are two or three machine guns which our ar tillary in the in last it two or duye duys hae has been un 44 receiving elving first aid able to tape these runs guns command conini and the ector where two of our conini unica tion trenches join the front lire and ax as the brigade Is to so go coytr the top to morrow morr ovir morning I 1 want to capture two or three men from these guns crew and from them I 1 may be able to obtain valuable as its to the exact location of the guns gulls and anti our at tillery wl I 1 therefore be able to der demolish th the before he the attack and thus prevent i tuf t he losing loing a lot of men while using these communication trenches to bring op up re these were viere the instruction instructions he rave W vs take off your identification diets strip your uniforms if it all numer numerals alq etc leave your paper papers with our captains bec because autie I 1 don t want the echea to know what regiments menta ere them as this would be valuable information to them la in our attack tomorrow and I 1 dont bat want any soy of at you to be taken alive 11 hat I 1 went want la is two prisoners and if I 1 get them I 1 hav have a it vay way which III make them divulge all nece Bary sury information as its to their guns tou you have your choice of two weapon you may carry your per su ader aders or your knuckle knives and each rain man will arm himself four stills bombs these to be id aly in case ca of emergency A persuader persua dir Is amys Tm tamya ys nickname for a club carrier oy 07 the bombers it Is about two feet lone long thin at on end and very thick it at the other th thick end Is studded with harp sharp steel spikes alle hita through the renter t anter of the club there Is a nine inch loch lead br bar to give it weight and balance when you got a prisoner nil all yoa you have to do Is just stick this club up in to front of him and nd believe me the prisoners prisoner a patriotism for Dut echland ilea fades fade avay away and h he very illInt ly obeys the order orders of his captor if however the pirt soar ioner gets hufh toned and to follow you simply persuade him by brt brit moving his ua tin hat bit and thea then well he the usa as of the lead weight in the persuader is demonstrated and toie tow L Y looks for another priar tt er the knuckle knife Is a der affair the baide of which is i about eight turbe leof lons with a heavy steel fuard guard oser the th grip thie this guard Is studded with steel projection projections at night in a trench which li Is only about three to four feet wide it makes a very bandy handy weapon one punch in the face generally shatter shatters a it man a jw and you can get him with the knife as be goe goes down then we ne had what we called our c come onea I 1 along longs these are strand strands of barbed wire about three let feet lone long mid made into a noose at cna one end at the other end the barb barbs alq cut off and tommy hi his wrist through a loop to get a good grip on the wire if the prisoner want wants to argue the point why just place the large loop around bis his neck and no matter if f tommy wishes to return to his trenches at the th walk trot or gallop P brltz ritz Is perfect agreeable to maintain tommy 3 rat rate of speed we were ordered to black our faces and bonds brinds for this reason at night the and germans or use what they call star shells a sort of rocket affair they are fired from a large pistol about twenty inches long which ie to held over the sandbag sandbar parapet of the tb trench and discharged into the air these star hells shells attrall a height of about sixty feet and a rane rang of from fifty to seventy five yards when 1 hen they hit bit the ground they explode throwing out a strong calcium light which lights up the ground in a circle of a radius of between ten to fifteen yard yards they also have a parachute star tar shell which after fter rc reaching a height of about sixty feet explode explodes A parachute unfolds and slowly floats to the ground light ing up tip a large circle in iso man a annd the official name of the star shell Is a I 1 it ery cry light very lights are aed to prevent night surprise attacks on the trenches if it a stai stat shell fulls in front ff of you or between you and the gerina lines you are safe from detection os s the enemy cannot see you through the bright curtain of light but if it falls behind you and as tommy onyx you get in the star shell aone then the fun begins you nave to lie ile flat on your stomach and mod remain absolutely motionless until the light of lie the hell shell dies out this takei anywhere from forty to seventy seconds if you haven it line time to fall to the ground you mua remain absolutely still in whatever poil position tion you were in when the light exploded it Is advisable not to breathe as frits has an so eye like an eagle when he thinks you are knocking at his door when a star shell Is burning in tommys To mcay rear be can hold his breath for a week A eek you blacken your face and hands po that the light from the tar star shells will not reflect on your pale face in a trench raid there li Is quit quite suM sufficient clent reason for your face to be pale it you dont believe me try it just once then another reason for blackening our face and hands Is that after you nave anve entered the german tench t ench at white face means Oer cler mabs matis black face english coming around a traverse you see a whit white face fac in front of you with a prayer and wishing in frita fritz the best beat a 0 lucic 11 you introduce him to your ider or knuckle knife A little later we arrived at the communication muni cation named whisky street which led to the fire are enca ti at the point we were wore to go over the top and out in front la in our rear were four stretcher bear ers er and a corporal of the B A sl 31 0 carrying a aeh ivich containing medicine and arst fi aid appliances kind of a arici reminder to um that our expedition WAS vas not going to be exactly a pic nic the order of things waa was reversed in civilian life the doctors generally come first with the undertakers tat cinc in the rear and then the th ansur anee ance man but in our ease case the th under taker takers were leading lead loK with the doctor doctors I 1 trailing trall inc behind minus the tu kusuran suran adjuster TO cro MIN CONTINUED |