WHEN 11 O'CLOCK STRUCK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 88, 8 January 1919, Page 6

WHEN 11 O'CLOCK STRUCK

i DRAMATIC SCENES ON THE BATTLE ; . FRONTS ; t THE LAST GREAT SALVO ' At 11 o'clock - this morning (wrote the \ Exchange Telegraph ■ Company's corre- ' spondent with the American armies on' [ the dny of the armistice) hostilities ceas- \ e<l oa the American front, whereupon \ began what is probably the most won- ; derful' collective demonstration of joy tho world has ever seen. The momentous news was flashed along the lines as by \ an electric current. After an. artillery ! preparation that lasted. the whole night ' long a'fresh advance began'at dawn and ' continued until the last moment, meeting. at places with stiff resistance. The orders to cease were first flashed ' by wireless about 9.30, and at once, the 1 guns quickened in their firing; belching ■ projectiles fast and furiously until a few moments before 11, when for a brief 1 space they were hushed. On the stroke of 11. a tremendous salvo from thousands of guns,, then a silence, ' broken- by. cheers.. ' _ Official orders forbade anw •fraternis- ■ ing, arid ordered a vigorous prosecution of the projected plans until -11, after ■ which firing was to cease-yunless the 1 Boclie. continued. Most of the front was shrouded in ■ thick fog.' Some of the advanced units did not receive their orders until a few ■ minutes before the hour, • and •it was ■ Scared that it would be impossible to 1 reach o.thers in time owing to the rapid 1 advances made. . : . Within a few minutes after the "Cease '' fire" the bells of Verdun started peal- : ing. Just before time the Boche epite- ■ fully sent a few big 'shells into the al- ■ ready shattered city. .. , ', While one unit was reading the orders three minutes before 11 there came the ■ announcement of the capture of another ' village and wood. .- -• : . .. < 1 The news of the armistice spread like : wildfire in the back areas. Motor cyel- : ists tore along the roads, .shouting "It's 1 over, boys!" Every village hung out flags, and people lined-the streets shout- ■ ing and singing. Marching Americans 1 passed groups of prisoners engaged- in ■ I'oadmaking and yelled, "What do you • think of it now?" The prisoners worked on sullenly ... 1 The moment the guns were stilled in--1 numerable locomotive whistles and.,automobile horns began 6hrieking. ' 'Blazing Camp Fires. The vast American war machine lay dormant, while the shattered German Army was withdrawing from iuariy places on the front. The. Americans ..wore busily engaged in digging in'upon the exact lines reached' at eleven o'clock. During the afternoon there waa sporadic firing, somewhere, where an isolated detachment was unreachable. by 11. Despite the efforts of the runners the Germans complained, and attempted themselves'to notify tho fighters to put up the white flag. In the St.- Mihiel region the Germans told thfc Americans ap- . preaching the lines they were retiring immediately to take the train towards Germany. Within two hours tome pointswere quieter. In sectors , of the Americans, Germans , emerged from shelters and trenches after 11, walked over No Man's Land, and through the wire talked and traded i souvenirs for tobacco and swoets. Practically all admitted thev were beaten. German doughboys translated > for little groups of Germans, who appeared depressed at the. prospects of Germany's future, but in high humour at the chance , of going horns. Some did not" believe Germany would accept peace'unless the terms were suitable.. ' Behind Verdun, in moments when the mist lifted, observers saw long lines of Germans flowing to the rear.- Here the lines are some distance apart, and the Germans crawled out of pits and dugouts and curiously watched the Americans, across the valley; a few of them waving their hands. In three or four sectors the Americans were ordered to advance shortly before 11 for machine-gun fighting. .The 51st Division attacked only thirty minutes before 11,. and realised a good advance. They dug in in a few instances. Small units were firing until 2 o'clock, owing to the communications being cut and the runners unable to reach them. To-night many miks of the front, scattered deeply in the back" areas, knew, and all night, long there ensued, such a celebration as is unknown to history. Along the front the eky was alight with rockets, flares, and red lights. The fighters gathered in the open around blazing camp fires, motor-trucks protecting the lights, ablaze for the first time in the war. Searchlights scoured the sky, and I saw one writing on the clouds the word "Peace."