A MIGHT ATTACK.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145082, 6 September 1916, Page 7

A MIGHT ATTACK.

HOW THE GERMAN LINES ARE RAIDED. The following is an extract from a letter written by a chaplain to the forces serving on the ’ Western front: To-day I will give you an exact description, without any addition, subtraction or embellishment, of a night attack, or perhaps more l correctly, a night “raid,” just as it happened only last night. It is Sunday. 1 havo had •six services, mostly voluntary, and all but one extremely well attended, and now the time is nearly 8 p.m. Our G.O. spots mo and “orders-’’ mo'into dinner, which I gracefully decline, a-nd go off to speak to my canteen orderly. Presently two officers arrive breathless, saying, “We- have open sent bv the C.O. to drag you to dinner,” but even they fail, as my hour for dinner is from 2 to 4.30 a.m. Under tho circumstances it is nice to have such kind attentions. Jfben they “tumble” to it and say, “IVo believe vou arc going up to your other battalion. Isn’t this so. Padre?” I have to own np, and they wish roe good luck. The other battalion is “in,” this one is “out,” and 1- know of this littlo “stunt,” as affairs of this sort are called, and intend to be in it at all costs. •So off,! start for my two-milo walk and hud the" skies almost alive with planes, many being vigorously shelled on both sides by iinti-aireraft guns. As I near my destination 1 find largo numbers of men squatting under rover so ns not to bo seen by the “gentle Him” in. balloon, o/ plane. They arc extra uni ties of machine gunners a.l roadv fo lend a ham! and take part in the ‘“show,” another favourite term for adventures of this sort. AWAITING THE APPOINTED HOUR. The first man 1 meet, is the adjutant. “Hullo, Padre. What you here? Come to sec tho fun?” 1 have to own up that this is my desire, ana ho gives me a welcome—then come* the medical officer, who has a doi ioi helper, come up in a case of emertrency, a-s mnch work is expected. Then the commanding officer and second in command and numerous unimportant officers—signalling officers, artillery officers, telephonic people, runner orderlies, etc., etc. We talk as to possibilities, bow tho men will behave, will it be very rosily, etc., and tbo time drags along, very slowly. The growl o, distant guns both sides of us. the rattle of machine-guns, the sharp ping of miners’ bullets break in upon us at regular intervals, and all the time the watches go on surely to tho time we arc waiting for. At last- ten o’clock is here. The C. 0.. adjutant, one or two officers, and your huinb.e servant climb up on to some sandbags. The second in command sits with telephone at his ear—a band uf brave, fearless fellows, led by just- as fearless officers, are “going over” to havo a look at our foes’ front lines, dug-outs. ami other little arrangements, and “to do or die.”

At ion o'clock for thirty-seven minuter: there will ho_ tho most awiul din that human imagination can conjure up. During that time these men ate to cross the 2-50 to 300 yards between the two front lines, get through tho innumerable wire entanglements, risk mines, shells, rides, bombs, grenades, mnchincTgnns, trench mortars, gas, lachrymatory shells, and what not, and then get back Eager as greyhounds on the leash, just before they aro slipped at their hare, those men await the signal to go. Are thev afraid? Not ono of them. Will thev hesitate? Never. Tbo only fear is that they will go too wildly and nearly get out of hand in theu" impetuous courage. Only thirty more seconds!' Yes, and now "they have passed, and oli 1 the awful crash of it all. Tho whole place seems alive with artillery. Where one least expected, here, there, and everywhere, guns open up, and machineguns begiu in dread earnest.- No pen picture- can describe it, no imagination can conjure it up. Now the observers shout their messages. Pandemonium reigns. 1 run round and have a chat with two bravo laddies on guard. Ono of them says, “And this is tho Lord’s Day, sir,” and the other says, “And this is a war between Christian nations,” and wo agree that to a largo extent only shams and mockeries of Christ’s teachings have been followed. Imagine a conversation like that with tho skies livid with shells and guns firing all the time. Now I stand for a few minutes by another man on look-out, and find he is also a Christian man. Then back to hear scraps of tolenhono. Advance observer reports “Men all gone over. Gun fire excellent. Bosch replying vigorouslv. First party back. cusunities.” “Three or four killed as thev reached our own lines. German prisoners passed by. ‘Two officers wounded,” and so on, ad hb.

THE RETURN FROM VICTORY. And now things have cased down, and X go up the road to welcome them in. Soon the first batch arrive. An officer in his .ghirt sleeves, wet, muddy, hot, excited. “They were bravo as lions,” ho ciiys. “I had to threaten them with my revolver to keep them back.” Ho had a Prussian helmet as trophy (ho goes on leave to get married 'to-day I) Then came a laddie supported bv another limping along with a horrible wound in tho thigh. Then a powerful officer who had performed prodigies. One Bosch hesitated* about following him, when beckoned to do so, and / paid tho penalty. Ho then took another prisoner, and just that moment a shell hit him in the neck, and for a second h© was stunned. Tho prisoner tried to escape, only to bo caught by tills fearless wounded officer and brought back in triumph. I walked on. to meet tho stretcher cases, as all the “walking” eases are by. The first is a dear hoy on his chest on tho stretcher, with wounded back and shoulders, bravo and cheerful, though in pain; then comes an officer with leg badly shattered, add I walk back at his side and try to cheer him up. His lot took two prisoners, and he has a helmet, so that makes np for the leg, you know. iNoiv it is all ever, and I tramp back across to another battalion, and find they had just a few casualties in supporting the other battalion—a direct nit on a machine-gun wounding one and stunning another, a couple of smashed legs, nothing much, you know. After a little talk in comes a machine-gun officer, whose father I know quite well. This Eton boy hrts had plenty of excitement, and only two casualties to his men. AVo start off through the wet fields of clover all going to waste, and after a good brisk walk reach xny dugout and say good-night.