CHAPTERI

partsix.

psychologyonthesomme

chapteri

allthathadgonebeforewasbutapreparationforwhatnowwastocome.untiljuly1of1916thebritisharmieswereonlygettingreadyforthebigbattleswhichwerebeingplannedforthembysomethinggreaterthangeneralship—bythefatewhichdecidesthedoomofmen.

thefirstbattlesbytheoldcontemptibles,downfrommonsandupbyypres,weredefensiveactionsofrear—guardsholdingtheenemybackbyathinwalloflivingflesh,whilebehindthenewarmiesofourracewerebeingraised.

thebattlesoffestubert,neuvechapelle,loos,andallminorattackswhichledtolittlesalients,werebutexperimentaladventuresinthescienceofslaughter,badlybungledinourlaboratories.theyhadnomeaningapartfromprovidingthosemistakesbywhichmenlearn;ghastlymistakes,burningmorethanthefingersoflife'schildren.theywereonlydiversionsofimpatienceinthemonotonousroutineoftrenchwarfarebywhichourmenstrengthenedthemudwallsoftheirschoolofcourage,sothatthenewboysalreadycomingoutmightlearntheirlessonswithoutmoregrievousinterruptionthancamefromthedailyvisitsofthatintrudertowhomthefeeswerepaid.inthosetwoyearsitwasfrancewhichfoughtthegreatestbattles,flinginghersonsagainsttheenemy'srampartsindesperate,vainattemptstobreachthem.atverdun,inthemonthsthatfollowedthefirstmonthof'16,itwasfrancewhichsustainedthefullweightofthegermanoffensiveonthewesternfrontandbrokeitshumanwaves,untiltheywerespentinaseaofblood,abovewhichthefrenchpoilus,the“hairyones,”stoodpantingandard,ontheirdeath-strewnrocks.thegermanshadfailedtodealafatalblowattheheartoffrance.franceheldherheadupstill,bleedingfrommanywounds,butdefiantstill;andthegermanhighcommand,aghastattheirownlosses—sixhundredthousandcasualties—alreadyconscious,icily,ofadwindlingman-powerwhichonedaywouldbecutoffatitssource,rearrangedtheirorderofbattleandshiftedthebalanceoftheirweighteastward,tosmashrussia.somehoworothertheymustsmashawayoutbysledge-hammerblows,leftandright,westandeast,fromthatringofnationswhichgirdledthem.onthewesttheywouldstandnowonthedefensive,fairlysureoftheirstrength,butwellawarethatitwouldbetriedtotheutmostbythatenemywhich,atthebackoftheirbrains(atthebackofthenarrowbrainsofthosebald-headedvulturesonthegermangeneralstaff),theymostfearedastheirfutureperil—england.theyhadbeenfoolstoletthebritisharmiesgrowupandwaxsostrong.itwasthefollyofthemadnessbywhichtheyhadflungthegauntletdowntothesoulsofproudpeoplesarrayedagainstthem.

ourarmieswerenowstrongandtrainedandready.wehadaboutsixhundredthousandbayonet-meninfranceandflandersandinengland,immensereservestofillupthegapsthatwouldbemadeintheirranksbeforethesummerfoliageturnedtorussettints.

ourpowerinartilleryhadgrownamazinglysincethebeginningoftheyear.everymonthihadseenmanynewbatteriesarrive,withcleanharnessandyellowstraps,andyounggunnerswhowerequicktogettheirtargets.wewerestrongin“heavies,”twelve-inchers,9.2's,eight-inchers,4.2's,mostlyhowitzers,withthelong-muzzledsixty-poundersterribleintheirlongrangeanddestructiveness.ouraircrafthadgrownfast,squadronuponsquadron,andouraviatorshadbeentrainedintheschoolofgeneraltrenchard,whosentthemoutoverthegermanlinestolearnhowtofight,andhowtoscout,andhowtodielikelittlegentlemen.

foratimeourflying-menhadgoneoutonold-fashioned“buses”—primitivemachineswhichwereaneasypreytothefast-flyingfokkerswhowaitedforthembehindascreenofcloudandthen“stooped”onthemlikehawkssureoftheirprey.buttotheairdromenearst.-omercamelatermodels,outofdateafewweeksaftertheirdelivery,replacedbystillmorepowerfultypesmoreperfectlyequippedforfighting.ourknights-errantoftheairwerechallengingthegermanchampionsonequalterms,andbeatingthembackfromthelinesunlesstheyflewinclusters.thereweretimeswhenourflying-mengainedanabsolutesupremacybygreaterdaring—therewasnothingtheydidnotdare—andbyequalskill.asacaution,notwastingtheirstrengthinunequalcontests.itwasasoundpolicy,andenabledthemtocomebackagaininforceandholdthefieldforatimebypowerfulconcentrations.butinthebattlesofthesommeourairmen,ataheavycostoflife,kepttheenemydownawhileandblindedhiseyes.

theplantingofnewairdromesbetweenalbertandamiens,thelongtraildowntheroadsoflorriespackedwithwingsandthefurnitureofaircraftfactories,gavethehint,tothosewhohadeyestosee,thatinthisdirectionamerryhellwasbeingprepared.

therewereplainsignsofmassacreathandallthewayfromthecoasttothelines.atetaplesandotherplacesnearboulognehospitalhutsandtentsweregrowinglikemushroomsinthenight.fromcasualtyclearingstationsnearthefrontthewounded—thehumanwreckageofroutinewarfare—werebeingevacuated“inahurry”tothebase,andfromthebasetoengland.theyweretobeclearedoutofthewaysothatallthewardsmightbeemptyforanewpopulationofbrokenmen,inenormousnumbers.iwentdowntoseethisclearance,thistidyingup.therewasasinisterestioninthesolitudethatwasbeingmadeforamultitudethatwascoming.

“weshallbeverybusy,”saidthedoctors.

“wemustgetalltherestwecannow,”saidthenurses.

“inalittlewhileeverybedwillbefilled,”saidthematrons.

outsideonehut,withthesunontheirfaces,werefourwoundedgermans,wurtemburgersandbavarians,tooilltomovejustthen.eachofthemhadlostalegunderthesurgeon'sknife.theywereeatingstrawberries,andseemedatpeace.ispoketooneofthem.

“wiebefindensiesich?”

“ganzwohl;wirsindzufriedenmitunserebehandlung.”

ipassedthroughtheshell-shockwardsandayardwherethe“shell-shocks”satabout,dumb,ormakingqueer,foolishnoises,orstaringwithalookofanimalfearintheireyes.fromapaddedroomcameasoundofsinging.someidiotofwarwassingingbetweenburstsoflaughter.itallseemedsofunnytohim,thatwar,somad!

“weareclearingthemout,”saidthemedicalofficer.“therewillbemanymoresoon.”

howsoon?thatwasaquestionnobodycouldanswer.itwastheonlysecret,andeventhatwasknowninlondon,wherelittleladiesinsocietywerenamingthedate,“inconfidence,”tomenwhoweredirectlyconcernedwithit—having,astheyknew,onlyafewmoreweeks,ordays,ofcertainlife.butibelievetherewerenotmanyofficerswhowouldhavesurrendereddeliberatelyallsharein“thegreatpush.”inspiteofallthehorrorwhichtheseyoungofficersknewitwouldinvolve,theyhadtobe“init”andcouldnotendurethethoughtthatalltheirfriendsandalltheirmenshouldbetherewhiletheywere“outofit.”adecentexcuseforthesafersideofit—yes.astaffjob,theintelligencebranch,anypostbehindtheactualshambles—andthankgodfortheluck.butnotanabsoluteshirk.

tentswerebeingpitchedinmanycampsofthesomme,rowsandrowsofbelltentsandpavilionsstainedtoareddishbrown.smallcitiesofthemweregrowingupontherightoftheroadbetweenamiensandalbert—atdernancourtanddaoursandvaux-sous-corbie.ithoughttheymightbefortroopsinreserveuntilisawlargeflagshoistedtotallstaffsandmenofther.a.m.c.busypaintingsignsonlargesheetsstretchedoutonthegrass.itwasalwaysthesamesign—thesignofthecrossthatwasred.

therewasavasttrafficoflorriesontheroads,andtrainsweretravelingonlightrailwaysdayandnighttorailroadsjustbeyondshell-range.whatwasalltheweighttheycarried?noneedtoask.the“dumps”werebeingfilled,piledup,withrowuponrowofshells,coveredbytarpaulinorbrushwoodwhentheywereallstacked.enormousshells,someofthem,likegiganticpigswithoutlegs.thosewereforthefifteen-inchers,orthe9.2's.therewasenoughhigh-explosiveforcelitteredalongthoseroadsabovethesommetoblowcitiesoffthemap.

“itdoesonegoodtosee,”saidacheeryfellow.“thepeopleathomehavebeenputtingtheirbacksintoit.thousandsofgirlshavebeenpackingthosethings.welldone,munitions!”

icouldtakenojoyinthesight,onlyagrimkindofsatisfactionthatatleastwhenourmenattackedtheywouldhaveapowerofartillerybehindthem.itmighthelpthemtosmashthroughtoafinish,ifthatweretheonlywaytoendthislong-drawnsuicideofnations.

myfriendwasshockedwhenisaid:

“curseallmunitions!”