CHAPTERIV

chapteriv

thehohenzollernredoubt,nearfosse8,capturedbythe9thscottishdivisioninthebattleofloos,couldnotbeheldthenunderconcentratedgun-firefromgermanbatteries,andthescots,andtheguardswhofollowedthem,afterheavylosses,couldonlyclingontopartofacommunicationtrench(onthesoutheastsideoftheearthworks)nicknamed“bigwillie,”nearanothertrenchcalled“littlewillie.”ourenemiesforcedtheirwaybackintosomeoftheiroldtrenchesinthisoutpostbeyondtheirmainlines,andinspiteofthechaosproducedbyourshell-firebuiltupnewparapetsandsand-bagbarricades,flungoutbarbedwire,anddugthemselvesintothisgraveyardwheretheirdeadandourswerestrewn.

perhapstherewassomereasonwhyourgeneralsshouldcovetpossessionofthehohenzollernredoubt,somegoodmilitaryreasonbeyondthespellofahigh-soundingname.iwentupthereonedaywhenitwaspartlyoursandstaredatitsrigidwavesofmine-cratersandtrenchparapetsandupheavedchalk,dazzlingwhiteunderabluesky,andfailedtoseeanybeautyinthespot,oranyvalueinit—soclosetothegermanlinesthatonecouldnotcoughforfearoflosingone'shead.itseemedtomeaplacenottogainandnottohold.ifihadbeenageneral(appallingthought!)ishouldhavesaid:“lettheenemyhavethatlittlehellofhis.letmenlivethereamonghalf-buriedbodiesandcrawlinglice,andthestenchofrottingflesh.thereisnogoodinitforus,andforhimwillbeanabomination,dreadedbyhismen.”

butourgeneralsdesiredit.theyhatedtothinkthattheenemyshouldhavecrawledbacktoitafterourmenhadbeenthere.theydecidedto“biteitoff,”thatbluntnosewhichwasthrustforwardtoourline.itwasanoperationthatwouldbegoodtoreportintheofficialcommunique.itscapturewould,nodoubt,increasethemoraleofourmenaftertheirdeadhadbeenburiedandtheirwoundedpatchedupandtheirlossesforgotten.

itwastothe46thmidlanddivisionthattheorderofassaultwasgivenonoctober13th,andintothetrencheswentthelace-makersofnottingham,andthepottersofthefivetowns,andtheboot-makersofleicester,northstaffordshires,androbinhoodsandsherwoodforesters,onthenightofthe12th.

onthefollowingmorningourartilleryconcentratedatremendousfireupontheredoubt,followedat1p.m.byvolumesofsmokeandgas.thechieffeaturesonthispartofthegermanlinewere,ontheright,agroupofcolliers'housesknownasthecoronsdepekin,andaslagheapknownasthedump,tothenortheastofthaterdumpcalledfosse8,andontheleftanothergroupofcottages,andanotherblackhillockfarthertotherightofthefosse.thesepositionswereinadvanceofthehohenzollernredoubtwhichourtroopsweretoattack.

itwasnotaneasytask.itwashellish.intenseasourartilleryfirehadbeen,itfailedtodestroytheenemy'sbarbedwireandfronttrenchessufficientlytocleartheway,andthegermanswerestillworkingtheirmachine-gunswhenthefuseswerelengthened,thefirelifted,andthegas-cloudsrolledaway.

isawthatbombardmentonthemorningofwednesday,october13th,andthebeginningoftheattackfromaslagheapclosetosomeofourheavyguns.itwasafine,clearday,andsomeofthefrenchminerslivingroundthepit-headsonoursideofthebattlelineclimbedupironladdersandcoalheaps,rousedtoanewinterestinthespectacleofwarwhichhadbecomeamonotonousandfamiliarthingintheirlives,becausetheintensityofourgun-fireandthevolumesofsmoke-clouds,andacertainstrange,whitishvaporwhichwaswaftedfromourlinestowardtheenemystirredtheirimagination,dulledbythedailydinofguns,toasenseofsomethingbeyondtheusualflightofshellsintheirpartofthewarzone.

“theenglishareattackingagain!”wasthemessagewhichbroughtoutthesemenstilllivingamongruinedcottagesontheedgeoftheslaughter-fields.theystaredintothemist,where,beyondthebrightnessoftheautumnsun,menwereabouttofightanddie.itwasthesamescenethatihadwatchedwheniwentuptotheloosredoubtintheseptemberbattle—aflat,bare,blackplain,crisscrossedwiththewhitishearthofthetrenchesrisingalittletowardloosandthenfallingagainsothatinthevillagethereonlythetowerbridgewasvisible,withitssteelgirdersglinting,highoverthehorizonline.tothelefttheruinsofhulluchfrettedthelow-lyingcloudsofsmoke,andbeyondahuddleofbrokenhousesfarawaywasthetownofhaisnes.fosse8andthehohenzollernredoubtwerehummocksofearthfaintlyvisiblethroughdriftingcloudsofthick,ishvapor.

ontheedgeofthisbattlegroundthefieldsweretawnyunderthegoldenlightoftheautumnsun,andthebrokentowersofvillagechurches,redroofsshatteredbyshell-fire,treesstrippedbareofallleavesbeforethewindofautumntouchedthem,werepaintedinclearoutlinesagainstthegray-blueofthesky.

ourgunshadbeeninvisible.notoneofallthosebatterieswhichweremassedoverawidestretchofcountrycouldbelocatedbeforethebattlebyasearchingglass.butwhenthebombardmentbeganitseemedasthoughourshellscamefromeveryfieldandvillageformilesback,behindthelines.

theglitterofthoseburstingshellsstabbedthroughthesmokeoftheirexplosionwithlittle,twinklingflashes,likethesparkleofinnumerablemirrorsheliographingmessagesofdeath.therewasoneincessantroarrisingandfallinginwavesofprodigioussound.thewholelineofbattlewasinagrayishmurk,whichobscuredalllandmarks,sothateventhetowerbridgewasbutfaintlyvisible.

presently,whenourartillerylifted,therewerenewcloudsrisingfromthegroundandspreadingupwardinagreatdensecurtainofafleecytexture.theycamefromoursmoke-shells,whichweretomaskourinfantryattack.throughthemandbeyondthemrolledanotherwaveofcloud,athinner,whitervapor,whichclungtothegroundandthencurledforwardtotheenemy'slines.

“that'sourgas!”saidavoiceononeoftheslagheaps,amidagroupofobservers—englishandfrenchofficers.

“andthewindisdeadrightforit,”saidanothervoice.“thegermanswillgetatasteofitthistime!”

thentherewassilence,andsomeofthoseobserversheldtheirbreathasthoughthatgashadcaughttheirownthroatsandchokedthemalittle.theytriedtopiercethroughthatbarofcloudtoseethedramabehinditscurtain—mencaughtinthosefumes,theterror-strickenflightbeforeitsadvance,thesuddencryoftheenemytrappedintheirdugouts.imaginationleapedout,throughinvisibility,totherealizationofthethingsthatwerehappeningbeyond.

fromourplaceofobservationtherewerebriefglimpsesofthehumanelementinthissceneofimpersonalpowersandsecretforces.acrossastretchofflatgroundbeyondsomeofthosezigzaglinesoftrencheslittleblackthingswerescurryingforward.theywerenotbunchedtogetherinclosegroups,butscattered.someofthemseemedtohesitate,andthentofallandliewheretheyfell,othershurryingonuntiltheydisappearedinthedriftingclouds.

itwastheforemostlineofourinfantryattack,ledbythebombers.thegermanswerefiringtempestsofshells.someofthemwerecuriouslycolored,ofapinkishhue,orwithorange-shapedpuffsofvividgreen.theywerepoison-shellsgivingoutnoxiousgases.allthechemistryofdeathwaspouredoutonbothsides—andthroughitwentthemenofthemidlanddivision.

theattackontherightwasdeliveredbyabrigadeofstaffordshiremen,whoadvancedinfourlinestowardthebigwillietrenchwhichformedthesoutheastsideofthehohenzollernredoubt.theleadingcompanies,whowerefirstoverourownparapets,madeaquickrush,halfblindedbythesmokeandthegaseousvaporswhichfilledtheair,andwereatoncereceivedbyadeadlyfirefrommanymachine-guns.itswepttheirranks,andmenfellonallsides.othersranoninlittlepartiesflungoutinextendedorder.

youngofficersbehavedwithdesperategallantry,andastheyfellcheeredtheirmenon,whileothersranforwardshouting,followedbynumberswhichdwindledateveryyard,sothatonlyafewreachedthebigwillietrenchinthefirstassault.

abombing-partyofnorthstaffordshiremenclearedthirtyyardsofthetrenchbytherapiditywithwhichtheyflungtheirhand-grenadesatthegermanbomberswhoendeavoredtokeepthemout,andagainandagaintheykeptatbayatideoffield-graymen,whoswarmedupthecommunicationtrenches,byaseriesofexplosionswhichblewmanyofthemtobitsasbombafterbombwashurledintotheirmass.othergermansfollowed,flingingtheirownstick-bombs.

thestaffordshiresdidnotyielduntilnearlyeverymanwaswoundedandmanywerekilled.eventhentheyretreatedyardbyyard,stillflinginggrenadesalmostwiththerhythmofasowerwhoscattershisseed,eachmotionofthehandandarmlettinggooneofthosesteelpomegranateswhichburstwiththenoiseofahigh-explosiveshell.

thesurvivorsfellbacktotheothersideofabarricademadeinthebigwillietrenchbysomeoftheirmenbehind.behindthemagainwasanotherbarrier,incasethefirstshouldberushed.

itseemedasiftheymightberushednow,forthegermanswereswarmingupbigwilliewithstrongbombing-parties,andwouldsoonblastawaythroughunlesstheywerethrustbeyondtherangeofhand-grenades.itwasayounglieutenantnamedhawker,withsomesouthstaffordshiremen,whowentforwardtomeetthisattackandkepttheenemybackuntilfouro'clockintheafternoon,whenonlyafewlivingmenstoodamongthedeadandtheyhadtofallbacktothesecondbarrier.

darknessnowcreptoverthebattlefieldandfilledthetrenches,andinthedarknessthewoundedmenwerecarriedbacktotherear,whilethosewhohadescapedworkedhardtostrengthentheirdefensesbysand-bagsandearthworks,knowingthattheironlychanceoflifelayinfierceindustry.

earlynextmorninganattemptwasmadebyotherbattalionstocometothereliefofthosewhoheldonbehindthosebarriersinbigwillietrench.theywerenottinghammen—robinhoodsandothersherwoodlads—andtheycameacrosstheopengroundintwodirections,attackingthewestaswellastheeastendsofthegermancommunicationtrencheswhichformedthefaceofthehohenzollernredoubt.

theyweresupportedbyriflegrenade-fire,buttheiradvancewasmetbyintensefirefromartilleryandmachine-guns,sothatmanywereblowntobitsormangledormaimed,andnonecouldreachtheircomradesinbigwillietrench.

whileonebrigadeofthemidlandmenhadbeenfightinglikethisontheright,anotherbrigadehadbeenengagedontheleft.itcontainedsherwood,leicester,andlincolnmen,who,ontheafternoonofoctober13th,wentforwardtotheassaultwithverydesperateendeavor.advancinginfourlines,theleadingcompanieswereessfulinreachingthehohenzollernredoubt,smashedthroughthebarbedwire,partofwhichwasuncut,andreachedthefossetrenchwhichformsthenorthbaseofthesalient.

machine-gunfirecutdownthefirsttwolinesseverelyandthetworemaininglineswereheavilyshelledbygermanartillery.itwasanhourinwhichthecourageofthosemenwasagonized.theywereexposedonnakedgroundsweptbybullets,theatmospherewasheavywithgasandsmoke;alltheabominationofbattle—hemoaningofthewounded,thelastcriesofthedying,thedeath-crawlofstrickenbeingsholdingtheirbrokenlimbsandtheirentrails—wasaroundthem,andinfrontahiddenenemywithunlimitedsuppliesofammunitionandabetterposition.

therobinhoodsandthemenoflincolnandleicestershireweresustainedinthatshamblesbythespiritthathadcometothemthroughtheoldyeomanstockinwhichtheirtraditionswererooted,andthosewhohadnotfallenwentforward,pasttheirwoundedcomrades,pastthesepoor,bloody,moaningmen,tothegermantrenchesbehindtheredoubt.

at2.15p.m.somemonmouthmencameupinsupport,andwhiletheirbomberswereatworksomeofthelincolnspushedupwithamachine-guntoapointwithinsixtyyardsfromthefossetrench,wheretheystayedtilldark,andthenwereforcedtofallback.

atthistimepartiesofbombersweretryingtoforcetheirwayupthelittlewillietrenchontheextremeleftoftheredoubt,andhereghastlyfightingtookplace.someoftheleicestersmadeadashthreehundredyardsupthetrench,butwerebeatenbackbyoverpoweringnumbersofgermanbombersandbayonet-men,andagainandagainothermidlandladswentupthatalleywayofdeath,flingingtheirgrenadesuntiltheyfelloruntilfewcomradeswerelefttosupportthemastheystoodamongtheirdeadanddying.

singlemenheldon,throwingandthrowing,untiltherewasnostrengthintheirarmstohurlanotherbomb,oruntildeathcametothem.yetthebusinesswentonthroughthedarknessoftheafternoon,andintothedeeperdarknessofthenight,litluridlyatmomentsbythewhiteilluminationofgermanflaresandbytheflashofburstingshells.

isolatedmachine-gunsinuncapturedpartsoftheredoubtstillbeatatattooliketheruffleofwar-drums,andfrombehindthebarriersinthebigwillietrenchcamethesharpcrackofenglishrifles,anddullexplosionsofotherbombsflungbyotherenglishmenveryhardpressedthatnight.

intheoutertrenches,atthenoseofthesalient,freshcompaniesofsherwoodladswerefeelingtheirwayalong,mixedupconfusedlywithcomradesfromothercompanies,woundedorspentwithfighting,butdeterminedtoholdthegroundtheyhadwon.

someoftherobinhoodsuplittlewillietrenchwereholdingoutdesperatelyandalmostatthelastgasp,whentheywererelievedbyothersherwoods,anditwasherethatayoungofficernamedvickerswasfoundinthewaythatwonhimhisv.c.

charlesgeoffreyvickersstoodthereforhoursagainstahordeofmeneagerforhisdeath,eagertogetatthemenbehindhim.buttheycouldnotapproach.heandhisfellow-bomberskepttwentyyardsormoreclearbeforethem,andanymanwhoflunghimselfforwardwasthetargetofahand-grenade.

fromfrontandfromflankgermanbombscamewhizzing,fallingshortsometimes,withablastingroarthattoredownlumpsoftrench,andsometimesfallingveryclose—closeenoughtokill.

vickerssawsomeofhisbestmenfall,buthekeptthebarrierstillintactbybombingandbombing.

whenmanyofhiscomradesweredeadorwounded,hewonderedhowlongthebarrierwouldlast,andgaveordersforanothertobebuiltbehindhim,sothatwhentherushcameitwouldbestoppedbehindhim—andoverhim.

menworkedatthatbarricade,pilingupsand-bags,andasitwasbuiltthatyounglieutenantknewthathisownretreatwasbeingcutoffandthathewasbeingcoffinedinthatnarrowspace.twoothermenwerewithhim—ineverlearnedtheirnames—andtheywerehardlyenoughtohandupbombsasquicklyashewishedtothrowthem.

awaythereupthetrenchthegermanswerewaitingforapounce.thoughwoundedsothathefeltfaintandgiddy,hecalledoutformorebombs.“more!”hesaid,“more!”andhishandwaslikeamachinereachingoutandthrowing.

rescuecameatlast,andthewoundedofficerwashauledoverthebarricadewhichhehadorderedtobebuiltbehindhim,closinguphiswayofescape.

allthroughoctober14ththemidlandmenofthe46thdivisionheldontotheirground,andsomeofthesherwoodsmadeanewattack,clearingtheenemyoutoftheeastportionoftheredoubt.

itwasluckythatitcoincidedwithacounter-attackmadebytheenemyatadifferentpoint,becauseitrelievedthepressurethere.bombingduelscontinuedhourafterhour,andhumannaturecouldhardlyhaveenduredsolongalewithoutfatiguebeyondthestrengthofmen.

soitseems;yetwhenabrigadeofguardscameuponthenightofoctober15ththeenemyattackedalongthewholelineofredoubts,andthemidlandmen,whowerejustabouttoleavethetrenches,foundthemselvesengagedinanewaction.theyhadtofightagainbeforetheycouldgo,andtheyfoughtlikedemonsordemigodsfortheirrightofwayandhome,andbombedtheenemybacktohisholesintheground.

soendedtheassaultonthehohenzollernbythemidlandmenofengland,whosedivision,yearslater,helpedtobreakthehindenburglinealongthegreatcanalsouthofst.-quentin.

whatgoodcameofitmortalmencannotsay,unlessthegeneralswhoplanneditholdthesecret.itcostaheavypriceinlifeandagony.itdemonstratedthefightingspiritofmanyenglishboyswhodidthebesttheycould,withtherage,andfear,andmadnessofgreatcourage,beforetheydiedorfell,anditleftsomelivingmen,andotherswhorelievedtheminbigwillieandlittlewillietrenches,soclosetotheenemythatonecouldhearthemcough,orswearingutturalwhispers.

andthroughthewinterof'15,andtheyearsthatfollowed,thehohenzollernredoubtbecameanotherhooge,ashorribleashooge,asdeadly,asdamnableinitsfilthyperils,wheremenofenglishblood,andirish,andscottish,tooktheirturn,andhatedit,andcountedthemselvesluckyiftheyescapedfromitsprison-house,whosewallsstankofnewandancientdeath.

amongthosewhotooktheirturninthehellofthehohenzollernwerethemenofthe12thdivision,newarmymen,andalloftheoldstockandspiritofengland,bredintheshiresofnorfolkandsuffolk,gloucesterandbedford,andinsurrey,kent,sussex,andmiddlesex(whichmeantlondon),asthenamesoftheirbattalionstold.inseptembertheyrelievedtheguardsandcavalryatloos;indecembertheymovedontogivenchy,andinfebruarytheybeganalongspellatthehohenzollern.itwastheretheenglishbattalionslearnedtheworstthingsofwarandshowedthequalityofenglishcourage.