Madisonville High School - Annual Yearbook (Madisonville, OH)

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4.39 THE RANGE-FINDER IEUTENANT Herman Von Tesler smiled contentedly to himself as day broke over the eastern hills. He thrust his head carefully from under the kindly haystack that hid him from unfriendly eyes and took a first rapid survey of his position by daylight. To the west, following a low, far-flung ridge, ran the trenches of the Allies, skirting the village of Me, and extending away toward the north to the Bois forests. The first line of the net- work of trenches was hardly two hundred meters from him and in excellent position for the perfect observation of every move made during the day. A series of short passageways cormected the first trench with the more elaborate and perfected defenses that breasted the slope. The lieutenant had good reason to smile with satis- faction. The arduous work of two weeks had culminated at last in giving him a good vantage point from which he could observe this center of the Allies' strength and direct the fire of the huge German howitzers upon it with a certain, devastating effect. The wire of the field telegraph running from the haystack across the fields and hills to the German lines, five miles away, was the only link between him and his comrades-a thin, fragile link, but one of dreadful capabilities and 0f awful might in his hands. He slipped back under his haystack and munched a cold breakfast from his haversack, washing it down with draughts of cold water from his canteen. After appeasing his hunger, he carefully made a small aperture in the loose hay, through which he could get a good view of the enemy with a minimum chance of being seen. He next unshipped his small field set and connected it with great 57 care to the wire which stretched away to his countrymen over the eastern hills. Then brushing the dust from his glasses with a silk handkerchief, he took up his post at the peep hole. He swept the trenches with his glasses, noting With keen and experienced eyes the construction of the de- fenses, picking out the works that controlled the weaker and more accessible points and tabulating them carefully in a notebook. The trenches formed long, dull reddish lines along the ridge where the fresh clay had been turned up. Sand bags made a long, grayish bulwark along the first line, and they were intersected with loop holes, through which vicious-looking machine guns thrust their muzzles. Farther up on the slope, scores of sappers were industriously engaged in sinking new trenches and mount- ing more deadly machine guns. Crowning the ridge were three batteries of iield artillery, nestling behind their embankments in a businesslike manner. At other points along the ridge, places were being prepared for the re- ception of other guns. Groups of khaki-clad soldiers' were setting up cruel barbed wire entanglements all along the slope and orderlies and aids spurred hastily over the defenses, carrying orders and instructions to the various sections. It was plainly evident that the Allies were strongly fortifying this position. Von Tesler swept his binoculars over the entire length of the trenches, until they stretched out of sight on both his left and right. He again carefully studied the ridge. That is the center of the whole line, he muttered to himself. If once that ridge is taken, both wings Will

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have to retire. The real struggle will be in capturing the ridge. He next whirled his glasses on the little village of M and the road that led toward Paris. The road was choked with advancing infantry and galloping cavalry, while motor supply trucks rushed continually into the village. Von Tesler nodded his head knowingly. Re-inforeements! They mean business! A queer smile of triumph and satisfaction spread over his boyish features. Let them work! Let them prepare! H e had their range and he could frustrate their best built plans with a simple pressure of his finger. 3!: :k 1: Fl! :1: The end of two hours found the range of every im- portant point marked down in his notebook. They needed only testing out with a few shells and then the doom of the almost impenetrable position was sealed. The lieutenant turned to his instrument after another brief survey of the first line of the trenches, and in a moment he was satisfied that he had plenty of power for sending a message. Range! he ticked off, due west-SOSO meters! A minute passed. Then a dull rumble broke out from a great distance toward the east and a great shell screamed and shrieked overhead a second later. The huge projectile plunged over the Allied works and ex- ploded with a terrific roar 500 meters beyond. A quick glance showed Von Tesler the length of the miss, and he corrected it immediately. Try 7500 meters-due west, he again ticked off. Again the screaeh of a. great shell followed the distant report, and this time it plunged down within fifty meters of the works. The shell exploded with a terrible detona- tion and the earth fairly rocked. A great crater was torn in the ground and fragments of stone and dirt fell for several minutes afterward. ttFifty meters short, sent Von Tesler over the wire. This time, the great shell plunged directly into the trench and exploded with deadly effect. A full twenty yards of the trench was destroyed and the sand bag de- fenses, the wire entanglements, and yeHven men, were wiped out of existence. A rush of ambulance corps was made for the shattered trench, and they immediately began their ghastly Work, while Von Tesler, smiling and grinning at his success, carefully made a few changes in his notebook. Now he had every bit of information he desired. He had the range of the first trench, of the defenses on the slope, of the batteries crowning the ridge, of the road crowded with the reinforcements, of the bivouac of the supply trainwyes, of every point he' had the knowledge that spelt its doom. The time for action had arrived. nRange! was the single word that formed his next message. That was all that was necessary. Almost immediately a series of heavy concussions broke out, and the scream of a score of shells followed. The doomed trench was deluged with a rain of fire and death, and the detonations of the exploding shells rocked the ground. Great clouds of smoke hid What was being enacted in the trench, but Von Tesler knew well enough. Too often had he seen it in the past year. Dimly through the white, suifocating mist, Von Tesler' could see the great confusion that his sudden bombardment had caused. Troops of men spurred furiously over the 10w hillsides-re-inforcements were rushed hurriedly ins the Allies, artillery began to boom forth in futile defiance and the aer0planes of two air scouts circled swiftly up to reconnoitre. The surprise caused by the sudden attack was complete. The din was deafeningehellish. The. earth shook and quivered from the heavy explosions and Von Tesler plugged up his ears with cotton. Clouds of irritating powder fumes penetrated the hay and caused the young