Drugged Men in Battle.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 April 1915, Page 2

Drugged Men in Battle.

"DOPE" FOR GERIVLLV SOLDIERS. Paris, February 18. A young French soldier who has justreturned from the firing line gives a, terrible picture of a furious struggle iu one of the French trenches. "The Germans," he says. "began their attack upon us with their twelfth corps of Saxon, composed mainly of fresh troops. "W» did not think they would have the audacity to leave their trenches in full "daylight, but all of «, sudden we s-nv them advance in column formation with four rank in dose order, the first files without equipment, but with their haversacks full of grenades which they began to hurl at us. "Immediately oti.r artillery, mitrailleuses, and infantry opened a niu'rdirons lire, and at the end of a quarter of an hour we had corpses piled a yard high in front of us: but it was'impossible to stop this human wave as they swarmed on like ants. AXES. SHOVELS KNIVES. AND FORKS. "Our rifles were so hot that it was difficult to hold them. The Germans came on and jumped into our trendies and it was then the tragic business began. Our bayonets were of no use at such close quarters, and it was a fearful hand-to-hand struggle. We Fought with axes, pichfortcs, shovels, and knives. Tt was liorrible for flie"'tlir:y»quarters of an hour tTiat it lasted. ' "About midnight it began" all over again, when we counter-attacked wit'' several companies, and* in the end sue(■coded in dislodging them from soma' of their own trenches. "On very curious fact whicTr I want to put on record is that all the' Germans who fought against us had taken brandy mixed with ether. We tasted what remained of some in the flask of a wounded German. Tt 'i.id a most peculiar "taste. "1 have seen, too with my own eyes. that they have oven finished <>iT some of our wounded. "Another very interesting fact is that the German officer- f=f<xvl on edge of the trenches .-nil made their men come out by hh\r* ■},}<>;<,,■■ 'r«vm their swords and slot-lies Trom theit riding whips."