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THE

CHILDREN'S STORY
OF THE WAR

BY ^ 1 . ;

SIR EDWARD PARROTT, M.A., L^^'.'i^^^^

''' ' / n' \^

AUTHOR OF " BRITAIN OVERSEAS," " THE PAGEANT
OF ENGLISH LITERATURE," ETC,

The First Six Months of the Year 191 6

THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd.

LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK
1917

" 5^ ?^ wntten.

//^/j^^V'^' 7"/^^/ ^// / wrought

Jy /Ftf J /or Britain^

^^2^ /« ^/(?^^ <^W thought:

Be it written^

That when I die^
* Glory to Britain ! '
IQ ^ Is my last cry.''

^ '"^ George Meredith.

CONTENTS.

I. Seventeen Months of War
II. Dark Days in the Near East

III. Amphibious Warfare

IV. A Bid for Baghdad
V. The Siege and Fall of Kut

VI. The Story of the " Moewe."— I.

VII. The Story of the " Moewe."— II.

VIII. Loyalists and Traitors

IX. Rebellion and Conquest .

X. The Kamerun Campaign .

XI. The Capture of Duala and the Conquest
of Kamerun

XII. The Advance on Erzerum

XIII. The Fall of Erzerum and the Capture of

Trebizond .....

XIV. The Senussi . . .
XV. A Gallant Rescue ....

XVI. Verdun — Past and Present

XVII. The Greatest Battle of History

XVIII. Stories of the Battle of Verdun

XIX. The Goose's Crest and the Dead Man

XX. The Battle of Verdun — Second Stage

XXI. The Ebbing Tide ....

49
60

65
76

81
94

107

113

127

129

145
161

174

^7
184

CONTENTS.

XXII. The Great German Failure

XXIII. The Spring Campaign in the Air. — I.

XXIV. The Spring Campaign in the Air. — II
XXV. How a Traitor was caught and hanged

XXVI. Distracted Ireland
XXVII. The Sinn Fein Rebellion .
XXVIII. The Aftermath of Rebellion
XXIX. The Great Sea Fight off Jutland.— I.
XXX. The Great Sea Fight off Jutland.— II.
XXXI. The End of the Battle
XXXII. Sailors' Stories of the Battle of Jutland

XXXIII. More Stories of the Battle of Jutland

XXXIV. How a Great W^ar Chief died .
XXXV. Six Months on the British Front. — I.

XXXVI. Six Months on the British Front.— II

XXXVII. The Third Battle of Ypres

XXXVIII. Heroes of the Victoria Cross. — I.

XXXIX. Heroes of the Victoria Cross. — II.

XL. Why Italy declared War on Austria

XLI. War in the Mountains

XLII. How the Austrians made a Great Effort
and failed ....

XLIII. Stories of the Italian Campaign .

XLIV. The Great Russian Recovery

193
197

209

214

225

230

241

249

257

282
289
296

301

305

318
321
326

337

353
357
369

THE

CHILDREN'S
STORY OF
THE WAR

VOLUME V

CHAPTER I.

SEVENTEEN MONTHS OF WAR.

IN the four preceding volumes of this work I have told you,
in somewhat full detail, the story of seventeen months' war-
fare. I have tried to bring you as near to the actual fighting
as possible, and to show you struggles in progress on a hundred
widely separated fields. Lest, amidst all this detail, you should
be confused, and, as the proverb says, not able to see the wood
for the trees, let me for a few moments survey the warfare
hitherto waged, in its broad, outstanding features. Before be-
ginning the story of 1916 I will take an aviator's view of the
progress of the mighty struggle in Europe from that August
evening of 19 14 when the German guns began to thunder
against the fortress of Liege, to the bitter winter days of 19 15
when the Serbian army was forced to go forth into the wilder-
ness, yielding its native land to the invader.

First of all, I must remind you that Germany began the
war absolutely certain of speedy and decisive victory. For
three years she had bent all her energies to the work of making
herself ready for " the Day," and she had succeeded in keeping
those who were to be her foes in almost complete ignorance
of her designs. While they were quite unready for war, she
was prepared *' to the last gaiter button." She could put
into the field forces vastly superior to those which could be
brought against her for many months to come, and her legions
were ready to march at the moment which suited her best.
Further, she was possessed of great guns such as had never
before been seen on the battlefield, and myriads of machine

2 The Children's Story of the War.

guns. She was right in thinking that these new weapons
would bring about new methods of warfare for which she
alone was prepared. With these advantages Germany believed
that she could not fail, and indeed, according to all the rules,
failure seemed to be impossible. When we study the course of
the fighting during the first few weeks of the war, we cannot
but marvel that she did not succeed. She made mistakes, it
is true, but mistakes are made in every war. When all is said
and done, we are at a loss to explain fully why she did not
make a speedy end of her foes. We are forced to believe that
the hand of God was against her, and that Divine wisdom and
justice denied her victory.

When the Kaiser bade farewell to his soldiers at Potsdam,
he assured them that they would return victorious " before
the leaves fall." He and his General Staflf were well aware
that they must win soon or not at all^ — ^** We must take the current
when it serves, or lose our ventures." The advantages with
which they could begin the war would vanish, and even pass
to their enemies, if the war should be long drawn out. Should
the Allies be able to stave off the first mighty onset and gain
time, Germany would fail, and fail grievously. She could put
armies into the field greatly outnumbering those which the
Allies could array, but with every month of war these numbers
were bound to dwindle. Should the war be prolonged, Russia
could muster legions which would become overwhelmingly
strong when the German armies were in a state of decline.

Then, too, the vast and far-seeing preparations which Ger-
many had made would be of no avail, if the Allies were given
time to build big guns and manufacture large supplies of am-
munition and all the other necessaries which they lacked. So,
too, with regard to the new methods of warfare which the
Germans were about to use. In a short war the Allies would
be destroyed before they had time to find out which of the
new methods were the most effective, and by adopting them
put themselves on a level with their opponents. For all these
reasons Germany meant the war to be short, sharp, and sudden.
In 1870 she had made a tiger-like spring upon the French, and
within six weeks had captured or besieged all their regular
armies. She had won in 1870 by surprise ; in 19 14 a similar
swift and deadly swoop would again give her victory.

So all-important was time to Germany that, in order to gain

The Promise.

" We shall never sheathe the sword until Belgium recovers all, and more
than all, that she has sacrificed." — Mr. Asquith, November 9, igi4.

{By kind permission 0/ Land and Water.)

This is one of the many striking cartoons of Mr. Louis Raemaekers, a famous Dutch painter,
who espoused the cause of the Allies and fought valiantly for them with all the resources of his
great art. His inspired pencil brought home to all civilized nations the hitieous mf-aning of
German Kultur-

4 The Children's Story of the War.

it, she began the war with a crime. She tore up her treaties,
she broke her plighted word, and pushed her armies into Bel-
gium, which she had sworn to protect from invasion. By so
doing she lost, in an hour, the sympathy of the whole civilized
world, and brought Great Britain, with its vast resources, into
the field against her. She had counted on keeping Great
Britain out of the fray, and was prepared to offer her terms if
she would forbear from war. Britain's turn was to come later,
when France and Russia were subdued, and Germany was
supreme on the Continent of Europe. When Great Britain
declared war, there was bitter wrath in Germany. Great
Britain had " spoiled her game."

There are eminent soldiers who believe that the invasion
of Belgium was not only a crime but a blunder. Let me
explain. The Germans believed that high-explosive shells
from the huge howitzers which they had prepared as one of
the great surprises of the war, could smash into shapeless ruin
any known fortress within a few days. Nevertheless they feared
that if they attempted to batter down the frontier strongholds
of France they would suffer a fatal delay. For this reason
they invaded Belgium, supposing that its inhabitants were a
feeble folk, who would make a show of resistance, but no
more. They hoped that the German armies in a few days
woula be deployed in an easy country of good roads and
railways for a swift descent upon Paris from the north. But
they reckoned without their host. The Belgians fought like
heroes, and though their struggle was hopeless from the first,
they delayed the German armies a full fortnight. You know
how horribly they vented their chagrin on the poor Belgians :
they filled the land with ruin and slaughter, but all their
crimes availed them nothing. They were obliged to leave large
forces in Belgium to hold down the people and to guard the
roads and railways, which needed more and more men as they
pushed southward and their lines of communication lengthened.
Had they advanced directly against the French fortresses and
destroyed them, they would have possessed short and direct
routes to their bases, and would therefore have been able to
employ larger numbers of men in the actual work of fighting.

Eighteen days after the first shots were fired the Germans
were ready to begin a great sweeping movement on France.
Their line extended northward from Alsace to the borders of

Seventeen Months of War. 5

Belgium, and then stretched westward for eighty miles. Pivot-
ing on the southernmost army in Alsace, they meant the whole
line to swing round like a gate in order to envelop the French.
The right wing, which would have the longest journey to go,
was to be hurried forward with all speed, and it was hoped
that it would be before Paris in ten days.

On 22nd August came the first great clash of arms. The
French lay along the Meuse and Sambre, relying on the great
fortress of Namur. On the left of the French, to the east and
west of Mons, was a small British army. Against the French
and British the Germans hurled forces which outnumbered
them by two to one. When the fortress of Namur suddenly
fell, the French, driven back in front and taken in flank, were
forced to make a hasty retreat southward. Next day the little
British army was furiously assailed, and when, late in the after-
noon, it learned that it was unsupported on its right, it too
was obliged to retire. The Germans followed up the retreat-
ing armies with great speed, and for a moment it seemed that
the campaign had been won in three days.

In earlier pages of this work you followed and admired greatly
the skill of the British commanders and the undaunted courage
of their men in the famous retreat from Mons. The German
general, von Kluck, with four army corps, was bent on sur-
rounding the two British corps, and he therefore rushed his
men forward by means of a vast fleet of motor cars, in the
hope of getting past the British flank and round to its rear.
For eight days the British army was in dire peril. Only by
dint of splendid marching, fine discipline, and stubborn rear-
guard resistance* did it escape the trap. By 28th August the
pursuit had slackened, and immediate danger had passed.

Why had the pursuit slackened ? The French 5th and 4th
Armies, retreating from the Meuse and the Sambre, made a great
stand at Gaise on 28th August, and inflicted a severe defeat
on the Prussian Guard. This checked the pursuit in the
centre, and enabled the rest of the retreat to be conducted at a

* In November 191 5 a belated Victoria Cross was awarded to Lance-
CoRPORAL G. H. Wyatt, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, for splendid
heroism during the rearguard action at Landrecies. (See Vol. II., p. 93.)
He twice dashed forward and extinguished a fire which threatened to drive
his comrades from their position, and later in the retreat continued firing
until he was blinded by the blood which poured down his face. Directly
his wounds were staunched he returned to the fighting line.

6 The Children's Story of the War.

slower rate and in a more orderly fashion. Not only were the
Germans blocked in the centre, but on the crest of the hills
lying to the east and north of Nancy their left was held up by
a very stubborn French resistance. Nor could they advance,
further north, against Verdun. The commander of that fortress
had very quickly learned the lesson of Namur. In the course of
a few days he had constructed lines of trenches for miles in
front of the fortress, and had moved out his heavy guns to
form temporary batteries which could be shifted from point
to point as soon as they were " spotted." The consequence
was that during the last two days of August and the first seven
days of September the German line from Nancy to Verdun
could not advance.

So strongly were the Germans opposed in this part of the
line that they believed they were faced by the main strength
of the French armies. They thought, quite wrongly, that the
French had massed the larger part of their forces between
Nancy and Verdun. They therefore retained an undue number
of troops around Verdun, and to the south-east of that position,
feeling sure that von Kluck and von Buelow were quite strong
enough to deal with the Allied forces to the west of the Forest
of the Argonne. As a matter of fact, the bulk of the French
armies were not facing the left of the Germans, but were in
front of their centre and towards their right. It was this
mistake which led to the wrong grouping of the German armies,
and brought about the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne.

Between 2nd September and 5th September the German
line lay across France in the shape of a sickle. The handle of
the sickle was that part of the line which the French were hold-
ing up in front of Nancy and Verdun. The blade of the sickle
curved across the river Marne, and its tip was at Senlis, some
thirty miles north-east of Paris. This sickle-shaped line was
composed of seven groups of armies ; five formed the blade
from Senlis to the Forest of the Argonne, and two formed the
handle.

Now it is important to note that when the French retired
they were marching, unknown to the Germans, towards their
reserves. A new French army, the 6th, had been collected
on the outskirts of Paris ; while another army, which wc will
call the 7th, was formed behind the centre of the Allied line.
When the retreat came to an end, and the welcome order was

The Yser.

•' We are on our way to Calais."

( By Louis Raemaekers. By kind
permission of Land and Water.)

8 The Children's Story of the War.

given to advance, the Allies had six groups of armies facing the
five German groups stretching from the Argonne to Senlis.
The total number of the Germans in the field was greater than
that of the Allies by about eight to five ; but the Germans had
bunched up so many of their men along the handle of the
sickle that the forces which faced each other along the blade
were about equal. The Allies, for the first time, were fighting
on even terms.

When von Kluck reached Senlis most people believed that
he meant to capture Paris ; but to the surprise of all observers,
he prepared to curl round to the east of the city, and strike
at the Allied line between the British army and the French 5th
Army. He had discovered by this time that the French were
prepared to sacrifice Paris rather than withdraw troops from
the field to defend it. Merely to capture the undefended
capital was of no use to von Kluck ; his business was to destroy
the Allied armies. He therefore swerved south-eastward in
the attempt to pierce the Allied line between the British army
and the French 5th Army. In order to do so he had to march
in front of the British army. This was a very dangerous move,
but he thought he might make it safely, because he believed the
British to be so battered and so weary that they could not
show fight. In this belief he was hopelessly wrong.

At midday on 5th September the British army attacked him
on the flank with unexpected vigour, while the French 5th Army
pushed forward eagerly against his front. His troops across
the Marne were in great straits ; but this was not all his danger.
The French 6th Army — ^the surprise army — had been pushed
forward towards Senlis, and here again he was threatened on
the flank by forces which grew stronger every hour. In order
to meet these flank attacks, he was forced to recall his troops
from beyond the Marne, and, what is more, to borrow men
hurriedly from the German armies to his left.

As the borrowed troops moved west to help him, a weak
place appeared in the German centre right opposite the French
7th Army, which was under the command of that very skilful
general, Foch. On 9th September, three days after the Kaiser
saw his forces flung back in front of Nancy, Foch discovered
the weak place in the German centre. He pushed into the gap,
broke through it, and by nightfall the enemy on his right and
left were rapidly retreating. Foch's men followed them up

Seventeen Months of War. 9

with great ardour, going forward " like a wave along the beach."
They captured thousands of prisoners, fifty guns, and an im-
mense amount of war material ; nor did they halt in the pur-
suit until they were utterly worn out with twenty-four hours
of almost ceaseless fighting. Between the 6th, 7th, and 8th
of September the armies of von Kluck and von Buelow, farther
west, were also obliged to retire, and by the loth the whole
German line from the Argonne to the Ourcq was in full retreat.

What a change had suddenly come over the spirit of the
dream ! Only five days had elapsed since the Germans, flushed
with victory, were within gunshot of the outer forts of Paris,
and the siege of that great city was hourly expected. Now they
were hurrying to the rear in order to escape destruction. The
moment had come when the whole face of the conflict was
suddenly changed. It is probable that the historians of the
future will date the beginning of the end from that blazing
September day when Foch overthrew the Prussian Guard in
the marshes of St. Gond, and brought about the German retreat.

Unhappily, the pursuit was not so swift or so regular as it
might have been, and the Germans were able to fall back to
the river Aisne. They crossed the river unmolested, and
established themselves in what has been called the strongest
military position in the west of Europe. Upon the lofty pla-
teaus which descend sharply to the river meadows, and with
a stream 170 feet broad in front of them, they occupied trenches
already prepared, and made a stubborn stand. On the even-
ing of 1 2th September the Allies reached the river, and on the
following morning the British army and the French 6th Army
crossed by means of boats, rafts, and the remaining bridges, in
spite of a deluge of shot and shell. In thirteen hours they
had passed the stream, and the assault of the heights began.
Despite great gallantry and much sacrifice, the Allies made no
real headway, and before long it was clear that the Germans
could not be bolted from their burrows by frontal attacks.

On the evening of i6th September General Joffre began to
change his plan of campaign. He pushed his left northward
in the hope of outflanking the German right. Immediately he
did so the Germans responded by pushing their right north-
ward in a parallel direction. Day by day this movement con-
tinued, each side flinging troops further and further north, and
striving to turn the flank of the other. This was the famous

I o The Children's Story of the War,

Race to the Sea, which the AUies won, but only just won. When
friend and foe had reached the sand dunes of the Flemish coast,
a double line of trenches extended from the North Sea to the
borders of Switzerland, a distance of nearly five hundred miles.
Across the flats of Flanders and the coalfield of North France,
along the ups and downs of the Oise valley and the heights of
the Aisne, across the Forest of the Argonne, round the fortress
of Verdun, through Lorraine, and in every high valley of the
Vosges to within sight of Alpine snows, armed men faced
each other from ditches which they gradually turned into posi-
tions of strength. All the German dreams of a short, sharp
war had now vanished. The Kaiser's armies were pinned and
caged. The Allies had gained what they most needed — time
in which to develop their resources, and to overtake the Central
Powers in men, weapons, and ammunition.

The story of the war from October 13, 19 14, to the end
of February 19 15 is the story of how the Germans strove in
vain to break through the bars of their cage. During this
time they were superior in men and in guns to the Allies, who,
therefore, were obliged to stand on the defensive, and, at a
terrible cost, play for that time which was vital to them. Still,
in the first flush of their strength, the Germans made frenzied
eff"orts to hack their way through the thin lines of st^el and
valour which the Allies opposed to them. In the second week
of October 19 14 the British army, which had been transferred
from the Aisne to Flanders, had to bear the brunt of a series
of the most violent efforts on the part of the enemy. He was
striving to reach the Channel ports, and by so doing to cut the
British army off from its bases of supply, envelop it, and
threaten the shores of England.

The flats of Flanders and the coalfield of North France be-
came the scene of battles longer and fiercer and more deadly
than had ever before been known in the history of warfare.
The great German attempt to break through by way of the coast
was only frustrated by opening the dykes and flooding the
country. Another great attempt to force a way through the
salient held by the British in front of Ypres was foiled by the
almost incredible valour of our men, and so, too, were the
efforts which the Germans made further south. Our small
regular British army — the finest army of its size that had ever
been seen on a battlefield — literally sacrificed itself in beating

/f^'-^

Ahasuerus Returns.

" Once I drove the Christ out of my door ; now I am doomed to walk from the
northern seas to the southern, from the western shores to the eastern mountains, asking
for Peace, and none w^ill give it to mt."^From the legend of** The Wandering Jew."

(By Louis Raemaekers. By kind permission of Land and Waier.)

1 2 The Children's Story of the War.

back the foe. Again and again it held off overwhelming num-
bers. The Germans might bend it ; they could not break it.

By the beginning of March 191 5 the British strength had
increased, and the Allies now felt themselves able to attack
where formerly they had been on the defensive. Between the
9th of March and the close of September they undertook a
series of great offensives, which were described at length in
Vol. IV. of this work ; but though they gained some ground,
shook the enemy's positions, and captured many prisoners and
much war material, they could not pierce his lines on a broad
front. At the close of the year 19 15 the great entrenched
position which had been established from the North Sea to
Switzerland in October 19 14 still remained intact. The in-
roads made on the German lines were too small to be shown
on an ordinary map. Nevertheless the Allies had won what
they had fought for — time to put their military houses in order.
Thenceforward they knew themselves to be more than a match
for the enemy, but they knew, too, that while he could not
break out, they could not break in without long and careful
preparation and much sacrifice of life. The German lines had
become a long series of strongholds.

*4t. 4£, 4t. O^ 4t. 4^,

^P TT ^P TP ^P TP

Now turn we to the East, to follow briefly the ebb and
flow of combat in Poland and Galicia. When the Kaiser flung
down the gauntlet to Russia, she, in common with her Western
Allies, was ill prepared for war. The Germans confidently
counted on a long delay before the Tsar's armies could take
the field. They hoped to bring France to her knees before there
was any need to begin the Russian campaign in real earnest.
Russia, however, mobilized with unexpected speed, and was
able to array several of her armies a full fortnight before the
Germans believed that she could do so. In order to draw ofi^
troops from the West, and thus relieve the French and British,
who were then sorely pressed, the Russians pushed into the sacred
land of East Prussia, but on the last day of August suffered a
terrible defeat. In Galicia, however, they made havoc of the
Austrians, and captured the eastern half of the province.

Before long they were rapidly drawing near to Cracow, the
only fortress which stood between them and Silesia, the "Lanca-
shire " of Germany. The Germans perceived their danger, and
launched great forces against the railway centre of Warsaw, on

Seventeen Months of War. 1 3

the Vistula. The Grand Duke Nicholas, who commanded the
Russian armies, saw clearly that, if this city should be lost, he
could not hold his gains in Galicia or fight on the German
frontier. He therefore drew back his armies from Galicia to
meet the German thrust along the line of the Vistula. The
invader was defeated almost at the gates of Warsaw, and was
chased back to his own border. Then the Russians pushed
into Galicia once more, and recovered all, and more than all,
that they had abandoned.

Meanwhile the Germans made another thrust at Warsaw ;
but a second time they suffered defeat, and were well-nigh
trapped and destroyed. A third attempt, however, fared better.
The Russians were driven back, but behind a river line of great
strength they stood fast, and at the close of the year 19 14 were
still holding their own.

In April 19 15 the Russians lay along the Donajetz River,
only fifty miles from Cracow. They had won a long line of
the Carpathian crests, and in some places were ready to advance
upon the plain of Hungary, the great granary of the Central
Powers. But though the Russians appeared to be in a strong
position, there was grave weakness in their ranks. From the
first they had suffered from a great shortage of rifles, guns,
and ammunition, and now the shortage became a famine.
Russia, as you know, is mainly an agricultural country. She
has few great industrial cities, and for much of her metal work
has to depend upon foreign countries. Her Government muni-
tion factories were too small to supply her needs, and she had
few private foundries and workshops with machiner}^ that could
turn out shells, guns, and rifles at a pinch. The great misfortune
which she was soon to suffer was entirely due to this fact.

The Germans knew the weakness of the Russians, and
proceeded to take advantage of it. They massed on the
Donajetz 1,500 or more great guns and an enormous supply of
shells. Then, with the biggest army which they had as yet
mustered, they began to blast their way through the Russian
fines. Under a terrible avalanche of shot and shell, the Russian
armies were obliged to fall back and yield up all their gains in
Galicia. Not until their armies were properly supplied could
they stand against the foe. The Grand Duke therefore ordered
a retreat all along the line. He was prepared to fall back into
the middle of Russia, if need be, in order that he might gain

14 The Children's Story of the War.

time for the full equipment of his armies. He meant to draw
the Germans after him into a land of swamp and forest, without
good roads or railways. Then, when he was properly supplied
with weapons and ammunition, he would turn on the foe, who,
far from his bases, would fight at a disadvantage.

So the retreat began. Slowly the Russians fell back, yield-
ing up the whole of Poland. Warsaw was abandoned, but not
until it was a mere empty shell. The Germans had hoped to
trap the Russians within the Warsaw salient, but in this they
failed. The Russians fell back to a line which ran in front
of the fortresses of Kovno, Grodno, and Brest Litovski ; but
one by one these fortresses fell, and as they did so the Russians
moved ever and ever eastward. At the end of August 191 5
they lay on a line from the Gulf of Riga to the Dniester, 200
miles to the east of Warsaw. The worst was now over ; the
tide was on the turn. The Russians had managed to supply
themselves with sufficient weapons and ammunition, and were
in a position to meet the foe on equal terms. They were still
unbroken and undefeated when the Tsar placed himself at the
head of his armies, and thereby announced to the world that
Russia would fight to the bitter end.

The retirement was not yet over. The Germans struck
at the great railway line from Vilna to Petrograd, and also at
Vilna, and the Russians fell back thirty miles behind the city.
There the retreat came to an end. By the end of Sep-
tember the Germans were held in check from the Gulf of
Riga to the Dniester, and in the south had begun to make
headway. During October von Hindenburg strove to cap-
ture Dvinsk and Riga, in order to provide winter quarters
for his troops ; but all his efforts were in vain, and when the
snows began to fall, and icy winds to sweep across the steppes,
the Germans were forced to dig in amidst swamps and meres,
in the face of an enemy renewed and refreshed, and ready to
make vigorous onsets as soon as the sun of the new year should
dry up the thaws of spring.

Russia had passed through an agony of untold suffering,
but she had never lost heart. Her armies again and again had
been in the direst peril, but they had escaped, and were wait-
ing for Russia's hour to strike. The Germans were no nearer
victory than they had been when von Mackensen's guns began
to thunder on the Donajetz

The Old Serb.

' ' Fighting ■with the Bulgarians against the Turks, I lost my brother ; my sons fell
fighting with the Greeks against the Bulgarians. But only when the Germans came
were my wife and my grandchildren killed."

(B_y Louis Raemaekers. By kind permission of Land and Water.)

1 6 The Children's Story of the War.

• ••**##

The year closed with the tragedy of Serbia. Three times
in the year 19 14 the Austrians had invaded that heroic Httle
country, but each time they had been flung back to their own
borders in rout. But the long and heavy fighting had ex-
hausted the Serbians, and early in 19 15 pestilence raged
amongst them. By the autumn they had only some 200,000
fighting men left. In this hour of Serbia's great weakness the
Germans prepared to clear a right of way through the country
to Constantinople, so that they might tap the resources of men
and material in Turkey and Asia Minor. They bought over
Bulgaria, and in the second week of October Austrians, Germans,
and Bulgarians attacked Serbia in front and in flank at nine
separate points. The wasted Serbian army could not stand
before this terrific onslaught, and it was forced to retreat into
the high hills of Montenegro and the sterile wildernesses of
Albania. The Allies, who had occupied Salonika, strove to
advance to the relief of the Serbians, but failed to do so, and
the close of the year saw Serbia in the hands of the enemy,
and king, court, and army seeking refuge in an alien land.

^F ^F ^P W ^ff ^ff ^F

So ended the year 19 15 — a black year in the calendar of the
Allies. In the West the Germans had been held in a grip
of iron ; in the East they had carried all before them. They
had swept the Russian armies far back into their own land ;
they had made another Belgium of Serbia. Eastward the sky
was black with clouds, but the eye of faith could still perceive
silver linings. Neither the Russian nor the Serbian armies
had been destroyed ; the Germans had won territory but not
victory. The short, sharp war which they had intended had
developed into a long struggle, the end of which was not yet
in sight, and meanwhile the advantages with which they had
begun the war were passing to their foes. So in deep gloom
and anxiety, yet with good hope of final success, the year 19 15
drew to a close, and —

" The new sun rose, bringing the new year."

CHAPTER II.

DARK DAYS IN THE NEAR EAST.

WHILE the snow and sleet of January pinned friend and
foe to their trenches in France, Flanders, and Russia, all
eyes were turned to the Near East, where the curtain was
rapidly descending upon the tragedy of Serbia. On the first
day of the New Year a broken old man, crippled with rheu-
matism and all but blind, was helped ashore at Salonika. It
was King Peter of Serbia. He had struggled with the rem-
nants of his army over snowy ridges and across flooded torrents,
and had shared with his famished soldiers the untold hard-
ships of the retreat, until the border of Albania — their haven
of refuge — was reached. Then, attended only by three officers
and four soldiers, he had journeyed by mule and horse to the
port of Scutari,* where he had rested a fortnight. When fit
to travel once more, he had slowly and painfully made his
way along the coast to Avlona,f where he had found an Italian
ship, which gave him passage to Brindisi. Six days later he
had sailed from Brindisi for Salonika — a king without a country.
Peter was never so much a king as during those terrible
days of trial. His faith never wavered ; he refused to despair,
even in the darkest hour.

" I believe in the liberty of Serbia," he said, " as I believe in God. It
was the dream of my youth. It was for that I fought throughout man-
hood. It has become the faith of the twihght of my life. I live only to
see Serbia free. I pray that God may let me live until the day of redemp-

* Town, Albania, on lake of the same name, i6 miles from the Adriatic
Sea.

t Port of Albania, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, about 60 miles
north-east of Otranto, in Italy. Avlona was first occupied by the Italians
in September 1915.

Dark Days in the Near East. 19

tion of my people. On that day I am ready to die if the Lord wills. I
have struggled a great deal in my life, and am tired, bruised, and broken
from it ; but I will see — I shall see — this triumph. I shcdl not die before
the victory of my country."

Meanwhile British, French, and ItaHans had occupied the
port of Durazzo,* and, in the face of great difficuhies, had
prepared for the coming of the Serbians. Italian troops
bridged rivers and marshes, made roads and jetties, and before
the end of the year had conveyed nearly 130,000 Serbian soldiers
to the Greek island of Corfu ,f which the French had previ-
ously occupied. In this lovely island the exhausted soldiers
were rested, and were nursed back to health and fighting
strength. Thousands of the miserable refugees who accom-
panied the army were taken across the Adriatic to South Italy.
Even in their wretchedness they saw with delight that the
Allies were in possession of the Kaiser's summer villa on the
island of Corfu.

*^g, M. 4fc ju Jb Jb

W TP ^e ^ TP ^

Before I pass on, let me impress upon you the greatness
of the little Serbian nation in struggling so long and heroically
against overwhelming odds. We shall probably never learn
the full story of Serbia's agony, but we know that even the
enemy could not forbear to pay a tribute to the wonderful
endurance of both army and people. It was a nation in arms
that made the last despairing efforts to beat back the foe. Young
boys and girls frequently fought side by side with graybeards,
and all showed the most wonderful courage. A writer tells us
that he met a boy of fifteen years of age who, \4th five com-
rades and a supply of hand-grenades, had held a German com-
pany at bay for two hours. He had three shrapnel wounds,
but was smiling and eager to fight again. His chief promoted
him corporal on the spot.

Dr. Seton Watson, a well-known writer and traveller,
describes an incident which well illustrates the spirit of the
Serbian people. A regiment was forced to retire before superior
forces of the enemy. All the men serving the machine guns

* Doo-rat'so, port of Albania, 58 miles north of Avlona.

t Greek island of Ionian Sea, 270 square miles in area ; famous for its
oranges, wine, oil, and grapes. From 1815 to 1863 it was under British
protection. The German Emperor's villa is in the neighbourhood of the
port of Corfu, on the east coast of the island.

20 The Children's Story of the War.

had been killed but one, and he, instead of withdrawing with
his comrades, went on working his gun with such furious energy
that the advancing enemy was held up. The situation was
thus saved by this one man. His exploit was reported to the
general, who sent for him next day and said fiercely : " You're
a terrible fellow. What's this I hear of you ? They tell me
it was a regular massacre. How many men did you kill } "
The gunner, covered with confusion, stammered out that he
believed he had killed more than a hundred. " Well," said
the general, frowning, " there's nothing for it but to make
you a corporal." *' O general ! " exclaimed the man. " And

now. Corporal , I make you a sergeant." '* O general ! "

gasped the man, speechless with astonishment. " And now,
Sergeant ," the general went on, " I make you a lieuten-
ant." The new officer burst into tears. " And now," cried
the general, " embrace me ! "

No words of mine can describe the heart-breaking scenes
which were witnessed during the long retreat. It was a moving
picture of woe. Men, women, and children fell by the way-
side and died of hunger, cold, and fatigue ; while their comrades
trudged on, casting one long, lingering look behind at the
land which they had lost, but still loved as the dearest on earth.
But the homeless, ruined survivors, in the spirit of their king,
never thought for a moment of bowing their necks to the in-
vader's yoke. A Serbian officer during the retreat talked with
an old peasant, who said : "I have lost my three sons. I lost
one in the war with Turkey, another in the war with Bulgaria,
and now I have lost a third in this war. My sorrow is that it
will be such a long time before their sons grow up to the rifle."

TP ^F tF ^p tp tt

When the retreat began the Serbian mothers, knowing that
the hope of the nation lay in its children, sent their boys to
follow the army to the sea. There is nothing finer in history
than the splendid self-sacrifice of these Serbian mothers. It
tore their hearts to part v^dth their sons ; but dearly as they
loved them, they loved Serbia better. What mattered their
sufferings if the manhood of Serbia might be preserved ?
What mattered their sacrifices if in days to come Serbia might
live ?

It is said that some 18,000 of these poor lads began the
journey, but that only half of them ever reached the sea. For

Dark Days in the Near East. 21

months afterwards the wild hills of Serbia and Albania were
strewn with the bones of the children who had perished. The
nine thousand surv ivors were taken by the Allies to Corsica and
to the south of France, and some of them were brought to
England. In the early days of June 1916 the present writer
saw in Oxford 150 of the boys who had won through.* They
were fine, sturdy, intelligent lads, and those in charge of them
spoke warmly of their good behaviour, their gratitude, and their
great desire to learn. Their natural courtesy of bearing and
address was very striking. They were eager to acquire those
British virtues which they had been taught to admire.

Here is the story which was taken down from the lips of
one of these Serbian boys. He was a very bright, clever lad,
with a pleasing smile and excellent manners. As he told his
story his eyes flashed and his gestures were quite dramatic.
When a reference was made to his mother he utterly broke down.

" My name is Djordje Osmanbegovitch. My mother is a
widow, and our home is in a village two hours to the south of
Nish. When the war began I was attending a commercial
school. I hoped to be a clerk in a bank or a business house
when the war was over. I was too young to be a soldier, or I
should have joined the army. There were many boys not much
older than I in the ranks.

" When the retreat began my mother called me and said,
' Djordje, you must follow the army. If you stay here, the
Austrians or the Bulgars will take you and make you forget
that you are a Serb. If you and the other boys stay behind,
there will be no men to fight for Serbia when our soldiers fall.
You must follow the army to the sea. There the British or the
Italians or the French will care for you. They will feed you
and clothe you and teach you until you are old enough to be
a soldier. Then you must join the army and give your life,
if need be, to make Serbia free once more.'

" My heart was very sore when I said good-bye to my
mother. I could not bear to part from her. I did not go on
the march willingly. I saw my mother for the last time when
I reached the turn of the road. She was waving to me, and
was trying to be very brave. . . .

* In June 1916 the readers and friends of The Children's Story of the
War undertook to lodge, board, and educate ten of these boys for a year.

2 2 The Children's Story of the War.

" Then the long, long tramp began. For two months I
struggled on over the mountains. It was easy to follow the
army. Everywhere along the roads there were signs that the
soldiers had passed that way. There were knapsacks and
equipment that had been tossed aside ; there were dead horses
and mules and overturned carts, and now and then the guns
that our men had been obliged to leave behind. Saddest of
all, there were the bodies of many of the older soldiers, who
could not keep up with the younger men. They had fallen
behind, and had died of weariness, hunger, and cold. There
were thousands of others on the road beside me — ^boys and
girls, women and little children. Some of them did not go
far. They lay down by the roadside, and they never got up
again.

** I used to trudge on from dawn to dark. When night
came I looked about for a sheltered place, and then lay down
to sleep. It was very cold, and there was snow on the hills.
Sometimes when I went to sleep I thought I should never
wake again, but be killed by the cold. Many of the soldiers
were frost-bitten. I saw some of them trying to warm their
hands at a little fire. They burnt their fingers at the flame,
but they could not feel the heat.

" As soon as the light was in the sky I walked on again,
and every day there were fewer and fewer of us. Oh, how
tired I was ! Some days I was so tired that I could not walk
at all. Then I lay and rested all day, and next morning I
went on again, trying to catch up with the army.

" Soon I had eaten all my food, and I had to beg scraps
from the soldiers. They gave me what they could, but they
had very little for themselves. Once I went three whole days
without a bite. I should have died, but I found some crusts
in the knapsack of a dead soldier, and so I was able to go on
again.

" Oh yes, many of the boys must have died on the moun-
tains. I did not see their bodies. When they were worn out
they just fell down by the roadside, and I never saw them
again. I kept going on and on, and I said to myself that I
would not give in.

" You do not know the road from Serbia to Albania ?
There are many high, bare mountains to be crossed, and there
are no real roads, only tracks up and down the steep hills. In

Dark Days in the Near East. 23

some places we had to walk along ledges no wider than that,
sir " (here he extended his arms), " with a cliff going down
and down to a river far below. Many poor fellows were so
weak and giddy that they fell over. So did horses and mules.

" Did I see our King .? Yes, sir, several times. Once I
saw him in a motor car. Then, when the roads were too bad,
I saw him on horseback, and once I saw him walking. He
looked very, very old, and full of pain. It was sad to see our
King so, was it not ?

" I thought our troubles would be over when I reached
Albania ; but there were robbers about, and they killed many of
our poor people, and stole all that they had. But it was in
Albania that I found a friend. I found my cousin, who is a
captain in the army, and he gave me food and clothes and
boots, which he got from the soldiers. He took care of me
till we reached Durazzo. At Durazzo the Italians gave us
plenty of food. They gathered the boys together — oh, what
a miserable crew we were ! — and sent us on board a ship, which
took us to Corfu. From Corfu we sailed to Marseilles ; and
now some of us have come to this beautiful city (Oxford),
where the trees and the meadows are so green, and there are
so many palaces and beautiful streets, and where everybody
is so kind to us.

" No, sir, my mother does not know that I am safe. I
have written to her many times, but no letter has come from
her yet. . . . What shall I do when I am nineteen .'' I shall
be a soldier. Why do I want to be a soldier .? Because I am
a Serb ! I must fight for Serbia, and help to win ^ back my
native land."

^p TP ^p ^p ^p ^F

The little kingdom of the Black Mountain was now to feel
the weight of the enemy's hand. Let us suppose that we are
about to pay a visit to Montenegro in the month of July 19 14.
We take steamer from Venice to the Austrian port of Cattaro,*
which stands on a lovely fiord of the Dalmatian coast. At
Cattaro we board a motor diligence, which climbs a zigzag
road up a mountain side until the Montenegrin frontier is
reached, 2,000 feet above sea-level. Three thousand six hun-
dred feet above us looms the dark summit of Mount Lovtchen,

* Kat'td-ro, seaport of Dalmatia, Austria, at the south-east extremity
of the gulf of the same name.

CQ?YR\Q>\\\X^OGRK?\\\/^U^ 55 FLEET STREn.LONm.E.C .„ ^ ^ ^^ „ ^

Map of Europe to illustrate the Bat

nts at the Beginning of the Year 1916.

26 The Children's Story of the War.

the highest peak in Montenegro proper. Its black, forbidding
aspect gives Montenegro its name of the " Black Mountain."
Mount Lovtchen is sacred ground to every Montenegrin.
From the mountain side issues the clear spring at which Ivan
th^ Black, the great hero of Montenegrin legend, and the
founder of Cettinje * more than four centuries ago, watered his
horses. The peasants still believe that he sleeps in a cavern
hard by, and that he will wake and once again lead his people
when the Turk is driven from Europe. On the summit of
the mountain is the grave of another prince — Peter the
Second, poet, statesman, and reformer. He chose to be buried
on this lofty eyrie so that his spirit might still watch over his
beloved land.

We climb to the crest of the ridge, and note the forts which
command the mountain road. Then we look down upon a
plain ringed about by mountains, and see at the far end of
it the little, red-roofed town of Cettinje. In less than three
hours after leaving Cattaro we are in the main street of King
Nicholas's capital. Forty years ago it was a straw- thatched
village ; prior to the war it was a bright, clean little town, with
a parliament house and the palace of the King.

During our stay in the capital let us learn something of
the country and its people. Montenegro is about the size of
Wales, and is the smallest kingdom in Europe. A traveller
thus describes it : " Imagine," says he, " a circle of hills rising
four hundred feet all round ; the rocks bare and gray, except
for a few stunted beech or oak trees. Let these hills enclose
a floor of earth on which a few crops are visible. Scatter over
the flat ground and on the slopes of the hills, at intervals
of a quarter of a mile, a few one-storied, one-doored, one-
windowed huts — ^the walls of stone, the roofs of straw. The
result is a Montenegrin village."

Highlands, as you know, are the chosen home of freedom,
and Montenegro is no exception to the general rule. Mon-
tenegro was never under Turkish rule, though the Turks tried
hard to overrun it. From 1788 to 1896 the Montenegrins
fought with their fellow- Slavs in all the Russo-Turkish wars,
and in 1878 they won their reward. They were granted inde-
pendence, and were given thirty miles of the Adriatic coast. In

* Chet-teen'ya, capital of Montenegro, 17 miles east-north-east of Cattaro,
and about 25 miles north of the seaport of Antivari.

Dark Days in the Near East. 27

19 10 the Great Powers permitted the prince to take the title
of king.

I need not remind you that, from the moment when the
Austrian guns first opened fire on Belgrade, the Montenegrins
fought valiantly side by side with their Serbian kinsmen, shar-
ing alike their glories and their sufferings. When the terrific
onslaught of Austrians, Germans, and Bulgarians in October
19 1 5 forced the Serbian armies to retreat towards Albania, the
Austrian armies in Bosnia and Herzegovina pushed into Monte-
negro. Though the Montenegrins fought desperately amidst
their mountains, they were far too few to resist the foe, and in
the first week of January 19 16 Mount Lovtchen^ — ^the key-
fortress of Cettinje — -was besieged. The guns of the forts were
old, and the small garrison of a few thousand men was sadly
short of food and munitions.

While Austrian warships bombarded Mount Lovtchen from
the sea, infantry assaults were launched against it under cover
of gas attacks. On loth January — ^the day after the last British
soldier left the Gallipoli peninsula — the fortress fell, and Cet-
tinje lay open to the invader. Three days later the Austrians
announced, with a great flourish of trumpets, that King Nicholas
had surrendered his country. The Allies received the news
with sorrow, but with no resentment. Most people thought
that Nicholas, seeing the impossibility of continuing the
struggle, had made the best of a bad business, and had come
to terms with his conqueror. Then came the surprising news
that Nicholas had not surrendered at all. He and the queen
and the royal family had escaped to Italy. Montenegro had
not sullied its ancient fame by yielding ; it had gone down
with the flag flying. Nevertheless, the little rugged land was
in the hands of the Austrians, and Nicholas was a fugitive.

"tF '9? ^F 'Tp '9? tF ^P

In the final chapter of our fourth volume I told you how
the Allies came to occupy the Greek port of Salonika, and
how French and British troops strove to advance northwards
in order to relieve the retreating Serbians. They came within
twelve miles of the heroic rearguard which was holding the
Babuna Pass, but before they could make a further advance
the Serbs were forced to retire towards Albania. The Allies
could no longer hope to join up with the Serbs, and as their
advanced position was dangerous, they decided to retire to

28 The Children's Story of the War,

Salonika. Foreseeing this movement, the Bulgars now began
to attack first the French and then the British positions. The
French were forced to fall back before furious assaults, and
the British, who lay amongst the hills west and south of Lake
Doiran, were obliged to retire in order to maintain the line.

This retirement was similar to the famous retreat from
Mons, but of course on a much smaller scale. Desperate rear-
guard actions were fought in order to hold back the enemy.
Thanks largely to a heroic stand by the loth British Division,
the troops were withdrawn without undue loss to Salonika.

The loth Division — which was composed of Connaught
Rangers, Munster Fusiliers, Dublin Fusiliers, Inniskillings, and
two English regiments — ^had been brought from Suvla Bay. It
had already had its fill of hardships. It had scorched under
the blazing summer sun of Gallipoli ; it had shivered in the
icy winds of winter, and had been half drowned in the torrents
of rain that flooded the trenches. For a brief space the men
of the loth Division had taken their ease in Salonika, had
chummed with Greek soldiers in the cafes, and had walked
arm in arm with them through the streets. One day they saw in
their camp the greatest man in all Greece. He was recognized
by his beard and eye-glasses, and though few of the division
could pronounce his name, most of them could spell it — ^Vene-
zelos.* Then came the order to entrain for Doiran, where the
bare rocks and gaunt hills reminded them of Suvla. A three
days* march through chill rain followed ; the men bivouacked
in the open, sleeping under dripping clouds, with an oilskin
beneath them and a blanket and greatcoat above them. When
the march ended the old familiar trench life began again.

The rain ceased, the snow began to fall, and bitter blizzards
blew. Scores of men every day became helpless from frost-
bite, and had to be sent back along the narrow-gauge railway
to Salonika. The 20,000 men which General Sir Bryan Mahon
had led up country were sadly reduced in numbers by the
time the great Bulgar rush came.

It was on Friday, December 3, 19 15, that six deserters

* Elentherios Venezelos, bom in Crete in 1864. He became President of
the Cretan National Assembly in 1897, and brought about the union of
Crete with Greece. In 1905 he became Prime Minister of Greece. It
was he who invited the Allies to land troops at Salonika, so that Greece
might fulfil her treaty duties with regard to Serbia. When King Con-
stantine refused to carry out his policy he resigned (October 6, 1915).

'^^^^aCu

King Nicholas of Montenegro, with Mount Lovtchen in the Background.

{By permission of The Sphere.)
Nicholas I. was born in 1841, and in i860 succeeded his uncle, Prince Danilo I. He re-
formed the army and the government, gave his land better education, and in December 190S
opened the first railway in Montenegro — from Antivari to Vir Pazar. Before the war the
population of Montenegro was about 516,000 ; all were engaged in grazing cattle and in tillage.
Every Montenegrin from eighteen to s^xty-two years of age was obliged to serve in the army,
and the war strength was between 30,000 and 40,000 men.

30 The Children's Story of the War.

came into the British lines with the news that a big Bulgar
assauh was preparing. Dawn had scarcely broken the next
morning when the enemy made his expected attack under the
cover of a thick mist. About 5 a.m. the Bulgars drove in the
outposts of the Inniskillings, who were on the extreme right,
and then swooped down on the trenches, but were driven back
by the rifles and machine guns of the Irishmen. Meanwhile
the main body of the Bulgarians dashed down a defile leading
to the centre of our front. As they emerged as from a bottle
neck, our shrapnel battered and smashed them, and the bullets
of rifles and machine guns swept blood-red lanes through them.
Wave after wave, however, came on, and soon there was terrible
hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches. Our men were driven
out ; but the Munsters, Connaughts, and Dublins quickly
rallied, and at the bayonet's point won back the lost position.
Again and again the enemy came on in massed formation, and
still the brave Irish regiments continued to pour lead into
them as fast as they could load their rifles.

When the slow dawn drove off the mists, the enemy returned
to the charge, undeterred by his heavy losses, and undismayed
by our deadly gun and rifle fire. Sometimes, when the thin
British line wavered, it was rallied by shouts of — " Stick it,
jolly boys ; give it 'em, Connaughts."

The loth Division, however, was outnumbered by at least
eight to one, and as the day advanced was forced to fall back
to its second line of trenches, where another desperate resist-
ance was made. On the night of the 17th the Bulgars made
their final attempt to overwhelm the division. They nearly
broke through ; but British bulldog courage saved the day.

Slowly, at the rate of about two miles a day, the Allies fell
back towards the Vardar valley, the artillery holding the enemy
in sufficient check to give them all the respite which they
needed. The danger had now passed. Terrible losses had
been inflicted on the enemy at the cost of 1,300 British
casualties. We also lost eight guns, which the rugged nature
of the country prevented us from moving in time.

On 1 2th December the Allies crossed the Greek frontier
with their transport and stores. They left behind them wrecked
roads and railways and a wasted land. The whole retreat was a
feather in the cap of General Sarrail ; but the chief honours
must go to the loth Division.

Dark Days in the Near East.

While the Bulgarian troops waited on the frontier, across
which they dared not pass without adding Greece to the number
of their foes, French and British engineers were working night
and day to put Salonika and its neighbourhood into a state
of defence. The Greeks had finally agreed to our occupation,
and had withdrawn their troops from the zone in which the
Allies proposed to make a stand. Perhaps you wonder why we
had determined to establish a base at Salonika. First of all,
we knew that Austria greatly coveted the port, and would be
likely to capture it if we withdrew. Had Austria done so, she
would have won an excellent submarine base for operations in
the i^gean Sea. Further, as long as we held Salonika we

J 1 Mil=

Map showing- the Allied Line of Defence before Salonika.

possessed a gateway into the Balkans, and were in a position
to advance either northwards into Serbia and Bulgaria, or east-
wards to Constantinople, whenever opportunity might oifer. You
already know that the Russians were conducting what looked
like a successful campaign on the Turkish and Persian frontiers
between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Should they be
able to invade Asia Minor and march westwards to the Bos-
phorus, the Allies in Salonika might co-operate with them, in
which case Constantinople would be threatened both from the
east and from the west.

Here is a sketch map which shows you how the Allies
fortified their new base. You may be sure that the lesson of

3 2 The Children's Story of the War.

Verdun was taken to heart, and that instead of trying to defend
the place with fixed forts, which could be smashed to frag-
ments by the great Austrian siege guns in the course of a few
days, lines of continuous trenches were pushed out far from
the city. Salonika lies at the head of a long gulf, and if the
city alone were defended, the enemy would be able to get on
its flanks and attack it on three sides. To prevent this, a
defensive line had to be made in the form of a rough semi-
circle from sea to sea. Fortunately the western flank of Salonika
was already defended by nature ; the broad, ford less river
Vardar and the wide swamps on either bank formed an almost
impassable barrier to any attack from the west. Directly to
the north of the city extends a treeless plain rising to a range
of hills which gradually sink towards the east into a trough
containing two large lakes. From the eastern end of the
second of these lakes a wooded valley runs to the Gulf of Orfano.
The lines of defence of Salonika were carried from the Vardar
along the hills, and so on, by way of the trough containing the
lakes, and down the wooded valley to the sea — a distance of
over sixty miles. The lines were constructed with surprising
speed, and when completed were said to be impregnable.

One hundred and nine years ago the British general Wel-
lington, when setting out to fight the French in Portugal and
Spain, constructed on the broad tongue of land between the
estuary of the Tagus and the sea a system of defensive works
to which he could retire if the worst should befall. These
were the famous lines of Torres Vedras, behind which, with
his back to the sea, and succoured by the Fleet, he was able
to maintain his.army during the winter of 1810-11. Massena,
Napoleon's famous general, reconnoitred Wellington's lines
from end to end, but could discover no chink in the wall of
defence, and wisely refused to attack them. Wellington was thus
enabled to nurse his men through the days of frost and cold,
and launch them with victorious eflFect upon the enemy when
the summer returned. The lines which had been constructed
round Salonika were a new Torres Vedras. The winter snows
departed ; spring blossoms appeared ; the summer sun rose high
in the heavens ; but the enemy dared not attack. His legions
halted at the frontier, ** willing to wound, but afraid to strike."

CHAPTER III.

AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE.

FROM the snowy ridges of the Balkans we must now
travel eastwards, to the wastes and swamps of Meso-
potamia, and see what progress our troops were making in
that ancient land. In chapter xxxi. of our third volume
we followed the fortunes of the small British force which
pushed up the river Tigris in November 19 14, captured Basra,
the city of Sindbad the Sailor, and advanced to Kurna, the
supposed site of the Garden of Eden. You will remember that
Anglo-Indian troops were sent to the Persian Gulf to protect
the Anglo-Persian oil-fields, and to occupy the holy city of
Baghdad,* probably better known to you as the city of the
Arabian Nights. It was thought necessary that we should
maintain our hold on our Persian oil supplies, though the Navy
was not dependent on them, and it was supposed that our
capture of Baghdad would so greatly impress the wild and
lawless tribesmen that they would refuse to join the enemy
against us.

The campaign in Mesopotamia was remarkable because it
was fought by water and by land. The main highway into the
interior was a broad, navigable river. Troops and stores had
to be conveyed for hundreds of miles up country by means
of ships, and for this purpose a most wonderfully assorted
flotilla was gathered together. Not only were there gunboats
which were able to attack the enemy's positions, but there were

* Ancient city of Mesopotamia, on both banks of the Tigris, 220 miles,
above the outfall of the Shat-el-Arab. It contains several holy Moham-
medan tombs, and is a place of pilgrimage. It was built out of the ruins
6f Ctesiphon (see page 44) in 763. Formerly a place of great importance,
its transit trade was still considerable before the war.
V. 3

Amphibious Warfare. 35

" paddle steamers which once plied with passengers, and now waddle
along with a barge on either side, one perhaps containing a portable wire-
less station, and the other bullocks for heavy guns ashore. There are
once respectable tugs which stagger along under a weight of boiler plating,
and are armed with guns of varying character ; there is a launch with
batteries of 4.7's, looking Uke a sardine between two cigarette boxes ;
there is a steamer with a tree growing amidships, in the branches of which
officers fondly imagine they are invisible to friend and foe. . . . And this
fleet is the cavalry screen, advance guard, rear guard, flank guard, railway,
general headquarters, heavy artillery, Hne of communications, field ambu-
lance, and base of supply for the Mesopotamian Expedition. . . . When
reading the dispatches we must always bear in mind this fleet, and picture
following in its wake flocks of store-bearing river craft with acres of white
sails bell5dng in fair curves, and peaking up sharp angles against the sky."

It is hard for us in the West to realize the great difficulties
and hardships of this Mesopotamian campaign. The climate
of Mesopotamia is one of the worst in the world : the bitter
cold of winter, the raw dampness of spring, the terrific heat
of summer, and the swarms of mosquitoes severely try the
constitution of the hardiest of men, and no wonder that
many of our soldiers, Indian as well as British, fell victims
to it. The river road was always liable to be blocked for
a longer or shorter time by unexpected mudbanks, and thus
food and stores were often delayed. Land marches were often
held up, and plans were thwarted by the sudden appearance
of unmapped swamps, and all the time the wild, lawless Arabs
were waiting for an opportunity to plunder our convoys, attack
our hospitals, cut our telegraph wires, or convey information
to the enemy. If we are to appreciate what our men accom-
plished in Mesopotamia, we must never forget the manifold
difficulties which beset them on every hand.

Now let me take up the thread of the narrative where I
dropped it in chapter xxxi. of our third volume. At the
beginning of the year 19 15 our troops were securely entrenched
on both sides of the Tigris at Kurna and Mezera,* and we
commanded the highway of the river to the Persian Gulf.
From the first our army^was far too small to cope with the
Turkish troops opposed to it. Reinforcements arrived from
India early in the year, but still the British force was gravely
outnumbered. The whole expedition was placed under the
command of Sir John Nixon.

Nothing of first-rate importance happened until April. We

* See Map, Vol. III., page 277.

36 The Children's Story of the War.

fought several small engagements to prevent the enemy from
clustering in strength ; but we could not advance, because the
country on both sides of the river from Basra northwards to
forty miles beyond Kurna was flooded, and formed an inland
sea two to six feet deep. On 12th April, however, the Turks,
who numbered 18,000, and had with them some twenty guns,
attacked our positions near Basra from the north, south, and
west. In the course of a three days' battle our men com-
pletely routed the enemy, and a final bayonet charge by the
2nd Norfolks and 120th Infantry put them to flight.

During the battle Major Wheeler, as you will learn on a later
page, won the Victoria Cross by a deed of great gallantry, but,
unhappily, lost his life. ** It was a sheer, dogged soldier's fight,"
wrote General Mellis, who was in command ; "no words of
mine can adequately express my admiration of those gallant
regiments which won through." Our casualties amounted to
about 700 officers and men, and the Turkish loss was not less
than 7,000. We captured several machine guns, and large
quantities of stores and equipment, including motor cars and
ammunition wagons. During their retreat across the desert
the Arabs hung on the Turkish rear, killing the stragglers and
looting everything they could lay hands on. After assembling
his officers and denouncing the faithlessness of the Arabs, the
Turkish commander, in despair, shot himself.

By the middle of May all preparations had been made for
an advance up the Tigris. A large number of " bellums " —
that is, long, narrow boats of the country — had been collected
and armoured with iron plates. In these the infantry were to
be conveyed. For several weeks our men were trained in
punting and boat work. Guns had also been mounted on
rafts, barges, tugs, and paddle-steamers, and floating hospitals
had been rigged up. The country was still flooded, and a suc-
cessful advance could only be made by the careful working
together of Army and Navy. The weather was terribly hot,
and the sweltering days were followed by still, sultry nights.

The Turks at this time lay entrenched north of Kurna, on
islands in the wide-spreading floods. In the early morning of
31st May, while mine-sweepers were clearing the stream, our
guns heavily shelled the Turkish position. Then a force under
General Townshend made a frontal attack, and carried the
enemy's trenches at the point of the bayonet. Some of his

Amphibious Warfare.

men had to pole their boats through thick reeds for over a
mile and wade waist-deep in water before they could land.
While the frontal attack was proceeding, another force had
pushed up the river, and had fallen fiercely on the Turkish
flank. Early next morning an aeroplane reported that the
Turks were in full retreat up the Tigris. At once the flotilla
went in pursuit. The enemy was kept on the run, and two
days later General Townshend reached Amara, about 75 miles
north of Kurna. During the fighting of the previous four
days he had captured 1,773 prisoners, 17 guns, 2,718 rifles.

^■^■Vi

gBAGDAD

^^Diaia

n Ruins

Ctesiphon ^**'v^'{> _

V*/

^X"

V-?-

Vl'

\ Ruins

''^^^ut-el-Amara ^ "••/> -

/"^"^

J of Babylon

1 *^'W

(oil

/Field

* A \

0 1

.^1

''^V

i 1

C \

~ 1

\ \

(

"X^

\ \_

AbwaiC^

Sr\

Ezra's TombM. \

Nasiriyeh

\ L. hamar \ .
.^^5 Q^Kuma 1

Marshes ^'"^''^^V "

_|_

100

160..., Basra&~K

JTOobammerah

^^0^

Map to illustrate the Mesopotamian Campaign.

four river steamers, a number of lighters and boats, besides
large quantities of stores and ammunition.

Before Sir John Nixon could advance any further it was
necessary for him to clear the enemy from his flanks. If you
look at the map on this page, you will see that Kurna stands
at the junction of the Euphrates and the Tigris. About one
hundred miles west of Kurna you notice, on the Euphrates,
the town of Nasiriyeh,*' the Turkish headquarters of the Basra
province and an important Arab centre. It was very probable

* Naz-e-re'ya.

38 The Children's Story of the War.

that as our troops pushed up the Tigris the enemy would make
a dash from Nasiriyeh against Basra. To prevent this, Sir
John Nixon sent General Gorringe with a force to occupy the

Elace. I wish I had space to describe this expedition fully,
ecause it would give you an excellent example of what British
soldiers and sailors can do in the face of almost incredible
difficulties. Our boats had to make their way through a maze
of creeks and lagoons amidst thick date groves, while the
enemy's snipers were busy from the banks. Often the boats
were aground for days, and frequently the " bellums " had to
be dragged across mudbanks, and in one case across sixty yards
of dry ground. A great dam across the river had to be destroyed,
and parties had frequently to be landed to chase away the
enemy. But in spite of all obstacles General Gorringe fought
his way to Nasiriyeh, and by 25th June the enemy had been
driven off across the marshes, and the place was in our hands.

Now that the dangerous left flank was cleared, the advance
up the Tigris could continue. By 12th September the expe-
dition was ready to proceed. While the troops made route-
marches along the banks, the flotilla advanced upstream.
There were frequent cavalry skirmishes with the Turks, but
the intense heat — the thermometer ranged from 110° to 116°
in the shade — and the swarms of flies were more deadly than
the enemy. On 15th September the column reached San-
naiyat, eight miles from the enemy's position covering Kut-el-
Amara, a town of about 6,000 inhabitants, situated at the bend
of the Tigris, and at the head of the route to the Persian hills.
It is 220 miles by river from Baghdad, and more than 300 miles
from the Persian Gulf. The column rested at Kut until 25th
September, and received reinforcements.

1. in

CHAPTER IV.

A BID FOR BAGHDAD.

THE army of Nur-ed-Din Bey lay astride the river, some
seven miles north-east of Kut, in a very strong position.
The German general, von der Goltz,* had been for months in
Constantinople preparing the Turkish armies for the field, and
directing their operations. Probably the Turks had constructed
their defences on the Tigris according to his plans. On the
left bank of the river they had dug seven miles of trenches,
which linked up the gaps between the river and three marshes.
These trenches were so sited that they could not be seen until
the troops were almost upon them. There was pumping
apparatus in the trenches ; there were mazes of barbed wire
in front of them, and the ground over which our men had to
advance was honeycombed with mines and rifle pits. Between
the lines of fire trenches were miles of communication trenches,
which provided covered outlets to the river. A great boom of
barges and wire cables had been constructed to block the
waterway. On the right bank there were five miles of similar
trenches behind a canal embankment, twenty feet high, on
which were a number of watch towers. Such was the position
which our men had now to attack. The enemy awaited our
coming with nearly 10,000 men.

On 26th September General Townshend was within four
miles of the Turkish position at Sannaiyat. His plan was to
make a great attack on the left bank of the river ; but in order
to deceive the enemy, he began operations with a feint against
the right bank. All day long the assault on the right bank
continued, but at night he silently withdrew his troops to the

* German field-marshal, bom 1844 ; known as " Goltz Pasha," because
he organized the Turkish army which was defeated during the Balkan War.

luocnH iNvesriNC una

Aeroplane View, looking towards Kut, showing the

On December 3, 1915, General Townshend was surrounded at Kut-el-Amara by the Turks, who had
force. When the enemy was strongly reinforced he had no option but to retire. A relief column under
it was twenty-five miles down the Tigris from Kut. Sir John Nixon, the Commander-in-Chief, was

On January 7-9, 1916, General Aylmer won a victory, and was able to continue his advance. The Turks,

On January 13, the Turks were driven back to the Umm-el-Hannah position, but bad weather put a
not proceed. Meanwhile the Turks strengthened their lines. Their first position was at Umm-el-
in rear of Falahiyah. The main Turkish lines ran through Es Sinn, six miles east of Kut-el-Amara. On
distance of about fifteen miles. For more than a month there was a weary deadlock. General Aylmer's
appeared too strong to be carried. He therefore transferred the bulk of his troops to the right bank, and
obliged to fall back. Then came another long lull. Not till April 5th, when General Gorringe had

On April 5th our 13th Division captured five successive lines of trenches at Umm-el-Hannah, and on
position at Falahiyah. In the afternoon the Turks made an unsuccessful counter-attack to recover the
Falahiyah lines. During the night and on the 6th, the 3rd Division reached a position from which it
bank to within eleven miles of Kut, and during the fighting the Turks are said to have lost 3,000 killed,
attempt was made to get a supply ship through to the beleaguered town on April 24th, but it ran aground,
was forced to surrender after sustaining an heroic siege of 143 days. In the above view the spectator
the view has been drawn from an aeroplane some thousands of feet above the river Tigris and the

iperations of the Relief Column. (See Chapter V.)

)ursued him from Ctesiphon, where he had fought a stubborn battle and had lost about one-third of his
General Aylmer was moving up the Tigris, but, owing to the floods, could not advance. By January 13th
nvalided about this time, and was succeeded by Lieutenant-General Sir Percy Lake.

vith a force estimated at three divisions, were posted behind the watercourse which enters the Tigris at Orah.
top to active operations there. On February 4th there was heavy fighting, but General Aylmer could
iannah. Three miles behind, at Falahiyah, was a second line ; the third was at Sannaiyat, 6,ocx3 yards
he right bank it extended to the Shat-al-Hai, and on the left to the Suwaicha Marsh — a total
orce was unable to operate by both flanks, and the successive lines of entrenchments on the left bank
m March 6th moved against the Es Sinn position. He attacked on the 8th, but from want of water was
5sumed command, was there any progress. Meanwhile the Russians were overrunning Western Persia,
he same day General Keary on the right bank carried the works which flanked the second Turkish
t>st position on the right bank. This was repulsed, and the 13th Division went forward and stormed the
ould enfilade the Turks on the left bank. On the 17th and i8th the 3rd Division advanced on the soulh
)n April 23rd we were checked at Sannaiyat, and then bad weather put an end to the operations. An
nd was captured four miles from Kut. All hope of relieving General Townshend had now gone, and he
5 looking from General Gorringe's point of view — up the Tigris towards Kut. You must imagine that
djacent marshes.

42 The Children's Story of the War.

left bank by means of a specially constructed bridge. Next
morning at dawn the battle opened in real earnest.

The Turkish trenches were far too strong to be carried by
a frontal attack, so General Townshend determined to get
round the flank. This task was entrusted to General Delamain,
who had carried out the feint of the previous day. While
General Fry's brigade, resting its left on the line of the river,
pinned the opposing Turks to their trenches, Delamain's
troops, in two columns, advanced against the enemy's left — one
column assaulting the flank entrenchments directly, and the
other making a wide sweep round the flank to attack them in
the rear. Our right was protected by cavalry and armoured
motor cars, and the enemy was thus prevented from sending
assistance to his threatened left. Shortly after ten in the
morning the flank redoubts were brilliantly carried by the
2nd Dorsets and Indian troops. Meanwhile the other column
was well round the flank, and by two in the afternoon the
whole of the enemy's left had been rolled up, despite several
fierce counter-attacks. Prisoners, some field guns, and great
quantities of rifles and ammunition were captured.

By this time Delamain's men were worn out with long
marching and hard fighting under the tropical sun, and
were suffering severely from want of water. After a brief
rest the column was moved southwards in order to attack
the rear of the enemy holding the centre and right. While
doing so, seven enemy regiments, with guns, suddenly
appeared, marching from the south-west. At once Delamain
turned to attack them. ** The sight of the approaching
enemy, and the prospect of getting at him in the open
with the bayonet, put new life into our infantry. . . . For
the time thirst and fatigue were forgotten. The attack was
made in the most gallant manner with great dash. The
enemy was routed with one magnificent rush, which captured
four guns and inflicted great losses on the Turks." The
enemy fought stubbornly, and was only saved from complete
destruction by the approach of night.

Throughout the fight the gunboats on the river did yeoman
service. Late in the afternoon, under the command of Lieu-
tenant-Commander Cookson, they tried to force a passage
through the boom that blocked their way. The ships came
under a terrific fire from both banks at close range, but the

The 2nd Dorsets storming the Turkish Redoubts outside Kut-el-Amara.

{By permission of The Sphere.)

To the 2nd Dorsets was given the diflScult task of storming the redoubts on the extreme
flank of the Turkish position outside Kut-el-Amara. The regiment came up against some
unbroken barbed wire about fifty yards from the loopholes of the Turkish trenches, which were
covered in with brushwood. Nothing could be seen but a row of loopholes, and a tall pole
from which floated the Turkish flag. The 2nd Dorsets gallantly carried the position, but they
bad to pay the price of victory.

44 The Children's Story of the War.

boats pushed on. The Comet rammed the boom, but could
not break through. While trying to cut a wire cable that held
the barges of the boom together, Lieutenant- Commander
Cookson was shot dead.

The sun rose next morning on long lines of empty trenches.
The Turks had fled during the night, and had escaped along
the bank of the Tigris. That same morning we took up the
pursuit both by land and water ; but the shifting shallows of
the river caused many delays, and the enemy was not greatly
harried in his retreat. Kut-el-Amara was occupied, and the
flotilla pushed on with all possible speed. Our airmen re-
ported that the Turks were falling back at the rate of twenty-
five miles a day, and that they showed no sign of halting before
reaching Ctesiphon,* where they had previously prepared very
strong positions.

The victory of Kut-el-Amara came as a welcome surprise
to the British people. It was a very real success. Four thou-
sand Turks had been put out of action, and fourteen guns,
many rifles, much ammunition, and other war material had
been captured. Considering the severity of the fighting, our
casualties were not great. Of the 1,233 men who were hit, a
large number were only slightly wounded. '* I do not think,"
said the Prime Minister, " that in the whole course of the war
there has been a series of operations more carefully contrived,
more brilliantly conducted, and with a better prospect of final
success." The question now was. Should we advance any
further ? For a time, so it is said, the Government was un-
decided, but finally it gave the order to advance. General
Townshend asked lor large reinforcements. These, however,
were not forthcoming, and he had to push on with an army
far too small for the purpose.

October is a delightful month in Mesopotamia. The days
are bright and clear, the nights are cool, the floods have sub-
sided, and the marshes are rapidly drying. It is the best season
of the year for an advance. By 5th October our vanguard was
thirty miles east of Ctesiphon. Then came a delay of six
weeks, which was fully occupied with preparations. On 21st

* Tes'i-fon, ancient city of Assyria, on east bank of Tigris, about 30 miles
south-east of Baghdad, and about 50 miles north of ancient Babylon. It
stands opposite to another ancient city, Seleucia, which was founded three
hundred years B.C.

A Bid for Baghdad.

November the expedition reached Lajj, nine miles from the
ancient city.

Ctesiphon is a name of ancient renown, but its glories have
long since departed. Nineteen and a half centuries ago it was
the capital of an empire. In later times it was a battleground
of Romans and Parthians, and Roman emperors more than
once entered it as conquerors. The Emperor Severus, who
afterwards made a campaign against the Scots, and died in
the city of York, sacked Ctesiphon in the year 119 B.C., and

Battle of Ctesiphon.

carried away 100,000 prisoners. Later on, the city rose from
its ashes, and became more glorious than it had ever been.
Noble buildings were erected, amongst them a palace with a
huge archway 120 feet high. Though built two thousand years
ago, this archway still stands as a testimony to the skill of
ancient builders. It can be seen for many miles, so flat is the
surrounding country. To-day the ancient city is little more
than a squalid Turkish village, dotted with the ruins of its
former grandeur.

The Turkish position at Ctesiphon lay astride the Tigris.

46 The Children's Story of the War.

On the map you will see the lines of trenches which were con-
structed by German engineers on the right bank of the river.
There were similar lines on the other bank, and the two wings
were connected by a bridge of boats. The mounds of waste
and ruin had been turned into redoubts armed with machine
guns. The whole position was very .strong. Thanks to our
airmen, we knew exactly how the Turks were posted. We
knew, too, that the enemy had been recently reinforced by four
fresh divisions.

Our plan of attack was similar to that which had given us
victory at Sannaiyat. One column was to advance against the
centre of the first Turkish position, a second column against
the left, and a third column was to sweep round and get to the
rear. A still wider sweep was to be made by the cavalry.
The plan was a good one, but we had hardly enough men to
carry it out. All told, our numbers did not exceed 14,000
men, while the Turks had about 20,000, with strong reserves.

General Townshend marched his men through the night of
the 2ist and the early morning of the 22nd. The moon shone
brightly, and after seven miles had been covered the ruins of
Ctesiphon were seen casting purple shadows on the yellow
plain. Before dawn we had dug in against the centre and the
flank, the right column was well to the left rear of the enemy,
while the cavalry were on the flank of the Turkish reserve trenches.
Dawn broke, and revealed strong bodies of troops moving
northwards to check our right and our cavalry. They formed
up, as you see from the map, on a line parallel with the river
and uniting the first and second line of trenches. The out-
flanking which had been so successful at Sannaiyat could not
now be repeated.

About a quarter to nine we attacked all along the line.
The right, being gravely outnumbered, lost ground, but at X
on the map we pierced the Turkish line by means of artillery
fire. The first line was won, and i ,300 prisoners were in our
hands ; but the Turks, assisted by the forces which had defied
our right and our cavalry, retired in good order to their second
line, where they awaited the next shock.

At half-past two in the afternoon we advanced against the
second line. We broke into it, captured eight guns, and made
good our hold of the enemy's trenches. But by this time the
enemy was strongly reinforced, and he counter-attacked again

A Bid for Baghdad. 47

and again. The captured guns changed hands several times.
Just before nightfall we were obliged to fall back upon the first
position which we had won, and the guns had to be abandoned.
Both sides were now worn out, and we had lost so heavily in
killed and wounded that we were in no fit condition to attack
again. About one-third of our men had fallen, and 800 of
them were dead. The Turks were in no better plight. The
battlefield was littered with their killed and wounded, and many
of the trenches were choked with dead. One Turkish division
had been almost wholly destroyed. But next day the Turks
brought up their reserves, and from three o'clock in the after-
noon till long after dark they fiercely attacked our line. Every
time they came on they were hurled back with severe losses.
It is estimated that during the battle the Turks lost some 10,000
men in killed and wounded.

It was now clear that we could advance no further, and
lack of water and our weakness in men soon forced us to with-
draw. We fell back towards Kut, and the first part of our
retirement was unmolested. Early in the evening of ist Decem-
ber, when General Townshend's little army reached camp,
about forty-five miles as the crow flies above Kut, the smoke of
Turkish fires was seen. The enemy was following us up ; he
had recovered from his severe handling at Ctesiphon, and was
now about to harry our retreat. Had he been able to fall
upon us without delay, scarcely a man could have escaped alive.

At daybreak on ist December the Turks attacked in
strength. Our artillery did great execution, and the cavalry
rode over a column that was attempting to envelop our right
flank. The enemy was checked, and we continued our retire-
ment in perfect order under a heavy shell fire. By midday the
enemy was shaken off^, but we dared not halt until we had
covered twenty-seven miles. After three hours' rest we took
the road again, and moved on another fifteen miles. We were
now onlv four miles from Kut, and men and horses were so
weary that they could go no further.

Next morning (3rd December) all that remained of the
Baghdad Expedition, which had set out with such high hopes
six weeks before, staggered into Kut. It had done magnifi-
cently, but it had achieved nothing. From the first it was
too small a force to carry out the work assigned to it. By
remarkable courage, steadiness, and self-sacrifice it had made

48 The Children's Story of the War.

a wonderful advance and a no less wonderful retirement, but
it could no longer cope with the numbers of the enemy rapidly
gathering against it. By the 5th of December the enemy was
fast closing in on Kut from all sides except the west. General
Townshend retained one steamer as a ferry boat, and sent the
other and the barges down stream. Next day all the cavalry
but one squadron started off to fight their way towards Basra,
and happily managed to get through the enemy's lines with
but trifling casualties. On the evening of 6th December the
enemy had completely encircled the town. The siege had begun.

The following two officers were awarded the Victoria Cross
for remarkable deeds of gallantry : —

Major George Godfrey Massy Wheeler, 7th Hariana
Lancers, Indian Army.

During the battle fought on 12th April, near Basra, Major
Wheeler noticed a group of snipers who were gathered round
a flag, and were firing upon our artillery observation post.
He asked and obtained permission to charge with his squadron,
and clear them away. His squadron galloped forward with
great dash, and at the point of the lance scattered the enemy
in all directions. As they swarmed to the rear our guns caught
them, and did great execution. Major Wheeler only lost one
man, and had three horses wounded. Next day he and his
squadron charged a mound from which the enemy was galling
our right flank. He was seen far ahead of his men, riding
straight for the enemy's standards, which were planted on the
mound, when a shot struck him and he fell dead.

Lieutenant-Commander Edgar Christopher Cookson,
D.S.O., R.N.

You have already heard of this hero's great exploit. You
will remember that on 28th September our gunboats tried to
destroy the barricade of boats which the enemy had made
across the river. An attempt to sink the centre boat by gun
fire failed, and then Lieutenant-Commander Cookson ordered
his ship, the Comet ^ to be placed alongside. Armed with an
axe, he jumped on to the boat, and tried to cut the wire hawsers
connecting it with the other craft. He was thus a good mark
for the enemy's sharpshooters, and fell under a hail of bullets.
He died within a very few minutes.

CHAPTER V.

THE SIEGE AND FALL OF KUT.

THE history of our empire abounds in dramatic stories
of little British forces hemmed in by enemy hordes, yet
holding out for months at a time against hunger, thirst,
fatigue, disease, and constant attempts to overwhelm them.
In some cases the story ends happily. Relief comes in the
very nick of time, and haggard, starving men are rescued
when almost at their last gasp. No boy or girl who reads
these pages can ever forget the relief of Lucknow,* of Chit-
raljf of Ladysmith, I or Mafeking. § Sometimes, however,
the story ends in disaster. The relieving force fails to
arrive, or arrives too late, and the besieged, after a long agony,
are slaughtered or carried away into captivity. But whether
the story ends happily or sadly, there is always something in
it to stir our hearts, and make us proud of our fellow-country-
men. We Britons place at the head of all military virtues
dogged endurance — the courage that " sticks it " to the bitter
end. We glory in him who is

" Strong with the strength of the race to command, to obey, to endure."

* On the Gumti, a tributary of the Ganges, 550 miles from Calcutta,
India. During the Indian Mutiny the British were besieged in the Resi-
dency from July 2 to November 17, 1857.

f Native state, north-west frontier of Kashmir, India. In 1895 Sir
George Robertson was besieged in the fort for forty-seven days, but was
reheved by Colonel Kelly after a brilliant march.

X Town on the Klip River, Natal, British South Africa. Besieged by
the Boers for four months (November 2, 1899, to February 28, 1900), but
successfully relieved.

§ Town, Bechuanaland, British South Africa, 200 miles north by east
of Kimberley. Besieged by the Boers from October 11, 1899, to May 18,
1900, when a reUeving force arrived.

V. 4 -

50 The Children's Story of the War,

I am now going to tell you the story of a siege which British
forces endured in the old heroic spirit. The defenders were
shut up in a space only four times as big as Hyde Park ; they were
surrounded by enemies who poured shot and shell upon them,
and strove again and again, but always in vain, to break through
their frail defences. They had no shelter save their trenches
and the mud huts of Arab townsfolk ; they had no food except
what they brought with them, and the scanty supplies which
a small and poor town afforded ; they suffered hunger and
thirst ; they fell victims to disease, and were tortured by that
hope deferred that " maketh the heart sick." Yet they held out,
grimly cheerful, for twenty long weeks, and never thought of
surrender until starvation stared tliem in the face. They were
not more than 14,000 fighting men when they set out for Bagh-
dad ; they were less than 9,000 when the siege came to an
end. By far the largest number of the defenders were Indian
soldiers, and we may with full justice offer to them the fine
tribute which Tennyson paid to their fellow-countrymen who
fought side by side with us at Lucknow fifty-nine years ago : —

" Praise to our Indian brothers, and let the dark face have his due !
Thanks to the kindly dark faces who fought with us, faithful and few !
Fought with the bravest among us, and drove them, and smote them,
and slew."

The town of Kut, in which General Townshend and his
forces were now besieged, is a miserable Arab village — " a col-
lection of mud huts, thrown together with winding alleys and
narrow passages, all open to the winds and rains and burning
heat." But though it is as miserable a town as one can find
in the whole of Mesopotamia, it is well placed for defence.
Round about Kut the Tigris makes a deep U-shaped loop,
and thus forms a promontory about a mile wide, with the river,
about 250 yards broad, on all sides save one. The isthmus,
which is 3,200 yards across, is the only land approach to the
town. General Townshend, as you may suppose, lost no time
in making entrenchments across this neck of land from river
bank to river bank. He knew from the first that the enemy
would strive his hardest to break in through this line, and
that it would have to bear the brunt of his heaviest attacks.
At the north-east end of his entrenchments he therefore erected
a strong redoubt.

Indian Troops wading through the Floods on the Tigris.
{From the picture by Philip Dodd. By permission of The Sphere.)

5 2 The Children's Story of the War.

The little map on the next page will make the British
defences of Kut quite clear to you. Notice, to the north of
the redoubt, a bridge of boats crossing the river. General
Townshend pushed a detachment across this bridge, and
made a bridgehead for its defence. He also held a liquorice
factory and a village beyond the river to the south-west of
the town.

On the morning of the 9th December 191 5, Nur-ed-Din, the
Turkish commander, sent a letter to General Townshend de-
manding his surrender. The British general refused, and almost
immediately the town was heavily bombarded from the north,
the west, and the south-east, and attacks were made from all the
points of the compass. The detachment holding the bridge-
head was driven in. The bridge could no longer be held ; so,
lest it should fall into the hands of the enemy and enable him
to move his troops the more readily from bank to bank. General
Townshend determined to destroy it. In the night Sapper-
Lieutenant Matthews very gallantly led a party to the bridge
and blew it up.

During the following days the Turks flung tons of shot and
shell into Kut, and made several infantry attacks against the
isthmus, but without success. More than once our men rushed
out of the redoubt and fell furiously on the enemy. The Turks
now bent all their energies to the task of capturing the re-
doubt. On Christmas Eve, when the famous 52nd Division had
arrived from the Caucasus front, they breached the parapet
in several places and got inside ; but they were driven out
again, leaving 200 dead behind. On Christmas night they
broke through once more, and flung bombs on the defenders
at close quarters ; but before morning they had been hurled out
again with great loss, and had retired to trenches 500 yards from
our front. They had suffered great losses, and it was said that
the 52nd Division had been almost wholly destroyed. Do what
they might, the Turks could not break down our wall of defence.
They asked for an armistice on the 29th, in order to bury their
dead and remove their wounded from the front of the fort.
After the armistice there were no more infantry attacks. The
Turks had already lost 4,000 men, and it was clear that they
could only rush the British positions at a terrific sacrifice of life.
They therefore blockaded the place, and left their unseen ally,
hunger, to do its fell work.

The Siege and Fall of Kut.

Early in January 191 6 General Townshend telegraphed
home this cheerful message :■ —

" Going strong.
Everything all right.
Shall be reUeved soon."

He had good hopes of speedy relief, for a force under General
Aylmer was fighting its way up the river, and had already
forced the Turks to retire to a new and very strong position
only twenty-three miles from Kut.* Unhappily, the weather
prevented a speedy pursuit. Heavy rain fell, high winds blew,
and the ground became a quagmire. Advance by water and
by land was impossible

British ^
Detached
Post .

until the 17th of January.
On the 2 1 St the relief
force attacked the new
Turkish position ; but
though it punished the
enemy sorely, it could not
break through his lines.
When the fight was over,
the wounded lay out in
the mud and the rain,
and the heavens opened
with a terrible deluge.
The river was brimful,
and our camps were
under water. Fighting
could not continue in
these conditions. For the rest of the month, and all through Feb-
ruary, no headway could be made. On 6th March, however, three
columns set out across a waterless desert to fall on the extreme
right of that part of the enemy's main position which lay on
the right bank of the river. Through the night of the 7th our
men trudged on in the inky darkness, the silence being only
broken by the howl of the jackal and the cry of geese in flight.
Soon after daylight our guns unlimbered, and with startling
suddenness our shells began to fall fast and thick upon the
surprised enemy. Before long, guns were heard booming in
the rear of the Turks. They were British guns, manned by

* See pp. 40, 41 for an aviator's view of the progress of the reheving
force.

54 The Children's Story of the War.

General Townshend's men in besieged Kut. Our officers, peer-
ing through their field glasses, could actually see the flash of the
guns, which were only eight miles away. During the day we
made attack after attack ; but the position was too strong for
us, and we were forced to retire to our old lines.

The relief force was now reinforced, and was placed under
the command of General Gorringe.

On 5th April success smiled upon us. The 13th Division,
which had won such renown in Gallipoli, carried the first and
second lines of the enemy's position on the left bank of the
river, and the Turks had again to fall back. Seven days later
our men attacked again on the right bank. They pushed across
a flooded plain, crossed by deep ditches, and forced the enemy
to retire in some places as much as three miles. By the 17th
we had occupied his advanced lines, and had inflicted great
losses on him.

We were now about fourteen miles below Kut, and we could
advance no further. The deep trenches, the strong redoubts,
and the barbed-wire tangles of the enemy's main position were
too strong for us. On the 17th the Turks began their counter-
attacks, and there was much fierce fighting, often at close
quarters. Though the enemy lost over 3,000 in two days'
battle, he forced us back and pinned us. The weather again
grew very stormy, and miles of country on either side of the
river lay deep under water. General Gorringe and his troops
had done all that men could do. The Turks, with flood and
storm as their allies, could not be overcome, and the little
force in Kut looked in vain for relief.

TP ^P ^P ^P ^P HP

Now let us return to the besieged town, and see how the
heroic defenders were faring. I have already told you that
after the Turks were beaten off on 24th December and on
Christmas Day, 191 5, they turned the siege into a blockade.
Except that they shelled the place every night with their big
guns, they made no attacks upon it. From Christmas Day
onwards the defenders were fighting, not Turks, but hunger.

At first nobody went on short commons, and happily a
supply of warm clothing had arrived just before the siege began.
On 24th January a large quantity of grain was discovered, but
it could not be used because there were no millstones with
which to grind it. Millstones, however, were soon obtained —

The Siege and Fall of Kut. 55

from the sky ! The aeroplanes with the reUef force managed
to drop millstones in Kut, and the engine which drove the
grinding machinery was set going with oil from the naval barges.

From this time onwards friendly aeroplanes made frequent
visits, and dropped into the camp such light articles as rifle-
cleaners, spare parts for the wireless telegraph, nets for fishing,
etc. At one time they dropped cigarettes and tobacco ; but
the supplies were so small that they would not go round,
and General Townshend, who was determined that no man
should be favoured beyond his fellows, gave orders that no
more were to be sent. Then our men strove to satisfy their
craving by smoking lime leaves, or ginger or baked tea leaves.
Throughout the siege General Townshend shared every hard-
ship with his troops.

A flying man gives the following account of one of his
visits to Kut : —

" I constantly flew over the Turkish positions, and circled above be-
leaguered Kut. On one occasion we carried five parcels to General Town-
shend's force. It is not easy to drop anything from an aeroplane flying
at the height of 5,000 feet, and we are obliged to keep that distance up
if we do not want to fall a victim to the Turkish anti-aircraft guns. We
managed, however, to drop three packets out of the five into our lines-
Of course we have to drop them by means of a parachute. I am afraid
that the two other packets fell into Turkish lines ; but the wind always
blows strongly across the desert, and a parachute is not an accurate thing,
so we were perhaps lucky to get three packets to their right destination.
Flying over the desert is an exciting pastime, for if one has engine trouble
and comes down, one is faced with two possible fates — either to be found
and ' finished off ' by the Arabs, or else not to be found, and so die of
hunger and thirst."

Before the end of January scurvy began to set in. Vegetable
seeds were planted about 26th January, and they bore welcome
fruit before the siege came to an end. The real priva-
tions of the garrison began about the middle of February,
when the milk gave out, and the sick in the hospitals had to be
fed on cornflour or rice water. Early in February the British
soldiers were receiving a twelve-ounce loaf, one pound of meat,
a few groceries, and a small supply of dates daily. The Indians
received supplies on much the same scale until 3rd March,
when the rations were reduced. They were cut down again
on 9th March, and by i6th April the flour supply for British
and Indians was reduced to four ounces per day. During the

The Siege and Fall of Kut. 57

last few days almost the only food in the camp was that which
the aviators dropped.

Early in the siege the horses were killed for food, and when
they were gone the mules suffered the same fate. One of the
last mules to be slaughtered had taken part in three Indian
frontier campaigns, and wore the ribbons of these expeditions
round its neck. Twice the butcher refused to kill it, but in
the end it had to go the way of the others. For the most part
the troops spent the long, weary days in their dug-outs. Except
near the liquorice factory, there was no place where games could
be played, and for the most part the men were too weak for
unnecessary exertion. Some of them fished with success, and
thus eked out their scanty rations. Hostile aeroplanes fre-
quently flew over the camp and dropped bombs, some of which
caused much damage.

" After 20th April," writes a correspondent with the Mesopotamian
forces, " many of the Arabs, feeUng the pinch of hunger, made attempts
to escape by the river from Kut. These men are splendid swimmers.
Two of them got through to our camp with the help of the strong current.
One, supported by skin bladders, made the journey by night in eight hours ;
the other concealed himself during the day, and arrived on the second
night. A third, the sole survivor of a party of eighteen, came through
on a raft with a bullet in his leg. The Turks fired on them from the bank.
Four had been killed, and the others, many of them wounded, dived into
the water. It is doubtful if any escaped."

On the night of 24th-25th April the steamship Julnar, laden
with supplies, made a gallant attempt to run the blockade and
reach Kut. The vessel was commanded by Lieutenant Firman,
who knew that the venture was a forlorn hope, yet cheerfully
volunteered for the duty. She managed to get within four miles
of the besieged town, and then went aground. Some days
later she was seen with her funnels riddled with bullets and
her propeller damaged. Her gallant commander and several
of her crew had fallen. The Turks announced that they had
captured the vessel, and with it hundreds of tons of foodstuffs.

All hope of succour had now gone. On the 27th General
Townshend informed the enemy that he was ready to surrender
Kut if he and his army were allowed to go free. The Turks
however, would make no conditions with him, and the next
day the British flag was hauled down, a white flag was run
up, and the enemy marched in. General Townshend handed

5 8 The Children's Story of the War.

his sword to the Turkish commander, who courteously returned
it. The men who were then holding our front line had been
in the trenches without relief for a fortnight. They were
so weary that they could not carry back their kit. Thus,
after holding out for 143 days, the British in Kut became
prisoners of war. Some 2,970 British troops of all ranks and
services, together with 6,000 Indian troops and their followers,
passed under the yoke * that day.

After the surrender the Turks behaved very well to their
prisoners. Turkish officers gave our soldiers cigarettes as they
left Kut for the prisoners' camp upstream, and Turks and Britons
were soon on friendly terms. Doctors and chaplains were left
with the sick in Kut, and a hospital ship was allowed to carry
our wounded back to their own people in exchange for Turkish
prisoners. The enemy also permitted a tug with two lighters,
each laden with 500 tons of food and stores, to proceed to the
prisoners' camp. When the tug arrived the Indians were bathing
— a luxury which they had not enjoyed for months, as the river-
bath at Kut was exposed to snipers. When the British soldiers
sighted the tug they shouted for tobacco, and 100 lbs. of
plug was thrown to them over the heads of the sentries. Lime
juice, potatoes, onions, groceries, and medical comforts were
soon landed, and the men sat down to enjoy their first " square
meal " for more than 143 days.

On board the hospital ship which sailed down stream from
Basra, with its freight of sick and wounded, were three four-
footed members of the Kut garrison — Spot, General Town-
shend's fox-terrier, and Peggy and Diamond, two terriers be-
longing to General Mellis. From Spot's collar hung a paper
setting forth in his master's handwriting his record of faithful
service from the Battle of Kurna to the defence of Kut.

-H- -n- 4fc ^u ^^ ^u ^U

^F ^F ^p TP ^p ^p ^F

The fall of Kut was received by the nation with deep
regret, but with great admiration for the splendid endurance
of those who had held out so long and so cheerfully against
desperate odds. All recognized that the relieving force had
striven with great valour and determination to reach the be-
leaguered city, and that it had been foiled, not by the Turks,

* The Romans made those who surrendered to them pass under a
yoke which consisted of two upright spears with a third fixed horizontally
across them.

The Siege and Fall of Kut. 59

but by the Tigris, the desert, and the swamps. No one imagined
that the surrender of 2,970 British and 6,000 Indians was
anything more than a blow to our national pride ; it could not
possibly have any effect on the issue of the great struggle.
There were many, however, who thought that the attempt to
capture Baghdad was a grievous mistake from the first, and they
asked bitterly why so small a force had been marching through
deserts hundreds of miles from the sea to take a city which
could not be surprised, and would be certain to be strongly
fortified before it could be attacked. There were others who
complained that the medical and transport arrangements were
very bad ; but, as a whole, the nation received the news calmly,
and saw no reason to despond.

There was a very important reason why the nation should
remain calm in the face of this unfortunate set-back. While
the fate of Kut was hanging in the balance, the Russians had
captured Erzerum, the great stronghold of Armenia, and also
Trebizond, an important Turkish post on the Black Sea. On the
day that Kut fell the Russians were on the upper waters of the
Tigris, not more than eighty miles from the main Turkish line of
communication. The Turkish army which had been so long
held up by the defence of Kut was now in a position which
daily grew more dangerous. General Gorringe's relieving force
was facing it on the Tigris, and the Russians were threatening
to cut it off from the railway by which alone it could properly
maintain itself in Mesopotamia.

Now you begin to see that General Townshend's struggles
and sufferings had not been in vain. Students of the war
were not slow to point out that if the Russians continued to
advance, the Turks in Mesopotamia must do one of three things :
they must either suffer themselves to be cut off, and in the
course of time be destroyed ; they must retire, and abandon the
province altogether ; or they must summon from Constan-
tinople all their reserves, in which case the Russians would be
able to march westwards through Asia Minor with but little
opposition. In a later chapter I shall describe the remarkable
Russian campaign which placed the Allies in such a favourable
position at the very time when a British force was on the verge
of disaster.

CHAPTER VI.

THE STORY OF THE " MOEWE." * — J.

ONE solitary armed ship, and she only for a few brief
weeks, flew the German flag upon the high seas during
the year 1915. Prior to the war Germany possessed nearly
88,000 merchant vessels of various kinds, yet during 1915 not
a single one of them furrowed the oceans of the world. Thanks
to the British navy, the foreign shipping trade of Germany was
utterly extinguished. In none of our previous wars have we
made so complete and so rapid an end of an enemy's overseas
commerce as during the present great struggle.

You will remember that when the war broke out German
raiders were at large, ready to prey on British merchantmen.
I have already told you that an armed ship on the ocean routes
is as powerful for mischief as a cat amongst pigeons. One
warship can work terrible havoc amongst peaceful trading
vessels. The Emden, for example, in seven weeks captured
twenty-one ships, with a tonnage of 700,000, and a value of
three millions sterling. You can easily see that, if the Germans
had been able to keep a score of such raiders at sea, our ship-
ping would have been at their mercy. Happily, such German
cruisers as were at large were hunted down one by one, and
soon the trade routes were as safe as in the days of peace. When
Admiral Sturdee destroyed von Spec's squadron, on December
8, 1 9 14, all real danger to our high seas trade was over.

The Germans were, of course, eager to send out warships
to harry our merchant vessels ; but our navy kept such a close
and careful watch that for a whole year only one ship got through.
She was one of the tenders of the Karlsruhe ^ and our Admiralty
let us know that she had succeeded in getting past our patrols

• Moo'vai.

The Story of the Moey^e, 6 1

in March 1915. As, however, nothing further was heard of her,
we may suppose that she did little or no mischief. The German
navy, as you know, dared not leave its harbours except for
short, sharp dashes into the North Sea, and the " canal fleet "
became the laughing-stock of the world. Suddenly, in January
19 16, an armed enemy vessel appeared in the Atlantic, and for
a couple of months had a remarkable career of destruction. In
this chapter I am going to tell you the story of her dramatic
appearance, and of her strange adventures. Before, however,
I do so, I must give you some account of Britain's " Watch
on the Brine." You will then be able to understand how
the German ship managed to run the gauntlet and reach the
open sea.

In our fourth volume I told you that in March 19 15 the
British Government began a blockade of the North Sea coast
of Germany — that is, it made use of its naval power to stop all
sea-borne goods from entering or leaving that country. A
nation at war can use every lawful means of overcoming its
enemy, and one of the lawful means is to stop every ship trying
to leave or enter the enemy's ports. This is known as a blockade.
The nation which successfully carries on a blockade can deprive
the enemy of imported food and of those materials for warfare
which he is obliged to obtain from foreign countries. A suc-
cessful blockade may cause such a shortage of munitions or
bring about such a scarcity of food as to force the enemy to sue
for peace.

Strange as it may seem to you, the high explosives now so
largely used in warfare are made from cotton. Almost equally
important in these days of motor transport is rubber. Both
cotton and rubber are tropical products, and therefore cannot
be grown in Germany, but must be imported from abroad.
Copper is almost essential for the manufacture of shells, and
Germany produces less than one-twenty-fifth of the world's
output — less, in fact, than Great Britain gets from her own
mines each year. You can now see that if cotton, rubber,
copper, and the other things which Germany cannot sufficiently
provide for herself are not allowed to enter the country, she
must be greatly hampered in carrying on the war.

The same is true, in a lesser degree, in the case of food.
Germany grows much of the food which her people consume ;
but even in time of peace she has to import large quan-

62 The Children's Story of the War.

titles of wheat, barley, maize, hog's lard, butter, and eggs,
and, of course, all such tropical products as coffee and tea.
In time of war so many men and horses are serving with the
army that the land cannot be properly tilled, and the harvests
are bound to decrease. Foreign food is, therefore, required
in ever-increasing quantities to supply the shortage ; and if
imported food is cut off, the people must go on short commons.
While it is probably true that Germany cannot be starved out,
it is certain that by means of a blockade she can be made to
suffer much hardship, and thus be brought all the sooner to
her knees.

At first our blockade of Germany was not very strict, and
large quantities of food, cotton, copper, chemicals, rubber, and
other necessary things got through ; but in April 19 15 we
began to tighten our grip. After a good deal of public agita-
tion and delay, we cut off Germany's supply of cotton, and
stopped her foreign food supply. Before long the Germans
began to feel the pinch of hunger, and as the blockade con-
tinued they felt it more and more. They tried to retaliate, as
you know, by means of a submarine campaign, in the course
of which they sank some hundreds of ships, both British and
neutral, and were responsible for the deaths of some thousands
of innocent sailors and passengers. We waged war on their
submarines, and, according to an American authority, we had
captured, by the middle of May 19 16, some 130 of them.
Germany's campaign of piracy and murder brought her into
sharp conflict with the United States, and we shall learn in a
later chapter that, under threat of war, she had to promise to
put an end to it.

Our greatest difficulty in carrying on the blockade was with
neutral nations, especially with the United States, Holland,
Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Neutrals have every right
to carry on trade — if they can — with all other countries, whether
they are at war or not ; but by the law of nations we, or any
other country at war, can say to neutrals, '* Here is a list of the
things which we shall not allow you to send to Germany. If
your shippers try to run cargoes of these things into Germany,
they will do so at their peril. Our patrol boats will stop all
ships making for the Continent, and will search them. Any
ship which contains forbidden articles will be seized and taken
before a Prize Court, which will decide what is to happen to

A British Naval Patrol approachingf a suspicious Neutral at Night.
{From the picture by C. E. Turner. By permission of The Sphere.)

64 The Children's Story of the War.

her and her cargo. Of course, ships which contain no forbidden
goods will be allowed to proceed."

Now, if Germany were an island we could by this means
prevent almost all goods from reaching her shores. Germany,
as you know, is not an island, but a continental country, joined
on by land to the neutral countries of Denmark, Holland, and
Switzerland, and only separated by a narrow inland sea, in
which we cannot carry on a blockade, from Norway and Sweden,
which are also neutral. Suppose a Dutch ship laden with
food, copper, cotton, rubber, and so forth, is stopped by one
of our patrols, and her captain says, " This cargo is not meant
for Germany, but for Holland." What then .'' Are we to let
it go free } While Holland has every right to receive goods
from abroad, we have the right to stop her from supplying
Germany with forbidden goods from over the seas. Before
our patrols will let the Dutch ship proceed they must be assured
that the goods are really going to be used by the Dutch, and
are not to be sent over the frontier for the use of the Ger-
mans. We try to form an estimate of the amount of overseas
goods which Holland needs for her own people, and we only
allow this amount to pass. If Holland were allowed to im-
port an unlimited quantity of foreign goods, the Dutch could
send large supplies into Germany, and thus make our blockade
of no effect.

Let me tell you how this difficulty was met. We asked
the leading merchants in each of the neutral countries to form
societies which were to receive all imported goods, and were
to guarantee us that such goods should not reach the enemy
in any form. In return for this guarantee we promised not to
interfere with their trade unless there was some trickery afoot.
Arrangements of this kind were made with Dutch, Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish, and Swiss societies, and as the German
complaints of shortage of food and other supplies grew louder
and louder, we may suppose that the plan served its purpose.

CHAPTER VII.

THE STORY OF THE " MOEWE." — II.

1NEED not tell you that the blockade meant an immense
amount of hard and anxious work for the patrol ships of our
navy. Night and day, in all weathers and at all seasons, they
had to keep the two gateways to the North Sea — the entrance by
way of the Strait of Dover, and the passage north of Scotland.
Every foreign ship that entered these waters had to be visited
and, in many cases, taken into harbour to be searched. An
American writer tells us that his vessel was taken into a north-
ern harbour, where he saw more than a score of neutral
merchant vessels. Some of them, such as the ship on which he
had crossed the Atlantic, were only detained for the examina-
tion of passengers and cargo ; others were prizes which would
be held until the end of the war.

" These were the flies caught in the great web spun by the British
across the northern trade route. Beyond the harbour's mouth, in the bleak
waters about these Orkney Isles, about the bleak Shetland Islands to the
north and the Hebrides to the south-west, along the eastern coasts of
Scotland, and out across the North Sea towards the Norwegian shore,
converted cruisers on patrol duty are for ever weaving their criss-cross
courses with Dreadnoughts waiting within easy call. ... I pictured a
similar web centring at Dover, in which all the Channel shipping becomes
enmeshed ; a third at Gibraltar, which controls traffic between America
and the Mediterranean ports. ... I understood for the first time what
Englishmen mean when they declare that ' Britannia rules the waves.' "

We must never forget the great debt which we owe to the
seamen of our naval patrols. In fair weather and in foul,
in tempest, fog, and calm, they kept their ceaseless watch,
sighting and stopping every ship that showed itself ; boarding
incoming vessels by means of small boats in the roughest of
seas, examining the papers, the crews, passengers, and cargoes

V. 5

66 The Children's Story of the War.

of the boarded ships, and sifting out innocent traders from
those who were trying to succour the enemy. All this work
had to be done in the face of constant danger from mines and
submarines, and at a heavy loss of ships and men. There
were always foreign captains ready to run the blockade in
order to obtain the high prices which the Germans were
ready to pay for forbidden goods, and the patrols had ever to
be on the lookout to foil such attempts. Every kind of trick
was practised, but our seamen were rarely deceived. If they
were at all suspicious of a vessel they ordered it into harbour,
and there it was closely examined. X-ray photographs were taken
of bales and cases, and more than once rubber and other forbidden
goods were discovered hidden away amidst innocent material.

*,iit .jf, jt. .ae. -V- 4^

TT TT w TP TP ^

Now for the story which I promised you several pages ago.
On New Year's Day, 19 16, a German raider of about 3,000
tons register, disguised as a Norwegian fruit trader, slipped out
of the Kiel Canal during a fog and made her way northwards.
She was commanded by Captain Count von Dohna Schlodien,
a young naval officer, and, as the sequel will show, a bold and
skilful seaman. According to the story of one of her lieutenants,
Hans Berg, of the German Naval Reserve, several British war-
ships sighted the raider, and signalled to her, asking if she had
seen any Germans about. She replied that she had seen none,
and wished them a happy new year. Without being molested,
she managed to reach the Atlantic, and off Cape Finisterre cap-
tured the Corbridge'a. Cardiff steamer, laden with coal. This
vessel she took along with her as a collier. The same day she
seized another steamer with a cargo of 5,000 tons of copper
ore, and sank her. Between the 13th and the 15th she sent to
the bottom four other vessels.

Now let the scene change to the British mail steamer Appam,
of the Elder-Dempster line. In the bright, clear weather of
1 6th January she was sixty miles north of Madeira, on her
homeward voyage from French West Africa. If all went well
another ten days would see her safely in Plymouth. Early
in the day she sighted the smoke of a steamer, afterwards
discovered to be the Moewe* on the horizon, and later on

* She had been originally christened the Ponga, but had been rebaptized
as the Moewe, thus taking the name of a gunboat which had been sunk at
Dar-es-Salaam.

A Vision : Jellicoe and the Shade of Nelson.

"Admirals all, for England's sake,
Honour be yours and Tame ;
And honour, as long as waves shall break.
To Nelson's peerless name." — Newholt.

68 The Children's Story of the War.

discovered that she was flying the British red ensign on the
forepeak — that is, she was showing a signal of distress. The
captain of the Appam thought she was out of control.

Sir Edward Merewether, Governor of Sierra Leone, who
was one of the Appam' s passengers, gives us the following
account of the incident : — •

" Captain Harrison believed she was a British tramp, and changed his
course to bear down on her. At her stem was a flag drooped in folds.
We discovered later that this ensign was weighted, so that it would droop.
All of us who gave it a second's thought took it for granted that it was
the Union Jack. As a matter of fact it was the German Imperial Navy
Ensign.

" When Captain Harrison had come within two hundred yards of the
stranger and had stopped his engines, a sudden transformation in the other
boat's appearance electrified us. All the forward and after railings, which
had looked quite solid until that instant, simply disappeared as if by
magic. We learned later that whole sections of these solid-looking railings
were actually composed of accordion-like strips of steel which dropped into
a slot at the pressure of a button on the bridge. At the same instant the
square structures which we had mistaken for deck houses also collapsed,
and exposed the bareness of the guns. I counted the guns, and saw that
there were two mounted forward, four mounted aft, and one 3-pounder
on the poop deck. These guns ranged between 4- inch and 6-inch according
to my judgment."

The Moewe was no longer a Norwegian fruit-trader, but an
armed cruiser. As the railings slid together and the canvas
screens shrouding the guns fell away, a shell flew shrieking
over the Appam' s bridge. The gunners had been crouching
behind the screens, waiting at their stations to open fire the
moment their weapons were unmasked. The Appam had a
3-inch gun mounted astern, but, of course, it was not of the
slightest use against the Moewe's heavy armament. The Appam
could ofi"er no resistance.

The captain of the Moewe now hailed the Appam through a
megaphone, and asked if there were any Germans aboard.
Captain Harrison at once admitted that he had twenty German
prisoners of war. A few moments later a boat containing
Lieutenant Berg and twenty-one sailors was seen putting off
from the Moewe. Before long, armed Germans had swarmed
up the sides, and were on the deck of the British ship.
One of them rushed to the Appam' s one gun, and flung the
breech-block overboard, thus rendering it useless. Then the
German prisoners were released, armed vdth rifles, and posted

The Story of the Moewe, 69

as guards over the passengers and crew, who were forced to
give up their firearms, knives, telescopes, etc. Shortly after-
wards Captain Harrison and his officers were carried to the
Moewe for a conference. Later on the British officers and
all the prisoners which the Moewe had taken from the vessels
which it had sunk were sent back to the Appam. When this
was done the Appam^s engines were set going, and, under the
navigation of her own crew, she was started On a course known
only to the German commander. A German was stationed at
the wireless apparatus to receive all messages, but to allow none
to be sent out. In this way the whereabouts of British cruisers
patrolling the regular ocean lanes were discovered. Lieutenant
Berg, who took charge of the prize, steered far out of the
ordinary steamer track.

Sir Edward Merewether tells us that the Germans behaved
very well to their captives.

" I had no idea Germans could be so courteous as these Germans
proved to be. If by chance they bumped into one while walking on deck
they apologized; and this spirit of decency in my opinion was largely
owing to the fine example set by Lieutenant Berg himself. He was the
embodiment of courtesy from first to last."

The Moewe stood by the Appam for two days, and during
this time Sir Edward and his fellow-passengers had an oppor-
tunity of seeing the Germans in action. On the 17th a British
liner, the Clan Mactavish, was sighted hull down on the
horizon. While the Appam continued her course, the Moewe
made for the Clan Mactavish^ and when abaft her beam signalled,
" Stop at once ; I am a German cruiser." The British captain
at once ordered the engineers to get up full speed, and mean-
while told the Moewe that he was obeying her order. The
Moewe thereupon stopped her engines, and the Clan Mac-
tavish dashed ahead, and soon left the raider astern. I will
tell you the' story of the gallant but unavailing fight made by
the Scottish liner in the words of Mr. Maclntyre, her third
officer : —

" As soon as the Moewe found that we were not stopped, he started again
full speed ahead, and fired across our bows. Our own gunners then got
busy at the captain's orders and fired back. Then the fun began. The
next shell struck us on the fo'c'sle head, smashing up the windlass and
the look-out man, a Lascar. The third went through the second officer's
room and the steward's room ; it seemed to be shrapnel, for splinters were

The Story of the Moewe. y i

hurled all over the deck. All this time our own two gunners were firing as
hard as they could, and we could see that they were hitting. The German
was only 200 yards away. One of their shots struck the top of the engine
room, killing seventeen men and wounding five, all Lascars. Another hit
us below the water-Une and badly damaged us. It was useless to carry
on the fight, so the captain ordered ' Cease fire/ and stopped the ship. I
signalled to the Germans to this effect ; but owing to the smoke, some time
passed before they could see our signals, and they continued to fire. Even
as I signalled our gun went off, owing to the order ' Cease fire ' not having
reached our gunners. And that, of course, caused more trouble. The
whole thing was over in less than fifteen minutes. . . .

" It was not until we were taken on board the raider that we ascertained
the extent of her casualties. Although our shells were so small — the gun
was only a six-pounder — it seems we had done a good deal of damage, and
the bluejackets told us we had killed four of their crew and wounded two.
When the German commander came aboard our ship he asked for the captain,
and on Captain OHver coming forward he demanded why the Clan Mactavish
had fired on him. ' I wanted to get away, of course,' replied the captain,
' and I fired to protect my ship. My Government put a gun on board, and
I used it. It wasn't put there for ornament.' "

" It was a fine fight," says Sir Edward Merewether, who
watched it from the Appam. Finally the Germans discharged
two torpedoes at the Clan Mactavish^ and both struck home.
The British ship heeled over, as if some giant had struck her
a sudden blow, and in a- very short time disappeared. The
Germans lowered boats with all possible speed, and began to
search for survivors. Four of the gallant fellows who had
fought so pluckily were picked up, and the passengers on the
Appam gave them a rousing cheer as they were brought over
the side. All the others, nineteen in number, went down with
the ship.

During the night the Moewe parted company with the
Appaniy taking with her some £50,000 of bar gold which she
found on board her prize. Before she disappeared her com-
m_ander ordered the British on board the Appam to sign a paper
declaring that they would not take arms against the Germans.
Several of the passengers refused, and were imprisoned on
board the Moewe for a time, but were finally released and sent
back to the Appam. One man who signed the paper was called
up for the army on his return to England ; but he pleaded that
he had given a promise not to serve against the Germans, and
his promise was respected.

What became of the Moewe we shall learn later on. Mean-
while we will follow the fortunes of the Appam. It was quite

7 2 The Children's Story of the War.

clear that Lieutenant Berg could not carry the prize to a German
port. If he attempted to navigate the liner towards the North
Sea, she would be certain to be stopped and captured by
British cruisers. He was bound to take her to some neutral
port. The nearest neutral country to him was Spain ; but
instead of heading towards that country he steered westward
for the coast of North America. No doubt he had received
instructions to take the Appam to the United States, in the hope
that when she arrived questions might arise which would cause
trouble between the United States Government and that of
Great Britain. For some distance he towed the steamer Cor-
bridge, but before long he transferred all her coal to the Appam' s
bunkers, and then scuttled her. A roundabout course was then
made for the port of Norfolk, in Virginia.

During the voyage, which lasted sixteen days, the passengers
were allowed full liberty, and were not harshly treated. Food
soon ran short, and for the last three days of the voyage the
bill of fare consisted only of rice, biscuits, bread, and jam.
You probably wonder how Lieutenant Berg and his small crew
of twenty-two were able to prevent the four hundred passengers
from recapturing the ship. The passengers, you will remember,
had been deprived of arms, and Lieutenant Berg plainly told
them that if there was any attempt to mutiny he would blow
up the ship, and send everybody on board to " kingdom come."
For this purpose he had placed explosives in various parts of
the vessel, and had made arrangements to fire them by elec-
tricity. This threat was sufficient to put an end to all thoughts
of overcoming the German guard.

It is supposed that Lieutenant Berg intended to stay out of
port as long as his coal and oil lasted ; but he was prevented
from making a long cruise by the men in the stoke-hole, who
every day threw many tons of unburnt coal into the sea along
with the ashes. " You can trace the course of the Appam on the
bottom of the sea," said the chief engineer, '* by the steady line
of black coal ; and if friend Berg cares to look into the bilge
of the ship, he will find there enough oil to have lasted her
engines a month."

Early on the morning of ist February the Appam dropped
anchor in Hampton Roads. At once Lieutenant Berg sent off
the following telegram to the German Ambassador at Wash-
ington : —

The Story of the Moewe, 7 3

" I have the honour to report that I arrived at Hampton
Roads with the prize ship Appam, the British hner. I have on
board 400 passengers, among them the Governor of Sierra
Leone (Sir Edward Mere wether), many sacks of mails, and
3,000 tons of goods. — Berg."

The rest of the story is soon told. The Government of
the United States ordered the vessel to be interned as a German
prize until the end of the war, but refused to make prisoners of
the British subjects on board ; and, greatly to Lieutenant Berg's
surprise, would not allow him and his prize crew to go free.
The Appam's passengers and crew returned to England shortly
afterwards.

ju|. sfe ^ ^ ^ Hi ^

Now we must return to the Moewe. After she parted com-
pany with the Appam nothing definite was heard of her until
5th March, when the Germans issued a statement announcing
that she had arrived safely at a certain German port (Kiel) on
the previous day, after a successful cruise lasting several months,
and that she had brought with her four British officers, twenty-
nine British marines and sailors, and 166 men, crews of enemy
steamers, as well as £50,000 in gold bars. She claimed to
have captured in all fourteen ships, with a total tonnage of
over 58,000. As you may imagine, the Germans were hugely
delighted ; and the Kaiser at once decorated the whole crew
with the Iron Cross.

The success of the Moewe proved that a disguised ship,
given good luck, could elude our patrols. The history of all
blockades abounds with similar instances. The sea is so wide,
and the obscurity of darkness or fog is so great, that no patrols
can possibly keep all raiders from breaking through. It was,
however, a desperate adventure, and we will not begrudge the
German captain a full meed of praise for the skill and courage
which he displayed. The incident only served to stimulate our
navy to increased watchfulness.

TT TT w ^ TP TT

One of the Appam' s officers learned from the Germans who
had seized his vessel that six other ships were being fitted out
in the Kiel Canal, and that one by one they were going to try
to slip past the British patrols and prey on Allied shipping.
The story was probably true, for, on 29th February, H.M.

74 The Children's Story of the War.

armed merchant cruiser Alcantara sighted what looked like a
Norwegian merchantman steering for the Atlantic between the
Shet lands and the Faroes. She had the Norwegian colours
painted on her side, and it was noticed that at one time she had
two funnels, at another three, and on another occasion only
one. So suspicious were her movements that the Alcantara
closed up with her, and, when 800 yards away, signalled, " I
am going to board you." The answer was, ** I am a peaceful
merchantman flying the Norwegian flag."

Thereupon the captain of the Alcantara ordered a boat to
be lowered, and as this was being done the Moewe trick was
repeated, and the " peaceful merchantman " suddenly became the
fighting cruiser Greif. At once she discharged three torpedoes at
the Alcantara^ two of which hit her, and caused great havoc
on board. Although the British gunners were surrounded by
wounded men and the ship was doomed, they opened fire with
great gallantry, and for ten minutes fought a fierce duel with
the German raider. Then the British vessel heeled over and
sank.

After the Alcantara had been hit, one of her consorts, the
Andes, appeared, and took part in the fight. The German
raider fired more torpedoes, but the Andes evaded them, and
her shells swept the decks of the enemy. The German was
already beaten when the British light cruiser Comus, attracted
by the sound of firing, appeared on the scene. Again and again
her gunners hit the German vessel, but even before they opened
fire she was done for, and soon afterwards blew up with a loud
explosion. At once the work of rescue began, and five German
officers and 115 men out of a total complement of probably
over 300 were picked up and made prisoners. Our own loss
was five officers and sixty-nine men.

The Duel to the Death between the "Alcantara" and the -Greif.

(From the picture by Charles Pears. By permission of The Illustrated London News.)

Our illustration shows the final scene. The Alcantara is on the left, the Greif on the right.
The latter was sunk by gun-fire, and the former by torpedoes.

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Camel Steeplechase at Windhoek, Capital of German South-West Africa.

CHAPTER VIII.

LOYALISTS AND TRAITORS.

ON the first day of the year 19 16 the news of an African
success came to us Hke a ray of sunshine in the prevaiHng
gloom. The capital of the German colony of Kamerun had
surrendered. Already Togoland and German South-West
Africa had been captured, and the Kaiser's overseas empire
was now reduced to wellnigh one-third of its former extent.
In our fourth volume * I mentioned the campaign which gave
us German South-West Africa, and promised that, later on, I
would tell you the story of its conquest. In the next chapter
I will keep my promise.

When the Germans were planning the great adventure
which was to give them the mastery of the world, they con-
vinced themselves that Great Britain was a decaying power,
unable and unwilling to engage in a European struggle. They
felt sure that our empire, though it appeared solid and endur-
ing, was rotten at the core, and that if Britain was threatened
with war it would fall to pieces. To make assurance doubly
sure, they sent their agents into all parts of the empire where
there was a chance of stirring up strife, and waited for rebellion
to break out, east, west, north, and south. To their amaze-
ment the empire as a whole stood firm. Only in South Africa
and in Ireland were there outbreaks that led to fighting,
and these rebellions, hopeless from the first, were soon sup-

* See p. 322.

Loyalists and Traitors.

pressed. The great bulk of the peoples in the British Empire
proved themselves to be thoroughly loyal. Even if they had
grievances against Great Britain, they preferred her honest and
just rule to the bullying, overbearing government of the Ger-
mans, whose treatment of subject races has always been marked
by violence and contempt.

The Germans were confident that there would be a serious
outbreak in British South Africa. Less than fifteen years had
elapsed since the Boers,

secretly helped and en-
couraged by the Germans,
had begun a long and
bitter war against us. The
Kaiser and his Ministers
believed that the Boers
still hated us, and that
when the European war
began they would eagerly
seize the opportunity to
throw off the British yoke.
They did not know that
time had worked wonders,
and that a great change
had come over the feel-
ings of the Dutch. They
did not realize that Brit-
ain's just and generous
treatment had banished
much of the old enmity,
and had reconciled most
of the Boers to the idea
of living peaceably under
the Union Jack. In 1906

the British Government had said to the Boers, " Now that
you are under the British flag, take the rights of white men
and govern yourselves." Thus it came about that Boer generals
who were fighting against us in 1902 became Ministers of the
British Crown and rulers of British territory four years later.
Some people in Britain thought that this grant of self-government
was a very dangerous experiment ; but, as you will see, it justified
itself.

General Louis Botha, Prime Minister of
the Union of South Africa.

7 8 The Children's Story of the War.

In 19 10 the four states of South Africa came together and
formed a union. It was clear to all far-seeing men that
they were not strong enough to stand alone ; their railways
formed one system, and their interests were closely linked to-
gether. Most South Africans by this time had realized the truth
of the old proverb, " United we stand, divided we fall." They
therefore agreed to unite, and to setup one Government and one
Parliament, which should act for all. The first Prime Minister
of United South Africa was General Botha, the ablest of all
the Dutch soldiers who had fought against us in the Boer War.
He was a true patriot ; he loved South Africa dearly, but he
saw that she had no future save as a part of the British Empire.
Without abating one jot of his affection for South Africa,
he threw in his lot with the empire, and set himself to
win over those Boers who still resented and disliked British
rule. In this work he was greatly assisted by another Boer
general — ^Smuts, a man who had won fame alike as a scholar,
a lawyer, and a commander in the field. Britain had good
cause to rejoice that these two great men were at the head of
affairs in South Africa when the war began.

On August 7, 1 9 14, the British Government informed
General Botha that if the South African Government were to
seize such parts of German South- West Africa as would give it
command of Swakopmund, Luderitz Bay, and the wireless
stations at these places, it would be doing a great and urgent
service to the empire. On loth August General Botha replied
that South Africa would supply the land forces for such a
venture if Great Britain would provide ships and sailors. This
was agreed to, and on 9th September General Botha announced
in the Union Parliament that the Government had decided to
carry the war into German territory, " in the interests of South
Africa as well as of the empire." Parliament supported the
Prime Minister by 91 votes to 12, the opposition being led
by General Hertzog, who made a very bitter speech against
the proposal. Hertzog was the leader of the old, slow-going,
anti-British Boers, and he had recently been dismissed by
Botha from the Ministry.

There were several other Boer leaders who were disloyal.
One of them was General Beyers, a born soldier, who had won
fame by his handling of the guns during the Boer War. He
had visited Germany, and the Kaiser had paid him such great

Loyalists and Traitors. 70

attention that his head had been turned. When the grant of
self-government was given to the Transvaal he became Speaker
of its Parliament, but, to his chagrin, had not been appointed
to the same post in the Union Parliament. He had never for-
given Botha and Smuts for leaving him in the lurch and sup-
porting another can-
didate. In order to
appease him, he had
been made Com-
mandant-General of
the Active Citizen
Force ; but this did
not satisfy him. He
still cherished enmity
against his old friends,
and was ready to do
them all the mis-
chief he could . Then
there was De Wet,
who gave us so much
trouble during the
Boer War. Then he
had played hide-and-
seek with the British
columns ; he had
broken through our
lines time after time,
and had never been
caught. He was
fifteen years older
now, and had lost
much of his former
activity. His feats
during the Boer War
had made him some-
thing of a hero. In
reality he was a savage, coarse, unlettered man. He still
bitterly hated the British, and was eager to restore the old Boer
government.

Beyers had insisted on appointing, as lieutenant-colonel in
command of the border between British South Africa and

Christian Rudolf de Wet.

8o The Children's Story of the War.

German South-West Africa, a man named Marltz, who had
already served with the Germans, and was known to be in close
touch with them. Both Beyers and Maritz were traitors : they
had already plotted with the enemy, and had agreed that on
the outbreak of war they would raise the standard of rebel-
lion and set up a South African republic. As Commandant-
General of the Union forces Beyers was called upon to make
arrangements for carrying the war into German territory.
He knew all the secret plans of the Government, and he played
a double game until he thought the time was ripe for open
rebellion.

Botha knew well that there were many disloyal men in the
country, and that German agents had been busy stirring up
the anti-British Boers ; but he knew, too, that the great majority
of South Africans would gladly follow his lead. There was
great enthusiasm when he announced that he would command
the Union troops in person, and men at once flocked to his
banner. There was little or no difficulty in procuring recruits ;
the difficulty was in refusing them. Magistrates, employers of
labour, lawyers, schoolmasters, men of every rank and station,
begged to be allowed to enlist, if only in the ranks. It is said
that when Botha was raising troops he called up thirty-five
officers who had served with him in the Boer War, and told
them that he wanted fifteen of them to join him. He left
them for five minutes to talk the matter over. When he re-
turned their spokesman simply said, " Take the fifteen you
want ; the rest of us intend to go anyway as privates." In
a very short time 7,000 men — 5,000 foot and 2,000 mounted
infantry — ^were in arms.

CHAPTER IX.

REBELLION AND CONQUEST.

BEFORE I describe the campaign which was now about to
begin, let me point out that, though German South-West
Africa is continuous with British South Africa, an army cannot
invade the one from the other by land except at two points —
from the east along the lower course of the Orange River, and
from the south across the strip of desert between the Port
NoUoth Railway and the river. On the eastern border of
German South- West Africa stretches the Kalahari Desert,
which, except in very rainy seasons, is quite devoid of water.
No army can cross this desert without grave risk of perishing
from thirst. South of the desert, and south and east of the
lower course of the Orange, there are wide, dry plains which
are almost equally impossible for the advance of large bodies
of horses, mules, and men. You can clearly see that German
South-West Africa is best invaded from British South Africa
by sea.

Port Nolloth,* you will observe, lies about fifty miles south
of the mouth of the Orange River. From the port a railway
of 2 feet 6 inch gauge runs inland to the copper deposits of
Ookiep, 92 miles inland. It crosses country which is without
a blade of green except when the rains, which come once on
an average in every three years, drench it. Then flowers
of the rarest hue spring up from the bare sand and carpet
the barrenness with rich colour. About sixty miles from the
coast on this railway stands Steinkopf, from which a forty-five
mile track across a country without grazing and water leads to
Raman's Drift, on the Orange River. About thirty miles to the
north of Raman's Drift is Warmbad, the southern terminus of

* See Map, page 85.
V. 6

Rebellion and Conquest. St,

the German railway system. If you follow the course of the
Orange River inland, you will see the station of Upington, in
British Bechuanaland, and on the border line to the north-west
of it the frontier post of Nakob. Now that you are clear as to
the position of these places, you will be able to understand
General Botha's plan of campaign.

He proposed to invade German South-West Africa with
four columns — A, B, C, and D, Column A was to be carried
by sea to Port NoUoth, and by rail to Steinkopf, from which
place it would trek to Raman's Drift, and then fight its way
north towards the capital, Windhoek, where the Germans were
expected to make their great stand. B column, which was to
be commanded by Maritz, the traitor, was to advance from its
base at Upington to a point on the Orange River, where it
was to join hands with Column A. Column C would proceed
by sea to Luderitz Bay, occupy the port, and push eastwards
and then northwards towards Windhoek ; while Column D would
land at Swakopmund, and having captured the place, would
advance eastwards on the capital. All the columns, you will
observe, would have the railway to help them in their advance.
This plan, however, was never carried into effect, for reasons
which will presently appear.

As soon as the war began the German governor, Dr. Seitz,
ordered his troops to abandon Swakopmund and Luderitz Bay,
and retire with all their military stores to the capital, Windhoek,
some two hundred miles inland. Seitz knew well that as he
could expect no help from the sea, the ports were of no use to
him. His best defence was the 200 miles of sandy desert
which lay between the capital and the coast. Before leaving
Swakopmund he dismantled the jetty and sank the tugs in the
harbour. He had probably 10,000 men and a camel corps of
500 for the defence of the colony. He was strong in artillery
and machine guns, and had several aeroplanes.

As early as the 20th of August the enemy had made a number
of small raids into British territory, and had fought some skir-
mishes with the frontier farmers. More serious fighting began
when Column A, having landed at Port NoUoth, found itself
ready to push forward the 4th and 5 th South African Rifles
towards Raman's Drift. The trek across the desert from
Steinkopf was one long, hard grind through thick dust that
choked and blinded man and beast. Not until thirty- three

84 The Children's Story of the War.

miles of the journey had been covered was a water-hole dis-
covered, eight miles off the line of march. Before the march
could be completed the baggage animals had to trudge eight
miles to this water-hole and eight miles back again. The trek
was a great test of endurance both for man and beast, but it
was safely accomplished. At dawn on 15th September the
South African Rifles attacked the police station at Raman's
Drift. All the Germans but one scuttled away at the first
crack of the rifles. The German who remained was an officer,
and he surrendered after killing one of our men. Patrols were
sent in pursuit of the enemy, who retired inland to a strong
position at Sandfontein, halfway to Warmbad.

Meanwhile, on the 17th, the Germans surprised a British
post at Nakob, and left the place in charge of a small garri-
son. Next day Column C, which had sailed from Cape
Town in four transports, accompanied by a British gunboat,
landed at Luderitz Bay and occupied the town. At noon
the white flag on the town hall was replaced by the Union
Jack. The town was discovered to be a very unpleasing place,
with no natural advantages. Some of the public buildings
were imposing, and many of the houses were well furnished ;
but the streets were deep in loose sand. The wireless station
had been destroyed, but the electricity works were intact.
Luderitzbucht was taken over as a going concern. About a
hundred German families had remained in it when their army
retreated to Windhoek.

Now we must return to Column A, which you will remember
was pushing its patrols forward in pursuit of the Germans who
had been dislodged from Raman's Drift. Sandfontein, where
the enemy was reported to be in strength, is a small kopje
covered with huge boulders, in the midst of a sandy, cup-like
plain, which can only be approached through defiles in the
surrounding hills. The place is important, because it is
one of the few spots where water can be obtained in this dry
and thirsty land. When the British approached Sandfontein
on 19th September they found it abandoned. All the pumps
had been destroyed, and the bodies of dead dogs had been
thrown into the wells. The British occupied the kopje, and
having cleared the surrounding country, left a squadron as a
garrison. This squadron was relieved on the 25th, and the
newcomers, finding themselves attacked, sent for reinforce-

Rebellion and Conquest.

ments, which arrived early on the morning of the 26th. The
reinforcements consisted of a squadron with two guns and about
thirty men of the Transvaal Horse Artillery.

The new arrivals had hardly outspanned before clouds of

ATLAMTIG iuderiiz

0CF.A?1

Port NoliOtH

Scdle of Miles

0 25 so 75 too

German South-West Africa.

dust were observed north, east, and south of them. Before
long it was discovered that Sandfontein was being surrounded
by the enemy, who were from 1,500 to 2,000 strong. Retreat
was impossible, as all the defiles were occupied by the Germans.

86 The Children's Story of the War.

The enemy's guns opened fire, and as the gunners knew the
ranges, they did much execution. The Httle British force —
257 officers and men all told — fought gallantly all day until
their ammunition ran out, and then, having destroyed their
field pieces, surrendered. The German commander was full
of praise for the British ; he could not believe that so stubborn
a resictance had been put up by less than 300 men. Our loss
was 12 killed, 40 wounded, and 205 captured.

No doubt both this disaster and that at Nakob were due
to treachery. Somebody had given the enemy information as
to the number and the movements of the British troops, and
the Germans had thus been able to fall upon them unawares.
A fortnight later it was quite clear who the traitor was. At
this time Maritz was at Upington, in command of the 980
officers and men and four machine guns which were to form
Column B. You will remember that he owed his appointment
to Beyers. He had refused to take the oath of loyalty after
the Boer War, and had become naturalized in German South-
West Africa ; but when the Union was formed he had returned
to British territory, and had set up in business as a butcher.
He was a suspected man from the first. As far back as 19 13
he had been plotting with the Germans, who had promised him
help and had given him money.

When Maritz was instructed to advance into German South-
West Africa, he informed the Government that rather than do
so he would resign. By this time he had won over many of
his men, and his force could not be trusted. General Botha
thereupon ordered Colonel Brits to supersede him. Brits sent
a major to Maritz, ordering him to give up his command ; but
this Maritz refused to do. He seized the major, and kept him
under arrest, but afterwards released him and sent him back
with an impudent message to the Government. " Unless,"
he said, " General Hertzog, De Wet, Beyers, and others are
allowed to come and meet me and give me their instructions
by a certain date, I will invade the Union." The major fur-
ther reported that Maritz had shown him telegrams from the
Germans, and had told him that he held the rank of general in
the German army. Maritz had German troops with him, and
boasted that he had plenty of guns, rifles, ammunition, and money.

It was on loth October that Maritz purged his force of
its loyal members. By means of a trick he got all those who

Rebellion and Conquest. ^J

had not already agreed to join him to come to his quarters
unarmed, and then surrounded them with the rebel members
of his band. He said that he had made a treaty with the Ger-
mans, and that in return for helping them they would give
him forces to fight the British. He gave his hearers five minutes
to make up their minds whether they would join him or not.
Those who wished to throw in their lot with him were to take
two paces forward. Five officers and fifty-eight men stood
fast, including the whole of the machine-gun section. The
gunnery officer, Lieutenant Freer, told Maritz plainly what he
thought of him, and declared that if he had his four machine
guns with him he would gladly fight the whole pack of rebels.
Maritz refused this challenge, and ordered the loyal men to be
made prisoners. These poor fellows suffered much for keep-
ing faith. They were badly treated, and were in captivity for
eight months, when some of them managed to escape. On
1 2th October Maritz proclaimed a South African Republic,
with himself as President and Commander-in-Chief.

I have already told you that Maritz was to lead Column B,
according to Botha's plan of campaign. His treachery threw
all the plans out of gear, and compelled Botha to suspend all
important operations in German South- West Africa. At once
martial law was proclaimed throughout British South Africa,
and Botha announced that he would lead the loyalists against
the rebels. One of his friends begged him not to do so, say-
ing that his life was too valuable to be risked. To this Botha
replied, with deep emotion, that he would not ask his people
to enter into armed conffict with their brethren unless he led
them. The friend said that Botha had spoken nobly, and that
his words ought to be taken to heart by every man in the
country.

Five days after Maritz threw off the mask he was attacked
by Colonel Brits. By this time the traitor had discovered that
the Germans could send him no help, and that he had relied
on a broken reed. In a series of fights between the 22nd and
the 30th of October he was badly beaten, and his commando
was hopelessly broken up. It took twenty days to smash Maritz,
and in the meantime a much graver rebellion had begun.
*******

When war broke out in Europe an old Boer pastor, who was
believed by the " back-veld " Boers to be an inspired prophet,

Rebellion and Conquest. 89

began to see visions and to dream dreams. He said that Ger-
man}^ was the appointed agent of God to purify the world, and
that the Almighty had chosen Generals Delarey, Beyers, and
De Wet to set up once more the South African Republic.
Many of the old, slow-going, anti-British Boers firmly believed
in the prophet, and were quite willing to take up arms against
us. There were also large numbers of *' poor whites " in the
Transvaal who believed that all their troubles were due to
British rule. Rebellion was diligently preached amongst the
*' poor whites " and the " back-veld " Boers, and before long
numbers of them were ready to take up arms. There was one
man who might have raised the whole of the farmers in the
Western Transvaal — Delarey ; but he was accidentally shot by
a police patrol outside Johannesburg on the very day when
Beyers, by resigning his post as Commandant- General, showed
plainly that he was ready to head the rebellion.

On 24th October De Wet seized a small town in the north
of the Orange State, and did other acts of war. Botha at once
called upon all loyal burghers to help him to put down the
revolt, and to their undying honour they responded freely to
his call. From farm to farm went the summons, and when it
was received many a Boer took down his Mauser, upsaddled
his pony, and galloped off to the place of muster. In a few
weeks more than 30,000 loyal Boers were in arms. Remember
that these farmers were called upon to fight men of their own
blood, some of whom had been their leaders and comrades in
the Boer War.

Botha hastened northwards with all speed, and on the 27th
of October fell in with the enemy about eighty miles from
Pretoria. He completely routed the rebels, scattered their
commandos, and took eighty prisoners. The leaders fled to
the south-west. Elsewhere, however, the rebels had a success,
but it was short-lived. Before long they were being hunted
down in all directions. Some of them, along with Kemp,
made their way towards German territory, and on 7th November
General Smuts was able to announce that the rebellion was
over, and that only a few scattered bands under De Wet and
Beyers were holding out.

On nth November Botha completely defeated De Wet,
and two days later Beyers 's rebel band was thoroughly beaten.
De Wet now knew that the game was up, and with twenty-five

go The Children's Story of the War.

men he made one last dash for liberty. Probably he meant to
try to push through the Kalahari Desert to join the Germans
in South-West Africa ; but he had not reckoned on the swift-
ness of his pursuers, who followed hard after him in motor
cars. On ist December they caught him, and two days later he
entered Johannesburg as a prisoner.

On 8th December, when Beyers was being driven across the
Vaal, then in high flood, he found his horse failing under him,
and slipped from its back into the water to swim. His great-
coat hampered him, and in vain he tried to get rid of it. A
companion heard him cry, " I can do no more ; " and he sank.
Two days later his body was discovered. Thus, by the end
of December the back of the rebellion had been broken. De
Wet had been captured, Beyers was dead, Kemp was across
the German border, and Hertzog had saved his skin by not
declaring himself. In less than two months Botha had routed
the rebels at all points, and had captured 7,000 of them, while
his own loss was no more than 334.

The last embers of the rebellion were stamped out in
January, when the rebels, dispirited and half starving, were
badly beaten in the angle formed by the Orange River and
the German frontier. In their last sally they were led by
Kemp and Maritz. Kemp surrendered ; but Maritz, knowing
that no mercy awaited him, escaped into German territory.
When all was over Botha showed much mercy to his captives.
The rank and file were pardoned, but the leaders were brought
to trial. British South Africa was now safe from civil strife,
and Botha was free to give all his attention to the campaign
which he had already begun, but had been forced by the
rebelHon to suspend.

I do not propose to tell you the story of the conquest of
German South- West Africa in detail, for though it was a fine
achievement, it was not of thrilling interest, and the real foe
was not the enemy, but the cHmate and the desert. In fact,
the campaign resolved itself into a mighty and well-engineered
trek. Since September we had held Luderitz Bay, the southern
terminus of the roundabout railway which swerves northwards
and then eastwards to Swakopmund. During the rebellion we
captured Raman's Drift and the fords of the Orange, and on
14th January transports arrived at Swakopmund, and without

Rebellion and Conquest.

much trouble took possession of the place. We thus held all
the gates of the German colony, and our command of the sea
gave us freedom to use them. Swakopmund was described by
a correspondent as a " white city " perched on the edge of a
desert, and overlooking a foreshore more adapted to surf bathing
than shipping. It had many showy buildings and good shops,
attractive hotels, beer gardens, cinematograph theatres, and a
music hall.

General Botha, as you know, had decided on an enveloping
movement against Windhoek, and for this purpose his /orces

Searching for Water in the Desert

were divided into two main armies. The northern army, which
he himself led, moved along the railway towards the capital.
The southern army, under General Smuts, was divided into
three columns, the first of which moved east from Luderitz Bay
along the railway, the second north from Warmbad, while the
third was to invade the colony from Bechuanaland. Let us
follow very briefly the progress of the northern army. It began
to march inland on 22nd February ; but its progress was slow,
for the Germans had blown up the railway, and it had to be
repaired. By 5th May the northern army had driven the

92 The Children's Story of the War.

enemy back on Windhoek, and all serious resistance to its
progress was over.

On I St April the column moving northwards from Raman's
Drift joined hands with that which had pushed westwards from
Bechuanaland ; and on the 20th Keetmanshoop surrendered
without fighting. General Smuts made it his headquarters,
and waited there for the force which was moving inland from
Luderitz Bay. This force reached a station seventy miles north
of Keetmanshoop on 24th April, and all was ready for the
advance of the united southern army. Four days later, the
Germans were badly beaten north of Gibeon in the biggest
engagement of the campaign, and the circle of steel was fast
closing in on the capital. By ist May all German South-West
Africa south of Gibeon was in British hands, and Botha was
rapidly advancing on the capital from the west. On loth May
the Germans sent a message to say that Windhoek would sur-
render. On the 1 2th the army entered the town, and found
that the troops had withdrawn to Grootfontein, which you will
see on the map at the end of the railway in the north-east of
the colony. The wireless station at Windhoek was found to be
intact.

On the day following the occupation a message arrived that
Governor Seitz and the German military commander. Colonel
Francke, desired a '* conversation " with General Botha. A
meeting took place, an armistice of forty-eight hours was de-
clared, and finally, on July 8, 191 5, the whole German force
surrendered. The total number of prisoners taken during the
last stage of the campaign was 4,740. In addition, thousands of
rifles, large quantities of ammunition, twenty-two machine guns,
and thirty-seven field-pieces were surrendered. The enemy
had been outnumbered and outgeneralled, and, when engage-
ments took place, outfought ; and the main credit was due to
General Botha, who had indeed rendered " a great and urgent
service to the Empire."

The British Prime Minister well described the difficulty
of the task in a speech at the Guildhall when the capture of
Windhoek was announced : —

"Their undertaking has been no slight one. A force of about 30,000
men, rather over half of whom are mounted men, with guns, horses, medical
stores, mules, and transports, have been conveyed overseas 500 and 700
miles, in addition to the large land force which has been operating on the

Rebellion and Conquest.

German Union frontier. All supplies — every pound of provisions for the
men, much of the water for their consumption, every ton of forage for horses
and mules — have had to be brought from Cape Town. All the railway
material for rapid construction has also had to be brought from Cape Town,
and all these men, horses, guns, supplies, and materials had to be landed
at two ports, Luderitz and Walfish, at which appliances for disembarkation
for such operations had not been constructed. Then there was the sandy
desert veld, eighty to a hundred miles wide, which had to be covered."

None but those who have campaigned in German South- West
Africa can have any idea of the scorching heat, the deep sands,
and the gritty storms which prevail in these parched regions.
Many of the men had to be operated on to remove sand from
the glands under their tongues. Sand blew into everything,
and men were forced to wear goggles to keep it out of their
eyes. Hundreds of Cape boys were employed day and night
in shovelling sand off the railway. The conquest of German
South- West Africa was a triumph of human endurance and of
organizing skill.

Imperial Light Horse skirmishing.

(By permission of the puhlishers of " How Botha and Smuts conquered German
Son/h- West Africa")

CHAPTER X.

THE KAMERUN CAMPAIGN.

IN Chapter XIX. of our third volume I gave you some
account of the German colony of Kamerun, which forms a
rough wedge between British Nigeria and French Congo, with
its apex at Lake Chad. Kamerun is a vast country, about one
and a half times the size of the German Empire. German
South- West Africa, you know, consists for the most part of
wide, bare, waterless deserts, covered with shifting sand.
Kamerun, on the other hand, is well watered and thick with
vegetation. The oil palm grows freely, and in the dense
forests there is a wealth of valuable timber. The colony was
of great value to Germany, because it provided her with rich
tropical products. She held it for thirty years, and spent
much labour and vast sums of money in developing it. In
two districts alone fully a million pounds was expended in
planting cocoa and rubber.

On June i, 1916, the War Office published a dispatch from
Major-General Sir Charles Dobell giving an account of the
operations which led to the Allied conquest of Kamerun, or,
as he prefers to call it, the Cameroons. He tells us that the
colony was defended by a well-led and well- trained force,
plentifully supplied with machine guns, and that our conquest
of the country was not by any means a triumphal march. In
the early stages of the war, when our forces were insufficient
to hold the posts which we captured, we suffered several
reverses. In the bush country ambushes were frequently
laid for our men, and many of them fell victims to concealed
enemies. To add to our difficulties, sickness raged amongst the
troops.

The first half of the campaign was occupied in clearing the

The Kamerun Campaign. 95

coasts and the borders of the enemy. When this was done,
many columns marched from different points of the compass
towards Yaunde, a station far in the interior, where the Ger-
mans had set up their headquarters when they were driven
from Duala, the chief port. In the middle of February 19 16
the campaign was practically over, and Germany had lost
her most valuable African colony.

When the campaign began, early in August 19 14, it was
arranged that two French columns "should invade the country
from French Congo, while British columns entered it at several
points on the frontier of Nigeria. Unhappily these movements
were not successful, mainly because the forces which the Allies
were able to put into the field were too small for the purpose,
and because they had to advance during the rainy season in
a tangled and ill-mapped country. Already the enemy had
invaded Nigeria, in the hope of capturing the town of Ibi, on
the Benue River, and of cutting off the British from their water
route. At the post of Takum a little British garrison made a
stand which recalls the heroic defence of Rorke's Drift.* There
were only fifty Nigerian poHce and two British officers in the
place ; yet, though they were outnumbered by five to one,
they held the blockhouses for a whole day against most deter-
mined rushes, and drove off the enemy. At nightfall the faith-
ful blacks retired in pitch darkness and drenching rain. They
had to march in single file through swamps and rivers, and
for twenty-six hours were without food. Nevertheless they
reached a place of safety without a single casualty.

When war broke out a British officer was in Kamerun,
several hundred miles from the frontier. His friends were
puzzled how to communicate with him and give him a chance
of escaping to British territory. At last they sent a boy with a
message. The lad travelled for many days, and fortunately
reached the officer, who set off post haste for the frontier,
where he was stopped by a native sentry. The man was per-
suaded to let the officer through, and received two shillings
for his politeness. Two hours later German soldiers appeared,
only to discover that the officer had escaped. They vented
their rage by flogging the sentry.

About 29th August British mounted infantry captured the

* Post on the Buffalo River, Natal ; scene of a heroic stand by a handful
of the 24th Regiment against the Zulus on January 22, 1879.

96 The Children's Story of the War.

station of Garua,* which you will find on the river Benue, about
two hundred miles south of Lake Chad. Shortly afterwards
they were heavily counter-attacked, and driven back to British
soil with many casualties. One of the survivors said : "It
was a terrible loss, and there was absolutely no glory in the
whole fighting, taking place as it did in an out-of-the-way
spot — '5,000 miles from England — ^that not one person in a
thousand has ever heard of." No better luck attended the
other columns.

The land attack having failed, an attempt was made to carry
the port of Duala from the sea. The task was entrusted to
two British warships, the Cumberland and the Dwarf. An
officer of the Cumberland^ whose account f of the operations I
shall follow, tells us that the river mouth divides into many
deep, mangrove-bordered creeks, some of which are navigable
for many miles from the coast. Owing to the many shoals in
both river and creeks, a big ship such as the Cumberland can
only approach within fourteen miles of Duala.

The Cumberland and the Dwarf left Lagos on the evening
of August 29, 19 14, and reached the small harbour of Victoria,
to the westward of Kamerun River, on the morning of 4th
September. A beautiful view of Mount Kamerun (13,000
feet) was obtained as the ships steamed towards the town. A
small working-party landed and searched the town without any
opposition ; but next day a German officer appeared, and said
that unless the British retired in thirty minutes his troops would
wipe them out. As the town was surrounded by thick bushes
which concealed a large number of Germans, the working-party
was withdrawn. Shortly afterwards the ship's guns opened
fire, and destroyed a food store which had been discovered in
the town.

* See map, page 103.

t Blackwood's Magazine, December 1915.

CHAPTER XI.

THE CAPTURE OF DUALA AND THE CONQUEST OF KAMERUN.

HAVING ascertained that the enemy was in strength near
Victoria, the Cumberland sailed for Lagos, and on 7th Sep-
tember returned to the attack, along with a flotilla of lighters and
small craft capable of navigating the creeks. It was discovered
that nine vessels had been scuttled by the Germans to block
the fairway of the river, and divers had to descend and blow
them up before the channel was clear. While these operations
were going on, the Germans attempted to sink other vessels,
but the gunboat Dwarf was able to prevent them.

" The Germans undoubtedly thought at this time that this barrier
would prevent anything larger than the Dwarf from getting within range
of Duala. They knew, however, that she could do so, as she had proved
it two days previously [when she had pushed up to Doctor Point,* where the
Channel was mined, and had come within range of the battery at Yoss
Point]. They, therefore, decided to destroy her by torpedo. A steamboat
was fitted with two vertical spars secured over the bows and projecting to
a depth of 12 feet. A bracket, capable of being slid up and down the spars,
carried two flasks (used for making soda-water), about 6 feet long and
4 inches in diameter, filled with d^Tiamite. The flasks, when in position,
were parallel to the fore and aft line of the boat, and were fitted with pistols
carrying detonators arranged to act when they struck their target. This
is how they were to be used : A full head of steam was to be raised in the
steamboat, while a second boat went ahead to the off-side of the Dwarf
to show a light by which to steer ; a third was to remain handy to
pick up the brave who, having set the tiller of the steamboat to hit the
Dwarf, was to jump overboard in time to be clear of the explosion. What
really happened was that the man jumped overboard before the tiller had
been set and when some distance from the target. The boat that was to
pick him up found more pressing work to do when the Dwarf opened fire
on the boat showing a light, so that the attack was in no way a success ; and
the ' torpedo ' having missed by 400 yards, cruised about until the steam

* See map, page 99,
V. 7

98 The Children's Story of the War.

died down, when it drifted on to a mud bank, whence it was rescued by
the Dwarf in the morning. The ' torpedo ' was removed, and thereafter
the steamboat became a valuable addition to the flotilla. The man who
had been entrusted with the aiming of this infernal machine swam to one
of the sunken vessels, from which he was rescued in the morning. When
questioned, he said he was a missionary, trying ' to do his bit.' Rumour
has it that he is doing it as a prisoner at Dahomey." *

By this time it was clear that all the creeks would have to
be cleared of the enemy before any advance could be made.
Many little fights took place in the narrow waterways, and in
one of them a British picket boat actually attacked a German
armed merchantman, and put three shells into her hull. The
picket boat was chased, but the merchantman retired as soon
as she sighted the Cumberland at the mouth of the river. The
Dwarf went in pursuit of her, and in the network of creeks
the two ships suddenly found themselves within fifty yards of
each other, the German coming down stream and the Dwarf
going up. The creek was narrow, and the Dwarf could not
turn, so she opened fire, and went full steam ahead, in the hope
of ramming the German vessel. Her first shot blew the enemy's
foremost gun and crew into the water, and a few minutes later
she crashed into the enemy. All the Germans who had not
been killed jumped overboard, and the vessel was last seen
blazing furiously and drifting seawards. The four guns of the
Dwarf had poured shot into her from a range of ten yards !
About a dozen Germans were killed ; but the Dwarfs casualties
were nil, though she had a clean cut along her side from the
upper deck to six feet below the water line. In a week, how-
ever, she was repaired, and ready for more adventures.

Other craft now took up the work of creek fighting. Some-
times these boats had to anchor at night within a few yards of
the dense mangroves on the banks, and the men on board
listened to the trumpeting of elephants and the squealing of
monkeys, or glanced over the side to see the snaky forms of
crocodiles cleaving the surface of the water. By 24th Sep-
tember the river had been cleared up to Yoss Point : the enemy
had been driven from the lower creeks, and the barrier across
the fairway of the river had been blasted through. The previ-
ous day the cruiser Challenger had arrived with six transports,
carrying 3,500 native troops under white officers. Most of these

* French colony on the Guinea coast of Africa.

Capture of Duala and Conquest of Kamerun. 99

men had been trained to bush fighting, and as they had to
proceed through forest tracks they were accompanied by 3,000
carriers. French transports with 4,000 Senegalese appeared
next day, and soon all was ready for the attack on Duala.

The Challenger managed to push up the river to within ten
thousand yards of the town, and the Dwarf advanced still nearer.
Before the ships opened fire a messenger with a white flag was
sent to the governor, demanding the surrender of the place,
and giving him two hours in which to prepare an answer and
to withdraw the women and children if he intended to resist.

Chart of the Mouth of the Kamerun River.

While the Challenger and the Dwarf v/ere flying the white flag
at their mastheads, the Germans sent a number of floating mines
down the swiftly flowing current, in the hope of destroying
the ships. Our bluejackets, however, lined the bulwarks with
machine guns and rifles, and exploded the mines before they
could do any damage. At the end of two hours the Germans
returned an answer which was only meant to gain time. So
the day passed, and the bombardment had to be postponed
until next morning.

At dawn on the morrow the Challenger opened fire, but
only on special parts of the town, because it was hoped to

I oo The Children's Story of the War.

occupy the chief buildings as general headquarters for future
operations. At ten in the morning the roar of a heavy explo-
sion was heard. The Germans had blown up the wireless
station. Half an hour later the place surrendered. Mean-
while the German troops had got away. As soon as the mines
were cleared from the deep channel the Challenger steamed up
and anchored off the town.

It was not only the Challenger's bombardment which brought
about the rapid surrender of Duala. An attempt had been
made to land troops on the bank of the Lungazi River, directly
south of the town. Only a few of the men were put ashore,
and the transport conveying them ran aground. Nevertheless,
when the Germans learned that the Allies were landing forces,
and were threatening their only line of retreat, they made haste
to give up the place and get their forces away. Gunboats were
pushed up the creek in order to cut off the German retreat,
but they found themselves brought to a standstill by a boom
a short distance below Pitti. The enemy got away by the railway
which runs eastwards from Duala. As soon as the trains were
across the Lungazi River the Germans blew up the bridge.

On 28th September our troops were sent up to Duala, and
the Headquarters Staff was installed in Government House,
which had only been slightly damaged by the bombardment.
The Tricolour and the Union Jack were hoisted together at the
flagstaff, and the capital of the Kameruns passed into the
hands of the Allies.

M. AU Jb 4^ 4t 4t ^U

^ TP TP TP Tf TP TP

The Allies had now gained a foothold in Kamerun, and
were in a position to push into the interior ; but neither
the climate nor the character of the country favoured their
advance. The rain fell in torrents for days at a time ; there
were no roads or even paths ; the country was covered with
the densest African forest. Had it not been for the two rail-
ways which run, the one to the north and the other to the east
from Duala, little or no progress could have been made.

The column which advanced along the northern railway
suffered a repulse, but was afterwards able to push on, and by
loth December had reached the railhead, where two aeroplanes,
which had not yet been unpacked, were captured. Good
progress was made along the midland railway, and by the
end of January 1916 a goodly strip of the country was in our

Capture of Duala and Conquest of Kamerun. i o i

hands. By this time French and Belgian troops had begun to
make their presence felt on the borders, and all that was valu-
able to the Germans in Kamerun had been lost. The wireless
station had been destroyed, the coasts were ours, and the Ger-
man troops were preparing to make a last stand at -Yaunde,
about one hundred and twenty miles east of Duala.

In March 19 15 the French and British generals met at Duala
to make arrangements for a joint advance on Yaunde, now the
German headquarters. By ist May the British and French
columns were at a place about sixty miles east of Duala, and a

A Flotilla on the River. {Photo, The Sphere.

little more than that distance from Yaunde. In front of them
was thick bush where, at every turn of the road, machine guns
lay in ambush. The enemy fought stubbornly, and threat-
ened our line of communications, while sickness played havoc
in our ranks. The advance on Yaunde failed, and our troops
fell back to the line of the Kele River.

Nothing more was attempted until October ; but during
the interval a plan was made to finish off the conquest of the
country. French troops at the point marked A on the south-
eastern border * were to move in the direction of the arrow

* See map, p. 103.

Assembling a Column of Native Soldiers and Bearers.

{Photo t The Sphere.)

This picture gives some idea of the great difficulties encountered in the conquest of
Kamerun. In the background you notice the dense tropical forest, which is only traversed by
a few tracks. Pioneers must precede an army operating in this region, and hew and track out
a road before an advance can be made. Every pound of supplies and all the ammunition must
be carried on the heads of natives. Consequently the army of carriers must be almost as large
as the army of fighters. Progress through the forest is bound to be slow as well as dangerous.
Snipers lurk in the undergrowth, and machine guns are installed under dense cover so as to
sweep the tracks by which the army advances. During the fighting in the forest region
ambushes were frequent, and the Allies lost many men. Further, the rotting vegetation and
the damp fetid air caused great sickness amongst t}ie troops. Had it not been for the rivers and
the railways, the conquest of Kamerun could hardly have been undertaken with any hope of
success. A few of our Nigerian troops are shown on the right of the picture. Many of these
men are Hausas, belonging to the most intelligent and enterprising of West African tribes.
They have long had a form of writing of their own, and books of poems, riddles, history,
law, etc. They teach their children to read and write. Many of them are Mohammedans,
but others remain heathen. Their speech is understood by most tribes in the central and
western Sudan. For generations they have mined iron, tin, lead, silver, and salt ; they are
excellent farmers, keen traders, and expert at cotton spinning, weaving, and dyeing. Though
peaceful by nature they are very strong, brave, and cool. As early as 1874 they fought as
allies of the British (in the Ashanti campaign). The Hausa makes an excellent policeman
and soldier. He is said to be " as incorruptible as an English judge."

Capture of Duala and Conquest of Kamerun. 103

marked i, while a force was landed at Campo, and was to march
in the direction of the arrow marked 2. Other columns were
to close in upon Yaunde in the direction of the arrows marked
3 and 4, and meanwhile an
advance was made on Banyo
by two columns starting from
the Nigerian frontier (6^ and
6^). A Belgian column also
invaded the country from the
Congo, and a force (5) cleared
the country round the north-
ern railhead.

An officer who accom-
panied colunm 6^ advancing
on Banyo tells us that he and
his comrades climbed to the
plateau on which the town
stands by steep, narrow paths,
and that on the crest they
discovered a strong position

M 100 I60

which the enemy had abandoned. The next few days' advance
was across open rolling grass lands, quite uninhabited. The
enemy took up positions on kopjes, but were easily driven
from their strongholds. When near Banyo the two columns
came into touch, and on 24th October they entered the town,'
from which the garrison had withdrawn to the top of a steep
mountain amidst a range of hills three miles away. From
Banyo this position looked very strong indeed. It fairly bristled
with rocky boulders and strongly-built " sangars." *

" We commenced our attack on the mountain early on the morning of 4th
November. The infantry, advancing from four different directions, covered
by the fire from our three guns, worked their way up slowly and doggedly,
foot by foot, climbing over rocks and tearing their way through the thorny
scrub and the long grass under a heavy rifle and Maxim-gun fire from the
enemy's sangars and concealed snipers amongst the rocks. By the evening
most of the companies had managed to struggle halfway up the hill, getting
what shelter they could from the incessant fire of the enemy, which was
aided by fireballs and rockets. Officers and men, exhausted, and drenched
with rain, hung on to the ground gained. At dawn on the morning of the
5th they started climbing once more, splendidly led and commanded by
their company and section commanders.

* An Indian term for low walls of loose stones, used as cover.

1 04 The Children's Story of the War.

" Our troops having got directly under the first hne of sangars, the
enemy, in addition to rifle and Maxim-gun fire, started rolHng down
rocks and throwing dynamite bombs. ... All that day our men gradually
worked their way up, capturing a small stone redoubt and a sangar here
and there. . . .

" Darkness set in early that evening. At 5 p.m. heavy clouds rolled
up from the west, and an hour or two later a terrific thunderstorm burst
over the mountain. Heavy firing and the explosion of bombs and fireballs
still continued. There seemed reason to fear that, owing to the exhaustion
of our men from the want of sleep and violent physical effort, they would
never succeed.

" A misty morning prevented our seeing what was happening as dawn
broke on the morning of the 6th, but as only scattered firing was going on
success seemed assured; and sure enough, as the mist dispersed, a white
flag could be seen on the top of the hill and our men standing out against
the sky-line. It had been a dour and stubborn fight. The Germans
occupying such a strong and well-prepared position, had put up a strong
resistance, and contested every yard of ground. Our men, however, would
not be denied. They fought magnificently. The people of Nigeria ought
to feel proud in producing such good soldiers, as it was a task which would
have tried the finest troops in the world."

On the top of the mountain the victorious troops saw a
strange scene. Scattered in all directions were broken furni-
ture, burst trunks, tin boxes, blankets, bedding, clothes, broken
bottles of wine and beer, smashed-up rifles, gramophones,
telephones, and a hundred other things, in the utmost confu-
sion. Within this hill-stronghold the Germans had built
several good mud houses with glass doors and windows, furni-
ture, carpets, pictures, etc. Signposts showed the way to the
defensive posts ; there were two fine cement reservoirs of
water, a vegetable garden, and caves filled with mealies and
corn. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and fowls were feeding hard by, and
it was clear that the Germans thought they could hold the posi-
tion for any length of time. The capture of this eyrie was a
feather in the caps of the Nigerian troops, and when they were
paraded on 7th November " it was a real pleasure to see their
black, grinning faces and hear them cheering."

By 26th November the French, advancing along the arrow
marked 3, were within forty miles of Yaunde; and on 17th
December our troops, advancing along the arrow marked 4,
had left the tangled forest region behind, and were in open
country. Thenceforth they pushed forward on a wide front,
and the enemy, knowing that spearheads were being thrust
against him on all sides, began to lose heart and give way.

Capture of Duala and Conquest of Kamerun. 105

Meanwhile the columns which had captured Banyo had marched
south for 160 miles, and had joined hands with the column
moving along the arrow marked 4.

Yaunde was now doomed. Harried on all sides, the enemy
completely broke, and all real resistance was over. On New
Year's Day, 1916, the French entered Yaunde, and before long
the flags of France, Britain, and Belgium were flying above
the town. During the following week allied troops from all
points of the compass began to arrive. A very remarkable feat
had been performed. Widely separated* columns, that had

German Troops in Banyo.
{Photo, The Ilhtstrated London News. )

fought and marched for a period of seventeen months, had
converged upon Yaunde within a few days of each other.
Despite the roadless country, the swampy marshes, the dense
forests, the difficulties of transport, the great heat, and the
sickness that always besets troops in the tropics, all the columns,
some of them beginning their march from points separated by
five hundred miles, met at the point to be attacked almost at
the same time. Probably never before in the history of war-
fare* has a combined movement of this character been so well
timed and so successfully carried through.

The Germans who retreated from Yaunde were followed

1 06 The Children's Story of the War.

up ; but most of them, along with the governor, managed to
escape into Spanish territory,* where they were disarmed and
interned. In the middle of February 1916 the only Germans
in Kamerun were perched on a lofty mountain in the far north,
where they were closely besieged and cut off from the outer
world. Before the end of the month they yielded, and the
conquest of the colony was complete.

^ J& ^ J^ 4t OCf JC

•JP 'TV If If If TT TP

Only one Victoria Cross was awarded during the campaign
which gave us Kamerun. It was won by

Captain John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler, the King's
Royal Rifle Corps, attached Pioneer Company, Gold Coast
Regiment, West African Frontier Force.

On November 17, 1914, Captain Butler, with a party of
thirteen men, pushed into the thick bush and attacked the enemy,
who numbered about one hundred, and were armed with a
machine gun. He and his followers scattered the troops opposed
to them, and captured the machine gun, together with many
loads of ammunition. Again, on 27th December, Captain
Butler exhibited remarkable courage. The Ekkam River was
held by the Germans, and it was important that the position
and strength of the enemy should be ascertained. Captain
Butler went out for the purpose with a few men and, all alone,
swam the river. In the face of a brisk fire he managed to
reach the farther bank, and creep sufficiently near to the enemy
to find out where and in what strength he was posted. The
gallant captain returned in safety, but two of his men were
wounded while he was in the water.

*4^ J^ ^ J^ M, 4^

TP *3p w w tF nf

You have now heard how German South- West Africa and
Kamerun were lost to Germany. In February 19 16 the only
remaining colony in which the enemy could show fight was
German East Africa, which had been first attacked as far back
as August 13, 19 14. I shall not now describe the fighting in
East Africa, but shall postpone my account of the campaign
until I can tell you the whole story.

* Late in June 1916 the Kaiser sent a submarine to Cartagena with a
letter of gushing thanks to the King of Spain for the manner in which
German refugees from Kamerun had been received in Spanish African
territory.

CHAPTER XII.

THE ADVANCE ON ERZERUM.

IT is a far cry from Kamerun to Armenia — from the fetid
breath of mangrove swamps and the clammy heat of tropical
forests to the deep snow and piercing blizzards of sterile up-
lands, " where winter lingering chills the lap of May." In
Chapter XXXII. of our third volume I described the fierce
fighting which took place on the borders of this region during
November and December 1914 and January 1915. You will
remember that the Turks then invaded Transcaucasia, and
made a desperate attempt in the depth of winter to reach the
Russian fortress of Kars. Our ally dealt with the Turkish
columns one by one, and flung them from the country with
great slaughter. Transcaucasia was entirely cleared of the
enemy, and the remnants sought refuge in the fortress of
Erzerum, the central city of the Armenian plateau.

A year later, again in the depth of winter, this region be-
came the scene of a struggle which ended in a great Russian
success. Russian and Turk had now changed parts : the
defenders of 19 15 were the attackers of 19 16. The Russians
swept across the frontier, and, as you will learn, wrested from
the enemy not only Erzerum, his most important stronghold
in Asia Minor, but Trebizond, the sea-gate of that fortress, and
pushed south to within two hundred and fifty miles of the
British forces on the Tigris.

Erzerum stands 6,000 feet above sea level, in a sort of flat
pocket of ground amidst lofty hills which hem it in on the
north, north-east, and south. All travellers must enter the
city by one or other of five roads. One of these roads,, running
to the north-east, pierces the mountains by means of a deep
gorge, and leads past Olty to the Black Sea port of Batum.

The Advance on Erzerum.

109

Map showing Roads which meet
at Erzerum.

Another road strikes north-west, and after crossing three passes,
one of them 8,000 feet in height, comes to an end in the Turkish
port of Trebizond. It was
at Trebizond that Xenophon *
and the Ten Thousand joy-
fully saw the sea after the
terrible trials of their retreat
across the snowy ranges of
Armenia. The distance from
Trebizond to Erzerum is 200
miles, and a week of fine
weather is necessary for the
journey. The third of the
roads running northwards
from Erzerum crosses a pass
called the " Camel's Neck," f
and runs to the Russian rail-
head of Sarikamish, some
seventy miles away. This
road is by far the best of all the roads which lead to Erzerum.
The " Camel's Neck," which lies a few miles to the east of-
the city, is only a few hundred feet higher than the pocket in
which Erzerum stands. Southwards from Erzerum runs a road
which forks into two — ^the more easterly leading to Mush, on
the Eastern Euphrates ; the other to Diarbekr, which is only
fifty miles from the Baghdad railway.

Now that you know something of the situation of Erzerum,
you can easily understand that in ancient times it was a most
important trading centre and the avenue through which western
Asia Minor communicated not only with Persia and Mesopo-
tamia, but with Transcaucasia. The Transcaucasian railway
on the north and the Baghdad railway on the south have robbed
it of much of its trade ; but it is still an important centre, and
before the war was considered to be the strongest fortress in
the Turkish Empire. At the beginning of the year 19 16 three

* Xenophon was a Greek who (401 B.C.), with 10,000 others, joined
Cyrus the Younger in his attempt to overpower his brother and seat him-
self on the throne of Persia. Cyrus was routed and slain at Cunaxa on the
Euphrates, and the Greeks under Xenophon made a wonderful retreat to
the coast of the Black Sea at Trebizond. Xenophon tells the story in
his Anabasis.

t Marked on the map (p. 112) Deve Boyun.

1 1 o The Children's Story of the War.

gaps in the hills on the eastern side of the city — ^the gorge
through which passes the road to Olty ; the " Camel's Neck,"
over which runs the road to Sarikamish ; and the break in the
line of high crests through which the road to Mush proceeds
southwards — were all commanded by strong forts. The Turks
declared that they had i ,030 heavy guns and 200 lighter pieces
in position round Erzerum. It is doubtful, however, whether
they had any of the largest Krupp or Skoda guns.

The great weakness of Erzerum as a fortress lies in its long
and broken communications with its main base at Constan-
tinople. A convoy of munitions or supplies starting from the
shores of the Bosphorus must travel for two days by rail to
the nearest railhead at Angora. Then it must proceed by road
for 440 miles. It would thus take at the very least three weeks
to reach Erzerum. The usual route was by sea to Trebizond,
and then by road to the city ; but as the Russians were now
in command of the Black Sea, the Turks dared not send muni-
tions and supplies by ship. Up to the end of February 19 16
the Russian light cruisers and torpedo boats had sunk some
4,000 Turkish vessels in the Black Sea. The sea route was
•therefore impossible, and the land route alone was available.
As the Turks were short of rolling stock, and the roads were
deep with the snows of midwinter, they had the greatest diffi-
culty in providing Erzerum with the ammunition and other
supplies necessary for it to sustain a siege. The Russians were
in a much more favourable position. By means of the Trans-
caucasian railway they could bring troops, guns, and munitions
from their bases to within seventy miles of the fortress which
they were now about to attack.

When the Tsar placed himself at the head of the Russian
armies in September 191 5, he appointed the Grand Duke
Nicholas, the former commander-in-chief. Viceroy of the
Caucasus. Nicholas reinforced the Russian army on the Turk-
ish border, and brought it up to a strength of about 180,000
men. The Turks at this time could not muster more than
150,000. Since the beginning of winter the Grand Duke had
been making preparations for an advance, but it is probable
that he did not intend to move until spring. He struck, how-
ever, before his time, and for the following reason. Early in
January, you will remember, the Allies finally left the Gallipoli
peninsula, and by so doing released five Turkish corps for

The Advance on Erzerum. 1 1 1

service elsewhere. It was thought probable that the greater
number of these troops would be sent to the Caucasus, but
they could not arrive for at least six weeks. The Grand Duke
therefore resolved to strike before the enemy's forces could be
strengthened.

It was a bold resolve, for winter campaigning on the lofty
uplands of Armenia is a terrible trial of endurance. The
thermometer is always far below freezing-point, the roads are
blocked with snow, avalanches are frequent on the mountains,
and the blizzards are perhaps more to be feared than artillery
fire. The people of the country still shelter themselves from
the winter storms and biting cold by living in deep pits, just
as they did in the days of Xenophon. There was only one
advantage to be gained by a winter attack : the enemy might
be taken by surprise. On the other hand, the forces of nature
alone might bring about a Russian defeat.

The Russians began their movement on the nth of Jan-
uary. They advanced on a broad front on both sides of the
road from the railhead at Sarikamish to Erzerum, and the
Turks were obliged to fall back to avoid being enveloped.
The movement was greatly impeded by snowstorms, which
formed drifts up to the height of a man's waist. On the i6th
the centre reached the village (marked X on the map, page
112) which commands the bridge crossing the river Araxes.
Then began a fierce battle, which lasted two days. The Turks
held the village and the bridgehead with machine guns, and
the Russians were checked ; but on the evening of the i8th,
in the midst of a blinding snowstorm, they carried the posi-
tion. The village was captured in the early hours of the morn-
ing, and three Turkish divisions were driven in utter rout
towards Erzerum, only thirty-three miles away. The Turks
fled pell-mell over the snowy mountains, throwing away their
arms and equipment, and leaving behind them large quan-
tities of stores. Erzerum was lost at the battle of the Araxes
crossing.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FALL OF ERZERXJM AND THE CAPTURE OF TREBIZOND.

WHILE the Turks were fleeing from the Araxes to the
shelter of Erzerum the Russians won another success.
Their cruisers in the Black Sea sank 163 Turkish sailing ships,
73 of which were laden with provisions. On 22nd January
they sent 40 more vessels to the bottom. Thus Erzerum
was deprived of munitions and supplies at the very moment
when the Russians were closing in upon it.

The plight of the retreating Turks was awful. The pur-
suing Cossacks followed them up relentlessly. Often they
passed on the road hundreds of broken and weary men huddled
together and sleeping in the snow. When engaged in round-
ing up the fugitives they frequently found dozens of them
frozen to death. It was a mob of dazed, numbed, and half-
starved men, rather than an army, that gathered behind the
Camel's Neck for a last stand.

By the 20th January the Russians were at the gates of the
fortress, and were preparing to assault the Camel's Neck. The
speed of their advance was amazing. Three days after the
collapse of the Turks at the Araxes, Russian guns were battering
at the outer forts of the city. The policy of General Yudenitch,
who commanded the army, was to give the enemy no time to
rally or to take up new defensive positions. Turkish rein-
forcements were on the way, but he hoped to capture the city
long before they could arrive.

From 26th January to 12th February the Russians waited
for their heavy guns and the necessary ammunition to arrive.
Meanwhile their field guns were busy bombarding the forts.
On the loth, when the thermometer was fifty degrees below
zero, a Russian column pushed through the deep snow and

1 1 4 The Children's Story of the War.

reached the fort of Kara Gubek, the extreme north-eastern
point of the Erzerum defences. Mr. Seppings- Wright, whose
picture of the incident appears on page 120-121, says : —

" This fort is the key to the whole system of the outer defences of the
city of Erzerum. There are fifteen other forts, but none of such supreme
importance as Kara Gubek. The assault was carried out by Caucasian
and Siberian troops, all hardened by the winters of the North. Few other
troops in the world could have faced such conditions, and their success
deserves to rank as one of the greatest feats of the war. . . . Steadily and
surely the Russian army forged their way — storming the plateaus, chasing
the enemy over glaciers until the final rush was made. Up the last barrier
they cUmbed knee-deep in snowdrifts, the icy wind burning and blistering
their faces like the blast from a furnace. The cries of men and the sighs
of the tired animals, mingling with the sharp clap of shrapnel, made the
strangest chorus ever heard. It was repeated a thousand times among the
tremendous precipices of that weird land. ... No roads helped the advance.
From the summit of a high ridge Erzerum, the goal, was seen, and was
greeted with loud shouts. As the armies assembled on the crest, the order
was given to charge down. Then occurred the most extraordinary spec-
tacle— an army sliding down the smooth slopes until the mountain side
was lined as though with innumerable toboggan runs. Crowning the
summit of a mountain opposite stood the great fortress of Kara Gubek,
the ramparts lined with Turks. Banners with the Crescent and Star
streamed in the wind, but the defenders were about to meet their doom.
Small parties of Russian engineers had been at work digging zigzags in
the snow. These were instantly filled with swarms of Russians. . . .
Around the crumpling ramparts of the forts the Turks had prepared posi-
tions with wire, and an entirely new device — namely, frozen snow ; the snow
had been constantly sprayed with water, and had frozen into a barrier of
ice. The assault commenced at seven in the morning ; by noon the Rus-
sian flag flew proudly over the fort. Erzerum was won ! "

Kara Gubek fell on 12th February, and next day Fort
Tafta, overlooking the Camel's Neck, was carried, after a
Russian shell had exploded its magazine. The Russians were
now in the rear of the main defences of the city, and during
the next two days the forts surrendered one by one. On the
evening of the 15th only the old rampart of the inner redoubts
stood between the attackers and the city. The Turks knew
that their last hope had gone, and almost immediately began
to abandon the place. They streamed in disorderly crowds
along the roads to Trebizond, Erzingan, and Diarbekr ; and
at eight o'clock on the morning of the i6th the Cossacks of
the central column rode into the city, where they were soon
joined by mounted men of the other columns. Erzerum was
in Russian hands.

-^;/.

Russians dragging Field Guns up the Mountains.

(From the picture by H. C. Seppings- Wright. By permission of The Illustrated London News.)

" In the south," writes Mr. Seppings- Wright, an artist with the Russian armies in Armenia,
" the whole region is covered with mountains, which rise to a height of 10,000 feet. There is
a complete absence of roads. Thinking this region impassable to any important force, the
Turkish staff entrusted its defence chiefly to Kurds. . . . By a Jtind of miracle the Russian
troops dragged up, not mountain guns, but field guns. . . . Reaching the edge of the plateau,
our men slid down the slopes amid cries of ' To Erzerum ! ' "

1 1 6 The Children's Story of the War.

Without delay the Cossacks went in pursuit of the retreat-
ing Turks, and soon were busy rounding up prisoners and
capturing guns. Some 12,753 unwounded Turks, 323 guns,
nine standards, and vast quantities of ammunition and stores
were taken. Between the nth of January and the 17th of
February the Turks cannot have lost less than 60,000 men.
Five divisions are said to have been wiped out as fighting units.

The capture of Erzerum must be accounted one of the
most brilliant victories of the war. Three columns had marched
upon the city by different routes, and all had come together
at the right moment. The central column had brilliantly car-
ried the bridge at the crossing of the Araxes ; the left column
had moved with amazing speed through the wild tangle of
pathless hills, had dragged 8-inch guns over rocky crests
sheathed in ice or deep in snow, and had assaulted the key-
fort of the city by glissading down a mountain side. Only
soldiers of the greatest endurance and the most dogged deter-
mination could have performed such a feat.

w V tP tP ^ 'f? ^»

The man who was mainly responsible for the capture of
Erzerum was General Yudenitch, the chief of the Caucasian
army. He it was who defeated the Turks at Sarikamish in
the winter of 19 14, and planned the campaign which had just
been crowned with success. He had spent his whole life in
the Caucasus, and had specially trained his men for winter
warfare amidst the snow-clad and blizzard-swept mountains.
So constantly were his troops sent on route marches that he
was nicknamed " The General on the Go." It is said that his
Caucasian troops were ready in full marching order twenty-
four hours after the Tsar gave the order for mobilization.
When Erzerum was captured he was a man of fifty years of
age, remarkable for his great modesty, his strong will, and
his fixed belief in the truth of the old proverb, *' Look before
you leap." His favourite saying was, " Measure seven times
before you cut anything." He believed in training his men
and ofiicers to think and act for themselves. " One who obeys
without thinking," he said, ** is worth much ; but a chief who
educates his subordinates in the idea that every order must
be blindly obeyed commits high treason."

Some idea of the difficulties which the Russians had to

Fall of Erzerum and Capture of Trebizond. 117

encounter in their advance on Erzerum may be gathered from
the following account written by a Russian officer. He tells
us how his men descended from the mountains to attack the
bridge over the Araxes.

" We held a position on the summit of a mountain rising iijOOO feet
above sea level. Every morning there was a strong wind, which drove
before it masses of snow and drifted up our positions to a depth of from.
10 to 15 feet. Our shelters, huts, and kitchens were all buried in the snow.
The wind was so fierce that most of our huts were almost blown to pieces,
though they were held together with wire. No one so much as thought of
warm food during those days. Not only were our kitchens buried in the
snow, but we had no other means of heating water.

" At last we got orders to leave our burrows above the clouds and de-
scend into the valley. We began the incredibly difficult task of finding our
way down precipices coated thickly with snow. The men followed one
another in single file, in endless chains, forcing their way through the deep
snow with their chests. From time to time rifle shots were fired to guide
those behind. Only after a whole day of wandering did we manage to
assemble again. The hurricane hurled upon us dense clouds of snow. The
men clung together in groups, so as not to lose sight of one another. Frozen
snow penetrated our clothes and turned the cloth into a hard sheeting of
ice. Masks of ice covered the soldiers' faces. One of the horses slipped
and disappeared over a precipice.

" By desperate exertions we somehow managed to get our guns n down
into the valley. Here we were received by the detachment stationed there,
who helped us with the final work of lowering the guns with straps. We
had done well. Despite the awful difficulties of the path and mountain
steeps, not a man had perished ; not one had been left behind or lost. At
the close of our march we were well rewarded for all we had gone through :
our unexpected appearance caused a panic in the Turkish trenches."

Though most of the Turks in Erzerum retreated hastily
when the main defences fell, there were some who preferred
to die rather than yield. In one place a Russian company
broke into a small fortified position which was held by a hand-
ful of Turks. The Russian officer invited them to surrender ;
but they replied with a volley, and fought on until not a single
man remained alive.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ -^ •)£•

*«• •«" •re* •«• W W TT

In the second week of March the Tsar received in his palace
at Tsarskoe Selo * Captain Konieff , the first officer to enter

* Town, 15 miles south by east of Petrograd, containing two of the
Czar's palaces ; the one built by Catherine I. in 1724, the other by
Catherine II. in 1792.

Fall of Erzerum and Capture of Trebizond. 119

Erzenim, and nine men of the Caucasian army, who piresented
him with several trophies from the captured fortress — the four
keys of the city and nine Turkish banners. The Tsar talked
with the men, and was eager to learn how the trophies had
been seized. Finally he conferred upon each of them the
Cross of St. George, and bade them thank their comrades in
his name for the splendid courage and endurance which they
had shown in the campaign. The standards were afterwards
deposited in the cathedral of St. Peter and Paul.

tF "fp "fp ^F ^F 'fP tF

Erzerum is chiefly inhabited- by Armenians, a Christian
people who have always been bitterly hated by the Turks.
For the last forty years they have been terribly persecuted,
and brutal massacres have been frequent, despite the protests
of Britain and the United States. The Kurds, a fierce, war-
like race of Mohammedans, are their neighbours. They live
amongst the oak groves on the slopes of the mountains divid-
ing Persia from Turkey, and pride themselves on being de-
scended from King Solomon. In recent years they have been
very active in torturing and slaughtering Armenian men,
women, and children. Many of these Kurds were in Erzerum
fighting for the Turks when the fortress fell. Before quitting
the place they mercilessly slew thousands of the Armenian in-
habitants. The wretched remnants of the persecuted nation
hailed the appearance of the Russians with unfeigned joy. A
Russian conquest of Armenia meant their salvation. To us in
the West it seemed very fitting that the first portion of the
Sultan's empire to be won was that in which the Turks had
committed their foulest crimes.

The fall of Erzerum gave the Russians a frontier fortress
from which they could strike into Turkish territory south,
east, and west. They could not, however, be said to be in
the heart of Asia Minor until they had crossed the Western
Euphrates, and had left the mountains for the plains. Before
this advance could be made, they were obliged to protect their
flank by the capture of the Turkish port of Trebizond. A
writer in Blackwood's Magazine tells us that Trebizond has
no equal in beauty or historical interest among the cities on
the Black Sea. It stands, with Constantinople, Smyrna, and

The Assault on Kara Gubek : Russian troops sliding down a mountain

{From the picture by H. G. Seppings-Wr

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advancing by zigzags against a fort strengthened by a belt of ice.
trmtssion of The Illustrated London News. )

1 2 2 The Children's Story of the War.

Amasia,* as one of the four cities in the Turkish Empire most
favoured by nature. Trebizond has mountains behind it more
lofty than those of its rivals, and it has the great advan-
tage of being in a verdant region. It surpasses Smyrna and
Amasia in the number and beauty of its ancient buildings.
When the Ten Thousand reached it it was a prosperous city.
In later times it became the capital of a Roman province, and
was afterwards subject to the emperors who had their capital
at Byzantium, which we now call Constantinople. Still later
it became the seat of the emperors of Trebizond, and main-
tained its independence for wellnigh two hundred and fifty
years. In 1461 it fell to the conquering Turks, and remained
in their hands until the events which I am about to relate.

The old portion of the city stands on a small plateau which
falls in steep cliffs to deep ravines on either side and in front
slopes to the sea. Behind the city the plateau rises to higher
ground. All along its edge are old walls with towers and castles,
which form part of the fortifications. Spanning the gorges are
great stone bridges which connect the old town with the sur-
rounding suburbs. The streets of the city proper are narrow
and dirty, but here and there we find mosques which were
Greek churches in the Middle Ages. " Seen from the sea,
you get a jumble of picturesque old creeper-grown walls and
towers, irregular red roofs, and much foliage ; above these
lower features rise many minarets and domes, and behind and
above them all are wooded hills and then mountains. The
suburbs of Trebizond have now spread along the coast, for
the city has grown to 50,000 or 60,000 inhabitants, and the
old walled portion is only a small part of the whole."

Trebizond has no harbour and no railway communication,
and therefore has great drawbacks as a port. Nevertheless it
is the sea-gate of Erzerum, with which it is connected, as you
know, by a good metalled road nearly two hundred miles long.
Should the Russians make a base of Erzerum, they must take
Trebizond, so as to prevent the Turks from landing forces on

* Ancient city of Asia Minor, beautifully situated on the Yeshil-Irmak.
about two hundred miles to the south-east of Trebizond. It rose to
greatness after the time of Alexander the Great, and was enriched with
noble buildings by the early sultans. The rock tombs of the Castle Rock
are famous ; one of them is known as the " Mirror Tomb " because pf its
highly polished surface.

Fall of Erzerum and Capture of Trebizond. 123

their flank. Only when Trebizond fell would it bg possible
for the Russians to push southwards and threaten the Baghdad
railway, the main Turkish route of communication with Meso-
potamia.

The Russians proposed to capture Trebizond by means of
a combined land and sea movement. Transports carried the
troops to Atina, some sixty miles east of Trebizond. There
they were landed on 4th March, under cover of a heavy fire
from the warships, and began their march along the coast.
Difficult as this route was, it was far easier than that which
lay through the terrible tangle of mountains in the interior.
Further, if the weather remained good the troops could receive
supplies and succour from the sea. The warships patrolled
the coast, and easily drove off the Breslau when it attempted
to interfere with their movements.

The march along the coast road was slow but sure. On
8th March the Russians were within thirty -five miles of Trebi-
zond, but in the next nineteen days they only advanced five
miles. On 6th April they reached the Kara Dere, a torrent
flowing through a deep gorge and flanked by high mountains.
Under German guidance the Turks had constructed strong
defences along the left bank of the river. On 14th April a
fierce battle was fought along the line of this river, and the
Turks were thrust back and driven from position after position.
On the 17th the Russians were within seven miles of Trebizond,
and on the i8th they entered the place without serious opposi-
tion. Thus the most important of all the fortified towns on
the coast of the Black Sea was lost to Turkey.

After their defeat at Kara Dere on the 14th the Turks
decided to abandon Trebizond. It really was of no use to them
now that the Russians were in command of the Black Sea.
Any attempt to defend it would have meant that the garrison
would be locked up inside the forts surrounding the town,
and would finally be obliged to surrender. Before retreating,
the Turks carried off or destroyed the guns and the stores, so
that little booty fell into Russian hands. They marched in
orderly fashion to Baiburt, about fifty miles north-west of
Erzerum, where they joined up with their main forces, and
formed the left wing of the armies facing the Russians.

The Turks had lost nothing by abandoning Trebizond, but
the Russians had won a sea-gate that was bound to be of great

1 24 The Children's Story of the War.

use to th^m for supply purposes. All the credit of thi^ fine
achievement must not go to the Russian troops which entered
the port. The fleet had played an important part by convoy-
ing the soldiers, by bombarding the town, and by landing sea-
men and marines. The Russian armies further south had also
helped in the capture. When the Turks saw that Trebizond
was in danger they hurried up reinforcements from Gallipoli,
and made a great effort to drive the Russians back. They
suddenly attacked the right flank of the Russians, in the hope
that they would weaken their centre to aid the threatened'
wing. Then they hurled their main forces at the centre, which
lay west of Erzerum. Had they succeeded in breaking through,
they would have compelled the Russians along the Coast to
retreat in order to avoid being surrounded and cut off from
their communications. The Russians, however, were able to
beat back these assaults, and the enemy's plan completely
failed. Nevertheless the road from Trebizond to Erzerum was
not yet open ; the Turks still clung to the passes along the
road, and for many weeks the Russians failed to dislodge them.

■^ 4^ j^ ^ ^ j^ ^

TP TP TT W TP TT ^P

After the capture of Erzerum on i6th February General
Yudenitch followed up the Turks with great energy as they
retreated towards Erzingan and Baiburt. By the 19th of
February his advanced guards had seized Mush, eighty miles
south of Erzerum, and on the 25th they were in possession
of Akhlat, on Lake Van. By 23rd March they had stormed
Bitlis, and their cavalry were pushing on towards Diarbekr, on
the edge of the Mesopotamian plain, and towards Mosul on
the Tigris. But about the middle of April large Turkish re-
inforcements arrived on the line Diarbekr-Erzingan-Baiburt,
and were able to check the advance of the Russians both west-
wards and southwards.

While, however, the Russians were prevented from pushing
towards the Baghdad railway from Bitlis, a force, which for two
months had been fighting the Kurds west of Lake Urmia,
crossed the Turkish border and seized a town about eighty
miles east of Mosul. Thirteen days after the fall of Kut the
Russians were holding the front shown upon the map on the
next page. It was not a continuous line of entrenchments, such
as the Allies held in the West, but was broken by lofty moun-
tains, amongst which troops could not operate. You will notice

Fall of Erzerum and Capture of Trebizond. 125

that its southern end was only about two hundred and fifty miles,
as the aeroplane flies, from the British forces on the Tigris.

Now let us return for a few moments to the British, who
were still striving to carry the Turkish positions below Kut. On

Map illustrating the Russian Front in April 1916.

22nd May came the surprising news that two squadrons of Cos-
sacks had ridden into General Gorringe's camp. Whence had
they come ? A Russian army under General Baratoif had been
operating in Persia for many months past. Early in February

126 The Children's Story of the War.

it had reached Hamadan, which you will see on the road leading
to Baghdad, and by 12th March it had pushed on to Kerind,
more than a hundred miles farther west. Here General Bara-
tofF had called a halt of two months, in order that he might
secure his flanks and make the road from Hamadan fit for the
passage of artillery. From Kermanshah, which you will see fifty
miles to the south-east of Kerind, a good road runs southwards
for fifty miles to the hills. When these are crossed, a desert
ride of forty miles brings the traveller to the banks of the Tigris.
A bold dash of 200 miles through a country inhabited by wild
Kurdish tribes would enable Russians and British to join
hands. General BaratofF gave two of his cavalry leaders per-
mission to make the attempt, and after a most adventurous ride
they and their troopers galloped into the British lines. Some
weeks later the dashing horsemen were paraded before Sir
Percy Lake, who had been appointed to the command of the
British forces in Mesopotamia in January, and by order of
the King he decorated them with the Military Cross.

Already, in the West, Russians were fighting on French
fields. One month before General Baratoff's troopers reined
up in the British camp on the Tigris, a detachment of Russian
infantry had safely landed at Marseilles, after a long voyage
from the Pacific coast of Siberia. They had travelled half-
way round the world to fight side by side with their gallant
allies the French, who were now in the midst of the longest,
fiercest, and most deadly battle known to the history of the
world.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SENUSSI.

BEFORE I return to the Western front, let me relate
the story of a dashing little campaign fought on the desert
frontier of North- Western Egypt. You know that whea Ger-
many plotted to bring about the downfall of the British Empire
she did not rely wholly upon her armies, great and well trained
as they were. She sent her secret agents into all parts of the
Empire and its borders,* and did her utmost to persuade the
disaffected to rise in revolt as soon as war was declared. You
have read how those who yielded to her blandishments in South
Africa came to grief, and in a later chapter I shall tell you how
some thousands of Irishmen were beguiled into a hopeless
rebellion that was put down in a week. In this and the next
chapter you shall learn how the Senussi, who live on the
frontier of North- Western Egypt, were lured to their doom by
German officers and their Turkish dupes.

In the first half of the nineteenth century an Algerian lawyer
named Mohammed Ben Ali went to and fro in Morocco and
Arabia preaching a reformed Mohammedan religion. In 1855
he and his followers settled at a place about one hundred and
thirty miles south-west of Solium, on the western frontier of
Egypt. Mohammed died in 1859, and his second son, Sidi el
Mahdi, became the leader of the sect known as the Senussi.
This man gradually acquired authority over the desert tribes,
and won the favour of the Sultan of Turkey. When he died,
in 1902, his nephew succeeded him, but was dethroned seven
years later.

* On June 1916 we learned that the Kaiser had actuall}' written
a letter to the Amir of Afghanistan, trying to persuade him to declare a
holy war ; but, happilj', the Amir remained loyal to his promises, and
insisted that his country should remain neutral.

1 2 8 The Children's Story of the War.

In igii, when the Turco-Italian War broke out, the Senussi
fought fiercely against the Italians, and even after Turkey had
made peace with Italy they continued the struggle. They pro-
fessed, however, friendship towards the Egyptian Government,
and in February 19 15 undertook to keep peace on the frontier.
In May several Turkish and two German officers appeared
among them, and began to stir them up against Britain. One
of the Turkish officers was Nuri Bey, a brother of Enver Bey,
and it was he who persuaded the Senussi to throw in their lot
with the enemy. He had already raised a large force of Bedouin
Arabs, and now proposed to attack the Egyptian border.

Up to the month of November 19 15 the Senussi remained
quiet. They were watching events in Gallipoli, where, as you
know, we were making but little progress. On 19th November
some three or four hundred Arabs fell upon one of our frontier
posts, but were beaten off. The leader of the Senussi still
professed to be friendly ; but there is no doubt that he was
secretly urging his followers to take up arms against us. By
2 1 St November more than two thousand Arabs, under Turkish
and German officers, were threatening Solium. As the place
was only defended by four British officers and 120 British and
Egyptian soldiers, it was decided to withdraw the garrison to
Mersa-Matruh, a small seaport and Egyptian coastguard station
on the coast, about one hundred and fifty miles west of Alex-
andria. At the same time a mounted brigade of Yeomanry
and Australian Light Horse, with a battery of the Royal Horse
Artillery and four infantry battalions, was dispatched to Mersa-
Matruh.

On nth December this force came in contact with detach-
ments of the enemy and dispersed them. By this time, how-
ever, the Senussi had occupied Solium and other frontier posts ;
and the main body, which numbered about two thousand four
hundred, and was armed with Maxims and field guns and a
plentiful supply of ammunition, had taken up a position under
Nuri Bey and Jaafar, the chief of the Senussi.

CHAPTER XV.

A GALLANT RESCUE.

ON the morning of Christmas Day our troops moved out
in two columns — one for a frontal attack, the other to
turn the enemy's flank. Aeroplanes spied out the enemy's
position, and " spotted " for the artillery. As soon as our
gunners got to work, light- draught vessels off the coast
began shelling the series of sand ridges on which the enemy
was posted. While our infantry carried ridge after ridge the
cavalry managed to get to the south of the enemy, who then
fled westwards, leaving 200 dead and one gun behind them.

Again, on 22nd January, a force of all arms, consisting of
British, South African, Australian, and Indian troops, marched
westwards from Mersa-Matruh * to engage the enemy, whose
camp had been discovered by our airmen about ten miles west
of Bir Shola. Each man carried a day's rations, and a further
supply for two days was packed on the motor wagons which
accompanied the column. From 3 a.m. until 10 p.m. the
troops tramped seventeen miles across sodden and heavy ground,
and bivouacked by the side of a small well, from which the
field engineers pumped sufficient water for men and horses.

Next morning the march was resumed in two columns, and
after eight miles had been covered the mounted men, who formed
the advance guard, came in contact with the enemy at Agagia.
The infantry now marched to the sound of the guns, and soon
found that the enemy had dug themselves in on a low ridge
with a front of two and a half miles. Our men were received
with heavy fire from machine guns and nine-pounders. While
the mounted troops worked round the flanks, the infantry were
sent forward to attack the centre. They had to cross a stretch

* See map, p. 133.
V. 9

1 30 The Children's Story of the War.

of desert, swept by the enemy's fire and without a scrap of
cover ; but they pressed forward with great steadiness, and
by means of a series of rushes drove the enemy from their posi-
tions. Again the Arabs fled, firing as they retired, until the
dusk and the desert hid them from view. About 650 of the
enemy were killed or wounded, and the British loss was 28
killed and 274 wounded.

It is said that the South Africans suffered severely from the
rifle fire because they were so big and tall, and that many of
them, who were unused to long marches on foot, became so
lame that they had to remove their boots and make their way
to the rear. When, however, they heard their comrades in
the firing line raise the South African war-cry they turned right
about, and with their boots in their hands charged back. In
the excitement of the battle they quite forgot their sufferings,
and fought barefooted all day. The two days' march back
to Matruh was very trying for the wounded, who had to be
carried on stretchers or on limber wagons. The remainder of
January was occupied in strengthening the position which had
been won, and in establishing frontier posts.

On 26th February we followed up the enemy, who had
taken up a strong position some fifteen miles to the south-east
of their former position ; and, thanks to another fine advance
by the South African Infantry, the Arabs were again defeated
and forced to flee. The Dorset Yeomanry were detached from
the main body in order to outflank the Senussi and cut off their
retreat. An ofiicer of the Dorsets thus describes his experi-
ences : —

" Dismounting on a little ridge overlooking a valley, we could see all
the Senussi retiring in long straggling lines of men and camels. With two
machine guns we gave them rapid fire ; but they were between fifteen hundred
and two thousand yards off. It was very difficult to observe the fire or to get
the correct range, as the sun was hot and there was a lot of heat shimmer.
Moving on again, we came into dismounted action at long range against a
ridge held by the enemy with a considerable force and four machine guns.

" Then came the cream of the whole thing. Lieutenant-Colonel Souter
got us on to our horses, and we advanced first in line of squadron columns
and then in line, and charged with drawn swords right across a wide, open
valley against a ridge in front about a mile and a half off. It really was
a great show, as the Maxims on the ridge ploughed up the sand at our feet.
I reaUy thought we were in for it ; but the gunners must have got flurried,
or raised their sights or something, as suddenly the fire seemed to lift and
whistled over our heads.

Ships of the Air attack Ships of the Desert.

On February 6, 1916, the following report was received from Western Egypt: — "In the
region of one of the four great wells in the desert between Alexandria and Matruh, two of our
aeroplanes dropped bombs on a Senussi village and demolished a camel convoy. Some camels
were laden with high explosives, and violent explosions occurred, causing great damage."

1 3 2 The Children's Story of the War.

" We had a good many casualties in the charge, but not nearly so many
as I expected. Colonel Souter led us in front of the whole regiment, which
rode behind him in line as at a general's inspection. It was splendid.

" We charged with a yell over the crest of the Uttle hill, and suddenly
saw beyond us a wide valley, full of the enemy running like mad. In less
time than it takes to write we were among them, sticking and slashing,
and the men went at it like furies. Most of our casualties happened then.
. . . Colonel Souter had his horse shot under him, and a second lieutenant
had two horses shot under him. There were some very narrow escapes.
The most wonderful bit of experience was that Colonel Souter, when his
horse fell, found himself in front of Jaafar Pasha, who surrendered to him.

" We rode on through the valley, and then ralUed to the left ; but as
there were so many wounded, and the horses were done, we could not do
much more. I don't know how many of the enemy we got, but I should
think about three hundred. Our casualties were heavy ; iDut I believe that
we have given the Senussi a real blow, which I hope will shorten or end
the show."

# * # # • # * *

Now let me tell you a story which sounds as if it had been
lifted bodily from the pages of a boy's book of adventure.
On November 5, 191 5, H.M. armed boarding-steamer Tara
was sunk by a German submarine in the Bay of Solium. The
Germans rescued some of the crew and handed them over to
the Turks, saying, " You are now the prisoners of his Most
Excellency the Sultan." Others who managed to gain the
shore were also captured and held captive by the Senussi, who
treated them shamefully. Their sufferings were shared by a
number of men who had escaped when the steamship Mooringa
went down on nth November. They became slaves of the
Senussi, and were forced to work in the fierce sun, like the
Christian captives of the Bey of Algiers * who were urged to
their tasks by the whips of their masters. One of the Tara's
men kept a diary, from which you will learn how the poor
fellows were tortured.

" Nov. 21. — Yesterday one of the prisoners was missing, and instead
of the guard being punished, as would be the case in England, we have
all been punished by being kept without food for twenty-four hours, and
marching twenty-six miles.

* Down to the year 1830 Algiers was a pirate stronghold, and was full of
Christian slaves, who were forced to work for their masters. Cervantes,
the author of Don Quixote, was one of these slaves for five years, but he
managed to escape. The British bombarded Algiers in 1816, and the French
in 1826, and the pirates were finally stamped out in 1830, when the French
took possession of the town.

A Gallant Rescue.

133

" Nov. 22. — At a place called Zebla we were told that the Senussi had
declared war on England. Our position is peculiar. We were sunk under
the German flag, and landed under the Turkish flag into a neutral country,
which has now declared war on us.

" No2^. 23. — Day after day in the scorching, maddening sun,. in ragged
clothes, we have tramped the desert. Our feet are bUstered and burnt,
our eyes bloodshot and almost blinded. We have lost nearly all our strength
because of scanty and bad food. We can just drag one leg after another.
We only stop for a moment when it is impossible to move an inch further,
and then we are prodded on by the bayonets behind. . . . The air is so
hot that we can scarcely breathe, and our tongues are black and swollen.

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Map illustrating the Campaign against the Senussi.

" Nov. 28-Dec. 2. — We have been put into a well. It is very damp,
about ten feet deep and eighteen feet square, with only room for a man
to get through the opening ; so it can be imagined what it is hke when
seventy-eight men sleep in it at night.

" For four dreadful nights in succession we have had to crawl into this
horrible hole — the whole seventy-eight of us — and try and breathe until the
dawn. It must be much worse than the Black Hole of Calcutta. I don't
know how we have hved through it. Owing to Leading Seaman J. Mark-
wick being taken seriously ill, we have been allowed to come out into the
fresh air again. It was like coming out of a tomb. No words can describe
the awful experience of those nights. The only ventilation came through
the Uttle hole at the top of the well, through which we could just catch
a glimpse of the sky, and occasionally the grinning black face and the white
teeth of one of the guards looking do\vn upon us as we groaned and gasped

« 2

R ."i^i

.2 -i: =■

•C ^ .!2h5

A Gallant Rescue. 135

for air. ... To make matters worse, our food has been reduced to twelve
ounces of rice per day per man."

So the miserable story goes on. Sometimes the starving
men managed to satisfy their hunger by eating a sheep that
had been killed by a wolf, or a young camel that had been
drowned. In December they were reduced to snails, and on
Christmas Day they feasted as follows : —

Breakfast. — Rice, boiled with a little salt.

Dinner. — Two ounces of boiled goat flesh, and " pudding "
(made of flour and sugar that had been saved for the occasion).

Tea. — One small pancake, with very weak tea.

British troops were now on the move, and our sailor reports :
" The next few days we saw searchlights in the sky, and heard
the boom of heavy guns from the north-east. On 20th Feb-
ruary Captain R. S. Gwatkin- Williams, commander of the Tara^
tried to escape, in order that he might reach Solium and beg
deliverance for his men. Some few of us knew he was going,
and we fully understood the perils he would have to go through.
We prayed earnestly to our heavenly Father to protect his
footsteps." Unhappily he was captured before he had gone
far. Our sailor's entry for 29th February reads as follows : —

" About 3 p.m. we suddenly heard rifle shots to the northward. A few
minutes later there appeared over the brow of a smaU hill some men and
camels, and there, walking apart from the rest, was our brave captain.
We were now witnesses of one of the most degrading and brutal sights it
has been my lot to see. He was lashed with a rhinoceros hide whip, and
the guard punched him violently in the face. Then the women came up
and pelted him with the largest stones they could find."

Relief, however, was on the way. You have already read
how the Arabs and the Senussi were beaten and scattered on
26th February at Agagia. On 14th March our troops occupied
Solium, which had been abandoned by the enemy, and that
very day nine armoured motor cars and twenty-six other cars,
together with ten motor ambulances, under the command of
the Duke of Westminster, went forward in pursuit of the enemy.
The going was bad for the first eight miles, but after that the
cars struck a good road, and flew along at- nearly forty miles an
hour. Hundreds of Bedouins fleeing westwards were passed
on the road ; but they were unmolested, as more important
work was afoot.

1 36 The Children's Story of the War.

The main camp was now seen, and all the armoured
cars but two, which were detailed for a flank attack, advanced
in line. As they approached they were fired on by one gun
and two machine guns, but the gun teams were shot down at a
distance of 400 yards. Then the cars dashed into the camp,
and the enemy fled in every direction, leaving ninety-one of
their prisoners in our hands. The poor fellows were in the
last stage of hunger and despair. They were thunderstruck at
the sight of the armoured cars, and at first thought they saw
a mirage. Food was immediately served out to them, and
*' the men might have been seen holding beef in one hand and
biscuit in the other — just gorging." Four of them had died
of neglect, and their captain had recited the burial service over
them from memory. Our sailor's diary thus concludes : —

" It is pretty clear to us now that we were rescued in the very nick of
time. We were in such a state of weakness that we should not have lasted
long, and what would have been the end of it all does not bear thinking
about. So we one and all of us say, ' God bless the Duke of Westminster
and his brave men for their very timely rescue.' "

Thus happily ended one of the most adventurous episodes
of the war. For the first time armoured motor cars had proved
their value in desert warfare. They had made a most dashing
raid, and, besides rescuing the prisoners, had scattered the
enemy and captured his artillery and machine guns. By the
end of March the remnants of the Senussi had been driven
far beyond the Egyptian border, and had been rendered power-
less for further mischief. v

CHAPTER XVI.

VERDUN — PAST AND PRESENT.

NO place-name is more familiar to the readers of these
pages than Verdun, the strongest of the four great en-
trenched camps which keep watch and ward over the eastern
frontier of France. It was, you will remember, the vast strength
of these fortresses which decided the Germans to commit the
crime with which they opened the great struggle. They had
not yet put their giant guns and high explosives to the practical
test of war, and they feared that the siege of Verdun and its
sistei strongholds — Toul, Epinal, and Belfort — would entail so
long a delay that they would lose the advantage of surprise.
When, however, the forts of Belgium and North France were
crushed to shapeless ruin one after the other in the course of
a few days, they knew that the invasion of Belgium was more
than a crime : it was a blunder.

Verdun stands on both banks of the Meuse, at the meeting-
place of two great roads which give access from the heart of
France to Germany. A town so situated was bound to become
important, and Verdun has been famous since the days of the
Romans. It figures in early European history as the place
where Charlemagne's wide domains were divided up amongst
his three grandsons,* and France and Germany were separated,
never again to be united. The great military engineer Vauban
fortified it, and in 1870 it held out stubbornly. When Alsace
and Lorraine W'ere lost to the French, Verdun became one of
the eastern bulwarks of France. Prior to the present war it
was probably the most powerful fortress in Europe. It had
an inner line of redoubts, and beyond them an outer line of

* By the Treaty of Verdun, 843 a.d.

138 The Children's Story of the War.

forts and batteries was pushed out for some thirty miles. In
all there were thirty-six forts of various sizes, and at its greatest
width the camp was nine miles across. Before the war the old
masonry and earthworks had been replaced by concrete and
steel, and the guns were mounted in turrets, as at Liege.

The first month of the war saw the fortresses of Belgium
and North France go down with startling quickness before the
great howitzers of the enemy. General Sarrail, who was in
command at Verdun, soon knew that the only way to save the
stronghold was to construct lines of entrenchments far beyond
the outer line of forts, and move his big guns into them. Hardly
had this work begun when the Crown Prince began to attack
the fortress. He was so strongly held up at Verdun and Nancy
that the German High Command came to the conclusion that
the main French forces were massed between these two places.
This led, as you know, to that wrong grouping of the German
armies which brought about the failure at the Marne.

While the Battle of the Aisne was proceeding, a bridge-
head was won at St. Mihiel, and the Crown Prince in the Forest
of the Argonne strove to "fit the strap to the buckle," * and
thus surround the Verdun position. For sixteen months he
struggled to join hands with the forces at St. Mihiel, but all
in vain. His front remained a horse-shoe. Do what he might,
he could not turn it into a ring.

Early in 191 6 the Germans began to prepare for a new great
offensive in the West. There were several reasons why they
should attack without delay. They knew that as soon as the
Russians were ready, France, Britain, Italy, and Russia would
fall upon them on three fronts at the same time, and that they
would not be able to save themselves by rushing reinforce-
ments from one front to the other, as they had done in the past.
Their only hope of victory was to overcome the Allies in the
West before a great concerted movement could begin. If they
struck early and struck hard, the Allies might be tempted to
make their attack before all things were fully prepared, and so
would be taken at a disadvantage.

At what point on the long line from the Yser to the Swiss
frontier should they attack } They might make a great bid
for Ypres or Arras ; but these places were mere shells, and
their capture would not be considered a great achievement

* See Vol. II., p. 281.

Verdun — Past and Present.

139

either by their own people or by neutrals. Verdun was known
all the world over as the most powerful fortress of Eastern
France ; it was still intact, and had so far defied all the efforts
of the Crown Prince. If it could be captured, the German
army would win great glory, and the Crown Prince would
recover some of that credit which he had lost by his many
failures.

Accordingly, the German High Command determined to
capture Verdun at any cost. The plan of campaign was to be
that adopted by Mackensen when he broke the Russian front
on the Donajetz. Thousands of guns were to be massed

Map showing the Battle-line from the Aisne to the German Frontier
before the Battle of Verdmi.

before the French lines, and a whirlwind of fire was to rage
until the trenches were wiped out. Then, while the guns
played upon the ground behind the destroyed position, and so
prevented reinforcements from being rushed up, German in-
fantry would be pushed forward to seize the wrecked trenches
and turn them into defensive positions. Thus slowly, and
step by step, the French lines would be driven in and Verdun
would fall. The Germans did not propose to waste men by
sending them against unbroken positions. All that would be
required of their infantry was to occupy and hold the ground
already conquered by the guns. For every stage in the ad-
vance they meant to use fresh troops, so that the forward

Verdun — Past and Present. 141

movement might be made, from start to finish, by vigorous,
unwearied men.

Before I begin to describe the Battle of Verdun — the longest,
fiercest, and deadliest battle ever known in the history of the
world— I must try to give you a clear idea of the country over
which the struggle was to rage. Look carefully at the map on
page 142. The shading, which almost covers it, shows you
clearly that Verdun stands on the edge of highland country.

Give your attention first to the district on the right or east
bank of the Meuse. You notice a series of heights which rise
steeply from the stream to some five hundred feet above the
water-level in the valley. From west to east these heights are
from five to six miles broad ; at the eastern end they fall sharply
to the clayey flats of the Woevre. The whole district is really
a tableland, and the hills do not rise high above the general
level. Most of the plateau is cultivated, and here and there
we find large woods of beech, oak, and chestnut. Little vil-
lages and farms are scattered over it, and several roads cross
it by means of the hollows. Ravines run down from the summit
of the plateau to the Meuse on the west and to the Woevre on
the east. All of these ravines are deeply cut in the plateau,
and are filled with scrub. Only one railway crosses the region.
It winds eastwards from Verdun, and tunnels through the ridge
to reach Eix station, from which it proceeds to Metz.

About a mile and a half to the north of Verdun you will see
a hill marked Cote de Froide Terre* — the crest of cold ground.
Suppose you are standing on this ridge in the early days of
February 19 16, what do you see } To the north stretches a
rolling plain, broken here and there by the gray-brown of
winter woods. To the south you see the citadel, the walls, and
the smoking chimneys of Verdun. To the west and north-
west your eye follows a series of low ridges which continue
on and on until they merge into the dark hump of the Argonne
Forest. To the east you see the blue plain of the Woevre,
dotted with forests and gleaming with meres and streams.
In the haze beyond lies Germany.

Now follow on the map the line of dark thick dots which
represents the French front as it was on February 26, 19 16.
Run your finger along the line beginning from the west. You
observe that it runs north-eastwards to the north of the villages

* See map on next page.

Verdun — Past and Present. 143

of Malancourt and Bethincourt and crosses to the left bank of
the Meuse. About a mile south-T^est of the place where the line
crosses the Meuse you see the village of Forges * on a brook
formed by the junction of two streams, the more southerly of
which flows in a valley along the west side of a hill known as
Mort Homme, or Dead Man. In later pages you will hear
much about this strangely-named hill.

On the eastern side of the Meuse you see the village of
Brabant, and notice that the line still runs north-east in front
of the village of Haumont, f through the Bois de Caures J — the
Wood of Caures — ^to Azannes, which is betw'een nine and ten
miles as the aeroplane flies north-east of Verdun. At Azannes
the line turns sharply to the south-east and crosses the Verdun-
Metz railway to Hennemont.

You have now followed the outer defensive entrenchments
of the great camp of Verdun — a salient of, roughly, thirty-five
miles from end to end. Between this line and Verdun there
were a second and a third main position, with trenches between
them. The continuous black line on the map shows the outer
position which had been prepared in 1874 ; it was now to be
the second line of the Verdun system. Gangs of labourers had
been employed all through the early winter of 19 14 in making
the lines as strong as possible. Miles of barbed wire formed
a network at all points of danger. The forts were dismantled,
and the guns in them were moved out to carefully chosen posi-
tions, where they were cunningly concealed. Sheltered roads
were made, so that troops and supplies could be brought to the
front readily and safely, and no device was neglected which
could add to the strength of the defence. Verdun was no longer
a fortress in the old sense of the word ; it was simply an area
such as the British were holding in front of Ypres, but far
stronger and not overlooked.

Strong as the French position was, it had its weaknesses.
First of all it was a salient, and therefore could be attacked
from many points. Secondly, the city of Verdun was, like
Ypres, the neck of a bottle. All supplies and reinforcements
for the lines on the plateau had to pass over the bridges of
Verdun and through its streets. In the third place, its railway
communications might be broken. Already the main line along
the Meuse valley had been cut, and the Paris line which passes
* Forzh. t O'mon {n nasal). J Core.

144 The Children's Story of the War.

south of the Argonne Forest was within range of the German
guns. Only a branch line remained. From the point of view
of the Germans Verdun invited attack. They determined to
bombard the city, destroy the railways, and catch the enemy in
a wedge of highlands where he was shut in by a river, now
swollen by winter rains to a width of a thousand yards.

The French High Command fully realized all the dangers
of their position, and prepared for them. They organized a
motor transport service, which made them independent of the
railways ; and to the south of the city they constructed strong
positions, to which they could retire if the worst should befall.
They meant to make the enemy pay a heavy price for every
inch of ground that he won, but they did not propose to
endanger their forces by holding on to positions which were
no longer defensible. Their policy was to let the Germans
butt their heads against the trenches and take a heavy toll of
them as they did so. They meant to stand on the defensive,
and only counter-attack when a position of great importance was
lost. For such a policy they needed men of the most dogged
courage — men whose strength lay in resistance, and who could
hold on with grim determination to the bitter end. In former
wars the French had not shown themselves possessed of this
virtue in a high degree, and there were many besides the Ger-
mans who thought that the task would be too much for them.
A new France, however, had arisen, and the men whom she
had bred were soon to show themselves as stubborn and un-
flinching in defence as any that have ever borne arms.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE GREATEST BATTLE OF HISTORY.

IN the last weeks of January and the first fortnight of February
the Germans made attacks on the AUied front in Flanders,
'Artois, and Champagne. It was clear that a mighty blow was
to be struck somewhere, but the exact spot was as yet un-
certain. The object of these attacks was to draw off the atten-
tion of the Allies from the wooded country on the right bank
of the Meuse, where the Germans were massing no less than
half a million men, and more guns than they had ever brought
together before. In that country of forest and valley they
could array their forces without being observed either by land
or by air. Weeks were occupied in the work, and though the
French had some inkling of what was going on, they only
discovered the full strength and meaning of the movement after
the first attack had been launched.

A writer in a Dutch newspaper thus described the great
array which was secretly preparing in the hinterland of
Verdun : —

" Over the roads leading towards Verdun artillery and ammunition
were brought up in such quantities as the history of war has never seen
on such a limited area. The country seemed to be covered with an in-
credible number of guns. We could hardly believe what we saw round
Verdun. Long rows of guns, as in old battle pictures, set up in open fields,
the gunners standing about them, and on the hilltops observation posts
with their great telescopes uncovered. When I shut my eyes I still see
before me those curved lines, row upon row of guns in endless array, with
gunners moving about them in the open battlefield."

The command of this mighty war engine was entrusted to
the Crown Prince — not because he had given any evidence of
possessing military genius, but because he was the Kaiser's

V. lO

The Greatest Battle of History. 147

heir, and a great victory would bring him honour and glory
and make his throne secure in days to come. Old Marshal von
Haeseler, who had been the Kaiser's military tutor, and had
more than once sharply rebuked his imperial master for bad
generalship at manoeuvres, was appointed as the Crown Prince's
adviser. De Castelnau had already selected the general who
was to conduct the French defence, but the new chief did not
arrive until the battle had raged for five days. De Castelnau
had but 12,000 men lining the trenches when the Germans were
about to attack. He immediately hurried up new divisions,
collected heavy artillery from forts and even from ships in the
navy, and further strengthened his army with an immense
number of machine guns and field guns. Thanks to his untir-
ing energy, the first awful thrust of the Germans failed, and
time was gained in which to prepare for a defence which is
unequalled in the story of warfare.

TT" TP TP Tp TP TP

On Wednesday, 15th February, the German guns began
to thunder. Heavy pieces threw shells into Verdun itself,
and the governor ordered the city to be cleared of civilians.
The French guns replied, and tried to discover the whereabouts
of the enemy's batteries, which seemed to be massed in the
woods in front of Forges and Brabant.* French airmen went
up, and reported that in some places the German guns were as
close together as apples in a basket. Now, for the first time,
the French were certain that a great assault was about to be
made on Verdun.

The bombardment of the 15th led to nothing. Six days
later came the first great shock. At a quarter-past seven in
the damp, foggy hiorning of Monday, the 21st, the most furious
storm of artillery fire ever known burst upon the French
trenches. The fire was regulated by six captive balloons, which
floated over the German lines. Thousands of shells of all
kinds — some whistling, some howling, others moaning — sped
through the air, and exploded with a continuous, deafening
roar. A cloud of earth and smoke arose that blotted out the
view like a thick fog. Under that awful rain of destruction
the French first lines were utterly wrecked ; the communication
trenches were shattered ; the woods were torn to splinters ;
the very shape of the hills was altered.

* Refer for places mentioned in this chapter to map on page 142.

148 The Children's Story of the War.

It has always been the habit of the French to hold their
firing trenches and first support lines with few men, and to
withdraw them when the bombardment begins. They allow
the enemy to occupy their wrecked trenches, and then let loose
their " 75 's," and spring counter-attacks in order to win them
back again. On that February morning, when the massed
German guns began their awful onslaught, the French followed
their usual custom, and retired to their reserve lines, though
not without loss. Meanwhile the French guns were busy try-
ing to create a barrier of fire in front of the wrecked trenches,
so as to prevent the German advance.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, when the first-line trenches
of the French were heaped and pitted like a lunar landscape, the
German guns lifted their sights and lengthened their fuses, and
rained a torrent of shells upon the ground behind. Then, headed
by bomb-throwers and pioneers, the Germans advanced to the
wrecked trenches, and with feverish haste began to put them
in a condition of defence. For weeks past they had been
trained for this work, and had been promised an easy and
speedy triumph. They had been told that this was '* the last
offensive against the French," and that they would be in Ver-
dun in four days. On the afternoon of 21st February it seemed
that the prophecy would be fulfilled to the letter.

The first point in the game had been won by the Germans.
The firing trenches and most of the support lines were carried
in the centre, and on the German left in the Wood of Haumont
and in the Wood of Caures. In the course of the night the French
delivered a counter-attack, and won back the lost support lines
in the Wood of Caures, but, under the incessant rain of shells,
could advance no further. It was necessary that a stand should
be made while the main body of the French were moved back
to new ground, and a most stubborn resistance was put up in
the village of Haumont next day. The infantry holding this
village, and the artillery posted in the woods and on the crest
behind, were quite cut off by the German fire ; no supplies
could reach them, and they were without news of what was
going on in their rear and on their flanks. Some of the guns
fired at the advancing Germans at point-blank range, and
mowed them down by hundreds. As one wave of the attackers
was destroyed another followed, and when the enemy began
to appear in the rear all hope of holding out had gone. The

The Greatest Battle of History. 149

gunners, having fired away all their shells, blew up their guns
and retired.

A battery of heavy guns on the crest behind Haumont was
silenced and all its crew killed, but a sergeant of artillery
managed to collect a few gunners and get it going again. This
heroic man remained at his post until the enemy was close upon
him, when he blew up the guns and tried to retire, but in vain.

The fiery torrent was pouring down on every road by which
ammunition and supplies could come up, and shells were fall-
ing upon the village at the rate of twenty a minute ; neverthe-
less the regiment which was holding it clung to the ruins, and
behind some wire which had escaped destruction poured a
murderous machine-gun fire on the advancing enemy. Their
resistance, however, was vain. The Germans crept into the
village, and reached the house where the colonel and his staff
were preparing to make a last stand. They fired the place,
and turned machine guns on every door and window. Pre-
ferring death by the bullet to death by burning, the colonel
walked through the machine-gun fire, and, strange to say, was
untouched. He rallied the remnants of the gallant regiment,
and led them to a new position in the rear.

The same kind of heroism was witnessed in the Wood of
Caures, where Colonel Driant and two battalions of the famous
Chasseurs were striving to hold back the enemy. When the
village of Haumont fell, the Germans turned all their guns on
to the trenches in the wood, and soon reduced them to ruin.
Then Colonel Driant stood upon the parapet of a wrecked
trench and cried, " Charge, my children ! Long live France ! "
and the Chasseurs, though their ranks were terribly thinned,
and they were being surrounded, plied grenade and bayonet
with unfaltering courage. When the Germans managed to
enfilade the chief point of the defence. Colonel Driant ordered
the remnants of his battalions to withdraw. He himself never
left the wood alive. x

The most successful stand, however, was made in the Wood
of Herbebois,*" which you will see on the map to the north-west
of the village of Ornes. The Germans had gained a footing
in this wood on 21st February, but the French had counter-
attacked on the evening of that day, and had pinned the enemy
down. All through the 22nd grenade fighting went on with-

* Erh-hwd.

I 50 The Children's Story of the War.

out pause, and the defenders still held their own. On the
23rd an enemy battalion pushed into the wood, but was almost
wholly destroyed by the fire of French rifles and " 75 's."
Four jother attacks followed in quick succession, but all
were beaten back. At a quarter-past four on the 23rd the
gallant defenders received the order to retire. The men saw
no reason why they should withdraw, and grumbled loudly.
They had fought superbly, and had done the most heroic deeds.
At one point four bombers had held a post against the enemy
for twenty hours. The front was littered with German dead,
and the men were full of confidence, despite -intense cold,
lack of food, and great fatigue. Only when the situation was
explained to them, and they were assured that they had done
more than their share, would they consent to retire.

^p ^r TP ^p ^f ^F

By the morning of 23rd February the French had fallen
back to an almost straight front, running from Samogneux,* in
front of Beaumont, and through the south end of the Wood of
Herbebois. If you look closely at the map, you will see that
the new position covered two broad humps of plateau, with the
steep valley of Beaumont between them. You already know
that the French plan was to hold up the Germans at each
stage of the advance, and having killed as many as possible of
them, to fall back little by little until the final position was
reached, where the last stand would be made.

On the morning of the 23rd the French tried to counter-
attack from Samogneux, but a storm of shell from the German
guns put a stop to the advance. There was much fierce fight-
ing during the day, and for the most part it took place in the
open. When the Germans in turn began to push forward the
French guns swept line after line of them to earth. The German
losses were very heavy, but before long they were greater than
had ever been known in the history of war. Thousands of men
were ruthlessly sent forward to their death, and over their dead
bodies thousands of others were rushed to a similar fate.

While the French wings held fast, the centre swayed to and
fro like a pendulum. As darkness closed in the hne was so
badly battered, and the German guns from posts far out in the
Woevre were wreaking such havoc, that a retirement on a
large scale became necessary. There was desperate fighting all

* Sam-o-new.

The Greatest Battle of History. i 5 i

the next day, and by the night of Thursday, the 24th, the French
east of the Meuse had been forced back to a line running east-
wards along the base of Talou Hill, across Poivre (Pepper) Hill,
and along the plateau of Douaumont to the gorge of Vaux, and
thence to Eix station. In four days' fighting they had yielded
a strip of ground varying in width from six miles to two miles.
They had lost heavily in killed- and wounded and prisoners,
and now stood with their backs to the wall on the highest por-
tion of the plateau, holding the last defensive position covering
Verdun. If either Pepper Hill or the Douaumont tableland
should be lost, the coveted city would assuredly fall into the
hands of the Germans.

The French people knew well that their forces were at bay,
and that the fate of their beloved country was trembling in the
balance ; yet, though very anxious, they remained calm and
confident. They knew nothing of the steps which had been
taken to resist the German onset, but they had faith in the
skill of their generals and in the undying bravery of their soldiers.'
They refused to be cast down, and waited patiently for a de-
liverance similar to that which had been vouchsafed to them
when Joffre turned upon the enemy and flung him back from
the Marne in September 19 14.

Early on Friday morning — ^the fifth day of the battle — snow
began to fall heavily. There was little wind, and the frost was
keen. With the first light of dawn the Germans began their
second great effort. So far they had succeeded. Another great
onslaught, and victory would be achieved. Long before the sun
was up the German batteries again opened fire ; but the defenders
were now holding a position which afforded them better cover
than formerly. Moreover, two new brigades had arrived, and
supports were on the way. Every French soldier knew that he
must perish rather than yield another inch of ground. For an-
other twenty-four hours he must make a supreme effort to stem
the torrent of the enemy's advance if France was to be saved.

The Germans were now making furious attacks upon that
portion of the French line extending from Pepper Hill to the
village of Douaumont — a distance of some four and a half miles.
Pepper Hill, you will notice, rises steeply from the river.
Between Pepper Hill and the Hill of Talou to the west a road
runs northwards to Beaumont, and on the eastern side of
Pepper Hill a road leads from the village of Bras past Louve-

Bird's-eye View illustrating the German Advance on Verdun through
Brabant and Herbebois.

l^he outer dotted line represents the Ceriimn posi:ioii on February 21st, when
the peat assault on Verdun began.

The inner dotted line shows the position occupied by the Germans on April jst.

The old city of Verdun stands on the Meuse, at the place where the great higliroad from Pa
its bridges from both sides of the river. In Roman times it was a military station, and in the Midi
Lorraine was still " Lothringen," and owed its allegiance to the Holy Roman emperors. When t
When Louis XIV. was reorganizing the defences of France, Vauban demolished the old walls, a
place, barring the main road to Paris ; but on September 1792 it surrendered after a brief bombard me

In 1875 Verdun was hastily fortified by erecting a circle of earthwork redoubts on the politic
permanent forts of masonry and earthwork was afterwards erected. Prior to the war, these v\oi
and between these forts lines of felled trees entangled with barbed wire formed barriers tojt
fire of the forts to sweep the fronts of these barriers. Verdun thus became the strongest fortress
Swiss frontier. You already know that the old scheme of defence was abandoned early in the w
and moved to the rear of the new positions.

) the Rhine crosses the river. It is also the meeting-point of many cross-roads which converge on
ges the stronghold of the Counts of Verdun, who were princes of the empire in the days when
istrict passed to France, Henry IV. built a citadel on a bold spur of the hills above the town.
raw around the place a ring of ramparts, bastions, and ditches. It was then supposed to be a strong
1 the war of 1 870, though defended only by Vauban's old ramparts, it made a gallant defence,
here the German guns had been posted during the siege. On the sites of these redoubts a circle of
rmed the inner line of defence.. There was a second circle of forts and batteries still further out,
Ivance of the enemy. Broad alleys were permanently kept open through the woods to enable the
ranee, and the most northerly stronghold of the lines of fortifications extending southward to the
id that trench lines were constructed far from the city, and the guns of the forts were made mobile.

154 ^^^ Children's Story of the War.

mont to Ornes. To the east of the latter road is the plateau
of Douaumont — a plateau on a plateau, rising 600 feet above
the level of the Meuse. It takes its name from a little village
of one street, which you w^ill see marked on the map. About
six hundred yards to the south-east of the village was the Fort
of Douaumont, which had been dismantled for many months.
Two hundred and fifty yards still farther east there was a
redoubt, forming a position in the French line.

On that red, roaring Friday the Germans flung all their weight
against the two ends of the French position — against Pepper
Hill and the village of Douaumont. The French held lines a
little on the south side of the crest of Pepper Hill. The big
retreat of the night before meant that the enemy had to bring
his guns forward and get new ranges ; consequently the bom-
bardment took time to reach its height. When the German
infantry pushed up the steep ground towards the crest of Pepper
Hill, it was scattered like chaff before the wind by the fire of
"75's," machine guns, and rifles, and by the shells of heavier
pieces on the ridge of Charny, to the west of the river.

Better success attended the Germans in the centre. Over
and over again their attacks were crushed by the French gunners,
but by three in the afternoon their infantry was swarming into
the village of Louvemont. Meanwhile they were assaulting
the Douaumont plateau, and though their men fell fast and
thick, they gained ground. By nightfall they had occupied
both slopes of the plateau. Again and again they reached its
rim, only to be hurled back by the thin line of devoted French-
men. For a moment, about five o'clock, it seemed that the
village of Douaumont would be captured ; but a counter-attack
removed the danger. The glory of the defence on that day
must go to the 3rd Regiment of Zouaves and to the gunners.

It is impossible for you to imagine the terrible scenes of
bloodshed enacted on the plateau. The following account by
a French officer in an observation post will give you some
idea of the awful slaughter : —

" Beyond, in the valley, dark masses are moving over the snow-covered
ground. It is German infantry advancing in massed formation to the
attack. We telephone through to the batteries, and the ball begins. The
sight is horrible. In the distance, in the valley and up the slopes, regi-
ments spread out, and as they deploy fresh troops come pouring on. . . .
There is a whistle over our heads. It is the first shell on the way. It

The Greatest Battle of History. • 155

falls right in the middle of the enemy infantry. We telephone, telling our
batteries of their hit, and a flood of heavy shells is poured on the enemy.
Through glasses we can see men maddened, men covered with earth and
blood, falling one upon the other. . . . The first wave of the assault is
broken. The ground is dotted with heaps of dead, but the second wave
is already pressing on. It tries in vain to get through our fire. It is driven
back, and again discovered by our guns ; once more our shelling causes
awful gaps in the ranks. Nevertheless, like an army of rats, the Boches
continue to advance. . . . Then our heavy artillery bursts forth in fury.
The whole valley is turned into a volcano, and its exit is stopped by the
barrier of the slain."

tF w •r* •tp 'ff w w

That day the new general arrived. His name was Petain,
and up to that time he was scarcely known outside military
circles. He was fifty-nine years of age, with frank, clear,
piercing eyes, a pink-and-white complexion, and gray hair.
As a professor ' he had lectured very ably at the School of
War, and had been much admired by his students. He was,
however, a simple colonel, commanding the 33rd Regiment of
infantry at Arras when the war broke out. Two months later
he was at the head of a corps, and on October 30, 19 15, he
was leading the 2nd Army in the great attack that broke the
German lines in Champagne. His energy was remarkable, and
he made it a point of duty to keep himself in the pink of
physical fitness. It is said that when he was stationed at Arras
his landlord gave him notice to quit, because he skipped every
morning in his bedroom and disturbed the occupants of the
flat below. During the Champagne offensive he ran three
miles over heavy ground at the head of his troops. He often
challenged his brother officers to jump a ditch with him, and
was frequently seen carrying little children pick-a-back.

All his energy, great as it was, was needed on the day when
he arrived at Verdun. Before long he was the heart and soul
of the defence, and his name rang throughout Europe. He
left nothing to chance, but organized and controlled everj^hing,
everywhere. In the height of the heaviest bombardment he
frequently surprised his officers by suddenly appearing amongst
them in the most exposed positions. Sometimes for days to-
gether he took up his quarters in an armoured motor car, and
sped at forty miles an hour from one post to another. He is
said to have used up a dozen drivers in as many weeks. One
of them said that- he did not mind taking his chance of being
killed in the trenches, but to drive the general was positively

156 "The Children's Story of the War.

asking for death. Wherever he went amongst his troops he
brought cheer and confidence, and before long they were
proud of him, and were ready to go anywhere and do any-
thing for him. His sporting instincts endeared him to them,
and they knew that whatever discomforts they were called upon
to bear he shared them to the uttermost. The defence of
Verdun ranks as one of the miracles of warfare, and the man
who worked the miracle was General Petain.

#■^1 Jb Jb ^t Jfr -Vr

TT TT ^ flr TT TT

The new general did not arrive a moment too soon. The
French army before Verdun had been beaten back four miles
or more in four days, and the position which it was then hold-
ing was by no means strong. The trenches had been neglected ;
gun positions had not been prepared, and the communications
were poor. Reinforcements and supplies had to be brought
over difficult ground, and more and more guns and more and
more shells were required to cope with the enormous strength
of the German artillery. Already the enemy was surging
against the last position. If Douaumont fell, Verdun could
not stand.

That night the frost was bitter, and the wounded Ijdng out
in the open died a merciful death before dawn. In the faint
light of early morning both sides peering from their parapets
saw what appeared to be dark figures crawling towards them.
At first they thought it must be a night attack, but soon they
knew that it was only an army of dead.

Early on Saturday, the 26th, the bombardment began again,
and was especially fierce on Douaumont, the key to Verdun.
The village was soon a welter of ruins, and shells fell fast and
thick on the dismantled fort. The order had gone forth that
Douaumont must be taken at all costs, and somewhere on a
hill in the rear the Kaiser and his staff were watching through
their glasses the gigantic effort now about to be made.
Already Berlin had been told to expect the news ; the flags
were ready to flutter from every window ; and the children
at school were waiting eagerly for the holiday that the
Kaiser granted them whenever he announced a so-called
German victory.

The assault began. The 3rd and 15th Corps were seen
advancing up the spurs and along the ravines. Soon they
were on the slope of three hundred yards which lay in front

The Brandenburgers storming the dismantled Fort of Douaumont.

(By permission of V Illustration. )

On Friday, February 25th, the 24th Regiment of Brandenburg broke into the fort of Douaumont after
a series of fierce and costly assaults. The news was immediately wired to Germany, and the Kaiser
received countless addresses and congratulations from public bodies, to one of which he replied as
follows : " I rejoice greatly at the new and great example of Brandenburg vigour, and the faithfulness
unto death displayed by the sons of that province during the last few days in the course of the irresistible
assault against the most powerful fortress of the enemy." Despite this transport, all that had been
accomplished was the capture of a dismantled and half-abandoned fort.

IS8 The Children's Story of the War.

of the French position. Then the guns opened fire, and the
shells crashed into the advancing men, who were swept away
in the whirlwind of fire. Again and again they advanced,
but nothing mortal could exist in that awful storm. It was
noticed that the men in the front ranks moved forward with
glassy eyes, as though they were under the influence of a drug.
They were mown down, but behind them wave after wave
rolled on, only to meet the same fate. About ten in the
morning a wave mightier than the rest surged up the slope,
reached the French trenches, and overflowed beyond the crest.
The 24th Regiment of Brandenburg had broken the French
front, but had not carried the position. To the west the French
were still holding the village, and to the east the redoubt ; the
Brandenburgers had only thrust in a wedge against the old
fort, and were now battling amidst its ruins. Nevertheless, the
success was enough for the watching Kaiser. Immediately the
news flashed along the wires that Douaumont, the last line of
the French defence, had fallen. Berlin was in a frenzy of
delight, but it rejoiced too soon.

A mighty feat of arms had been accomplished, but it availed
nothing. Petain's plans were already yielding fruit. The
wearied Frenchmen, who had been fighting for five days against
fearful odds, had now been reinforced. The famous 20th Corps,
which had crushed the flower of the German cavalry on the
heights in front of Nancy,* had been rushed along the " moving
platform " of the motor transport on the Verdun road, and had
now arrived on the plateau. Fresh and full of ardour, it was
launched at the Brandenburgers, who were pushed back over
the rim of the high ground. Some two thousand of them,
however, still held on to the fort, where they were caught like
rats in a trap. Four times the fort was taken and retaken.

Fierce and terrible fighting continued until the 29th. The
Germans flung themselves with fury upon the village of Douau-
mont, in order to make good the hold which the Branden-
burgers had obtained upon the fort. The critical moment had
arrived. The village was held, however, by one of the finest
regiments in all France. Amidst the ruins the men lay in cover
with rifles and machine guns trained on the advancing foe.
The Germans believed that there was no living creature in the
village ; they thought that every defender had perished or

* See Vol. II., p. 218.

The Greatest Battle of History. i 59

been driven out by their rain of shells. Imagine, then, their
surprise when their appearance on the outskirts was greeted
with a storm of deadly fire. The front ranks reeled with the
shock ; they recoiled, and in doing so threw those behind them
into confusion. Before long the whole advancing force had
turned tail, and was hurrying panic-stricken to the rear. France
and her fortunes had been saved.

The regiment which had thus opposed a wall of steel to
the assaults of the Germans remained under fire for fourteen
terrible days. Officers and men vied with each other in deeds
of heroism. Wounded soldiers refused to go to hospital, or,

The Attack on Douaumont

when sent to the rear against their will, insisted on rejoining
their comrades as soon as their wounds had been bandaged.
A colonel, to his surprise, found in the firing line an old
sergeant whose white beard suggested that his place was away
behind the lines. " What are you doing here } *' he asked.
" Mon colonel," was the reply, " my son has been killed. I
have come to avenge him."

An infantry officer who took part in the heroic defence of
the plateau tells us that on the night of ist March the Germans
destroyed the French earthworks with a fierce bombardment,
and at 1.15 in the afternoon attacked the village from the north
and on the flank.

1 60 The Children's Story of the War.

" The first Germans seen were advancing from the fort. They were
wearing French helmets, and for an instant we hesitated. Our major
shouted out, ' Do not fire ; they are French ! ' He had scarcely uttered
the words when he fell with a bullet in his throat. Another officer at once
took his place and cried, ' Fire ! fire ! They are Boches ! ' Meanwhile
the enemy tried to surround us and capture the village, but we determined
to hold it to the last man. While it was in danger, a single company charged
the German masses who were trying to force their way into our lines. There
was a terrible hand-to-hand struggle, but at last we were overwhelmed
by numbers. The last survivor of the company died still charging.

" The German troops at this moment began to move towards the south-
west entrance to the village. ... A captain at once took steps to check
their advance, and a machine gun opened fire upon them. Out of about
one hundred Germans scarcely twenty were left capable of retreating. . . .
Under cover of the darkness we constructed barricades, and modified our
front so as to oppose a strong defensive position to the enemy."

With this repulse the first stage of the Verdun battle
may be said to have ended. The French, with a few weak
divisions, had been assailed in a difficult position by enormous
masses of the enemy, long prepared for the venture. They
had fallen back yard by yard, selling the ground at a heavy
price. The Germans had hoped to sweep away all opposition
by one terrific onset, and had they succeeded Verdun would
have been theirs within four days. The falling back of the
French spoiled their plans, and forced them to proceed, not
by one mighty blow but by stages, between each of which the
guns had to be advanced to new positions, and a new bom-
bardment undertaken before the infantry could be pushed for-
ward to the assault. This gave the French time to bring up
reinforcements, and to oppose the enemy with a strength equal
to his own.

Nevertheless they had come very near to disaster. They
had been caught napping, and it was more by good luck than
good management that the key position had not been captured.
Had the plateau of Douaumont been lost, large numbers of
French troops would have been cut off, and Verdun would have
fallen into German hands. The Allied front might not have
been broken, but the Germans would have scored heavily.
New ardour would have inspired their ranks, and neutral
nations would have been greatly impressed. As it was, they
missed victory by a very narrow margin indeed.

CHAPTER XVIII.

STORIES OF THE BATTLE OF VERDUN.

A TIMES correspondent, writing from " before Verdun,
4th March," tells us that the great German assault was
intended to take place long before the day on which it was
actually launched, but that it was delayed by spells of bad
weather. He also tells us that things went wrong with the
Germans in other ways. A Zeppelin that was to have blown
up important railway junctions on the French lines of com-
munication was brought down at Revigny.* On the evening
of 2ist February, the day on which the great guns began to
thunder before Verdun, the stationmaster of Revigny saw a
Zeppelin approaching. On a siding there were seventy wagons
filled with munitions, and he realized at once that they would
be a good mark for the bomb-droppers. A pointsman and a
locomotive driver rushed up at his call, and within a very few
moments all the wagons were speeding away from the danger
zone at top speed. For their promptness and resource the three
railway men afterwards received decorations.

*^U ^ J£. 4^ ^U ^U

TP TP TP TP TP TP

A man who saw the Zeppelin brought down describes the
incident as follows : —

" The Zeppelin made its appearance suddenly in the bright
beam of a searchlight. It was not more than 1,800 metres
(6,000 feet) up, and it looked like a gigantic fish. Its nose
offered a good enough likeness to the tapered head of a pike,
and the pike's long body was represented by the carcass of the

* Rey-veen-ye. Thirty miles south-west of Verdun ; an important junction
on a main railway to Paris, with connections serving the French lines in
Champagne and the Argonne.

V. II

1 62 The Children's Story of the War.

dirigible. At short intervals I heard loud reports. These
came from the batteries of motor guns which were firing on
the airship. The Zeppelin seemed to pause, and afterwards
for a few moments went forward again in a southerly direction.
Then it put about, and sought to escape ; but the searchlights
and motor guns of Revigny pursued it, and the cannonade
became more violent. Suddenly an immense burst of flame
gushed upwards into the sky, and from all of us who were
watching broke the same cry, ' It's hit ! ' In less than ten
seconds the airship, a flame from end to end, turned on itself
two or three times, and came whirling to the earth. While the
blazing Zeppelin was falling, one of the crew climbed over the
side of the car, slid down a rope, and fell to the ground from
a height of i,ooo feet. He was dead when picked up."

It was the L77 which had thus been destroyed, and the
gun that brought it down was one of the famous French ** 75 's."
" After something like twenty shots," says a correspondent,
" the gunners got home with one which sealed the fate of the
pirate craft. French artillerymen are not accustomed to hide
their feelings, and their enthusiasm got the better of them.
Some of them danced round the guns, embracing their com-
rades, while others gave vent to their joy in song."

W TP TT ^ Tp tP

The French " 75 's " are such wonderful guns, and they
played such an important part in the Verdun battle, that I
cannot do better than give you a description of one of them.
First of all, what is a " 75 " ? It is a field gun whose calibre
— -that is, the diameter of its bore — is 75 millimetres, or nearly
three inches. Its length is nine feet, and it is the best man-
killing machine which the world has yet known. Formerly
artillery fire was slow, and this was due to the fact that, after
the gun was laid and fired, the shock of the discharge so upset
the aim that the gun had to be relaid for the next shot. The
French set the best brains of their country to the work of in-
venting a gun which might be fired again and again and not need
relaying. The " 75 " which was served out to the French gunners
in 1898 was the result. The old form of gun was attached
to its axle-tree, but the new gun was fixed to a buffer in a cradle,
which not only absorbed the shock of the recoil, but ran back
the gun so exactly into its former position that no second laying
was necessary. You can easily understand that the new gun

The Gun which brought down L77.

{^French official photograph.)
You will notice that the gun is mounted on a motor, and is thus enabled to follow the course of the
Zeppelin. It is an ordinary French "75." Private Pennetier, who fired the decisive shot, is seen seated in
position just in front of the barrel.

1 64 The Children's Story of the War.

could be fired much more rapidly than the old ; indeed, it
could discharge its shots as fast as the gunners could adjust
the fuses to the shells.

If you look at the French '* 75 " * you will see a cylinder
beneath the gun barrel. This cylinder contains a combination
of glycerine, compressed air, and springs which take up the
recoil. The exact proportions of this combination are a secret
which is most jealously kept. Many " 75 's " have fallen into
the hands of the Germans, but they have not been able to dis-
cover the secret. The moment they open the cylinder the air
escapes, and the secret with it.

Now that the French had made a very rapid-firing gun, the
next problem was how to increase the rate of fuse-setting.
Probably you know that if a shell has its fuse too long or too
short, even by a little, it cannot do its work accurately. Before
long the French had invented a machine which set the fuse
exactly and very rapidly. The gunner pulls a handle like that
of a beer engine, and with one clean, crisp stroke the shell is
properly fused. I cannot tell you how this machine works,
for its details are a secret.

The French had now produced a gun easily able to fire
twenty-five aimed shots a minute ; but they were not content
with anything short of perfection. They gave their new gun
an increased range by lengthening the barrel to nearly nine
feet — an hitherto unheard-of length for a field gun — and they
provided it with shrapnel and high-explosive shells, which
raced away on their mission of death at a higher speed than
had ever been known before. Then they invented a method
by which they could get three different kinds of fire from the
gun without relaying it. By means of a worm and wheel gear
they were able to make the gun spray its shrapnel right and
left, just as a field labourer swings his scythe when mowing
grass. This they called " mowing fire." Next they fitted
mechanism to the gun which enabled it— still without relaying
— to follow up men as they ran towards it or away from it.
Finally they combined this forward or backward fire with the
" mowing fire," and so were able to spray any piece of ground
so thoroughly with shrapnel that nothing mortal could live on
it. Over and over again, not only at Verdun but on a score of
other fields, the French gunners were able to destroy advancing

* See picture on p. 166.

Stories of the Battle of Verdun. 165

columns by means of this dreaded rafale* Were four bat-
talions, massed in a brigade formation, to come within three
and a half miles of a battery of " 75 's," at a range known to
the gunners, they would probably be beaten flat to the earth
in less than half a minute, and not a single man of them would
escape wounding !

*^ j^ ^ ^ ^ ^

■«■ ■ W TT ^P TP TT

Let us watch a battery of " 75 's " in action. The battery
commander rattles off a string of words, telling his men their
target, the range, length of fuse, angle of deflection, and so
forth. While he is speaking, the gun layers are at work, and
the fuse setters are punching the shell noses. Then the breech
of each gun swings open, the shells are inserted, and " as the
captain finishes on a sharp note of command, each gun, being
laid on an axis parallel to its fellow, whizzes off a string of eight
shells in two groups of four, and ceases fire. As the last shell
leaves the gun the loader swings open the breech and stands
easy. The whole process has taken exactly twenty seconds ;
and somewhere about two miles off there is a patch of mother
earth the size of Trafalgar Square, every scrap of which has
been so beaten by shrapnel bullets that there is no unprotected
living thing on it."

Such is the French " 75 " — the pride of the French army,
and the most effective piece of artillery known to man. It is
said that the Germans strove hard to obtain the plans of the
'* 75," and that the French prepared a set which were apparently
perfect, and let their whereabouts be known. A German spy
was allowed to steal the papers, but when his masters made
the gun from them they found that it wouldn't work. The
Germans had obtained possession of dummy plans !

*******

A French doctor, who describes the first four days of the
fighting before Verdun, tells us that on the first day he was in
the Caures Woods with a battery holding an advanced position.
Behind the battery the Germans had created two or three zones
of curtain fire, through which the supplies of ammunition had
to be brought up and the wounded removed. This was done
with wonderful calm and heroism. One gun of the French
battery was damaged by a German shell, and had to be with-
drawn to the rear. There remained three " 75 's," which fired
* Ra-fah, French word for a squall.

Stories of the Battle of Verdun. 167

ceaselessly. As soon as the doctor had finished binding up
the wounded and sending them to the rear, he lent a hand in
passing up the shells. An 8 -inch German shell passed between
the legs of one of the men serving the battery, and failed to
explode. A little later a 12-inch shell caught this same man
as it rebounded, threw him over the gun, and landed him
head foremost in a dug-out. The man scrambled out again,
saying, " Doctor, I really believe I can't be hit."

Meanwhile the guns grew hot and tired. The man had
gone back to his piece while the doctor attended to the wounded
twenty yards to the rear. Suddenly the gun burst. Raising
his eyes, the doctor saw two of the gun's crew dead, and the
poor fellow who thought he couldn't be hit in his last agony.
The burst gun was removed. There now remained two guns,
one of which had a hole in its rifling, and the other had its
brake smashed ; but still they fired. The gunners were splen-
did ; they stuck to their work as though nothing had happened.
Then the Germans opened fire with their Austrian 4.1 -inch
guns, which are the nearest thing they possess to the French
" 75 's." The result was awful, but nothing compared with
the moment when the German machine guns began to play,
for no cannon is so terrible as a machine gun.

The men were dead tired. The severely wounded were tied
on to the empty ammunition wagons, and back they went,
plunging in and out of the enormous craters which the German
heavy shells had made. At last the German infantry advanced
from the woods at a trot. " Our fellows," says the doctor,
" fired until the enemy was within 300 or 400 yards. Then,
not wishing to be caught, they retired. That was the worst
moment of all. The men retreated foot by foot. It made
one's heart bleed. The retirement lasted twenty- four hours.

" Then came a moment of mad delight. Our attacking
corps appeared. On they came, with great speed and power.
My poor fellows, worn out and lying flat, watched them as
the torrent of men and guns rolled forward. They dashed
onwards, never stopping, with wonderful spirit and ' go.' Never
have I felt such joy. From that moment we all knew that the
Huns were done for, and that their advance was stayed:"

A French soldier who took part in the fight at Ornes wrote
as follows : —

I 68 The Children's Story of the War.

" I have fought right through from the beginning. It was
so frightful that I, who have seen my comrades fall almost with
indifference, shudder when I look back. Battalions of the
Germans advanced on us in close ranks — twenty men abreast.
The shrapnel from our ' 7S's ' and our heavy artillery rained on
them. It was blood-curdling. You could see great gaps being
made. It was as if a man had been passing through the Ger-
man ranks with a scythe steadily mowing them down. Each
time the shells exploded human fragments fell around us."

41: # # # # 4f: #

One more story about the guns before I pass on to other
aspects of the battle. An artillery captain said to a correspond-
ent : "It was in the full height of the assault, and our guns
had been firing round after round at the highest speed. After
seven or eight hundred rounds the * 75's ' became so hot that
it was impossible to fire any longer until the pieces had been
cooled. Our guns reached this stage of heat, and there was no
water left except in the men's water-bottles. The men were
almost dying of thirst, and yet of their own free will they refused
to drink a single drop, reserving all the water in their flasks
for the cooling of the pieces which were defending the infantry
a mile or two away."

tP "HF '^ ^F tRF 'tp 'fF

When the Germans entered the village of Samogneux, two
French companies of infantry holding some ruined houses were
cut off, and had no time to retreat. Their leader was a young
captain, who determined to die rather than surrender. Hap-
pily, the position was a good one. The Germans were exposed
to the fire of the French machine guns, and the French could
take refuge in cellars from the bombardment of the German
artillery. Twice the Germans attempted to rush the position,
but both times they were repulsed. The number of the
defenders, however, gradually grew less, and their ammuni-
tion began to fail. When at last the captain saw the Germans
preparing to make a third attack, he knew that it must end in
the destruction of his little band. At once he sent off an orderly
with a message to the colonel, saying that he meant to attack
the enemy at three o'clock, but he hoped to be relieved before
that time. If not, nothing remained but for him and his men
to die for their country.

Slowly the time went by. At five minutes to three the

Stones of the Battle of Verdun. 169

captain called his men together, and told them that when the
hour struck they must attack the enemy. If help arrived in
time they might be saved ; if not, it was certain death. ** Let
us, at least," he said, " show the Boches how French soldiers
can die."

At the hour fixed he gave the order to attack. His men
leaped forward to the fray so fiercely that the Germans were
forced to fall back. Before they could rally for a counter-
attack, French cheers were heard in the rear. The troops so
long waited for were advancing, led by the orderly who had
been sent to summon them. The men came up at a rush just
in the nick of time, and enabled the gallant little band to make
good its retreat.

W ^P TV TP TP ^P

It is said that the Germans made no less than eighteen
attacks on the village of Douaumont on 28th and 29th Feb-
ruary before they entered it, only to be thrust out again. The
French fully admitted the bravery of the enemy. " Not know-
ing that they were advancing to their death," wrote an officer,
'* they came on as if on parade to within twenty yards of us,
and then rushed forward, crying, ' Vorwdrts I ' A salvo from
our machine guns mowed down the first line, and then the
order rang out to charge with fixed bayonets. Terrible hand-
to-hand fights ensued in the darkness. Frightful mistakes were
made by the enemy. We found the body of a German officer
pierced by German bayonets. An enemy company charged a
section which was coming up to support it. The fight lasted
till daybreak, when the approaches to Douaumont were covered
with dead and wounded. We planned a counter-attack, which
enabled us to gain a footing in the little redoubt north-west of
Douaumont, from which the Germans were firing on us with
machine guns. Calm returned in the morning."

Tp TP tp tp TP tP

How the two thousand Brandenburgers were trapped in
the fort of Douaumont is told in the following extract from a
French newspaper : —

" Our counter-attack was carried out so rapidly that the
unfortunate 24th Brandenburg Regiment, which is one of the
crack corps of the German army, could do nothing but hide
and take cover in the casemates of the old fort of Douaumont,
where it found nothing but stones. To-day (29th February)

"You have the honour to charge 1"

{B}/ per7iiission of The Graphic")

In the great struggle that centred on Douaumont a gallant French officer gave the order to
attack in these simple words : '• My children, you have the honour to charge ! "

Stories of the Battle of Verdun. 1 7 1

this regiment is completely surrounded, and dare not come
out. No doubt they are afraid of being shot by us ; and they
have good enough reason for believing this, as, before sending
them to the assault at the very height of the battle, under the
eyes of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, their commanders
said to them, ' Don't forget that the French do not take pris-
oners.' When the position was recaptured, our men showed
great enthusiasm. The generals commanding the reinforcing
armies massed in the rear announced the success in the follow-
ing words : * The Corps has retaken Douaumont.' On

all sides rose the cry, ' Vive la France ! ' Every band played
the ' Marseillaise.' It was a moment of supreme emotion."

*J£. JC. .3U 4U ^U 4&

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One of the most thrilling adventures of the fighting de-
scribed in the preceding chapter was the escape of a young
lieutenant who was acting as observer to the artillery in a cap-
tive balloon high above the roar of the battle. Suddenly he
discovered that the steel hawser connecting the balloon with
the ground had been severed by a shell, and that he was drift-
ing towards the enemy's lines. Thousands of anxious eyes
were directed towards the little speck, which grew fainter and
fainter as the southerly wind wafted it towards the German
positions. Four aeroplanes at once started off in the hope
of rendering assistance ; but every one felt that the lieutenant
was doomed. Minutes passed. The balloon kept on rising, and
only the car could now be seen. Then suddenly a tiny, grayish
speck was noticed to drop from the balloon, which shot up a
thousand feet. The speck, instead of falling to earth, seemed
to be hanging in mid-air. By the aid of glasses observers saw
that the speck was a human body, suspended from a parachute.
A mighty cheer arose when, twenty minutes later, the para-
chute descended into the French lines with the young officer
safe and sound.

■Mt ^t ^t ^t ^t ^t ^t

TP w ^P TP TP TP ^P

His own story of the adventure is as follows : —
" I first knew that something had gone wrong when I felt
a slight shock. I thought the telephone cable had parted. All
at once I became aware that the other balloons were growing
smaller, and I grasped the fact that I was adrift. A glance at
my barometer told me I was already five thousand feet up. I
tried to pull the cord working the valve, but it had become

172 The Children's Story of the War.

entangled and would not act. I tried to climb up to it, but
failed. Then I feared I was lost. My first thought was to
destroy my papers ; then I thought of blowing out my brains,
to avoid falling into the hands of the Boches. At last, how-
ever, came inspiration. Why not try the parachute ? I had
to be quick, for I was now 11,000 feet up. The cord which
was tied round my body was 65 feet long, so I had to jump
that distance into the void before the box containing the para-
chute could open and set it free. For a few seconds I held on
to the car by my hands. Then I let go. I must have dropped
over a hundred feet before the parachute unfurled, and it was
not an agreeable sensation. But after that I did not mind,
and was able to look about me. When I was only 2,500 feet
from the earth I became aware that the wind was carrying me
towards the German lines. Then I seemed to lose conscious-
ness. I rebounded three times before I finally landed, and
discovered I was 300 yards from the enemy. I had been twenty
minutes falling. I am only slightly bruised."

^P ^P TT T? TP ^T

A correspondent * who visited the battlefield in the first
week of March tells us that " Verdun lies in a great basin with
the silvery Meuse twining in the valley. The scene is, on
the whole, Scottish. Verdun, from where I saw it, might be
Perth, and the Meuse the Tay. Small groups of firs darken
some of the hills, giving a natural resemblance to Scotland.

" The town is being made into a second Ypres by the Ger-
mans. Yet as it stands out in the sunlight it is difficult to realize
that it is a place from which the people have all gone, save a faith-
ful few who live underground. The tall towers of Verdun still
stand. Close by us is a hidden French battery, and it is pretty
to see the promptness with which it sends its screaming shells
back to the Germans within a few seconds of the dispatch of
a missive from the Huns. One speedily grows accustomed to
the sound and the scene, and can follow the position of the
villages, about which the Germans pretend to mislead the
world by wireless messages every morning.

" We journey farther afield, and the famous fort of Douau-

mont is pointed out. The storming of Fort Douaumont, as

related by the German dispatches, is on a par with the sinking

of the Tiger and the recent air bombardment of Liverpool. All

* Lord Northcliffe, in the Times.

Stories of the Battle of Verdun. 1 7 3

the world knows that the Tiger is, as she was before the Ger-
mans sank her in their newspapers, one of the finest ships in
the world, and that the air bombardment of Liverpool was
imagined in Berlin. The storming of Fort Douaumont, gun-
less and unmanned, was about as important. It was a military
operation of little value. A number of Brandenburgers climbed
into the gunless fort of Douaumont, and some of them are
still there, scantily supplied with food by their comrades at
night. They are practically surrounded by the French, whose
Headquarters Staff regards the whole incident as a simple epi-
sode in the give and take of war. ..."

^ Mf ^ M, M^ JU 4t

•w* *«• "Iv *7v' TP w t6»

The same writer tells us that the prisoners taken by the
French were miserable creatures, and that he could hardly
believe that they belonged to a crack German corps. " One
ill-favoured youth hailing from Charlottenburg * was barely
five feet four inches high. Narrow-chested and peak- faced,
he had the quick- wittedness of the town recruit, but seemed
far better fitted for his stool as a railway clerk than for the
life of the trenches or for the ordeal of battle. Yet he had been
taken at the end of 19 14 and sent to Flanders after six weeks'
training, ' educated ' in trench-making for another month, then
left to himself and his comrades as a full-fledged Prussian
eaglet. Like the bulk of the other prisoners, he had been
withdrawn at the beginning of February from the Flanders
front and sent to the neighbourhood of Verdun. . . .

" Of one thing he and his fellows were heartily glad — to
be taken away from the neighbourhood of the * frightful '
English and nearer to the kindly French. From all the reports
which these men had received from their families during the
last two months, it appears that, in the words of one of them,
* there reigns in Germany considerable misery.' . . . The chief
longing of the men, as of their families, was for peace."

* Town, province of Brandenburg, Prussia ; on the river Spree, iminedi-
ately west of Berlin. It contains a royal castle and a famous technical
school.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE goose's crest AND THE DEAD MAN.

•AFTER terribly fierce fighting the Germans had failed, but
i\ only just failed, to carry the key positions of Pepper Hill and
the plateau of Douaumont by frontal attacks. Why they failed
still remains a mystery. Perhaps the wintry weather and the
difficult upland country caused delay in moving the heavy
pieces forward and bringing up supplies of shell. The French
declared that though the Germans had thrown away life like
water, they had not pushed on with that fire and resolution
which would have swept away all opposition. The German
troops had been told that the guns would do the work for
them, and that they would merely have to go forward and
occupy wrecked positions. When they were sent against posi-
tions which had not been destroyed, they seemed puzzled and
dispirited. Another reason why the frontal attacks had failed
was that the French guns on the left bank of the river had
prevented the German right wing from lending proper support
to the centre, and had forced the enemy to mass his men for
the attack on a very narrow front.

At the end of February the German High Command came
to the conclusion that its right flank must be cleared before
the assault on the eastern bank of the river could succeed.
Accordingly it sent many batteries across the river, and
placed them in position amidst the woods. The new plan
was to drive in the salient on the west, and to advance on
Verdun from the north-west. If the French artillery on the
left bank of the Meuse could be overcome and an advance
of one mile could be made, the main road and railway com-
munications of Verdun would be in danger. At the same
time blows were to be delivered on the other flank. What the

The Goose's Crest and the Dead Man. i 7 5

Germans now proposed to do was to strike in from the flanks,
and thus cut off the saHent at its roots.

Perhaps you wonder why the Germans did not push through
the plain of the Woevre and turn the whole Verdun position
by getting round to its rear. The reason was that the Woevre
is a very diflBcult campaigning ground in winter. It has a stiff
clay soil, and when there are no frosts is covered with swamps
and pools. The heavy guns and the transport could only
advance by one railway and a few roads, and the troops could
not easily deploy on the soft, sticky soil. Further, all the roads
and crossroads by which they could advance were commanded

The Gooses Crest (Cote de I'Oie).

at long range by the guns in the south-eastern forts of Verdun.
The plain of the Woevre was impossible, so the Germans were
obliged to attack Verdun from the north, the north-west, and
the north-east, where the roads were good, the soil was dry,
and the woods gave them shelter.

Find the little village of Forges, which I have already men-
tioned. On 2nd March the German guns began to attack the
western part of the salient between the Forest of Argonne and
Forges. The French lines on this side of the river ran behind
the village of Bethincourt and up the narrow, marshy valley
of the Forges Brook, so as to cover Forges village. I have already
pointed out that the brook is formed by two streams which

1 76 The Children's Story of the War.

unite near Bethincourt. Notice especially the more easterly
branch, which skirts on the west a long ridge of hills, known as
the Goose's Crest. The north-western slope of this ridge is
thickly covered with the woodland called the Bois de Corbeaux,
or Crow's Wood. The ridge sinks sharply to the Meuse
opposite to Samogneux, and on the south side of it is the large
village of Cumi^res.* Between the ridge and Cumieres is the
Wood of Cumieres. At the western end of the Goose's Crest
is the summit known as Mort Homme, or Dead Man.

You can easily see that if the Germans proposed to advance
on Verdun from the north-west they must completely carry
the Goose's Crest and its highest point, the Dead Man. If they
did so, they would be able to keep down the fire of all the French
batteries on the west of the Meuse, and would also be able to
carry the Douaumont plateau by a flank attack. Further, if
the French were driven off the Dead Man, there was no halting
place for them until they reached the ridge of Charny, four
miles away. The assault of the Goose's Crest was, therefore,
decided upon. It was the key to the western bank, just as
the Douaumont crest was the key to the eastern heights.

* Coom-e-air.

CHAPTER XX.

THE BATTLE OF VERDUN — SECOND STAGE.

ON 2nd March the Germans began a bombardment of the
French firing trenches along the valley of the Forges Brook
and the reserv^e lines on the Goose's Crest and the Dead Man.
They also paid special attention to the Crow's Wood and the
Wood of Cumieres, in which the French guns were concealed.
The railway which you see following the left bank of the river *
was shelled, and was rendered useless. All transport was now
dependent on the motor service. For four days the bom-
bardment continued.

In order to prevent the French from reinforcing their line
along the Forges Brook, a series of very strong attacks was made
on the village of Douaumont f and on the hamlet of Vaux,;|;
about a couple of miles to the south-west. Douaumont, now a
heap of ruins, was captured ; but no real success was won, for
the French still held the higher slopes to the south. The village
was, indeed, outside the position on which the French were
making their great stand. The assaults on Douaumont and Vaux
were only holding attacks ; the main blow was to be delivered
to the west of the Meuse. General Petain was not deceived ;
he had guessed the German plan, and had made arrangements
to meet it.

The long and heavy bombardment on the west of the river
ceased at dawn on Monday, 6th March, and two German divi-
sions moved out to attack the valley of the Forges Brook. They
carried the first French position easily, for its right flank was
*' in the air." The Germans were already in possession of the
opposite bank for three miles up to Talou Hill, and were thus
able to assail the French wing with enfilading fire. The de-

* See map, p. 179. | Dii-o-mon {n nasal). See map, p. 181. J Vo.
V, 12

The Battle of Verdun.

179

fenders fell back, fighting stubbornly, to their prepared position
behind the Goose's Crest. By midday the Germans had taken
Forges ; before darkness fell they had won the eastern part
of the crest, and had pushed their way into the Crow's Wood.
Further, they had advanced along the railway, and were in the
wood of Cumieres.*

Next day, Tuesday, the 7th, came the first attack against
the new French line. While it was in progress two successful
assaults were delivered on the eastern side of the salient —
against Fresnes f and against the redoubt in Hardaumont Wood.
The redoubt was captured, and the enemy thus obtained a

French Position west of the Meuse on the Morning of
March 6th.

position from which he could attack Vaux. The main fighting,
however, was against the Goose's Crest. Thanks to a counter-
attack, most of the Crow's Wood was won back, but elsewhere
the French had to struggle hard to maintain their footing.

It is impossible for me to describe in these pages all the
attacks which the Germans made on the French positions
before Verdun. I should only confuse you if I did so. You
must imagine the Germans as thrusting forward their men
with the utmost ruthlessness day after day, and the French
fire sweeping great lanes through them as they strove to advance.
You must imagine the Germans, undeterred by their great
sacrifices, coming on again and again ; and finally, by sheer

* Coom-e-air.

f Frayne. See map, p. 142.

1 8o The Children's Story of the War.

weight of numbers, winning small parcels of ground, but making
terribly slow headway. I cannot describe all this ebb and flow
of the long-continued battle. I must confine myself to the out-
standing incidents of the long struggle.

The most determined and most costly effort of the enemy
in the early days of March was that made against the old fort
of Vaux. Let me try to give you some idea of its approaches.
Suppose you are standing on the plain of the Woevre, say at
the village of Dieppe. Looking up from the flats you see a
small glen with steep sides crowned with clumps of wood.
A road ascends the glen, and half-way up you see a straggling
village of one street, with a church at the eastern end. This
is the village of Vaux. To the north of it is the Hardaumont
Wood, and from the high ground you catch a glimpse of the
round top of Douaumont Fort. To the south-east of the village
there is a bluff crowned by the old fort of Vaux, and surrounded
by a wood.

When the moon had set, just after midnight on Wednes-
day, 9th March, a German brigade pushed up the glen to-
wards the village. All the previous day shells had been flung
into the little place, which was now a heap of ruins. The
Germans thought that it was abandoned, and they marched
jauntily up the glen, four abreast. A French officer who saw
them said they looked as though they were out for manoeuvres,
and that they only needed their band to complete the picture.

Up the glen they tramped, until they reached the village.
The French were lurking in the ruins and in the cellars, waiting
with beating hearts for their coming. Suddenly from the holes
and corners they let loose a murderous fire of machine guns
on the advancing foe. As the enemy reeled before the storm
of lead the waiting Frenchmen leaped out and plied the bayonet
with deadly effect. Most of the attackers fled, and the remainder
were finished off with grenades. At daylight the Germans
returned again to the assault, advancing not only up the glen
but up the steep slopes against the old fort. During the day
they made attack after attack, but they were unable to make
headway against the French guns. On the nth they made their
final effort. They swept up the glen, and took the eastern end of
the village and the ruins of the church. From the fort, however,
they were beaten back with heavy loss, and the wire entangle-
ments on the slopes were thick with their dead and dying.

The Battle of Verdun.

i8i

Though the fort of Vaux was entirely outside the sphere of
fighting on these two days, the Germans boldly announced
that they " had carried by assault the armoured fort of Vaux,
as well as numerous neighbouring fortifications." They had
done nothing of the kind; and later on they tried to explain
away their lying statement by declaring that the French had
retaken the fort — which, as a matter of fact, they had never lost.

While this fighting was going on at Vaux the Germans were
making assaults all along the eastern side of the salient, but
none of them succeeded. At the same time they were attack-
ing the Goose's Crest. They were like a woodman felling a

Map to illustrate the Attack on Vaux.

tree by striking first at one side of the trunk and then at the
other, but with this difference : while each stroke of the wood-
man's axe cuts deeper and deeper into the tree, the German
blows glanced off. They had cut through the loose bark, but
the hard core turned the edge of their weapon every time.

From Thursday, 3rd March, to Tuesday, 14th March, an
almost continuous struggle raged between Bethincourt and the
Goose's Crest. The Germans suffered very heavy losses ; but
they gained ground, and on the evening of Tuesday, the 14th,
they made a great attempt to carry the Dead Man. Two divi-
sions, numbering in all some 25,000 men, poured out of the

The Battle of Verdun. 183

Crow's Wood, which was now in the enemy's hands. The
division on the French left advanced from the Forges Brook
and pushed up the slopes of the hill which you see marked
265,* while the division in the centre made directly for the
same hill.

The centre advanced in five waves, and though caught by
the French guns and checked, managed before nightfall to win
two positions under the crest of the hill.^ At once a message
was sent to Berlin announcing that the Dead Man had been
captured. You can see for yourself that the news was false.
The Dead Man had not been captured ; all that had been
won was an outlying spur 1,100 yards to the north-west.

On the afternoon of Thursday, the i6th, after a heavy
bombardment another attempt was made to carry the hill.
The French poured a terrific machine-gun fire on the flank
of the advancing troops, and completely broke them up. Then
their right sprang forward and drove the remnants back with
heavy losses into the shelter of the Crow's Wood.

That same night the Germans made another effort to gain
full possession of the village of Vaux, in which, you will re-
member, they had gained a footing. In the darkness five
separate attacks were made one after the other. As the Ger-
mans crept stealthily forward the long beams of the French
searchlights showed them up as clear as daylight, and the
French guns poured a pitiless rain of shells upon them. All
the attempts were in vain. Two days later, on i8th March, six
other attacks were made on the village. In some of them the
Germans used liquid fire, but even this hideous weapon availed
them nothing. The six attacks on i8th March proved just as
unsuccessful as the five attacks on i6th March.

With these failures the second stage of the battle, which
had now continued for twenty-two days, may be said to have
come to an end. Onthe west side of the Meuse the Germans
had thrust into the French position a wedge less than a mile
deep between the Brook of Forges and Cumieres, but they had
failed to carry the Dead Man, the key to Verdun on that side.
On the east bank they held most of the Wood of Hardaumont,
and they were in the outskirts of Vaux village ; but the plateau
of Douaumont still defied them.

* See map, p. 179.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE EBBING TIDE.

BY the middle of March it was clear that even if Verdun
fell the next day it would have been bought at far too great
a price. Had the Crown Prince been able to enter the city
on 26th February, he would have startled the world with an
object lesson of German might. Now it was plain that even
if he won Verdun he would be in the. position of a man pay-
ing a five-pound note for an article worth a shilling. He
would have gained something, it is true, but he would have
paid an absurd price for it.

A man may obtain much business by selling his goods
below cost price ; but if he continues to do so, he is sure to
find himself sooner or later in the bankruptcy court. The aim
of generals in the field is to inflict a greater loss on the enemy
than they themselves suffer. If they gain a position not of
vital importance, and in doing so lose more men than the
enemy, they have really not gained a victory, but have suffered
a defeat. The Crown Prince was now in this plight. He
had already lost twice as many men as the French, and all
that he had gained was a few miles of hill and dale. When
the Greek general Pyrrhus * defeated the Romans in the year
280, and a friend congratulated him, he replied, " One more
such victory, and Pyrrhus is undone." The victories of the
Crown Prince were one and all Pyrrhic victories.

General Petain, on the other hand, played the part of a
cautious and far-seeing trader. He regarded the villages and
crests of the salient, and even Verdun itself, as wares which
the Germans could have — provided they were willing to pay his
price. He had no particular desire to keep his stock intact ; so
* Pir'us. King of Epirus (318 to 272 B.C.).

The Ebbing Tide. 185

long as his balance was on the right side he was content. He
knew that if the process continued long enough he would make
a fortune, and the rash buyer would be ruined. He sold his
wares bit by bit, but he made the enemy pay sometimes twice
as much, and sometimes three times as much, as they were
worth. When, however, he saw that a serious inroad was being
made on his business, he did not hesitate to spend freely in
order that he might not be obliged to put up his shutters.

After the eleven fierce attacks on Vaux, which I described
in the preceding chapter, a lull set in. So heavy had been
the losses of the Germans that they were obliged to remain
quiet while they reorganized their forces. The struggle for
the Dead Man had cost them very dear. They had flung
regiment after regiment against the position, and one after
the other they had been horribly torn and shattered. In some
cases as many as six out of every ten men who were hurled
to the attack lay dead or wounded on the fatal slopes. Further,
the Germans had used up most of the huge supplies of shell
which they had accumulated for the great venture. They had
been most lavish in their bombardments. It is said that on
one point, 200 yards wide by 450 yards deep, they threw more
than 80,000 shells in a single day ! Time was necessary in
order to procure and bring up fresh supplies of ammunition,
and this delay enabled the French to prepare for the next blow.

Our gallant Allies had borne for three weeks the brunt of the
mightiest onset ever made in the history of the world, and they
were now full of confidence that the Germans could not now
succeed. General Joffre in an order of the day told his troops : —

" Germany counted on the success of this effort, which she believed to
be irresistible, and to which she devoted her best troops and much powerful
artillery. She hoped that the capture of Verdun would revive the courage
of her Allies, and convince neutrals of her superiority. She had reckoned
without you. Night and day, in spite of a bombardment such as was never
known before, you have resisted all attacks and maintained our positions.
The struggle is not yet at an end, for the Germans need a victory. You
will succeed in wresting it from them."

Germany now needed a victory more than ever, and she
strove with all her might to obtain it. All attempts to carry
the Dead Man by a frontal attack from the north-west having
failed, she was now about to try a flank attack from the west.
Find the village of Malancourt, which lies about two miles to

1 86 The Children's Story of the War.

the south-west of Bethincourt. About three miles to 'the soutn
of Malancourt you will see the village of Avocourt. The new
advance was to be made between these two villages. The
map shows you plainly that before the Dead Man could be
reached by this route the woods on both sides of the road from
Malancourt and Avocourt would have to be carried, and then
the hill marked 287, and afterwards the hill 304. The latter
hill, which is the key to the Dead Man, is not difficult to
climb ; it descends in long, gentle slopes to the west and the

■ ■ To Montfaucon iX -^^
Malancourfl

The Attack on March 20th from Avocourt.

north-west. If Hill 304 could be carried, the long-delayed
victory would be won.

On the afternoon of Monday, 20th March, a Bavarian divi-
sion made an attack with liquid fire on the Avocourt Wood, and
managed to capture the eastern part of it. Fresh troops were
at once brought up, and in spite of the ravages wrought by the
French guns, were pushed forward to the point where the trees
end and the hill pastures begin. The French lines on the
west now formed a salient which the Germans meant to break
through. All Tuesday they flung a curtain of fire to the rear
of Hill 304, so as to prevent the French from bringing up
reinforcements, and during the next three days they pinched
the salient very thin. Then came a short period of calm ; but

General P^tain, the Herb of Verdun,

(By permission of The Sphere.")

A friend of General Petain describes him as a resolute man of the most wonderful coolness. " While I
agree that a leader should give his men an example of courage, perhaps Petain may be reproached with ex-
posing himself a little too much. He has a rare modesty, and his delight before the war was to go and rest
at Cassis, on the shores of the Mediterranean. I have heard him say that we are carrying on a war of work-
shops, and that every heavy shell of which we run short may cost the lives of twenty men."

1 88 The Children's Story of the War.

on Saturday the guns began to thunder again, and by Monday
evening they were firing so furiously that the French knew
they might soon expect an infantry attack. On Tuesday it
came. BattaHon after battahon was hurled upon the weak
forces holding Malancourt. The French heavy guns opened
upon them with terrible effect ; but they pushed on into the
north-west corner of the village, where bayonet and grenade
fighting of the fiercest character took place for the next two
days. The village, which had been furiously bombarded, was
now only a heap of ruins.

General Petain knew that the real danger-point was not
the village but the wood of Avocourt, which the Germans were
rapidly turning into a stronghold. The time had come for
him to depart from his usual custom, and to make one of those
rare counter-attacks which he only employed to win back really
important positions. His men dashed forward with great spirit,
and not only won 300 yards of the wood, but carried a redoubt
which the enemy had erected in it. The Germans took the loss
of this redoubt greatly to heart, and made four desperate but
unavailing attempts to recapture it. They achieved nothing,
and left mounds of dead before the French position.

Thus foiled, the Germans flung themselves on Malancourt
once more. On the 29th they launched fresh troops at the
ruins, and at the third attempt, which was made on the morning
of Friday, the last day of March, won the south-west corner
of the village. They were already in the north-west corner,
and it was clear that the whole place would soon be in their
hands. Petain saw that the enemy had paid the price, and he
therefore withdrew his troops. During the night his men re-
tired very quietly to a strong position on the lower slopes of
Hill 304. For several days the Germans did not know that the
French had retreated, and continued to bombard empty trenches.

Malancourt was won, and Berlin rejoiced ; but the enemy
dared not advance, because the terrible French guns on Hill
304 and on the Dead Man commanded the bare little hollow
in which the village lies.

Meanwhile the woodman was hacking away at the other
side of the trunk ; he was making another attempt to hew out
a wedge at Vaux. Twice on Thursday his strokes had mis-
carried, and late on Friday night, when the French west of
the Meuse were leaving their trenches at Malancourt to take

The Ebbing Tide. 189

up their new position, he struck again, and at the second stroke
cut into the middle of the village. From this point a road
climbs steeply up a shallow ravine between the woods to the
plateau near the old fort of Douaumont. On the morning of
Saturday, ist April, the enemy in four columns struggled up
this road, but found himself in the same position as at Malan-
court — -the French guns held him. Next day, Sunday, he
thrust 15,000 men into the ravine. Massed in the narrow
glen, they were at the mercy of the French guns, and the hollow
was soon choked with dead and dying. The carnage was awful,
but the Germans pressed on over the bodies of their fellows,
and entered the tangled, tumbled mass of broken beeches
which had once been woods. They had won a real success,
and the plateau was in dire danger.

Again Petain saw that the hour had come for a counter-
attack. On Monday, 3rd April, after a night of heavy bom-
bardment, one of his divisions charged the wood, and after a
fight which must rank as one of the severest of the whole war,
thrust the enemy out of the scorched and blackened region
and won back the whole of it, except a strip near to the Douau-
mont redoubt. The Germans were driven down the ravine, and
all the western part of Vaux^ which had been lost three days
before, was recovered. No one will ever know exactly what
the enemy's losses were on that day. The French lost heavily
too, but even so, the profit and loss account was still in their
favour.

Again the Germans rocked their attapk to the other side of
the river. While the battle was raging at Vaux they charged
the empty trenches of the French under a fierce rain of shells.
During the remainder of the week they made some small gains,
and entered Bethincourt, which the French had abandoned.
By Sunday, the 9th, they were ready for a supreme effort against
the Dead Man. Two main attacks were to be launched against
the hill — one from the woods between Avocourt and Malan-
court by way of Hill 304, the other from the Crow's Wood
directly against the coveted position. There was also to be
a flank assault from between Regneville and Cumieres.

At eight o'clock on Sunday dense masses of Germans
emerged from the wood of Avocourt. Instantly the French
guns got to work, and the movement was nipped in the bud.
T'he attackers were forced back into the shelter of the trees.

1 90 The Children's Story of the War.

and there they were pinned. The first half of the grand attack
had failed. Nor did the attempt from the Crow's Wood fare
any better. The Germans were mown down in swathes. They
paused irresolute for a moment, then ran, leaving the ground
littered with corpses. Equally disastrous was the flank assault,
for as the troops advanced along the flat riverside meadows the
French shells caught them and destroyed them by hundreds.
All the afternoon the attacks were repeated, and at length the
Germans obtained a footing in 400 yards of the first line of
French trenches on the lower eastern slopes of the Dead Man.
There were a few other local gains, but none of them were
important. Late in the evening, when the sky was lit up by
a weird sunset, a Bavarian brigade suddenly appeared advan-
cing to the assault on the extreme western flank at Avocourt.
Some ground was won, but the French recovered it before
darkness fell.

Still the battle raged, but by Tuesday, nth April, even the
Germans could not fail to perceive that they had failed, and
failed grievously. They had used up nine divisions, and at
every important point they had been checked and held. Thanks
to the magnificent stubbornness of the French, every position
essential to the defence of Verdun had been maintained. The
Germans had boasted that they would be in the city in four
days ; after forty-eight days of unexampled struggle and hor-
rible losses, they were still battering vainly at the granite wall
of the defence. All their carefully-laid schemes had come to
naught, and thenceforward they seem to have followed no definite
plan. The struggle was continued for months longer, but all
the generalship had gone out of it. For the next three months
the battle resolved itself into a series of wild rushes, with long
spells during which nothing was done. Colonel Feyler, the great
Swiss critic of the war, did not hesitate to say after the colossal
failure of 9th April, " The French have won the Battle of
Verdun."

^F ^P ^F ^r ^v ^r

In your reading of these pages you must have noticed that
the battles of the present war do not seem to come to a clear-
cut, definite end. They drag on, and may only be said to
finish when the fighting grows hot elsewhere. Even then they
may not end ; but, as in front of Ypres and Loos, and in Cham-
pagne, may still continue, though on a lesser scale. There are,

The Ebbing Tide. 191

signs, however, in every long struggle which show that the
attacker no longer hopes for success. Such signs were evident
at Verdun about the middle of April, when the Germans looked
about for a scapegoat, and found it in the person of Marshal
Haeseler, who was recalled in disgrace. The old general was
sacrificed to save the face of the Crown Prince, and to cover up
the costly mistakes of the General Staff.

Another sign was the changed tone of the German news-
papers. They now told their readers that the Verdun battle
had accomplished all that had been expected of it. Verdun
had not been captured ; but that mattered nothing, for the
place itself was of no value. All that the High Command had
set out to do was to take a heavy toll of the French, and make
them use up their reserves. In this they declared that they
had succeeded, and they published figures showing that the
French losses were greater than their own. These figures
were, of course, quite false. Indeed, they proved too much,
for they showed that the Germans had captured more un-
wounded prisoners than the defenders had lost altogether, and
not far short of the total number of troops with which the
French were holding Verdun.

Though the Germans knew that they had failed, nobody
who understood their obstinate temper supposed that they
would confess their failure by withdrawing their troops for an
attempt elsewhere. Again and again, even when the great
Allied offensive, which began on ist July, was in progress,
they made frenzied attempts to hack a way into Verdun.
On 6th June they managed to surround the heroic garrison
which held the ruins of the fort of Vaux, and early next
morning received its surrender. Ever since 21st February
the fort had been the target of the enemy's heavy guns, and
long before the end came it was merely a heap of stones.

For ninety days the fort had been directly attacked, and it was
in the position of a ship on which the guns of a fleet had been
concentrated. The defence of Vaux was a supreme example
of the grit and doggedness which the French had everywhere
shown on the salient.* Its capture was a feather in the German
cap, and the French had lost an excellent observation station

* In July, at a special parade held in Paris, the Cross of the Legion of
Honour was presented to Madame Raynal, wife of the defender of Fort Vaux,
who was then a prisoner in Germany.

192 The Children's Story of the War.

/ overlooking the Woevre ; but the enemy had still many difficult

positions to carry before the plateau of Douaumont was in his
hands and Verdun was won. Meanwhile he was paying a
terrible price for his small gains, and was exhausting his re-
sources to no real purpose.

In the last ten days of June, after a long pause, the contest
was renewed with a violence almost equal to that of February
and March. Again, both on the eastern and the western bank of
the Meuse, the French were furiously assailed. Again masses
of men were hurled to their death, and only insignificant points
were won. Still the Germans persisted in butting their heads
against the stone wall of the French defence ; still they con-
tinued to sacrifice their armies in a hopeless task. Divisions
were brought up from every quarter where they could be spared,
and were thrust ruthlessly into the deadly storm of fire ; but
even after one hundred and thirty days the Germans were as
far as ever from attaining their object. Students of the war
were amazed that the General Staff should continue this
mad policy, and they came to the conclusion that the enemy
dared not break off the struggle without playing into the hands
of the Allies.

CHAPTER XXII.

' THE GREAT GERMAN FAILURE.

ONE hundred and. thirty days of struggle had gone by,
and yet the fighting before Verdun had not come to an
end. It will go down to history as the longest continuous
battle ever known to mankind. When it began, the snows of
February whitened the hills, and the woods on the heights
were stark and bare. Days lengthened into weeks, and the
fresh young grass covered the scarred and riven ground. Such
trees as had escaped shell fire donned the livery of spring, while
down in the hollows the almond trees gladdened the eye with
their " fairy favours," and the lush meadows by the waterside
gleamed with the gold of marigolds. Still the battle went on.
Nature had awaked from her winter sleep to the promise of
spring and the fulfilment of summer and autumn ; on every
hand she proffered her bounties for the life and comfort of
man, but still the work of slaughter was unstayed.

It is easy to interest you in the battles of an earlier time.
They rarely lasted for more than a day, and every moment
had its incident. A long line of galloping horsemen , with gleam-
ing swords and waving plumes, dashes down upon the enemy,
and in one swift charge cleaves a way to victory ; a thin red
line of heroes rushes forw^ard, and at the bayonet's point carries
a position that ends the fray ; stalwart w^arriors engage in single
combat, and the victor rides off with the trophies of triumph — ■
such are the episodes which made the old battles thrilling
dramas. The Battle of Verdun had no such thrills. On an
area of thirty square miles a million men stood to arms, but had
you been stationed on the heights you would have seen none of
them. All were hidden in holes in the earth. Save for the
fleecy puffs of shrapnel bursting on the ridges, or the heavy
V. 13

The Great German Failure. 195

clouds of black smoke that arose from high-explosive shells,
you would have seen nothing. Your ear, however, would have
been everlastingly assailed with the rattle of machine guns, the
crack of rifles, and the dull, heavy roar of artillery. A modern
battle appeals to the ear and not to the eye.

I must not close this account without paying a tribute to
the splendid valour and the glorious stubbornness of the French
during the long struggle. They had been tried as men had never
been tried before, and they had borne the strain with marvellous
doggedness. The Germans had struck them a blow which was
meant to shatter their nerve and drive them in despair to make a
separate peace. But, inspired by their love of fatherland, they
refused to be disheartened, and presented a living wall, stronger
than concrete or steel, to the foe. Through long days of awful
weariness and torture, when the very earth seemed crumbling
around them, they held their ground against terrible odds in
the spirit of the Spartans of old. They were never so great as
during those long months of struggle, when they stood at bay
against overwhelming legions, and unflinchingly bore the brunt
of warfare such as man had never known before.

Many of the defenders had vowed themselves to a glorious
death. On a bombproof shelter these words were found : —

" My body to the earth ;
My soul to God ;
My heart to France."

When a captain asked for five volunteers for a perilous mission,
forty of his men held up their hands, and were grievously dis-
appointed when they learned that they could not all go. He
selected those whose names began with the letter B, and they
gladly marched off at his command. Not one of them re-
turned. " What's the use of saving .'' " cried a group of warriors
on leave in Paris, and spending their money freely ; *' we're
Petain's men ! "

I have already told you that in such a battle as that of Verdun
we must give the palm to the side which prevents the other
from obtaining its object, and in doing so loses fewer men than its
opponent. In June 19 16 it was said that the Germans had lost
400,000 men ; but even if their losses had been only half this
number, they were double those of the French. The Germans
had not attained their object, and they had paid a most ex-

196 The Children's Story of the War.

travagant price for a few square miles of barren highland.
If Verdun had been captured, and the French had been dealt
a fatal blow, these losses might have been justified. As it was,
the German resources had been squandered. This wasteful
spending of men was the first and chief reason of Germany's
failure.

Another reason was that she overrated the power of artillery,
and merely used her infantry to occupy positions which her guns
were supposed to have won. The Battle of Verdun proved
clearly that infantry still remains the *' queen of battles." Big
guns may prepare the path ; they may wreck all surface features
and tear holes in the ground ; but they cannot cleave their way
through thirty or forty feet of soil or rock, and thus destroy
the deep burrows in which the defenders take shelter when
the bombardment rages in all its fury. When it slackens, and
the enemy's infantry advance to occupy the wrecked positions,
the defenders emerge from their underground shelters, and
then comes the real tug of war. The man behind the bayonet
decides the issue of the day. It was the splendid courage, zeal,
enterprise, and endurance of her infantry that enabled France
to maintain her hold so Jong upon the salient of Verdun.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN IN THE AIR. — I.

" Last night I saw the monster near — the big
White monster that was like a lazy slug.
That hovered in the air, not far away.
As quiet as the black hawk, seen by day.
I saw it turn its body round about.
And look my way ; I saw its big, fat snout
Turn straight towards my face, till I was one
In coldness with that statue made of stone,
The one-armed sailor seen upon my right — ■ v

With no more power than he to offer fight.
* * * * *

*' Oh, it was strange to see a thing, like jelly.
An ugly, boneless thing all back and belly,
Among the peaceful stars — that should have been
A mile deep in the sea, and never seen ;
A big, fat, lazy slug that, even then,
Killed women, children, and defenceless men."

W. H. Davies.

ON the last day of January 19 16 Zeppelins once more
visited Great Britain on their mission of " f rightfulness."
About 4.30 in the afternoon six or seven raiders w^ere sighted
off the coast. On this occasion, for the first time, the Mid-
lands of England were to be stricken. The Zeppelins seemed
to have crossed over Norfolk into Lincolnshire, Derbyshire,
and Staffordshire, from which county they circled back to
the coast by way of Norfolk and Suffolk. Immediately they
were sighted, news was flashed to all places which were likely
to be attacked. Lights were extinguished, all train traffic was
suspended, and fire-brigades were in readiness. The Midlands,
however, were taken by surprise, and some of the towns which
suffered most severely received no warning at all. After the
raiders had done their deadly work, bitter complaints arose

198 The Children's Story of the War.

from these towns, and the nation was once more impressed with
the necessity of making a determined effort to obtain the mastery
of the air.

There were two separate raids upon Staffordshire, the great
industrial county of middle England. The first took place
between eight and nine in the evening, the second about one
o'clock in the morning. In all some thirty persons were killed
in the county, and at least fifty persons injured. Some families
were wiped out altogether ; in other cases there were few sur-
vivors. A bomb fell at the feet of a man who was leaving
his house, and killed him, while his little boy who followed him
had an arm blown off. In one town the father went to a picture
house, leaving his wife and the four children at home. The
wife took the children to visit their grandmother, and when the
father called for them on his way home he found grandmother,
mother, and children, five in all, buried in the ruins of the
house. Many other stories just as sad might be told.

The most tragic event of that night of horror took place in
a mission room, where the sister of the well-known minister
was conducting a service attended by about two hundred
women and girls. A bomb fell between the mission room and
the church ; the lady who was speaking and three members
of the congregation were killed instantly, while others were
seriously injured. Elsewhere, a bomb fell on the roof of a
theatre, and the people rose to their feet as though about to
rush into the streets. At once an actor began to sing the
National Anthem. The audience joined in, and all remained
in the darkened theatre without panic or confusion, until the
raid was over. Close by, a service mainly attended by children
was being held in a school hall. When the roar of the first
explosion was heard, the minister began the hymn, "Jesu,
Lover of my soul," and the children sang it through to the end.

The raid on Staffordshire was quite unexpected, and no
preparations had been made to meet it. Leicestershire, too,
was taken by surprise ; warnings were only received a short
time before the raiders appeared. In one Leicestershire town
ten persons were killed, five of them being women and one a
girl of sixteen. A soldier of the R.A.M.C. returned home on
leave, to discover that his wife, son, and daughter had been
killed. In Lincolnshire three persons met their death and
seven were injured. In Norfolk and Suffolk little damage was

The Spring Campaign in the Air. 199

done. In all, about 220 bombs were dropped during the raid,
and the total death-roll was 33 men, 20 women, and 6 children
killed, and 51 men, 48 women, and 2 children injured. Except
in one part of Staffordshire, no great damage was done to works
and buildings.

The German report ran as follows : —

" On the night of 31st January one of our naval airship squadrons
dropped large quantities of explosive and fire-raising bombs on docks,
harbours, and factories in and near Liverpool and Birkenhead, on the iron
foundries and smelting furnaces of Nottingham and Sheffield, and the great
industrial works on the Humber and near Great Yarmouth.

" Everywhere marked effects were observed in the gigantic explosions
and serious outbursts of fire. On the Humber a battery was also silenced.

" Our airships were heavily fired on from all directions, but were not
hit, and safely returned."

This report was " hopelessly inaccurate." The Zeppelins
had never been near Liverpool and Birkenhead. It was clear
that they had lost their bearings, and had mistaken towns
in the Midlands for the great ports on the Mersey.

TT ^r TP TP ^F ^P

The Germans declared that all the raiders had returned
safely. This was untrue, for two days later the Grimsby trawler
King Stephen (commanded by Skipper William Martin) saw at
daybreak the Zeppelin L19 disabled and floating in the North
Sea. The mate's account of the incident was as follows : —

" I was the first to notice the Zeppelin flashing a signal, and we naturally
thought it was some vessel requiring assistance. We got in the gear and
steamed to the spot. By the time we got there it was dayUght. There
were eight men on the platform on top of the Zeppelin, all of them waving
and shouting to us. The greater part of the airship was under water,
and about fifty feet of the forepart of the envelope was above water. In
fact, the top part was as high as our mast. We had to go close up to hear
what the Germans were saying. I counted eighteen men. The commander
was in uniform, and all of them wore lifelines.

" From the hatchway they kept shouting to us in broken EngUsh,
' Save us ! save us ! We give you much gold if you take us off.' One
of the Germans made as if he were going to jump overboard ; but as he
was a great height up he apparently changed Ms mind.

" The skipper and I talked the position over. We argued that there
were twenty or twenty-five of the enemy, and only nine of us. Most of
them would be armed, whilst we had nothing. We decided it was not
safe to have them on board, because they could easily have overpowered
us and takenjDur boat into Germany — that is, if they had not put us into

tj.

.«

••*

•§

The Spring Campaign in the Air. 201

our own boat and sent us adrift. So the skipper shouted to them that
we could not take them off.

" Then they commenced shouting, and saying that they would not
touch us if only we would save them. They kept screeching out, * Save
us ! save us ! ' We thought the best course to adopt was to hurry away
and report to the first naval vessel we met, and leave them to deal with
the matter. As we left, some of the Germans, I am told, but personally
did not hear it, shouted out, ' Gott strafe England ! ' and they shook their
fists at us."

The mate was of opinion that as the sea was smooth there
was no immediate fear of the ZeppeHn sinking. Soon after-
wards, however, half a gale sprang up, and then there was very
little likelihood of the airship remaining afloat for long. The
mate also said that the King Stephen could not have towed the
Zeppelin, and that the whole fabric would have collapsed under
the strain of a pull. When the news was receiVed in England
there were many to regret that the raiders had been left to
their fate, but nobody was disposed to blame the skipper. He
and his men were the best judges as to whether they could
take off the crew of the Zeppelin without running the risk of
being overpowered and sent adrift. It is true that the Germans
promised not to touch them if they were saved ; but who now
dares to trust a German promise ? While we may regret that
the men on the Zeppelin were abandoned, we must never
forget that they had just returned from a mission of murder,
and that amongst their victims were twenty women and six
children.

■W* TT Tf TP TP ^p

On 9th February two German seaplanes flew over the Isle
of Thanet, and bombs were dropped. One of them fell upon a
large girls' school at Broadstairs, but happily most of the girls
were in the playing fields. One bomb broke through the roof,
and fragments of a ceiling fell upon a class of young children,
but only injured a little girl and a maid. Three other bombs
fell in the school grounds. At Ramsgate a bomb fell close to
a tram full of women and children, but no one was injured.

On February 20th there was a similar seaplane raid on
Lowestoft ; but though seventeen bombs were dropped, no one
suffered death or injury, though there were several narrow
escapes. At the same time a seaplane flew over W aimer, on
the Kentish coast, and dropped four bombs, one of which blew
in the windows of a church while the Te Deum was being sung.

202 The Children's Story of the War.

Two men and a boy were killed, and a marine was wounded.
In both cases the raiders were chased by British airmen.

On 5th March Zeppelins again appeared, and raided a large
part of the east coast from Kent to Yorkshire. A heavy snow-
storm was then raging, and up to that time it was supposed
that Zeppelins could not fly in safety during such weather. This
belief was now proved to be wrong. The raiders, probably three
in number, visited Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Hunting-
don, Norfolk, Essex, and Kent ; but the main attack was made
on a Yorkshire town, where about twenty-five bombs were
dropped from two Zeppelins, and seventeen persons were killed
and fifty wounded. Six persons afterwards died of shock.
Several houses were shattered, small fires were started, and the
parish church suffered damage to the extent of ^£25,000. In
one house a woman and her four young children, two boys
and two girls, aged eight, six, four, and two, were killed, and
the father was severely injured. The town was entirely with-
out defence, and naturally the inhabitants were very indignant.
The Zeppelins hovered over the place for about an hour and
a half, and were quite unmolested. The total casualties for all
parts of the area which the Zeppelins visited on this occasion
were eighteen killed and fifty-two injured. Twenty-six women
and thirteen children were numbered with the slain or were
wounded.

On Sunday, 19th March, four seaplanes again visited the
Kentish coast. They arrived over Dover about two o'clock
in the afternoon, and did much damage, besides killing and
wounding several children who were on their way to Sunday
school. While the enemy was still in sight, British machines
went up in pursuit. In one of them — a single-seated land-
machine — was Flight-Commander Bone, R.N. He pursued
one of the seaplanes for nearly thirty miles. Rising to a height
of 2,000 feet above his enemy, he dropped down ahead of him,
and, while firing rapidly, managed to get under him. The
German pilot swerved his machine to the left before they met,
and Commander Bone as he passed by saw the man hanging
over the side of his machine, severely wounded. Then he
brought his machine within fifteen or twenty feet of the enemy,
and poured bullets into the seaplane until it began to drop,
and smoke was seen issuing from it. Nevertheless, the seaplane
managed to land safely on the water. Commander Bone was

The Spring Campaign in the Air. 203

now obliged to leave his enemy to the mercy of the winds and
waves, as his land machine could not descend upon the water,
and his engine was beginning to give trouble. He returned
safely, and for his heroic exploit was awarded the Distinguished
Service Order.

One machine which probably escaped the fight at Dover
hurried to Deal, where it dropped bombs which damaged
property, but did not kill or injure any one. On the same
day, a little after two in the afternoon, two seaplanes dropped
bombs on Ramsgate, and killed four children on their way to
Sunday school and a man who was driving a motor car.

With the end of March came a period very favourable for
Zeppelin raids. The nights were moonless and clear, and
there was not much wind. The Germans seized the oppor-
tunity, and for several nights in succession they visited wide
areas of Great Britain. By this time, however, we were better
prepared to receive them. London had been equipped with a
number of anti-aircraft guns of long range, and with many new
searchlights. Everywhere the authorities had told the people
what to do when the raiders came. Towns and houses were
plunged in darkness, church bells were silenced, and public
clocks were not permitted to strike. A system of warnings
was arranged for the whole country, and at the first sign of the
raiders trains were stopped, signal lights were put out, and
engine fires wxre banked.

On the night of 31st March-ist April five Zeppelins came
up the estuary of the Thames and struck northwards as far
as Yorkshire. The Germans afterwards claimed that they had
dropped bombs on the city of London between the Tower
Bridge and the docks ; that they had bombarded military
camps in the north-west of the city ; that various towns had
been attacked, batteries had been silenced, industrial establish-
ments had been wrecked, and fires raised. As a matter of fact,
the Zeppelins never reached London at all, nor did they visit
many of the towns mentioned in the report. They had travelled
blindfold, and had guessed at the places upon which they had
dropped their bombs.

As several of the raiders came up the Thames they were
revealed by powerful searchlights, and batteries at once opened
fire on them. In vain did the Zeppelins try to get out of the
glare. The searchlights followed them, and the batteries did

204 The Children's Story of the War.

not cease to fire, even while the bombs were dropping. One
of the raiders was hit right in the centre, and its back was
broken. As it fell it crumpled up, and finally fell into the
water a little more than a mile from the Knock lightship.

Destroyers, mine-sweepers, and patrol vessels hurried up
and surrounded it. It was discovered to be L15, rapidly sink-
ing. Two officers and fifteen men of the crew climbed on to
the envelope, and made signs that they were willing to surrender.
It was said that they had left one young officer in the cabin, in
order that he might blow up the airship when his comrades
were rescued. The ship, however, was not blown up ; it sank.

A steam trawler took off the crew and carried them to
Chatham as prisoners of war. Their leader was Lieutenant-
Commander Breithaup, a young man of thirty-three, who wore
the Iron Cross on his breast. The second officer was Lieu-
tenant Kohne. Both officers seem to have thought that they
would be shot, for the commander told the British officers who
received their surrender, " I take all responsibility upon my-
self. My men are not responsible." Some of the men were
barefooted and without coats. They were supplied with
clothing, and treated as ordinary prisoners of war.

Certain foreign journalists were permitted to talk with the
prisoners, who assured them that they had done much damage
to British military positions. The commander declared that
the killing of women and children was an accident. " You
must not suppose," said he, " that we set out to kill women
and children. We have higher military aims. You would not
find one officer in the German army or navy who would go
to kill women or children. Such things happen accidentally
in war." When some of the crew were asked if they did not
think baby-killing a sorry business, they replied, ** We do as
we are ordered."

The Zeppelins elsewhere came into the fire of anti-aircraft
guns, and were pursued by aeroplanes, which, however, did
not prove very effective. A young New Zealander, Lieutenant
Brandon of the Royal Flying Corps, managed to rise above
an airship and drop bombs upon it ; but in other cases the
raiders flew too high to be attacked.

The following evening, ist-2nd April, there was another
raid on the north-east coast, which resulted in much damage
and the death of eighteen persons and the wounding of a hundred

The Crippling of L15 over the Eastern Counties.

(By permission of The Sphere. )
A triangular battery of anti-aircraft guns in a sleepy little village picked up the Zeppelin with its search-
light and bombarded it. Several shells burst close to the raider, and at last one burst near the stern, smothering
the vessel in smoke. She gave a convulsive shiver, shot upwards, and with her nose in the air drifted off
seaward, to fall a hopeless wreck into the estuary of the Thames.

2o6 The Children's Story of the War.

others. Again, on Sunday, 2nd-3rd April, six Zeppelins
crossed the North Sea. Two raided the eastern counties of
England, one the north-east coast of England, and three the
east coast of Scotland. Never before had enemy airships trav-
elled north of the Tweed. Shortly after nine o'clock news
that the raiders were coming reached a Scottish east coast city,
and householders were informed by the sudden lowering of their
electric lights to a dull red glow.

A little before midnight a Zeppelin appeared and circled
over the city for about forty minutes, during which time it was
almost wholly unmolested. There were no anti-aircraft guns
in the place, and it was at the mercy of the raider. Keen-
eyed people could see the airship as a pale streak of light, and
all could hear the bee-like drone of the engines. Then the
bombs began to fall — a blinding flash, followed by a roar, as
if a thousand tons of coal had been suddenly shot into a
gigantic cellar. Some thirty bombs were dropped, but with a
surprisingly small amount of damage and loss of life. The
massive stone houses withstood the explosions far better than
the brick houses of England. This was seen in a working-
class quarter, where a bomb entirely wrecked a laundry of
brick, but only blew a hole in the wall of the tenement which
adjoined it. In all ten persons were killed, eleven were seri-
ously wounded, and a dozen or two more were slightly injured.
All the damage to life and property took place in the central
and southern part of the city.

The most prominent building of the capital was furiously
assailed, but the raiders only succeeded in blowing away a
portion of the rock upon which it stands. In a neighbouring
seaport a warehouse was set on fire, and damage was done to
houses. The bomb which proved most fatal exploded at the
foot of a tenement, in the common stair of which a number of
persons had taken shelter, and killed six of them. In another part
of the city a young man just of age was spending the week-end
with his widowed mother when the bombs began to fall. He
hurried out, brought in a neighbour to keep his mother com-
pany, and was about to do the same kindness to another woman
who lived all alone when he was killed. The staircase of the
tenement was blocked by the falling masonry, and the inhabit-
ants had to be rescued by means of fire escapes. Elsewhere
a bomb which struck the ground fifty yards from a house

The Spring Campaign in the Air. 207

drove a splinter through the bottom sash of a window, through
a wooden shutter and two bedcovers, into the body of a year-
old baby lying in its crib. There were, as usual, many narrow
escapes. The raid on the capital seems to have been carried
out by one Zeppelin. The other probably lost its way, for its
bombs fell harmlessly in fields.

A Zeppelin which travelled through East Anglia that night
dropped fifteen bombs into a little wood outside a small country
town. Three fowls were killed, some windows were broken,
and a roof collapsed — that was all. In another spot over a
hundred bombs were dropped in a half-mile area containing
two houses. In the north-east the raid was a failure, probably
because the commander of the airship was entirely out of his
reckoning. In a south-eastern county a Zeppelin was fired
upon, and made off after dropping about a hundred bombs in
uninhabited places. Such was the result of that Sunday night
raid, which was meant to strike terror into our hearts. The
airships which reached Scotland killed or injured a few dozen
people, damaged a few houses, and set fire to a whisky store.
Those which wandered over England lost their way.

Nevertheless the Germans announced that they had bom-
barded Edinburgh and Leith, with the docks on the Firth of
Forth ; Newcastle, and important wharves and buildings, blast
furnaces, and factories on the Tyne.

The totally unprotected state of towns on the east coast
of Scotland aroused much indignation, and before long steps
were taken to give the raiders a warm welcome if they should
venture to return.

On 5th April a district on the north-east coast which had
been frequently attacked by Zeppelins received another visit.
On former occasions the raiders had met with little or no opposi-
tion. This time, however, they were surprised to see searchlights
flash out and batteries open fire. One Zeppelin strove hard
to evade the beams of the searchlights, and to escape th,e shells
that burst all around it ; and at last, deeming prudence the
better part of valour, made for the sea, dropping a few bombs
outside the city, and slightly wounding a boy. The townsfolk
were full of thanks and gratitude to the authorities for provid-
ing them with the means of defending themselves. In many
other places guns and searchlights had been installed, and
people were beginning to feel that they now had some pro-

2o8 The Children's Story of the War,

tection from the terror that flew by night. Londoners declared
that they were so well provided with guns and searchlights
that the raiders would trouble them no more. Certainly no
attacks were made on the capital during the first six months of
the year 1916.

In the next chapter I shall describe the rising which took
place in Dublin during Easter week. The Germans had
planned to paralyze us during that week by attacks from the air,
from the sea, and on our forces in Flanders. On Easter Monday,
24th April, a German aeroplane appeared over Dover, but was
driven off without dropping any bombs. That same evening
there was a Zeppelin raid over Norfolk and Suffolk. Three
airships took part in it, but they seem to have been more bent
on scouting than on bomb-dropping. Next night four Zeppe-
lins raided Essex and Kent, but the explosion of two hundred
bombs only produced one casualty. On the following night
Zeppelins visited the east coast of Kent once more, but achieved
nothing. Most of the bombs fell upon the marshes.

One of the airships dropped a bomb into a garden at the
back of a house. The ground had been recently dug, and the
bomb buried itself about two and a half feet in the earth with-
out exploding. Instead of getting as far away as possible, the
owner of the house filled bucket after bucket with water, drenched
the bomb, and managed to extinguish the fuse. When taken to
task for risking his life, he said he was not thinking of himself,
but of the safety of the people in the surrounding houses. A
clergyman who was staying in the house helped him in this
heroic work.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN IN THE AIR. — II.

ON the evening of Tuesday, 2nd May, the Germans dis-
patched more Zeppehns to England than had ever before
made the voyage at one time. They crossed the coast at many
points — from Rattray Head, north of Aberdeen, to the north
coast of Norfolk — but only two of them made a serious attempt
to penetrate inland. Only in one district did they do much
damage, and there the total casualties did not exceed thirty-
six. L20, which flew northwards to Scotland, probably in
order to attack Edinburgh, missed its way, and wandered on
to Aberdeenshire, where it dropped bombs in fields and on
moors.

This Zeppelin was destined never to reach Germany again.
As it strove to return, a south-easterly wind arose, and snow
began to fall heavily. Soon it was evident that the airship could
not reach its base, and her commander decided to try to land
in Norway. To add to his misfortunes, two British warships — •
H.M.S. Galatea and H.M.S. Phceton — appeared, and opened
fire as they chased him eastwards. A British submarine, com-
manded by Lieutenant-Commander F. Feilman, R.N., com-
pleted its destruction, and rescued seven of the crew. Finally,
the airship drifted on to the Norwegian coast, and struck against
a hilltop, broke in two, and fell into a fiord. A torpedo boat
rescued three men who still remained in the cabin, and sub-
sequently a detachment of Norwegian soldiers fired on the
airship from a distance of fifty yards and exploded it.

Thus ingloriously ended the last airship raid which took

place during the first six months of 1916. Britain had now

awakened to the necessity of air defence, and the raiders no

longer plied their work of death and destruction at their leisure.

V. 14

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Be)

Ktj

' ■^ ^

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The Spring Campaign in the Air. 2 i i

The destruction of L15 at the mouth of the Thames, and of
L20 as it crossed the North Sea, proved clearly that our anti-
aircraft guns were effective and our gunners were becoming
expert. During the week ending 6th May the enemy lost
no fewer than three airships by gunfire. While, however,
our air defences were increasing in number and power, the
Germans had proved that no part of Great Britain was secure
from attack.

Though we had made a considerable advance in our means
of defence against raids, the nation was not yet satisfied that
the Government was keenly alive to the importance of winning
the command of the air. There was an impoitant debate on
the subject in the House of Commons during the second
week of May. In the course of the debate Mr. Winston
Churchill, formerly First Lord of the Admiralty, but then
in command of a battalion, said that the Admiralty had
acted wisely in not building Zeppelins, which he described
as " frail and feeble monsters." In his opinion, aeroplanes and
seaplanes were more valuable than airships. He thought that
the best remedy for Zeppelin raids was either to attack the
Zeppelins in their sheds, or to waylay them at some point over-
seas, coming or going. Our air service had suffered because
it was under the control of two different boards — the one acting
for the Admiralty, the other for the Army. He urged that the
two boards should be combined into a single branch of imperial
air defence.

The Government shortly afterwards announced that a Joint
Air Board would be formed representing the two services, with
Lord Curzon as its president. This Board would discuss all
questions connected with aerial warfare, and would make sug-
gestions to the Admiralty and the War Office. Should these
bodies decline to act on the suggestions of the Joint Air Board,
it was to report to the War Committee of the Cabinet, who
would finally decide what was to be done.

^T TS* Tt* "W ^P TT

Before I close this account I must mention a success which
attended our naval gunners in the harbour of Salonika. About
two o'clock on the morning of 5th May the town was aroused
by a warship in the harbour firing three red rockets, and men
awoke to hear the familiar hum of Zeppelin engines. They
were just able to distinguish the dark shape of the raider. A

2 I 2 The Children's Story of the War.

few seconds later a searchlight caught it in its broad glare,
and the silvery form of the Zeppelin was clearly visible for a
full quarter of an hour. Then the anti-aircraft guns opened
fire, and soon a hurricane of shells burst round the raider.
A correspondent says : —

" The fire was excellent from the very start, and many of the shells
burst very close to the airship, which remained practically stationary for
some time. Precisely at 2.30 a shell appeared to the onlookers to strike
the vessel and pass right through it, while at the same moment another
seemed to burst right in the centre of the craft. Then a remarkable thing
happened. Two blazing shells fell from near the tail of the airship, and
it is stated that they were two fire-raising bombs, which had been dropped
on it by an aeroplane, which had gone up immediately the alarm was given.
Whether this is correct or not, the Zeppelin immediately afterwards seemed
to be out of control.

" First it turned round to the left, as though to return in the direction
from which it had come. Then it veered round to the right, with a decided
dip in front. Another shower of shells burst round it, and a minute after-
wards the searchlights lost it. For nearly half an hour people waited for
its reappearance. The fire stopped, and the searchlights were put out.
At exactly three o'clock a gigantic burst of flame, accompanied by a dull
roar, lit up the horizon out to sea. It was the end of the raider. Appar-
ently when the searchlights lost it, the aircraft, badly hit, fell rapidly to the
surface of the sea. After lying in the shallow water of the Vardar delta
for twenty minutes it either exploded or was set on fire by its crew.

" A few minutes later a warship was sending a flashlight message, and
watchers could guess that it was announcing the destruction of the Zeppelin
to the rest of the fleet and to all the stations of the Allied army. Soon
after, cheering from the warships in the harbour could be heard. The news
of the destruction of the raider was hailed with great joy at Salonika. The
survivors of the crew, four officers and eight men, were made prisoners."

The Gun, the Gunners, and the Shells that brought down the Zeppelin at Salonika.
^^By permission of the Central News.)

CHAPTER XXV.

HOW A TRAITOR WAS CAUGHT AND HANGED.

THE scene now changes to the south-western coast of the
Emerald Isle — -to the " kingdom " of Kerry — ^where the long,
broken fingers of the land thrust themselves out into the At-
lantic surges, and the salt water pushes up many a long creek
to break against lonely mountains. On these wild shores, where
nature has provided some of the finest havens in the world,
few ships are to be seen. Save for fishing boats and the
lumbering coasters that come and go with the tides, there is
no sea-borne traffic to disturb the solitudes. Yet this Irish
county, so deserted and so remote, was now to play a part in
the great drama of the war.

The northern gateway to this romantic region of mountain
and sea is Tralee, seated at the head of its bay, which is the
most northerly of the Kerry fiords. A few miles from Tralee
the strand is fringed by sand dunes, in the shelter of which
there are a few small farms. On the morning of Good Friday,
April 21, 19 16, John MacCarthy, the proprietor of one of these
holdings, rose between 2 and 2.30 a.m., and went along the
sandy shore, in order to pray at a holy well about a mile from
his home. About four o'clock he retraced his steps, and on
his homeward way his eye was attracted by a collapsible boat
which was waterlogged and was being washed in by the tide.

With the help of a neighbour named Driscoll he drew the
boat ashore, but found nothing in it except a dagger. Looking
around him, he saw on the sand a rusty tin box bound with
cord, and the footprints of three people. He followed the foot-
prints for about two hundred yards in the direction of his home,
and then lost sight of them, but found them again in the yard
of his house. Some time later he noticed his little daughter, aged

How a Traitor was caught and hanged. 2 1 5

seven, playing with three Mauser revolvers, and his small boy
holding a bag which had contained the weapons. The children
had found them on the shore. At once MacCarthy sent Dris-
coll for the police, and when they arrived he took them down
to the boat. On the shore they picked up two leather hand-
bags, containing pistol ammunition, several maps of German
make, a flash lamp, a large flag, two other revolvers, two life-
belts, and three coats. In the pocket of one of the coats was
found a railway ticket from Berlin to Wilhelmshaven, dated
13th April. All the treasure trove was carried off to the
Ardfert police barracks.

Does not this sound like the opening of a detective story
which promises to be most exciting ? What was the meaning
of the boat drifting ashore with the tide, and empty save for a
dagger ? How came the revolvers, the tin box, the coats, and the
leather bags to be lying on the sands ? You may be sure that
the neighbourhood was soon buzzing with the news, and that all
who could throw any light on the mystery had an eager audience.
Michael Hussey, a labourer, remembered that about 9.30 on
the night before Good Friday he was walking along the shore
after visiting a friend, when he saw a red light flash for a few
seconds about half a mile out at sea. On the following morning,
about nine o'clock, he returned to the shore, and saw the boat
which MacCarthy and Driscoll had pulled up on the sand. It
was exactly in a line with the light which he had seen the night
before. He afterwards saw the same boat in the police barracks.

Mary Gorman, a farm servant, had actually seen the men
whose footprints MacCarthy had traced. About 4.30 on the
morning of Good Friday she noticed three men walking along
the road in the direction of McKenna's Fort, an old Danish
rath or circular earthwork, with a trench about nine feet deep,
now filled with water and covered over with rushes. She was
surprised to see strangers at such an early hour, and she noted
them carefully. One was a tall man, who carried a knapsack
on his shoulder and had a stick in his hand. All of them were
walking quickly. They passed within a few yards of her as
she stood at the gate of her employer's farm.

Now Police- Sergeant Hearn of the Royal Irish Constabulary,
along with Constable Riley, arrives on the scene, and begins
to search the surrounding country. They make their way to the
old fort, and there, at 1.20 in the afternoon, Riley sees the " tall

2 1 6 The Children's Story of the War.

stranger." At once he covers him with a carbine, and orders
him not to move. The tall stranger walks towards him and
Says, ** This is a nice way to treat an English traveller. I am
not armed. I will do you no harm." Then up comes the
sergeant, who gives the following account of the strange
meeting : —

" ' What do you do there ? ' I asked. He said, ' By what right do
you ask the question ? Am I bound to answer it ? ' I said, ' It is the
only question I wish, and you have got to answer it. If you don't, I shall
arrest you under the Defence of the Realm regulations.' I then asked
him his name. He said, * Richard Morton.' I asked him where he lived.
He said, ' Denham, Bucks,' I asked him his occupation, and he said he
was an author. I asked him the name of a book he had written. He said
he had written a book on the life of St. Brandon.* I asked him what port
he arrived at, and he said Dublin. I asked him if he had any passport
paper. He said, ' None.' I asked him where he went to from Dublin,
and he said he came through County Kerry and went along by Brandon.
He told me that he arrived about eight o'clock, and I noticed that the
lower portion of his clothes was wet. Then I arrested him and took him
to the Tralee police barracks, where he was charged with being concerned
in landing arms on the coast of Ireland."

Now let us hear what a schoolboy named Martin Collins,
a very smart lad of twelve and a half, has to say. On Good
Friday morning, while he was alone in a pony cart, he saw
Sergeant Hearn near McKenna's Fort. With him were Con-
stable Riley and a tall stranger. As the three men were leaving
the fort he saw the stranger roll up a piece of paper in his left
hand, which he was holding behind his back, and drop the paper
on the ground. Sergeant Hearn then told him to drive the party
to the barracks, and he did so. When he returned he went
to the spot where he had seen the stranger drop the piece of
paper, and saw it in the ditch. There was a little boy paddling
in the water, and Collins sent him to get the piece of paper.
He found that it was torn in two, and he read a part of what
was written on it. He handed the paper to Constable Riley.
The paper was afterwards discovered to be a German code,
which contained such messages as the following : *' Railway
communications have stopped. Our men are out. Further
men are needed. Further rifles are needed. How many rifles
will you send us } Send another ship to " There could

* St. Brandon is the patron saint of the district. Mount Brandon,
just across Tralee Bay, is supposed to take its name from him.

An Irish Prisoner ot War in Germany.

{By pertnisiion of the llliistrattd London A^sws.)

"Why," asked Casement of the Irish prisoners of war in Germany, "do you stay here in hunger and misery
when you might be enjoying yourselves by joining the Irish Erigade, and becoming guests of the German
Government?" Those who refused to join were badly treated, and their food allowance was reduced.

2 1 8 The Children's Story of the War.

be no shadow of a doubt that these messages were intended to
summon aid from Germany.

Before the day was out the identity of the tall stranger was
discovered. He was Sir Roger Casement, an able and cultivated
Irishman, who entered the British Consular Service in 1895,
and served the Government in various parts of Africa and the
New World. In 1909 he was made Consul-General at Rio de
Janeiro. Soon afterwards he was called upon to investigate
a series of charges connected with the treatment of the natives
who were employed in collecting rubber in Peru. He exposed
the shocking cruelty practised on these poor people, and enabled
the British Government to put a stop to it. For this service he
was knighted, and when the honour was announced he wrote
a most grateful letter of thanks, in which he begged that his
humble duty might be presented to the King. He retired from
the public service in 191 3, and continued to receive his pension
until the end of September 19 14.

On his return to Ireland Casement took an active part in
the Home Rule movement, to which I shall refer more fully
in the next chapter. After the Ulstermen banded together
and armed themselves, the Home Rulers did likewise, and
Casement played a prominent part in the movement. When
the war broke out he was in the United States, but in the
autumn of 19 14 he somehow managed to get to Berlin, where
he played, as you will learn, the part of a renegade and a
traitor. As far back as 191 3, when he was in the service of
the British Crown, he wrote the preface to a treasonable book,
which was afterwards published by the German Foreign Office,
and scattered broadcast through the United States. In this
book he said : —

" The day the first German comrade lands in Ireland, the day the first
German warship is seen proudly breasting the waters of the Irish Sea, with
the flag of Ireland at the fore, that day many Irishmen must die ; but they
will die in the sure peace of God that Ireland may live. ... I know of no
way, save one, to make free the open seas — Ireland must be withdrawn
from the custody of England and restored to Europe."

Such was the man who had served the British Crown, had
taken British money, had been honoured by the British King,
had professed loyalty and faith to his sovereign, but had now
turned traitor, and, as the agent of Germany, had landed in

How a Traitor was caught and hanged. 219

Ireland to head a rebellion. He had failed utterly. The mo-
ment Constable Riley covered him with a carbine in the old
fort near Tralee his career of treason came to an end.

*^[t 4C. 4i» «itt J2. ^

TP TP TT TT TV* ^T

He was taken to London, and was lodged in the Tower —
the stronghold that has sheltered many traitors in the course
of our history. He was next seen in a court of justice, where
the story of his treachery was unfolded, and the mystery of
his landing was cleared up. It appeared that in the month of
December 19 14 the German Government collected together
the prisoners of war belonging to the Irish regiments, and
gathered them into a large camp at Limburg. Then Casement
appeared amongst them, and tried to get them to forswear
their allegiance, and join an Irish Brigade which was to fight
for Germany. Corporal John Robinson, of the 13th Field
Ambulance, who was captured in France on August 24, 19 14,
but had since been exchanged, thus describes the efforts which
Casement made to secure recruits for the Irish Brigade : — ■

" About a fortnight after my arrival at Limburg I saw Sir Roger Case-
ment. He was dressed in civilian clothes, and went about the camp with-
out any guard. He was spouting to the men about the Irish Brigade.
About thirty or forty men were listening to him. He said, ' Now's your
chance to fight for Ireland, to free Ireland.' Sir Roger wanted the men
to form a brigade, and said that if Germany had a victory at sea he him-
self would land them in Ireland. Sometimes he got a very cool reception.
On several occasions they hissed him out of the camp. One man shoved
him, but the German guard protected him. He said that every man who
joined the Irish Brigade would receive ;;fio, and that if Germany lost the
war all the Irish Brigade would be sent to America. . . . About fifty or
sixty men out of the thousand men at Limburg joined the Irish Brigade."

A Munster fusilier told much the same story. He said
that Casement asked the prisoners, " Why do you stay here in
hunger and misery when you might be enjoying yourselves
by joining the Irish Brigade, and becoming guests of the
German Government ? " The men who joined wore a silver-
gray uniform, with green facings. Those who refused to join
were badly treated, and their food allowance was reduced. A
corporal of the Royal Irish Regiment said that the sergeant-major
of the 4th Dragoon Guards shouted out that Casement waa a
traitor, and that for this he was sent to a punishment camp.
" Some of the men," said he, " laughed at Casement, others

2 20 The Children's Story of the War.

called him a renegade, and others said he was ' up the pole.' "
A private of the Royal Irish Rifles said Casement told them that
the Germans very much liked the Irish, and the Irish very
much liked the Germans. He also said that Ireland now had
the strongest Power in the world at her back. Those who wished
to join the Irish Brigade were asked to sign a book. No one
signed the book, and Casement was very much disappointed.
"What are you Irishmen thinking of, " he asked, " that you
won't go and fight for your country at this time ? " He told
them that the Irish Brigade was first to help the Turks against
the Russians ; secondly, the Germans against the English ; and
then they were to go and shed their blood for their own native
country.

Now that we know how Casement occupied himself in
Germany, let us learn how he made his dramatic appearance in
Ireland. The full story was told by one of his companions, a
man named Daniel Bailey, of the Royal Irish Rifles, who joined
the Irish Brigade, and was photographed in the uniform.

" I saw Sir Roger Casement about April 1915. He spoke to us about
joining an Irish Brigade solely for the purpose of fighting for Irish freedom.
I joined to see if I could possibly get out of the country. I signed on as
D. J. Beverley. I was made sergeant straight away. About the end of
March 1916 I was sent to Berlin. ... On Tuesday, the nth inst., three
of us (Casement, Monteith, and I) were driven to the War Office. They
gave me a railway ticket, and we got into the train for Wilhelmshaven.
There we were put on a submarine, U20. She steamed out, but had to
return, owing to an accident, to Heligoland. There we boarded U19, and
came round the Shetlands to the west coast of Ireland. I knew now where
I was going, but still got no instructions. I gathered, when near Tralee,
that it was in connection with the volunteer movement. They steamed
in as near as they could, lowered the collapsible boat, and put us off. When
everything was ready we took in the boat, the revolvers and ammunition,
etc., which you have found, and I was ordered to bury them. It was about
I a.m. or later when we were put in the boat. When in the surf the boat
was overturned, and we had to wade ashore, and I went back two or three
times to fetch in the stuff. We buried the arms, etc., not far from where
we landed,"

Bailey then goes on to describe how he left Casement early
in the morning, and was taken by Monteith to Tralee, and how
he and Monteith met four men in a shop, one of whom was
addicaced as Mr. Stack. One of the men gave him a suit of
clothes to wear, and took him along the road to a point where
Mr. Stack and a driver met them with a motor car. They

Casement and Bailey in the Dock at Bow Street Police Court.
(^By permission of The Sphere.)

22 2 The Children's Story of the War.

got in and drove off. Then Stack asked Bailey if he knew
where " Mr. Rice " was. That was the name by which Sir
Roger Casement was to be called. Bailey said that he could
not locate the spot where he was hiding. They then drove the
car about the roads looking for the place. You already know
that they could not find him, because he was in the hands of
the police.

At the end of a road leading to the beach one of the tyres
of the car was punctured. Bailey and his companions were
challenged by the police, but were allowed to mend the punc-
ture and drive away from Tralee. Several times the police
stopped them and searched the car, but they did not arrest
the men in it. That night Bailey slept in a lonely house, and
next morning was told to go to a " castle " and ** knock about."
He remained there until he was arrested.

Mi Mc ^ M: & ^ aKe

While Bailey was on board the submarine he overheard
conversations from which he gathered that a small Wilson
liner was being piloted to Fenit (the port of Tralee). It was
disguised as a timber ship, and had on board 20,000 rifles and
over a million rounds of ammunition. There were also ten
machine guns on board, as well as bombs. Bailey understood
that Dublin Castle was to be raided.

Here we have a new feature in this strange case. A ship
full of arms was accompanying the submarine which carried
Casement and his fortunes. I will tell you what happened to
this vessel in the words of the Attorney-General when Case-
ment and Bailey were brought before the magistrate at Bow
Street on 15th May : —

" On 2ist April H.M. sloop Bluebell was patrolling in the neighbourhood
of Tralee when she sighted a suspicious ship flying the Norwegian ensign,
and having four Norwegian ensigns painted forward and aft on each side
of the vessel. The captain of the Bluebell hoisted a signal demanding the
name of the vessel and where she was bound for. The reply was that she
was the Aud, from Bergen to Genoa. The captain of the Bluebell informed
the vessel that she must follow him to harbour. The captain of the Aud
asked in broken English, ' Where are you taking me to ? ' The Bluebell
ordered her to go ahead immediately.

"The Aud remained without moving, and a shot was fired across her
bows. Then the Aud asked, ' What am I to do ? ' She was ordered to
follow the Bluebell, and was escorted by that vessel without further trouble.
When the Attd was abreast of the lightship near Oueenstown she hoisted a
signal, ' Where may I anchor on arrival ? ' and received the reply, ' Wait

How a Traitor was caught and hanged. 223

for orders, and continue to follow the Bluebell.' On nearing the Daunt
Rock lightship the Bluebell headed for the harbour, but the Aud stopped
her engines. The Bluebell went back, and when about a cable's length
away those on board saw a small cloud of white smoke rising from the
starboard side of the Aud. At the same time two German naval ensigns
were broken at the mast, and two boats were lowered. The Bluebell fired
one round ; whereupon the two boats hoisted the white flag, and the men
in them held up their hands. The Aud sank almost immediately after-
wards, about ij miles south-south-east of the Daunt Rock lightship."

On loth May an Admiralty diver descended to the bottom
of the sea, and saw through a hole in the starboard quarter of
the sunken vessel many rifles and much ammunition. He
brought up a rifle of Russian manufacture.

*^ 4£. j^ ^ je, ^

^ Tt* "W •S5* TB* "TE*

By this time you have come to the conclusion that the
traitor Casement was the stormy petrel of rebellion. You will
learn in a later chapter that within three days of his landing
Dublin was in the hands of rebels. He, however, thanks to
the loyalty of an Irish farmer and the vigilance of the police,
had been caught before he could do any mischief, and the same
day the rifles, which Germany hoped to place in the hands of
20,000 disaffected men, were lying at the bottom of the sea.
Casement's venture was strangely inglorious.

On 27th June and the two following days he stood in the
dock at the High Court of Justice, charged with the crime of
" adhering to the King's enemies otherwhere than in the King's
realm — ^to wit, in the empire of Germany."

His counsel pleaded most earnestly and eloquently that the
old law under which Casement was being tried only referred to
traitorous acts done within the King's realm and not to those
done outside it. He also tried to prove that Casement had only
asked the soldiers to join an Irish Brigade for the purpose of
resisting the Ulster volunteers when the war was over. In
summing up, the Lord Chief Justice said that the old law
referred to traitorous acts done both within and without the
realm, and he pointed out that the men of the brigade were
to be landed in Ireland after a German victory, and that it
was impossible for them to fight for Ireland without fight-
ing for Germany. He also asked how it was that Casement
came to be in possession of a code which could only be used
for the purpose of summoning aid from Germany, and how
he came to be accompanied by a German ship loaded with

2 24 The Children's Story of the War.

arms. Casement's treason was proved up to the hilt, and the
jury had no difficulty in finding him guilty. The prisoner
thereupon made a long address to the court, declaring the
purity of his motives, and complaining that he ought to have
been tried in Ireland. At the conclusion of his speech the
judges assumed the black cap, and the Lord Chief Justice
sentenced him to death by hanging. No evidence was offered
against Bailey, who was clearly innocent of any wicked intent.
He therefore was allowed to go free.

Casement appealed to a higher court, and again his counsel
pleaded that the law only applied to acts done within the King's
realm. The court, however, held that no matter where a man
gave aid and comfort to the King's enemies, he played the part
of a traitor.

On the day after the trial the King ordered Casement's name
to be erased from the roll of knights, and at nine o'clock on
the morning of 3rd August he was hanged in Pentonville
Prison.

*' So perish all traitors / "

CHAPTER XXVI.

DISTRACTED IRELAND.

IN the early part of the year 19 14 the people of Great Britain
and Ireland were sharply divided on a political question
which brought them to the verge of civil war. For thirty
years the Liberal Party had striven to give the Irish people
the right to rule Ireland by means of an Irish Parliament.
Those who favoured Home Rule believed that Ireland would
become peaceful and contented if her people were allowed to
govern themselves. The Unionists, on the other hand, greatly
disliked the idea of breaking up the united Parliament of Great
Britain and Ireland, and they feared that self-government in
Ireland would bring about its separation from the British
Empire. They also objected to Home Rule, because they had
championed the cause of the Protestants who formed the majority
of the people living in the nine counties of Ulster. The Ulster
Protestants hated the idea of being subject to a Parliament which
was bound to be largely composed of Roman Catholics, and
they desired strongly to maintain their connection with the
united Parliament sitting at Westminster.

In 1893, and again in 19 12, Irish Home Rule Bills passed
the House of Commons, but were rejected by large majorities
in the House of Lords. The opposition of the House of Lords
to this and other measures of the Liberal Government brought
about a conflict the result of which was to limit the power of
the Lords to reject bills passed by the House of Commons. A
new Home Rule Bill was twice passed, and was twice rejected by
the House of Lords. According to the new arrangement, if the
House of Commons passed the Bill a third time it became the
law of the land over the heads of the Lords. This occurred
on May 25, 19 14.

2 26 The Children's Story of the War.

While the Home Rule Bill was being bandied from House
to House, the Protestants of Ulster, led by Sir Edward Carson,
began to prepare to resist the measure by force. An Ulster
volunteer force was raised, and in May 19 14 was said to
number 100,000 men. Before long the Ulstermen decided that
if Home Rule should be established they would set up a govern-
ment of their own. The British Government now feared that
the Ulster volunteers would seize army stores in Ulster, and
a cavalry brigade then stationed on the Curragh was ordered to
move north. A number of the officers of this brigade refused
to march until they had received guarantees that they would
not be called on to fight against the Ulstermen, and these
guarantees were given to them by the Secretary for War and
the members of the War Council. Many Liberals in the
House of Commons were very angry at this pro-
ceeding, and described it as yielding to mutiny.
When the Cabinet refused to recognize the
guarantees in the form in which they had been
given, the Secretary for War and two members
of the Cabinet resigned. The Prime Minister
thereupon became Secretary for War, and under
his firm guidance the trouble with the army came
to an end.

Sir Edward Car- Shortly aftcrwards the Ulster volunteers ran

the'uister Party. ^ cargo of arms, seized local post offices, and

detained public officials. These acts of open

rebellion caused great excitement in the country ; but the

Government allowed them to pass without punishment.

From 1907 onwards a spirit of lawlessness had gained ground
in Ireland, and, unhappily, the Government did not put it down
with a strong hand. There was a good deal of *' cattle driving,"
and the law forbidding men to carry arms had been allowed to
lapse. During the very serious labour troubles which took
place in 19 13 an agitator named James Larkin raised a " citizen
army." There was in Ireland at this time an association known
by the Irish name of Sinn Fein* which means " Ourselves
alone." Beginning as a society intended to encourage the Irish
language, inspire the Irish people with greater self-reliance,
and stimulate them to industry, thrift, and temperance, it passed
into the hands of men who were bitterly hostile to England,
* Pronounced Shin Fane.

Distracted Ireland.

227

and were prepared to do anything and everything to overthrow
British rule in Ireland. A group of Sinn Feiners, with the
assistance of Sir Roger Casement and others, began to enHst a
force of Irish volunteers which in July 19 14 was said to number
153,000 men. The control of this force was taken out of the
hands of the Sinn Feiners, and passed into those of Mr. John
Redmond and the other leaders of the Irish Parliamentary
party.

You now see that Ireland was divided into two armed
camps. Everywhere men provided themselves with rifles, and
drilling went on all over the country. The rival forces marched
and manoeuvred whenever and wherever they thought proper.
At a great demonstration in Ulster Sir
Edward Carson challenged the Govern-
ment in the following words : *' Give us
a clean cut for Ulster, or come and fight
us." By a ** clean cut " he meant, with-
draw from the control of any Irish Par-
liament that might be established the
whole nine counties of Ulster. As the
Roman Catholics had a majority in five
of the nine Ulster counties, the Irish
party was unwilling to agree to this
proposal.

Civil war seemed to be on the eve
of breaking out when the King stepped
into the breach and asked the rival Irish
leaders and certain members of the Government and the Oppo-
sition to meet at Buckingham Palace and try to find a way out
of the difficulty. Several meetings took place, but nothing
came of them. On Monday, July 27, 19 14, only nine days before
we declared war on Germany, the National Volunteers landed
arms from a ship at Howth. They were intercepted in the
streets of Dublin by a battalion of the King's Own Scottish
Borderers and a small force of police, who attempted to dis-
arm them, but in vain. As the troops were marching back to
barracks they were stoned by the crowd, and some of them,
without orders, so it was said, fired on the mob and killed
three persons and wounded forty others. Civil war seemed
to have begun. The Kaiser was quite justified in supposing
that Ireland would soon be in open rebellion, and that Great

John Redmond, Leader of
the Nationalist Party.

2 28 The Children's Story of the War.

Britain would be so busy putting it down that she could take
no part in the war which he was now about to begin.

Next day Parliament met, gravely disturbed by the news
from Ireland. Early in the session Sir Edward Grey rose, and
told the House that any moment we might be plunged into
European war. At once a spirit of unity swept over the as-
sembly. The trouble in Ireland was forgotten in the face of
the far greater peril. For the first time in history Irish loyalty
was pledged to the British cause, and this pledge was strictly
kept by the leaders of the Irish Parliamentary party. Home
Rulers and Unionists alike became recruiting sergeants, and,
thanks to their efforts, Ireland furnished a large contingent
of troops for service against the enemy.

The Sinn Feiners, who were furiously angry when the con-
trol of the National Volunteers was taken out of their hands,
now cut themselves adrift from the loyal volunteers, and
were joined by the citizen army which Larkin had raised.
They obtained arms and ammunition in large quantities,
and there was a strong suspicion that they were furnished
with money from German sources in America. From the
moment the war began the Sinn Feiners had done their utmost
to prevent recruiting. They besought Irishmen not to fight
" England's battles," and they said that the doings of the
Germans in Belgium were not so black as they had been painted.
The British army, and the loyal Irishmen who were bravely
fighting abroad, were sneered at and reviled.

On September 14, 191 5, the Prime Minister introduced
into the House of Commons a Bill to suspend the operation of
the Home Rule Act until the end of the war. He pledged him-
self to introduce in the next session an Act amending the
measure, and further declared that Ulster should not be forced
to come under the control of the Irish Parliament. This Bill
was passed, and the Home Rule Act became the law of the
land. Remember, the Act was not to come into force until
the war was over, and was to be amended in order that Ulster
might remain under the control of the Parliament at West-
minster, if she so wished.

For the next six months Ireland seemed to be tranquil,
and most Britons believed that she would remain peaceful
during the great struggle. But all the while the Sinn Feiners
were preparing for rebellion. They paraded openly ; they

Distracted Ireland. 229

marched with arms on their shoulders through the streets of
DubHn, and they even practised an assault on the Castle. The
Government left them to their own devices, and seem to have
been under the impression that they were not dangerous. They
were, however, only waiting for the arms which the Aud was
bringing to break out into open revolt. On i8th April came
the news that Casement had been arrested, and that the Aud
had gone to the bottom. The Sinn Feiners at once counter-
manded the order for a parade in Dublin on Easter Sunday,
and the Lord Lieutenant thought that they had done so because
they were dismayed at the news. Nevertheless, he asked the
Secretary for Ireland to have the leaders arrested, and to order
a raid to be made on Liberty Hall, the headquarters of the
citizen army, and on other places where arms were stored.
This was not done, and next day rebellion stalked the streets
of the capital.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE SINN FEIN REBELLION.

THE morning of Easter Monday, April 24, 19 16, broke cool
and bright, and Dublin seemed to be in holiday mood.
Away to the south-west the hills were a picture of calm
repose ; but ere the day was half over madness and terror and
bloodshed were rampant in the city. As the clocks struck the
hour of noon, Sinn Feiners, many of them arrayed in a green
uniform, and armed with rifle and bayonet, appeared in the
streets. One party rushed towards the Castle, in the hope
of taking it by surprise. The rebels shot down a policeman
who was shutting the gate, and the sentry inside, but did not
enter the City Hall, and newspaper offices hard by were seized,
and from the windows the rebels fired on any soldiers who
showed themselves. The attack on the Castle, however, was
a half-hearted affair. Before many hours had passed, the guard
was reinforced and the rebels were driven off.

Meanwhile other parties were marching through the streets,
to occupy important positions in various parts of the city. It
was noticed that by the side of each man walked a woman
in uniform, carrying bandoliers well supplied with cartridges.
Shots were fired, and civilians were killed or wounded. Before
long the heavy stone buildings of the Four Courts on the north
bank of the Liffey were occupied without resistance, and the
General Post Office, with its massive front facing SackviUe Street,
was rushed. The entrances were seized, and the lower win-
dows were smashed in. The staff was easily overpowered.
The men officials, some of whom were secretly in sympathy
with the Sinn Feiners, were made prisoners, and the women
were turned into the street, which by this time was seething
with shouting men and shrieking females. The telegraph

The Sinn Fein Rebellion, 231

wires were cut, and Dublin was supposed to be isolated
from the world. The telephones, however, remained, and
by means of them troops were at once summoned from the
Curragh, from Belfast, and from England. By a quarter-past
twelve the green, white, and orange flag of the Irish Republic
was flying above the Post Office, and snipers were firing at
soldiers and police from the windows.

A sergeant in command of a little group of men tried to
push his way in, but was shot through the head. A brave
Scottish telephone girl who was in the building insisted on
remaining to bandage his wound, and by so doing saved his life.
All the scum which rises to the top when disorder reigns
in a great city gathered in the streets and began looting the
shops. An eye-witness * tells us that

" Shops of all sorts were broken open, and the goods freely distributed
to the citizens of the Irish Republic. Men stripped off their old clothes
and dressed themselves anew in the open streets, donning fashionable suits.
Women selected jewels for their personal adornment, and rich and rare
were the gems they wore on toil-stained fingers and grimy wrist. Watches
were carried off heaped in aprons. Toys were given to the young. Fruit
and champagne, and other expensive luxuries, were freely partaken of.
The wines were in some cases retailed for a few pence the bottle. Book-
shops only were free from attack."

The same writer visited the Post Office after it had passed
into the hands of the rebels, and thus describes the scene : —

" It was a wreck. Glass littered deeply the path and pavement in front
of it. Armed men stood behind its shattered windows. Useless barricades
had been piled up within — mail bags, evidently filled with letters, to keep
out bullets ; chairs and tables, through which bullets would pass almost
as easily ! And peering out of their defences, the unhappy warriors threat-
ened with their rifles the scared crowd. At one window a mere boy was
still knocking out the glass with the butt of his rifle. Above the building
floated a huge green banner with the inscription in white letters, ' Irish
Republic' Truly Der Tag f had come ! But oh, how pitiful ! Death,
the sure and certain wage ! "

In the south part of the city about two hundred rebels
seized St. Stephen's Green, turned the people out of the sur-
rounding houses, closed the gates, and began digging them-
selves in. Most of them were lads of seventeen or eighteen

* Blackwood's Magazine, July 1916. | "The Day."

Bird's-eye View of the City of Dublin, ♦^^o

illustrate the Rebellion of Easter Week, 1916.

2 34 The Children's Story of the War.

years of age, and they seemed to look upon the rebellion as a
joke. In half an hour, however, all was changed. The red-
headed ruffian who was in command called upon a driver to
stop, and because he was slow in doing so, shot him. Then
the rebels fired on all and sundry, and made a sort of barrier
within the large gate facing the foot of Grafton Street. Soon
afterwards they gained possession of a public house in the
neighbourhood, and ran up the republican flag. Then the
firing was wilder than ever, and many innocent and unarmed
persons were shot. With the St. Stephen's Green party was
the Countess Markievicz, an Irishwoman who had married a
Pole, and was a well-known agitator.

The most unmilitary person, looking at the position which
the rebels had taken up on St. Stephen's Green, could not fail
to see that no German officer was directing affairs. No trained
soldier in his senses would have shut up his men in an enclosure
commanded by tall buildings on every side, from any one of
which almost every corner of the Green could be commanded.
A few days later, when the troops occupied the buildings, they
easily drove the Sinn Feiners out.

Other points of vantage, such as Westland Row railway
station and Jacob's biscuit factory, were taken and occupied
by the rebels. The biscuit factory was a specially strong posi-
tion, and it had the further advantage of being stocked with
enormous quantities of food. It had its own water supply
and its own gas and electric light plant. The rebels closely
guarded all roads leading to the city, and allowed no one to
enter or leave without a pass. An attempt to cut the Great
Northern Railway, at a point about twelve miles from the
city, failed.

There was, however, a most important position which the
rebels did not attempt to seize. If you look at the plan on
pages 232, 233, you will notice that one long street, bearing
different names, runs from St. Stephen's Green to the O'Connell
Bridge, and then onwards past the Post Office. Almost midway
between the Green and the river is Trinity College, the university
of Swift, Goldsmith, and Burke. Its grounds cover thirty-five
acres, and it contains a number of very fine buildings, includ-
ing a School of Engineering which Ruskin thought to be the
most beautiful structure of its kind in the world. The great
library receives a copy of every book published, and is filled

The Sinn Fein Rebellion. 235

with priceless treasures, including the Book of Kells * and the
harp of Brian Boru.f The great stone front of the college
faces College Green ; to the left is Grafton Street, leading to
St. Stephen's Green ; to the right is Westmoreland Street,
leading to Sackville Street ; and in front is Dame Street,
leading up to the Castle. The college buildings and grounds,
which were held by thirty- six members of the Officers' Train-
ing Corps, assisted by eight Anzacs home on leave, thus formed
a sort of loyal stronghold, dividing the forces of the enemy,
and keeping open the principal streets of the city for the pas-
sage of troops. Though death and tumult raged in the streets,
and some of the students were in arms, examinations in the
College went on as usual.

In the course of the afternoon the rebels issued a proclama-
tion, calling upon the people of Ireland in the name of God
to strike for freedom, and announcing the setting up of an
Irish republic. This precious document was signed by eight
of the leaders, some of whom were men of education and posi-
tion. One was a poet, another a university professor, and some
of them held government appointments. Pearse, the commander-
in-chief, was the head of a boarding-school which was little
better than a nursery of rebels ; and Connolly, the commandant-
general, was a wild agitator who had played a large part in the
serious labour troubles of 19 13-14.

When the revolt began there were but few troops in the
city, and they could barely hold the barracks in which they
were stationed. The biggest fight on Monday took place near
the Portobello Barracks. The rebels had installed themselves
in a public-house which commanded the road to the barracks,
and it was essential that they should be cleared out. A detach-
ment of soldiers armed with machine guns and rifles rushed
to the attack, but was met with a strong resistance. A priest
ran in between the two sides, hoping that his presence would
bring the rebels to reason. He was, however, shot down by
their fire. After they had used up their ammunition they
plied whisky and porter bottles as weapons. Finally, however,
the position was captured.

* A beautifully illuminated copy of the gospels, dating from the eighth
century.

t King of Ireland, slain at the battle of Clontarf, fought against the
Danes in 1014.

The Sinn Fein Rebellion. 237

On Monday evening soldiers arrived from the Curragh, and
next morning they were joined by others from Belfast, and later
on by the Sherwood Foresters and other troops from England.
Martial law was proclaimed throughout the country, and the
city was surrounded. From the roof of Trinity College the
Anzacs and the members of the Officers' Training Corps main-
tained a very accurate fire, and played a large part in saving
the city. They not only prevented the rebels from seizing the
Bank of Ireland (formerly the Irish House of Parliament),
which fronts College Green, but they kept Dame Street, Graf-
ton Street, and Westmoreland Street clear, and even fired on
the strongholds of the enemy in Sackville Street.

The greatest danger was from the snipers lurking in the
houses. Early on Tuesday the Shelbourne Hotel, which over-
looks St. Stephen's Green, was easily recaptured, and from its
roof machine guns began to play upon the trenches. The great
event of the day, however, was the capture of the Daily Express
offices near to the Castle. A terrific fire was directed against
the building, and under cover of it the soldiers tried to rush
the position. Several fell during the attack, and there was
fierce hand-to-hand fighting in the narrow passages of the
newspaper offices. Finally, however, the rebels were bombed
out.

Attempts to carry rebel strongholds by storm proved very
expensive, for the men advancing to the attack were fired on
from all quarters. The writer already quoted says : — -

" Not a few of the men told me that they would prefer being at the
Front. At the Front, they said, you know the direction from which you
may expect a bullet. Here the enemy is all round you. He lurks in dark
passages and among chimney stacks, and when at last you have hunted
him down, you find you have got hold of a peaceful citizen who gives you
some good reason for his presence."

A far more speedy and less expensive method was adopted
as soon as the artillery arrived. On Wednesday morning
Liberty Hall, the headquarters of the so-called citizen army,
was marked out for destruction. H.M.S. Helga steamed up
the Liffey, and, at fifty yards' range, bombarded the building.
Meanwhile two i8-pounders also opened fire.

" The noise was tremendous. To the general din was added the spitting
of a machine gun placed high on the tower of the Fire Brigade station.

The Sinn Fein Rebellion. 239

When next I saw Liberty Hall its empty shell alone remained. Every
floor had been blown out of it. It was stated that none of the rebels had
remained to face the attack. A few weeks ago I saw armed men keeping
guard within this building to keep out the police ; and this was known to,
and suffered by, the authorities."

Damage was, of course, done to buildings in Sackville Street
by the bombardment. A few shells fell on the Post Office, and
soon the building was in flames. About two hundred rebels,
including Pearse, the commander-in-chief, put up a white flag
and surrendered. Others who tried to make a dash for free-
dom were mown down by machine guns. In order to avoid
unnecessary bloodshed, the military now granted a truce, to
enable the rest of the rebels in the Post Office to yield. At
half-past six, when the truce expired, there were no more
surrenders, so the shooting began again.

By Thursday morning the people were starving. Food
supplies had failed, and most of the shops were closed. *' Wages
had ceased, for there were no employers, and no work to do.
But wages would not have helped ; there was nothing to
buy." The military now took the matter in hand. They seized
stores, opened warehouses, and distributed food to the starv-
ing people, who showed themselves very grateful to the
soldiers.

Another enemy stronghold was destroyed by shell fire that
day, and at nightfall the flames of burning buildings lighted
up the sky.

" All this Thursday night firing continued, sometimes breaking out in
one direction, sometimes in another. The vicious rattle of Maxims, and the
tap, tap, tap of some quick-firer — wickedest sound of all — mingled every
now and again with the crash of bombs and filled the night with a sense
of horror and danger. The streets were in many places barricaded, and
no one was permitted to pass. Indeed, only the military were now to be
seen on the streets."

Though the situation had still " serious features," and the
rebels were still holding strong positions, the soldiers were
rapidly gaining the upper hand. On Friday it was clear, even
to the most ignorant and reckless of the rebels, that the game
was up. The Sinn Feiners in the Post Office were finally
disposed of, and on Saturday, after an armistice of three hours,
the following notice, signed by Pearse, was posted up : — r

240 The Children's Story of the War.

" In order to prevent further slaughter of unarmed people, and in the
hope of saving the lives of our followers, now surrounded and hopelessly
outnumbered, members of the provisional government at present at head-
quarters have agreed to unconditional surrender, and the commanders of
all units of the republican forces will order their followers to lay down
their arms."

Pearse, you will remember, had already surrendered ; and
Connolly, who had been wounded, was a prisoner.

I /ate on Saturday night the writer from whom 1 have quoted
so freely in this chapter ascended to the top of the lookout
tower of the Fire Brigade station.

" The view northward was sublime and terrible. Acres of flame and
red-hot buildings stretched across the middle distance. The lurid light,
reflected on rolling clouds of smoke, rose and fell as roof and walls toppled
over. Fresh fires appeared to be springing into existence at a point to
the north-east, and it really looked as if we were witnessing the wholesale
destruction by devouring flames of the entire northern side of the city.
The night was still, or the damage would have been far greater than it was.
The Fire Brigade was overwhelmed, but it did great service. And its work
was in some cases done under the fire of the rebels. Two and a half million
pounds' worth of property was destroyed during the rising."

On Sunday the rebels who were holding St, Stephen's Green
and Jacob's biscuit factory surrendered, and the rebellion was
over. Calm settled down upon the distracted city, and the
citizens for the first time realized the terrible damage that had
been done. Lower Sackville Street, the finest thoroughfare in
Dublin, had practically been destroyed. Buildings which once
were hotels, restaurants, and fine shops were now smouldering
heaps of bricks and twisted girders. Here and there a wall still
stood, blackened with flames and smoke, but not a single whole
building could be seen along Lower Sackville Street, and for
fifty yards on either side of it. The General Post Office was
an empty shell.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE AFTERMATH OF REBELLION.

THE rebels had hoped that the rising in DubHn would be
the signal for outbreaks all over the country. At various
places, mostly in the south and the west of Ireland, local Sinn
Feiners appeared in arms, but nowhere were they formidable.
The head and front of the whole rebellion was in Dublin, and
when it was crushed the local rebellions were easily suppressed.

The rebels believed that they would be backed up by a
German landing, but they were relying upon a broken reed.
Beyond the Zeppelin raids, which I described in a former
chapter, the Germans did nothing to help their Irish allies,
except to send a squadron of warships on a wild scurry across
the North Sea for the purpose of bombarding Lowestoft and
Yarmouth. For half an hour, on the early morning of Tuesday,
25th April, they shelled these towns, killing two men, one
woman, and one child, and injuring nine other persons. Con-
siderable damage was also done to dwelling-houses, and with
this pitiful record the ships turned and fled for home. Un-
happily, they reached their own shores in safety.

*******

The death-roil of the rebellion was heavy. One hundred and
three soldiers had been killed, fifteen policemen, one man of the
Royal Navy, and five loyal volunteers ; 388 had been wounded,
and nine were reported missing. The casualties amongst the
rebels and the civil population amounted to 794, including 180
who were killed. When all was over, the work of meting out
justice began. Courts-martial v.cre set up, and thirteen of the
rebel leaders were shot. Many others were sentenced to death,
but were let off with long terms of penal servitude. Joseph

V. 16

The Aftermath of RebelHon. 243

Plunkett, one of the men who signed the proclamation, was

married in prison to a Miss Gifford on the eve of his execution.

^ ***** *

While the embers of the revolt were being stamped out,
the Germans in the trenches opposite the Munster Fusiliers
displayed on their parapets placards which read as follows : —

" Irishmen ! Heavy uproar in Ireland : english guns are
firing at your wifes and children ! ist May 19 16."

In front of another division these notices appeared : —

" Irishmen ! In Ireland revolution. English guns are
firing on your wives and children. The English Military Bill
has been refused. Sir Roger Casement is being persecuted.
Throw away your arms. We give you a hearty welcome. We
are Saxons. If you don't fire, we won't."

How did the loyal fellows in the trenches reply to these
invitations ? Immediately they sang Irish airs and ** Rule,
Britannia ! " to the accompaniment of mouth organs and melo-
deons ; and that night, when all was still, a party of twenty-five
men and two officers of the Munsters crawled towards the Ger-
man trenches. When they were half-way across the " No Man's
Land " an enemy's searchlight revealed them, and machine guns
were turned on them. Some of the Irishmen were badly
wounded, but all lay still for hours, and then those who were
unhurt crept on towards the German lines, cut the wire,
charged over the parapets, and hurled bombs into the trenches.
The gallant Munsters seized the placards, and bore them
back to their own lines in triumph. There were traitors in
plenty in the Dublin streets, but there were loyal hearts and
true in the trenches. " It's too bad entirely," said a khaki-
clad warrior in a mellow Connemara * brogue, *' that whilst we
are fighting for the honour and glory of ould Ireland, there
should be dirty fellows found to come out of their holes with
rifles in their hands to play the game of the Germans." He
spoke for every man in his division.

#^ ^ ^ 4C. je, 4£,

TP TP ■w tI* w tp

We can, of course, feel nothing but loathing for the mad-
men who " played the game of the Germans," and at the same
time dealt Ireland a foul blow by their crazy rising. Still, we
must never forget that thousands of Irish Nationalists were at

* District of Western Ireland, County Galway, famed for its wild and
romantic scenery of mountain and lough.

244 '^^^ Children's Story of the War.

that moment wearing the King's uniform, and fighting bravely
for the British Empire. We should do Irishmen a grave wrong
were we to tar them all with the same brush. Those who rose
in rebellion were comparatively few in number ; the bulk of
Irishmen either had no sympathy with the outbreak, or were
reluctant to take part in an armed revolt. A wise and famous
Irish priest said : ** Let us remember two things about this
Irish rising. The first is that Ireland did not rise at all ; the
second, that, if she had risen, she would have done so under
leaders she knew something about." He begged Englishmen not
to punish Ireland for two or three generations to come because
of the violence of perverse and foolish men.

Before concluding my account of this painful episode let
me dwell for a moment on the splendid services which Irish
troops had already rendered in the war. In the retreat from
Mons, at the Marne, in the Ypres battles, at Festubert, in the
Dardanelles, at Loos, and at Lake Doiran, Irish regiments had
covered themselves with glory. Even while recreant Irishmen
in Dublin were filling the city with tumult, flame, and slaughter,
their loyal countrymen at HuUuch were resisting the poisonous
gases, the shells, and the bayonets of the enemy with the utmost
courage and fortitude. Let not the shame of plotters and
traitors dim the glory of the brave and true.

*******

As soon as the rising was over a Royal Commission, con-
sisting of Lord Hardinge,* a judge of the High Court, and a
distinguished civil servant, was set up "to inquire into the
causes of the recent outbreak of rebellion in Ireland." The
Commissioners sat in London and in Dublin, and early in July
issued a report, in which they said that the main cause of the
rebellion was that lawlessness had been allowed to grow up
unchecked, and that for years past the Government had refused
to put the law into force, when by so doing it would come
into conflict with a section of the Irish people. Mr. Birrell,t
the Chief Secretary for Ireland, was held to be mainly respon-
sible for the outbreak, and his secretary was blamed because he
had not brought home to Mr. Birrell, during his long absences

* Bom 1858 ; formerly Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Viceroy
of India (Nov. 1910-Mar. 1916).

t Augustine Birrell, bom 1850 ; appointed Secretary for Ireland 1907 *
author of many charming books on literary subjects.

The Aftermath of Rebelhon. 245

from Ireland, the necessity for taking strong measures to nip
the rebelhon in the bud. Mr. Birrell and the Lord-Lieutenant
at once resigned.

Some weeks before the report was issued, Mr. Asquith, the
Prime Minister, visited Belfast, Dublin, and Cork, in the hope
that good might come out of evil, and that all parties in the
country might be brought to agree upon some better method
of governing Ireland in the future. On his return to London
the Cabinet appointed Mr. Lloyd-George to try to get the
rival leaders to come to terms. For a moment it was thought
that Nationalists and Ulstermen would agree that the Home
Rule Act should come into force, on condition that the six
Irish counties of Down, Antrim, Derry, Armagh, Tyrone, and
Fermanagh, with the cities of Belfast, Londonderry, and Newry,
should not be subject to the Irish Parliament. Difficulties,
however, arose, and no further step was taken. The golden
opportunity had been missed. The Lord-Lieutenant was re-
appointed, but the country was still ruled by martial law. The
great and grave problem of the future government of Ireland
remained unsolved.

^ W TP TP TP W

You will remember that one of the placards which the
Germans displayed on their parapets announced that " the English
Military Bill has been refused." Before I pass on, I must explain
what the Germans meant by these words. In Chapter I. of
Volume IV. I told you something about the Derby Scheme,
under which a great effort was made to persuade men to offer
themselves freely for the army. At first the plan was very
successful, and before the end of December 191 5 nearly three
million men had " attested " — that is, had declared themselves
ready to serve when their classes should be called up. Soon,
however, it was clear that the army was not getting all the men
that it needed. Very large numbers of men had been " starred "
— ^that is, had been freed from enlistment, because it was sup-
posed that they were necessary for carrying on the trade of the
country. Many other men would willingly have served ; but they
felt that their wives and children would suffer if they had to live
on the small allowance granted to the families of those who joined
the army. Whole classes of men, such as farmers and miners,
were freed from enlistment, and there were many others
who claimed to go free because they had a conscientious objec-

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The Aftermath of RebelHon. 247

tion to fighting. No doubt many of these '* conscientious
objectors " really believed in their hearts that service in the
army was contrary to the law of God, but there were many
others who put forward this plea in order to escape doing their
duty to their country. The consequence was that there was
a shortage of men. On 21st December the Prime Minister
said that another million men must be raised — the fourth
million since August 5, 19 14.

The married men who had " attested " now began to give
trouble. Many of them had gone to the recruiting office
believing that they were not to be called up until all the un-
married men were in the ranks. They pointed out that there
were still more than 650,000 unstarred single men who had
not answered the call. The only real way out of the difficulty
was to make every man of military age liable for service, and
to call up all who were eligible, whether married or unmarried,
attested or unattested, and pick and choose from them those
who were to serve in the army.

The Government, however, was very unwilling to grasp
the nettle, and it now proposed a scheme of partial compul-
sion. On January 24, 1916, an Act was passed compelling all
unmarried men or widowers without children dependent on
them, between the ages of eighteen and forty-one, to serve in
the army. This Act, you see, only compelled the unmarried
men to do their duty.

Before long it was clear that even this Act, which came
into force on loth February, was not sufficient. The married
men still contended that they ought not to be called up
until all the unmarried men were in arms. So grave was
the discontent that the Government was obliged to try an-
other method of solving the difficulty. It brought in a Bill
which tried to get the men without general compulsion, and
in secret sessions of the House of Commons told the members
exactly what numbers the chiefs of the army required. The
country was by this time tired of makeshifts, and was quite
ready for general compulsory service.

When the Government's Bill was introduced in the
House of Commons on 22nd April, it was promptly rejected.
A few days later the Dublin rebellion was in full blast,
and it was clear that additional soldiers would now be
necessary, not only to fight the Germans, but to prevent

248 The Children's Story of the War.

such risings in future. The Government now threw aside the
last remnants of doubt, and on 3rd May the Prime Minister
brought in a Bill which declared that from that date every male
British subject whose regular abode was in Great Britain, and
who was between the ages of eighteen and forty-one, was to be
considered duly enlisted in the army for the term of the war.
The Bill was carried by a majority of 250 to 35, and was signed
by the King on 25th May. His Majesty sent a message to his
people on that day, thanking them for their patriotism and
self-sacrifice. He pointed out that some five million men had
enlisted without legal compulsion, and that no such free rally
of a great nation had ever before been recorded in history.

w TP •/? TT tT W

Thus Britain parted with the system which had been her
boast and pride for hundreds of years, and under which she
has risen to a lofty pinnacle of might and majesty. Compulsory
service was now the law of the land ; the whole manhood of
the nation was now available for military service, and Great
Britain had come into line with the nations of the Continent.
Of all the changes due to the war, this was probably the greatest,
and it is certain that nothing but the gravest and most urgent
necessity would have brought it about. There are many who
blame the Government for not establishing compulsion sooner,
and some accuse the Cabinet of lacking courage, and of
following rather than leading the mind of the country. But
we must remember that so vast and far-reaching a change in
our national life could only be safely carried into effect when
the people were fully prepared for it. Had a large section of
the people resisted, disaster might have followed. As it was,
the course of events converted the bulk of the nation to the
necessity for compulsion, and they agreed to the change when
they saw clearly that there was no other way.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE GREAT SEA FIGHT OFF' JUTLAND. — I.

ON that hot August afternoon of 19 14 when our "fleets
silently disappeared to their secret war stations, every
British sailor hoped and believed that ere long he would play
his part in a North Sea Trafalgar. Weeks lengthened into
months, and the hope was not fulfilled. Nevertheless it was
this hope which buoyed up our sailors during the wearisome
and monotonous work of watching and waiting, and battling
with the bitter winds and stormy waves of northern seas.

There was no special ground for the bluejackets' hope that
the enemy would come out and fight. The German sea lords
had made no secret of the fact that they meant to avoid a big
battle until they could meet our fleets on equal or superior
terms. They cherished the vain hope that by means of their
submarines they would be able to reduce our navy to their
own level. They sank many of our vessels by submarine
attack ; but all the time the clang of hammers never ceased
in our shipbuilding yards, and for every cruiser or patrol
boat that was sent to the bottom, another or others were
launched. Despite its losses, the British navy was stronger in
May 1 91 6 than it had been when war broke out.

Though our sailors knew all this, they still believed that
when the war on land began to go against Germany the High
Seas Fleet would come out and challenge the British navy.
They argued that the Huns would strive to retrieve their losses
on land by a victory at sea. In May it seemed to them that
the hour had arrived when Germany would be obliged to make
this gambler's throw. The long and costly struggle at Verdun
had failed ; the Russian armies, millions strong and muni-

250 The Children's Story of the War.

tioned anew, were beginning to advance. Germany's reserves
of men were failing, and unless success came soon it could not
come at all. Our seamen were right : the German war lords
needed a success badly, and, as events proved, they meant to
cheer the hearts of their people with the glad news of victory,
whether they won it or not. On May 31, 191 6, the German
High Seas Fleet came out of its harbours, and on that day the
greatest sea fight in all the history of the world up to that time
took place.

Before I describe the battle, let me remind you that the
British navy had from the first won the command of the seas.
For twenty-one months, thanks to our navy, we had the full
use of the ocean highways, while the enemy had scarcely a
ship afloat on the wide waters of the world. It was the freedom
of the seas which enabled us, while holding out against the
enemy's fierce attacks, to supply ourselves with the men, guns,
and munitions which we lacked, and put ourselves in a position
to meet the foe on equal and more than equal terms.

Nor was the benefit of this command of the seas ours alone.
Had we not been able to traverse all the sea highways at will,
France would have been without coal for her factories, machines
for her shell shops, and beef for her troops. Unless the ocean
tracks to Vladivostok and Archangel had been kept open,
Russia could have obtained no rifles, guns, or shells from
America, Japan, or Great Britain. If the sea routes to Genoa
and Leghorn had been closed, Italy would have lacked those
supplies which enabled her, as you will read later, to resist and
finally defeat the Austrians amidst the Alpine snows of her
rugged frontier.

" But for the grain and meat ships, but for the raw materials and manu-
factures of America, Great Britain would be starved and powerless, her
splendid regiments unarmed, her factories unproductive. Unless our
transports were free to cross the Channel, the vast new army — so much of
which has come from our overseas Colonies — could not be maintained for
a single day. Everything then turned on Great Britain's command of the
sea, and that command turned on the issue of the Battle of Jutland."

W 'fF ^ '9r TP TT ^

In all the naval engagements that had so far taken place
the big battleships of friend and foe had played no part. Cruisers
alone fought the Battle of Heligoland Bight, wrought the
destruction of Cradock's squadron off Coronel, won the

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 251

Battle of the Falkland Islands and the running fight on the
Dogger Bank. Our battle cruisers, which you will remember
form the first line of British sea strength, bore the brunt of
the fray in all these engagements. It was their business to
sweep the North Sea from time to time in the hope of catching
the enemy and bringing him to battle. The battle cruisers
were the advance guard of the Grand Fleet, the hounds
that must close with the quarry and hold it till the hunters
appeared on the scene.

You can easily understand that this work of searching
for the enemy was very anxious and very trying. The
commander of the squadron had to be on the watch night
and day, for his chance might come at any moment. He
had to take grave risks, for the enemy might suddenly oppose
him in full strength, and overwhelm him before the big battle-
ships could come to his assistance. And while he took these
risks he had to be very wary lest he might lose his ships, and
thus bring down our sea strength for a time to the level of the
enemy. You must always remember that a ship is much more
difficult to replace than a regiment. Fresh men can be called
up to take the places of those who have fallen, and soldiers can
be trained in six months ; but it takes six years to make a
junior naval officer, a cruiser takes two years to build, and a
battleship three.

A rash act on the part of a British admiral might so weaken
our sea forces as to bring about the very condition of things
that the enemy hoped for. On the other hand, without bold-
ness, and perhaps even rashness, we could not get to grips with
foes who were determined to avoid fighting until the)' could
do so on even terms. We shall soon see that in the Battle
of Jutland Sir David Beatty, the commander of our Battle
Cruiser Squadron, was called upon to make a quick and very
grave decision. He had to decide whether, with one section
of the British fleet, he would attack the whole German High
Seas Fleet, or whether he would decline the fight and run for
safety. Knowing the man as you do, I need not tell you what
his decision was. He chose to fight, and to hang on grimly
until Sir John Jellicoe's battleships appeared, when he knew
that the issue of the battle would be no longer in doubt. By
his superb boldness he played, perhaps, the largest part in the
issue of the day.

2 52 The Children's Story of the War.

• « m * # * #

On the afternoon of Tuesday, May 30, 19 16, the British
Grand Fleet left its northern bases in order to make a sweep of
the North Sea. It was in two sections. To the north was Sir
John Jellicoe's division of four battle squadrons, one battle
cruiser squadron, three other cruiser squadrons, and three
destroyer flotillas.* South of Jellicoe's division was the Battle
Cruiser Fleet of two squadrons, under Sir David Beatty, a
battleship squadron under Rear- Admiral Evan-Thomas, three
light cruiser squadrons, and four destroyer flotillas. You will
notice that each of the sections contained both battle cruisers
and battleships, but that Sir John Jellicoe's division was far
stronger in battleships than Sir David Beatty's.

Let us look for a moment at the force under Sir David
Beatty. Its ten biggest ships were six battle cruisers and four
battleships of the latest and fastest type. Its leader was the
youngest British naval officer who ever wore an admiral's stripes;
but young as he was, he had in two battles shown such splendid
courage, skill, and resource that he was the idol of every man
under his command. The admirals who served with him—
Evan-Thomas, Pakenham, and Brock — ^were all young, brilliant,
and gallant ; and his captains were men of like kidney, some of
whom — such as Napier, Goodenough, and Sinclair — had already
given proof of fine seamanship and daring bravery. Then, too,
there were the commanders of the destroyers, men of the greatest
skill and enterprise, who, before the battle was over, were to
show such dashing and fiery courage as has never been
known even in the glorious annals of the British navy. Every
man, from admiral to boy, breathed the spirit of victory.

Now let us turn to Sir John Jellicoe's division, which was
about an hour and a half's steaming to the northward. It was
a fleet the like of which had never before been seen in battle.
In the strength of its massive walls, in the power of its engines,
the might of its guns, and the skill of those who navigated it
and manned its weapons, it never had an equal. Its commander
was the man who since the war began had been the brain of
the whole navy. He was faced with the terrible menace of
mines and submarines and airships — such dangers as older
admirals never dreamed of ; but with rare forethought and
deep cunning he had devised methods of dealing with them

* See map, p. 255.

The Great Naval Battle off Jutland : Admiral Hood's Squadron going into Action.

{From the picture hy S. Begg. By permission of The Illustraied London News.)

In the foreground and centre of the drawing are seen the three leading British battle
cruisers with attendant destroyers advancing to meet the enemy. Leading the British line is
Invincible ; the second battle cruiser is Inflexible ; the third, Indomitable. On the left is seen
the line of the German ships, pale gray in colour. (See page 264.)

2 54 '^^^ Children's Story of the War.

Cool, tireless, calm, never flurried and never surprised, he was
the very embodiment of the scientific seaman of the modern
school.

On the morning of the last day of May the German High
Seas Fleet also put to sea, and sailed north for a hundred miles
or so from the coast of Jutland. It, too, was in two divisions.
First went Admiral von Hipper's five battle cruisers, with
attendant cruisers and destroyers, and following them came
the Battle Fleet, consisting of most of the big ships in the
German navy, under command of Admiral von Scheer. It is
probable that the whole fleet consisted of nineteen or twenty
modern battleships, five cruisers, some older battleships, about
twenty light cruisers, and a large force of destroyers and sub-
marines. Almost the whole fighting strength of Germany was
at sea.

We do not know why von Scheer brought his ships out
that day. Perhaps he had learned that the British fleet was at
sea, and he hoped to engage and destroy a portion of it before
the remainder could come to its aid. He may have been about
to make a raid on the British coast, or he may have been escort-
ing cruisers which were to make a dash for the open sea in
order to prey upon our merchant vessels. It is more likely
that the German people had begun to ask what was the good
of a fleet that only lay in its harbours, and could do nothing
more than dash out into the North Sea and run home again
as soon as the enemy appeared. The German war lords very
probably ordered the fleet out to allay the rising discontent
amongst the public at home.

All over the North Sea during the last week of May lay a
light summer haze. On Wednesday, the 31st, loose gray clouds
began to overspread the sky. About midday Sir David Beatty,
having finished his sweep to the south, turned northward to
rejoin Sir John Jellicoe. The sea was as calm as a mill pond.
In front of the battle cruisers were the light cruisers and de-
stroyers, forming a screen extending from east to west. They
were searching the North Sea over a wide front, looking for
the enemy. Suddenly, at 2.20, Galatea^ the flagship of the
I St Light Cruiser Squadron, which was on the extreme right
wing, sighted to the eastward some light craft of the enemy.*

At once two squadrons of our light cruisers made a dash for
* See diagram on p. 256.

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 255

them, and Sir David Beatty turned his battle cruisers round
towards the east, so as to cut off the enemy ships from their
bases. A Httle later a seaplane was sent up from the Engadine^

JELLICOE

BEATTY and VON HIPPER

VON SCHEER

Map to illustrate the Scene of the Battle of Jutland.

formerly the Cunard Liner Campania^ and in a very few minutes
the aviator, from a height of 900 feet, reported that behind the
light craft of the enemy there were five German battle cruisers.
The enemy had been discovered in strength. Promptly at 3.30

256 The Children's Story of the War.

Sir David formed his battle cruisers — Lion, Tiger, Queen Mary,
Princess Royal, Indefatigable, and New Zealand — into line of
battle. The battleships Barham, Valiant, Malaya, and War-
spite also formed line some five miles behind him. You must
not suppose that the ships lay exactly, in a line one behind the
other. Sir David was now driving straight into the wind, and
had the vessels been exactly in line, the smoke from the funnels
and guns would have obscured the view of all but the leading
ship of each line. The vessels were therefore arranged in

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Diagfram to illustrate the Movements of Sir David Beatty's Fleet
when the German Fleet was sighted.

steps, as it were, so that the smoke would blow away to the
southward of them.

The British battle cruisers tore on towards the enemy ships,
which were soon seen to be racing back to join the main German
fleet, now coming up rapidly from the south. At 3.48, when
the fleets were about eleven miles apart, the guns began to
thunder. Gradually Beatty's ships gained on the enemy, and
the range was reduced to eight miles. Twenty minutes later
the Barham and her three consorts joined in the fray. They
were firing their 15-inch guns at a range of 12 J miles, and
probably at that distance did not do much damage.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE GREAT SEA FIGHT OFF JUTLAND. — II.

SIR DAVID BEATTY had now to make that most important
decision to which I have already referred. So far the odds
were in his favour : he had six battle cruisers and four battleships
against von Hipper's five battle cruisers ; but he now knew that
in a very short time the main German fleet would come up,
and he would be enormously outnumbered. Should he fight
or should he fly ? There would be no disgrace in refusing to
fight more than twenty big vessels with his ten. No one would
be likely to blame him if he turned and ran for safety towards
the main British fleet, just as the Germans were doing. But
he knew that if he did so there would be no battle, and he
longed with every fibre of his nature to strike a blow at the
enemy, who had given him the slip in two former battles. Never
for a moment was there any doubt in his mind as to what he
ought to do. He refused to play for safety. He determined
to take on the whole German fleet, and hold it fast until Sir
John Jellicoe could come up. So, full steam ahead was the
order. Could Nelson have revisited the glimpses of the moon
on that day, he would have gloried in Sir David's heroic decision.
At 3.48 the first stage of the battle began. About four
o'clock enemy submarines were sighted on the right and left
of the British line ; but a dashing attack by the destroyers
drove them off. A quarter of an hour later, eleven destroyers
were ordered to rush towards the German battle cruisers and
try to torpedo them. German destroyers came out to defend
their big ships, and a fierce engagement followed at close
quarters, with the result that two German destroyers were sunk
and the rest were driven back. Nevertheless, the Germans
had prevented our destroyers from discharging their torpedoes.

V. 17

2S8 The Children's Story of the War.

The fight had delayed them, and had caused most of them to drop
astern, and therefore to be in the wrong position to fire their
torpedoes. If a torpedo is to be discharged with the best
chance of success, it must be fired ahead of the target ship, so
as to meet it. This could not now be done from our light craft,
most of which had gone astern. Some of them, however, had
kept the right position, and were able to fire their torpedoes,
one of which found its billet in the rear ship of the enemy's line.

Meanwhile the fighting between the opposing battle cruisers
was very fierce and resolute. At the beginning of the battle
the gunnery of the enemy was very good indeed, and it was
only later, when the fight was going against them, that their
shooting became wild. By half-past four Sir David's six
cruisers had been reduced to four. A lucky shot had hit the
Indefatigable in a dangerous spot, and had blown her up. The
Queen Mary, perhaps the best gunnery ship in the fleet, had
also been struck by a chance shell, and had suffered the same
fate. She did not, however, go down before her superb marks-
manship had taken heavy toll of the enemy. By this time
the haze had settled down upon the waters, and the British
gunners could only see their targets in blurred outline. The
sea all around was dotted with submarines, but by rare good
luck our vessels passed through them without loss.

Sir David, with only four battle cruisers, now found him-
self faced by the whole German fleet. What was he to do ?
It would mean his utter destruction if he attempted to fight
them all, even with the help of Evan-Thomas's battleships,
which were now coming up at full speed. But though he
could not tackle this great force, he could entice it towards
Sir John Jellicoe's ships, which were racing southwards with
the stokers working like inspired giants down below. He
therefore turned his squadron to the right about, and headed
straight for the point towards which he knew that Jellicoe's
Battle Fleet was advancing. Ten minutes later Admiral Evan^
Thomas followed suit, and formed up in line behind the battle
cruisers. For a good hour and a quarter these eight vessels
kept up a running fight with the whole German fleet. The
work of the British engineers during this stage of the battle was
splendid. The New Zealand, for example, broke all her records,
and managed to keep up with her faster consorts.

Why, you will ask, did yon Sphegr, the German Commander«-

Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty, commanding the First Battle-Cruiser Squadron,
in Action, May 31, 1916.

26o The Children's Story of the War.

in-Chief, follow Beatty, and thus allow himself to be drawn into
a trap ? He had already sunk two British battle cruisers, and
with this success he might have been content. The fact is,
that though he had Zeppelins scouting for him, the haze pre-
vented them from seeing Jellicoe's fleet. Von Scheer actually did
not know that Jellicoe was out and that he was drawing nearer and
nearer every moment. He thought that Beatty was cruising
on his own account, and that he had no supports in the offing.
It appeared to hitn that Beatty was running away, and that he
had a good chance of destroying him altogether. We can
imagine the exultation on board the German ships when they
saw, as they fondly supposed, that the gods had delivered the
whole of Beatty's fleet into their hands.

Beatty, of course, knew better. He knew that Jellicoe was
only fifty or sixty miles away, and that if he could coax the
Germans within range of the oncoming fleet the issue of the
day would not be in doubt. So with his guns roaring he sped
towards Jellicoe. Though we had lost two ships, you must
not suppose that the enemy had not suffered. Before von
Hipper joined von Scheer, one of his ships was seen to be
on fire, and another had been torpedoed. It was, however,
during the running fight to the north that the enemy came
in for severe punishment. To appreciate properly the fine
shooting of the British fleet, you must understand that while
our vessels stood out sharp and clear against the western
horizon, the enemy was shrouded in fog, and could only be
seen in dim outline now and then. A German cruiser —
perhaps the Lutzow — ^was driven out of the line, broken and
battered, and other enemy ships also showed signs of distress.
The smaller craft, too, were busy, and a destroyer got home
a torpedo on the sixth ship of the enemy line.

Beatty had, however, one great advantage over the enemy.
His ships were faster than those of the Germans, and so he
was able not only to keep steadily ahead of them, but to begin
a gradual curve to the eastward. Why did he do this ? Look
at the diagram on the next page, and you will understand.
Jellicoe's fleet, you will observe, was steaming to the south-
east, while the German fleet was going north-west. Had the
two fleets kept on these courses they would not have met.
Beatty, as you know, wished to shepherd the Germans right
into the arms of Jellicoe. He therefore began a swerve to-

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 261

wards the east, and by doing so forced von Scheer to swerve
eastward too, and make for the very point towards which JelH-
coe's fleet was rapidly advancing. The Germans imagined that
they were driving Beatty before them ; as a matter of fact, he
was heading them towards the main British fleet. It was a
fine manoeuvre, and another proof of the young admiral's
splendid seamanship.

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Diagram to illustrate Beatty's swerving Manoeuvre to the East, in order
to shepherd the German Fleet into the arms of JelUcoe.

At this point the first stage of the battle may be said to have
ended. Let me sum up in a few words what had happened.
Shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday Admiral Beatty's fleet of
six battle cruisers and four battleships came in contact with
Admiral von Hipper's battle-cruiser squadron. They drove
von Hipper back on the main German fleet, which consisted of
about twenty battleships, with a strong force of lighter craft.
During this phase of the fight we lost the Indefatigable and

262 The Children's Story ot the War.

Queen Mary. When, at 4.38, Beatty found himself up against
the whole German High Seas Fleet and hopelessly outnumbered,
he changed his course from south to north, and ran towards
Sir John Jellicoe's fleet ; but while doing so was able to inflict
considerable loss on the enemy, and force him to edge off to
the eastward, where he would, if he continued on that course,
fall into the hands of the main British fleet. At 5.50 Sir John
Jellicoe's light cruisers were sighted, and six minutes later the
vanguard of the Grand Fleet, which had been steering for two
hours to the thunder of the guns, could be seen only five miles
away. Then Beatty, leading the line, steered Lion directly
east at full speed, crossing, as it were, the T of the German line.
His object was to force the Germans to follow his movements,
to concentrate a fire upon the head of their line, and at the
same time to get, if possible, clear away to the east, so as to
leave the road open for the Grand Fleet to come into action
and finish the business of the enemy.

Beatty had done a great work, and had greatly added to his
laurels. With a vastly inferior force he had not only kept the
enemy engaged until the main British fleet could come up,
but he had lured him into a position which seemed to threaten
his total destruction.

^v TP tP TP ^^ ^F

We must now turn to Sir John Jellicoe's Battle Fleet
and follow its fortunes. When the wireless on the Commander-
in-Chief's flagship cracked and spluttered with the news that
Beatty was in contact with the enemy, Jellicoe was some
fifty or sixty miles to the northward, steering south-east.
You may imagine the delight with which all ranks, from! boy to
admiral, received the glad tidings. The long-looked-for day
had come at last. The Trafalgar so long expected was about
to begin. Down in the stokeholes men naked to the waist
laboured as they had never done before, and all speed records
were broken. In his dispatch Sir John Jellicoe pays a high
tribute to the stokers and engineers. It must never be forgotten,
he tells us, that bringing the fleet into action is the work of the
engine-room department, and that during the battle the ofliicers
and men of that department have to perform their most important
duties without knowing how the fight is going. Their discipline
and endurance are taxed to the utmost in these conditions, and
during the Battle of Jutland their work was beyond all praise.

Serving the Guns to the Last.
(From (he drawing by F. Matania. By permission of The Sphere. )
A typical scene during the great battle. Though many of our men were killed or wounded,
and shells were falling all around, the survivors stuck to their guns and continued to fire op
the enemy without a thought of themselves.

264 rhe Children's Story of the War.

It was no easy work to bring the Grand Fleet to join Beatty's
squadrons at the proper moment, and at the point which had
been previously fixed upon. There are no signposts at sea,
and very careful calculation has to be made if ships are to meet
at a precise spot in the wide ocean. Moreover, when the junc-
tion was made, the hazy weather made it difficult to distinguish
between the enemy ships and the British ships.

The 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Hood,
led the Battle Fleet. At 5.30 Hood saw flashes of fire, and heard
the sound of guns to the south-west. At once he sent off
Chester as a scout, and this ship soon found herself attacked by
three or four of the enemy's light cruisers. For twenty minutes
Chester maintained the unequal combat. She was hit again
and again, and many of her men were killed or wounded ;
but she was splendidly handled, and as her engines had not
suffered, she was able to rejoin her squadron. It was during
this terrible time that " First-Class Boy John Travers Corn-
well," a lad of sixteen and a half, played a hero's part and
met a hero's death. I shall tell you his undying story on a
later page.

At 6.20 Admiral Hood led his squadron into action in a
manner worthy of the great seamen from whom he was de-
scended. He came of a long line of sailors, two of whom did
magnificent work for their country during the great war with
France. One of his ancestors. Lord Hood, covered himself
with glory in 1788, when the French fleet was utterly destroyed
off Dominica in the West Indies ; and another. Sir Samuel
Hood, Lord Hood's cousin, was almost equally distinguished.
The name Hood is one to conjure with in the British navy,
and a Hood just as intrepid and skilful as his forbears now
bore down upon the enemy.

*j^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^

TT tP ^P TT w *«•

For a moment let us return to Sir David Beatty and see
how he was faring. When he began to cross the T of the
German line, the enemy perceived his movements, and promptly
tried to upset them by sending a light cruiser to make a torpedo
attack on his ships from ahead.

" Then followed a most gallant and picturesque incident. Onslow, a
large destroyer, went full tilt for the enemy cruiser, and fought her at the
short range of from 4,000 to 2,000 yards, driving her off. Having dis-
posed of this eaemy, she then went straight for the head of the enemy's

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 265

line to attack with torpedoes ; but before more than one of her four could
be fired, she was disabled by a heavy shell.

" The captain, thinking that all his torpedoes were fired, and being,
of course, unable to engage 12-inch guns with 4-inch guns, thought only of
saving his ship. He was then told that there were still three torpedoes
in the tubes. He no longer had the speed necessary for tackling the battle
cruisers, but seeing the light cruiser which he had driven off within range,
he went for her and sank her with his three torpedoes. But he was still
hopelessly crippled, and he had to stop. So in the midst of the track of battle
he lay for an hour, until he in turn was rescued by another destroyer, wounded
almost as badly as he was, but not altogether incapable of movement.
Admiral Beatty tells us, as if it were nothing particular, that this destroyer,
the Defender, had been struck in one of her boilers by a 12-inch shell. It
seems a miracle that this fragile craft, built of steel less than a quarter
of an inch thick, and with the lightest of scantlings and beams, was not
entirely shattered and destroyed by so formidable a missile. But she could
still steam 10 knots an hour, and she took Onslow in tow, and both were
saved." *

^u 4t J^ ^U J& ^ 4b

^ ■75' 'TV' T? T^ ^P n^

Hood, with Invincible, Inflexible, and Indomitable, now swung
gallantly into line ahead of Beatty, and at once opened a very
hot and accurate fire on the leading German ships. Invincible,
you will remember, was now going into action for the third
time. She had fought gallantly in the Battle of Heligoland
Bight, and had played a large part in the destruction of von
Spec's squadron off the Falkland Islands. She was now about
to fight her last fight, and leave her bones at the bottom of
the North Sea. A survivor thus describes the fight : —

" Getting within about 12,000 yards of the enemy ships. Invincible
joined the fray by opening fire upon some of the German light cruisers.
Our marksmanship was splendid, and we evidently damaged the enemy
considerably, although, owing to the thick weather, I could not see exactly
what effect our shells had upon the vessels as they hit them.

" Invincible kept pushing in closer, until at last she got into touch with
some enemy cruisers, and opened fire upon them at about 9,600 yards range.
Of course, all the time we were going towards the enemy, and the range
was quickly decreasing, until it got very short. Picking out the leading
German battle cruiser, the name of which I do not know. Invincible turned
her guns upon it. The ship was a very large one, apparently the largest
of the lot, and she suffered greatly at our hands.

" Here I might say that our light cruisers and the enemy light cruisers
were all the while fighting between the Invincible and the ship she was
engaged with. The larger vessels fought over the heads of the smaller ones.
That will give you some idea of what kind of a mix-up it was."

* Quoted from Mr. A. H. Pollen's account of the battle in The Weekly
Dispatch.

266 The Children*s Story of* the War.

The Germans were shooting well, but Invincible was shoot-
ing better. Several times during the action Admiral Hood
complimented Commander Dannreuther, his gunnery officer,
on the fine marksmanship that was displayed. Several times
she hit the target ship, and finally set her on fire. The last
message which Invincible's gunners received from the admiral
was, ** You are doing splendid firing ! "

Several German cruisers now concentrated their guns on
Invincible^ and a few minutes after the admiral's message had
been received a terrible explosion occurred in her centre. The
force of the explosion was so great that it seemed to lift the
middle of the ship right out, and before the men who had been
flung into the water had time to realize their condition the
vessel was sinking. An eye-witness says : "I saw her go.
There came just one great burst of flame and smoke. When
this cleared away, all that I could discern of her were her bow
and stern sticking up out of the water. A few minutes later,
when we passed the spot, there was nothing left of the ship."
She went down with nearly all her crew of seven hundred.
Only six men were picked up ; they had saved their lives by
clinging to floating wreckage. Invincible had only been in
action for a quarter of an hour, but in that short time she
had done deadly work. The leading ship of the Germans
had been shattered and driven out of the line ; the head
of the German fleet had, as Sir David Beatty says, " been
crumpled up."

Four minutes before Hood went into action, Defence and
Warrior were seen passing down between the British and
German battle fleets under a very heavy fire. A survivor of
Warrior tells us that his ship went straight at the enemy, follow-
ing the lead of Defence. Four of the enemy's ships concen-
trated their fire on these two vessels. Defence, after fighting
for eight minutes against heavy odds, was struck aft, and an
explosion followed. Nevertheless she still pressed on towards
the enemy, firing her foremost guns. Then she was hit for-
ward, and a second and greater explosion occurred. Dense
clouds of smoke arose, and in the midst of them Defence dis-
appeared. She had fought gallantly to the last.

Warrior was now suffering heavy punishment. Her star-
board engine-room was wrecked, and her hydraulic pumps were
disabled, so that thenceforward the guns had to be worked by

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 267

hand. She began to slew round, and with her port battery
sank a German Hght cruiser, which she had previously set on
fire. Five German battleships now blazed away at her, and
shell after shell burst on board. One of them plunged into
the dynamo room and wrecked it, so that all lights were put
out, and all the telephones were rendered useless. The sur-
vivor already quoted says : —

" This meant s€mi-darkness in the shell-room passages and other places,
through which men were obliged to grope their way as best they could by
the aid of temporary lights. And, of course, broken communications pre-
vented orders from being passed in the usual quick way.

" One shell which hit the Warrior on the port side tore its way through
three cabins and then went down into the engineers' workshop, where
it smashed part of the supports of my turret. Luckily this shell did not
explode ; if it had done so I should not have been here. A large pro-
jectile which pitched about eight feet from the fore part of my turret smashed
its way through the upper deck ; then another struck the deck about seven
feet behind the turret and did a lot of damage. A little aft of us were
the boat hoists, and through these an ii-inch shell cut completely. We
were indeed 'in it,' and the strangest experience I had was when a large
shell burst in the water about twenty feet from the muzzle of my gun and
knocked me backwards by the force of its explosion. I was dazed for a few
seconds, but recovered, and felt quite relieved to be ' all there.' "

Soon Warrior was in a desperate condition. A few minutes
more, and she must have met the fate of Defence. Relief, how-
ever, was on the way. Admiral Evan-Thomas's four battle-
ships, with their 15 -inch guns, were now hard at work, and one
of them, War spite ^ steamed up at full speed and thrust herself
in between Warrior and the German battleships that were mak-
ing havoc of her. The enemy ships were forced to leave
Warrior alone, and to turn their fire upon War spite. Unfor-
tunately, Warspite^s steering gear became jammed ; she was
out of control, but she steamed round and round, shielding
Warrior.

" Several ships concentrated their salvos on her ; some say six, others
eight. For some time, at any rate, Warspite was invisible, hidden by the
vast fountains which the German shells sent into the air as they struck
the water all round her. All who saw it thought it impossible that she
could survive. Suddenly from the midst of the turmoil she emerged,
apparently unscathed, and to the delighted astonishment of her friends
opened fire with all her guns. It was a great moment."

Amidst all this intense bombardment Warspite suffered only
slightly, though the Germans afterwards claimed that they had

2 68 The Children's Story of the War,

sunk her. One gun turret was hit, but her engines were quite
uninjured.

Under shelter of Warsptte*s wing, Warrior slowly crept out
of action by means of her port engine, the only one which
would work. Soon after she got out of range this engine gave
out, and she lay on the water as helpless as a log. By this
time, however, the squadrons of the Grand Fleet had come
up, and the battle had moved southward.

Warrior was leaking badly, and it was clear that she would
soon sink. The seaplane carrier Engadine now steamed up
and took the disabled vessel in tow. All night long her crew
strove hard to save their ship ; but when morning dawned it
was plain that their task was hopeless. Her wounded men were
transferred to Engadine^ and the remainder of the crew fol-
lowed. When Engadine steamed past the sinking vessel, War-
rior^ s crew gave her three parting cheers. They did not see
her go down, but they saw her waterlogged and awash astern.

It was during this period that the Black Prince received
damage which led later to her destruction.

At 6.50 the position was roughly as follows : — Beatty had
turned the German van, and was steering south-east, gradually
moving towards the south. Sir John Jellicoe had deployed
his ships, and was following Sir David's course in a single line.
The two sections of the British fleet were now united ; they
were one fighting unit. The German line was headed ofi^ on
the east, and Beatty and Jellicoe were working their way be-
tween the enemy and his home ports. ** The grandest sight I
have ever seen, ' said an eye-witness, " was the sight of our
battle line — miles of it fading into the mist — taking up their
positions like clockwork, and then belching forth great sheets
of fire and clouds of smoke." The enemy was now greatly
outnumbered, and it looked as though the destruction of the
German fleet was only a matter of hours.

Then came misfortune. The haze which had been hang-
ing over the waters all day now deepened into one of those
thick fogs so common in the North Sea. So dense was it that
it veiled the enemy's movements completely, and frequently
hid his ships altogether. This not only made gunnery very
diflficult, but prevented the British from keeping proper con-
tact with the enemy. The failing light, however, was in our
favour. From time to time the German ships were seen stand-

"Warspite" coming- to the Rescue of "Warrior."

i^From the drawing by Arthur J. W. Burgess. By permission of The Sphere.)

About 6.30 p.m. Warspite came up to the rescue of the sinking Warrior. Immediately

she smashed up one of the leading German battleships. First she cleared away the enemy's

foremost mast and then sent two of her turrets flying out of position. Finally she set the

German on fire. The enemy ship thus handled is seen in the foreground.

270 The Children's Story of the War.

ing out clear against the sunset. When this occurred, the
British gunners took full advantage of the opportunity. How
well they worked their guns may be gathered from the follow-
ing passage in an officer's letter home : " One of our 12-inch-
gun ships put her salvos into a German ship so accurately that
the enemy vessel heeled right over under the heavy blows.
Of course the German went out of action. If the 12-inch gun
could do this, how much more destructive must have been
the well-directed fire from 15 -inch and 13. 5 -inch guns. . . .
It was a gunners' battle. Our gunnery is better at the points
than that of the enemy. ..."

Under cover of the thick weather von Scheer turned his
fleet as rapidly as he could, and sped southward for safety and
home, with the British hard after him. For the British the
situation was heart-breaking. The long-looked-for chance had
come ; the German fleet was at our mercy, and yet the full
fruits of victory were snatched out of our hands by the thick
•weather. But though the enemy escaped, he did not escape
unscathed. At 7.14, when the sun was hidden behind the
western clouds, Beatty sighted two battle cruisers and two
battleships of the enemy, and engaged them vigorously. Soon
they began to show signs of great distress. One of them was
on fire, and another was dropping astern. To hide these ships
from Beatty 's gunners, the German destroyers raised a heavy
pall of smoke, under cover of which they got away.

About eight o'clock the ist and 3rd Light Cruiser Squadrons
were ordered to sweep westward, in order to discover where
the head of the enemy's line was, and twenty minutes later
Beatty altered course in the same direction. He soon sighted
three battle cruisers or battleships, and engaged them at 10,000
yards range. Lion got her shells home time after time on the
leading ship, which fell out of line, burning furiously and list-
ing heavily to port. Princess Royal set fire to another battle-
ship, and forced a third to leave the line. She also was in
flames, and heeling over. Then the mist came down again,
and the enemy could no longer be seen.

At 8.40 all Sir David Beatty's battle cruisers felt a heavy
shock, which sent a quiver through them. At first it was
thought that the ships must have been torpedoed, or that they
had run upon mines or had fouled sunken wreckage. At once
the hulls of the vessels were examined ; but as they showed no

The Great Sea Fight off Jutland. 271

damage, it was supposed that the shock had been caused by
the blowing up of a big enemy vessel somewhere in the mist
to the westward.

-y- .tf. ,if •Urn «lf. ^t. •it,

tP TT TT TP 'Jf "W* TP

Meanwhile, what was Sir John Jellicoe's fleet doing ? It
had fired its first shots at 6.17, when the ist Battle Squadron
came into action, and had administered severe punishment to

7 p.m.

German fleet to westward of British
in first part of the night — attacks
made on it chiefly by light craft —
touQh of enemy lost before daylight.

Diagram to illustrate Movements of British Fleet after the Union
of Beatty and Jellicoe at 9 p.m.

the enemy. The Marlborough was soon prominent. She fired
seven salvos at a battleship ; then she engaged a cruiser, and
afterwards another battleship. A few minutes before seven
she was hit by a torpedo, and listed considerably to starboard ;
but by 7.12 she was at it again, and soon had fired fourteen
rapid salvos at another battleship, and had forced it to leave
the line. Sir John Jellicoe tells us that the manner in which
this ship kept* up a rapid fire, despite the fact that she h^d been

272 The Children's Story of the War,

disabled by a torpedo, set. a very fine example to the whole
squadron.

Iron Diike, with Sir John Jellicoe on board, opened fire
at 6.30 on a battleship 12,000 yards away. Very quickly
this enemy ship was "straddled"* by shrapnel fire, and at.
the second salvo her shells got home. Iron Duke fired with
great rapidity, and soon the target ship, unable to stand it any
longer, turned away. The light cruisers were also busy with
torpedoes. During this stage of the fight they sank a German
battleship and four destroyers.

By nine o'clock the enemy had completely disappeared, and
darkness was rapidly setting in. All the British main forces
had by this time encircled the German fleet, and were between
it and Heligoland. Nothing but the fog and the coming of
night had saved the enemy from complete destruction. Sir
John Jellicoe dared not close in on von Scheer's ships during
the hours of darkness. The sea was swarming with sub-
marines and torpedo craft, and he would have run frightful
risks had he attempted to continue the fight with his big ships
during the night. He therefore arranged his fleet so that it
would be in a most favourable position for continuing the battle
next day.

Meanwhile he did not intend to leave the Germans at
peace. The light craft were ordered to make a night attack.
The object of this attack was to demoralize the enemy, and
force him to disclose his whereabouts, so that as soon as day-
light returned he could be picked up and finished off. Haying
once got firm hold of the enemy. Sir John did not mean to let
him go again until he had finished his job.

* Some oi their shots fell over the enemy ship, others short, bul none
as yet, hit.

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE END OF THE BATTLE.

THE night attack began about 9 p.m., and was mainly carried
out by destroyers. Light cruisers were also engaged for
the purpose of protecting the British line from torpedo attack.
At 10.20 Southampton and Dublin were in action with no less
than five enemy cruisers, and they lost many men during the
fifteen minutes' unequal fight. At half-past eleven Birmingham
sighted several big ships steering south. They were enemy
battleships slipping past the British stern in the fog and dark-
ness. During the night the fight between the light craft and
the enemy ships raged fast and furious, and many German
vessels were sent to their doom.

The British destroyers did splendid work that night, and
won great glory. The heaviest fighting fell to the lot of the
4th Flotilla, which, after discharging two torpedoes with
effect, lost Tipperary, which was set on fire, and sank.
Two rafts were got away from the sinking vessel, and a
number of survivors were afterwards picked up ; but the
young commander went down with his ship. A petty officer
thus describes the fighting. His experiences give us an ex-
cellent idea of the fierce and confused series of encounters
that took place.

" Through haze and smoke and darkness — all mixed up to baffle us —
our division of destroyers raced along, and, about three minutes past
midnight, plunged right into the midst of the German fleet. Being oil-fuel
boats and emitting neither smoke nor flame, we were able to pounce quietly
upon the enemy, and it was apparent that we gave their nerves a nasty jar.
One could tell this by their manner of firing. Hurriedly they sv/itched on
their searchlights, and began to bang away at us with all the guns they
could bring to bear, emd with some they could not bring to bear, judging
from the wild way in which some of their rornids flew overhead. A sure
V. 18

2 74 The Children's Story of the War.

sign this that the men working them had become panic-stricken, and were
just blazing away without considering what they were blazing at,

"It was too dark for us to follow the enemy's movements closely,
though we could see the loom of some of his ships and locate others by
the flash from their guns ; but we saw enough to show us that our sudden
descent upon the enemy had thrown him into disorder, and some of his
ships appeared to be acting in a very demoralized sort of way. Perhaps
that was not to be greatly wondered at, for a destroyer attack at midnight
is anything but a pleasant thing for a fleet to face." *

The same writer also tells us that the enemy ships
turned their searchlights on the destroyers, and that the de-
stroyers responded by firing at the searchlights. The conse-
quence was that the searchlights were switched on and off in
the most confusing fashion. '* The enemy dared not keep a
beam steadied upon one object long, lest our light guns should
send a projectile crashing through the lens."

Of course, the guns carried by the destroyers were mere pea-
shooters compared with the heavy weapons of the battleships
and cruisers. One shell from a big ship was quite sufficient
to send any one of the daring little craft to the bottom.
When you realize this, you will begin to understand the splen-
did courage and resolution of the crews : they did not hesitate
to fight the biggest ships of the German fleet.

" Heavy guns blazed furiously at us, and at such close range that they
could not miss. It was not just one or two guns, but dozens, that were
turned upon us. Only one result was possible. We were crushed by the
weight of their fire. You may imagine what bombardment from armour-
piercing guns would mean to such fragile craft as destroyers. Of our lot,
only one vessel came through unhurt, and it is marvellous that she
escaped."

Fortune was literally torn to pieces by heavy shells. Her
midships gun was blown into the sea, and most of her crew were
killed. The engines were torn out by another shell, and she
settled down fast by the bows. But even while she sank she
let the Germans feel her sting. The foremost torpedo tube was
still in working order, so a petty officer and others trained
it upon the nearest German ship. Just as they were firing it a
shell came aboard and blew the tube into the air. The torpedo
was actually discharged while the tube was rising, and, what is
more, it ran towards its mark.

* London Magazine, September 1916.

The Last Moments of the Destroyer "Fortune."

{^From the draiving by Main ice Randall. By permission of The Illustrated London News.)

This picture illustrates Fortune firing her last torpedo, and an enemy shell blowing the tube
into the air at the moment that the torpedo left it.

276 The Children's Story of the War,

Shortly afterwards Foriutte sank, but by means of rafts some
thirty-five of the crew managed to keep afloat. For a couple
of hours they drifted to and fro, while the battle raged furiously
all around, and over their heads as well. So deafening was
the thunder of the guns that they had to shout to be heard by
their nearest companions.

" Dimly we could see the big ships moving ; the flame from their gun
muzzles would light up all the hull for a second, and then die out. It
was as though the vessels suddenly sprang out of the night and as sud-
denly faded back into it again. Most uncanny sight of all was that of
a German Dreadnought on fire. She lay some distance from us, and was
glowing from stem to stem like a red-hot cinder. One of her guns still
continued banging away; all the others had presumably been put out of
action. But struggling there she made a fine target for British gunners,
who made full use of the opportunity, and poured so much metal into her
that she soon went hissing to the bottom."

About six in the morning a destroyer came along and
attempted without success to pick up the survivors of For-
tune. Later on Moresby, which was returning from a chase
in which she had torpedoed an enemy vessel, came up to-
gether with some of our light cruisers. The submarines
which infested the waters were driven oflf, Moresby dropped her
whaler, and seventeen men out of the thirty-five who took
the rafts when Fortune went down were saved.

I despair of being able to give you a picture of that terrible
night in the North Sea. You must think of the black darkness,
stabbed every few moments by flashes of fire, or the whole sky
for miles around lit up by the leaping flames of a big ship in
its last throes. You must think of the awful roar of the guns,
which seemed to sound even louder than by day, and the cold,
white fingers of the searchlights, like some uncanny monsters
of the deep searching the ocean for their prey. " The search-
lights at times," wrote an eye-witness, " made the sea as white
as marble, on which the destroyers moved black as cockroaches
on a floor." And above all, you must think of those gallant
Britons who were fighting and dying in that nightmare of
horrors in order that you and I might continue to dwell in
freedom and safety in the land of our fathers. We must
never forget them ; they gave their lives for us.

The dawn of ist June broke thick and foggy, and the look-

The End of the Battle 277

outs in the foretops could barely see more than four miles
around them. The British fleet was then lying south and west
of the Horn Reef, and now it turned northward to search for
the enemy. But during the night the German ships had scat-
tered like a flight of wild duck scared by shot. In the fog and
darkness they had slipped astern of the British ships, and
steamed as rapidly as they could for their harbours. On the
I St June there was not a single German craft afloat in the so-
called German Ocean. The British fleet swept the seas until i . 1 5
p.m., but there was no sign of the enemy. Further searching
and waiting were useless, so Sir John Jellicoe ordered his ships
back to their bases. By 9.30 p.m. on 2nd June they were at
sea again, eager for another fight, but could discover no enemy.

On an earlier page I told you that the Germans meant to
claim a victory, no matter what the result of the engagement
might be. As soon as their crippled and battered ships were
safely in harbour, the gates of the dockyards were locked in
order that no prying eyes might discover the real condition of
the fleet. Then a great victory was announced. The Ger-
man people were told that the British fleet had been beaten.
The first great blow had been struck, and the ancient glory of
the British race had disappeared. The German losses, so it
was said, were small. Only one old battleship, three small
cruisers, and five destroyers had gone down.

Of course this was a fairy tale, meant to hearten the German
people, who stood in great need of a victory. Before long the
Germans were forced to admit that other ships had been lost,
and their deluded people were told that these losses had been
concealed " for military reasons." Our Admiralty promptly
issued a list of all the British ships that had been sunk, but
said little or nothing about the German losses. Many people
thereupon jumped to the conclusion that we had suffered a
reverse. Our sailors, however, knew better, and they were
surprised and angry that such a false idea had got abroad.
There was not an admiral, nor a captain, nor an officer, nor a
man in all the fleet who did not know that the enemy had been
outgeneralled and outfought. We had lost Queen Mary,
Indefatigable, Invincible, Defence, Black Prince, Warrior, and
eight destroyers ; and most of their crews — some five or six
thousand men — had gone down with them. " They fell," said

278 The Children's Story of the War.

Sir John Jellicoe in his dispatch, " doing their duty nobly — a
death which they would have been the first to desire."

How well our sailors bore themselves on that never-to-be-
forgotten 31st of May may be gathered from the glowing tribute
which Sir John Jellicoe paid them in his dispatch : —

" The conduct of officers and men throughout the day and night actions
was entirely beyond praise. No words of mine could do them justice.
On all sides it is reported to me that the glorious traditions of the past
were most worthily upheld : whether in heavy ships, cruisers, light cruisers,
or destroyers, the same admirable spirit prevailed. Officers and men
were cool and determined, with a cheeriness that would have carried them
through anything. The heroism of the wounded was the admiration of
all. I cannot adequately express the pride with which the spirit of the Fleet
filled me."

With the generosity of the truly brave, Sir John also testified
to the courage of the Germans : —

" The enemy fought with the gallantry that was expected of him. We
particularly admired the conduct of those on board a disabled German
light cruiser which passed down the British line shortly after deployment,
under a heavy fire, which was returned by the only gun left in action."

Time-Table of the Battle of Jutland.

May 31-June I, 191 6.

p.m. MAY 31.

2. 20. Galatea reports presence of enemy.
2.35. Smoke of enemy ships sighted

to eastward.
2.45. Engadine sends up seaplane to

scout
3.30. Beatty forms line of battle, and

one minute later sights enemy.
3.48. Action commences — range 18,500

yards.

(" Queen Mary'''' sttnk.)

4.8. Evan-Thomas's squadron opens
fire — range 20,000 yards.

4. 15. Our destroyers move out for tor-
pedo attack.

(Diirins^ this attack the destroyers
"Nomad" and "Nestor" were sunk.)

4.18. The third enemy ship on fire.

(" Indefatigable" sunk.)

4.38. Southampton reports von Hipper's
fleet ahead.

4.42. Beatty sights enemy's main battle
fleet. Runs northward to lead the
German ships towards Jellicoe.

4.57. Our ships standing out against
clear horizon ; German ships
shrouded by mist

5.10. Fearless reports enemy heavy ship
on fire.

5.35. Beatty gradually hauling to north-
east, keeping range of enemy.

5.50. Jellicoe's advance ships sighted.

5.56. Beatty alters course to east, in
order to cross T of German line.

6.14. Jellicoe forms line of battle.

6.17. First shots fired by Jellicoe's fleet

{^"Defence'''' sunk ; " IVarrior" dis-
abled, and sattk in night. )

6.'2\. Hood leads his squadron into
action.

( " Invincible " sunk. )

6.30. 4th Battle Squadron, with flagship

Iron Duke, opens fire.
6.30.-7.20. 2nd Battle Squadron in

action.
6.50. Beatty's ships cross T of German

line. Light bad. Enemy ships

lost sight of.

7.6. Whole British fleet steams south,
chasing enemy.

p.m.
7.17

7-45-

Sun below clouds. Light improves.
Enemy ships seen and re-engaged.
Destroyers at head of enemy's line
emit palls of smoke to cover re-
treat of their big ships, which are
soon lost to sight.

7.58. British cruisers ordered to sweep
westward and discover where-
abouts of head of enemy's line.

8.20. Beattyturnswest to support. Lead-
ing ship of enemy on fire and
listing heavily to port Princess
Royal sets fire to a three-funnelled
battleship. New Zealand and In-
domitable report third ship forced
out of line,heeling over and on fire.

8.40. Heavy shock felt — probably due
to big enemy ship blowing up.
9. Enemy entirely out of sight Jelli-
coe disposes his fleet for the night.
Night attack of destroyers begins.

( ' ' Black Prince " sunk. )

10.20. 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in
action for fifteen minutes with
enemy cruiser and four light
cruisers.

Moresby fires torpedo at enemy
battleships, and two minutes later
feels shock of the explosion on
board vessel aimed at.

{During the night the destroyers
" Tipperary" '■^Ardent" ^^ Fortune^"
"Shark," " Sparrowhawk," and" Tur-
bulent" were sunk.)

JUNE I.

Daylight. Battle fleet, then south and west
of Horn Reef, turns north in search
of enemy.
4. Fleet engages a Zeppelin for about
five minutes.

British fleet watching and waiting
for enemy,

Jellicoe concludes that enemy has
succeeded in returning to port.
Shapes course for his bases, which
are reached Friday, June 2.

JUNE 2,

Fleet re-fuelled and re-supplied
with ammunition. Sails at 9.30
p.m., but searches in vain for the
enemy.

a.m.
2.35

II.

p.m.
I.I5.

p.m.
9.30

The Last Phase of

When night fell, British destroyers dashed into the midst of the German fleet and carried out fierce and
the night battle which is illustrated above: —

"During the night the British heavy ships were not attacked; but the Fourth, Eleventh, and Twelfth
delivered a series of very gallant and successful attacks on the enemy, causing him heavy losses.

'* It was during these attacks that severe losses in the Fourth Flotilla occurred, including that of Tipperary,
perfection, and although suffering severely from the fire of the enemy, a heavy toll of enemy vessels was

" Two torpedoes were seen to take effect on enemy vessels as the result of the attacks of the Fourth F"lotilla,
(Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Marsden), Ambuscade (Lieutenant-Commander Gordon A. Coles), or Garland

"The attack carried out by the Twelfth Flotilla (Captain Anselan J. B. Stirling) was admirably executed,
the Kaiser class, was taken by surprise. A large number of torpedoes was fired, including some at the second
second attack, made twenty minutes later by Mtenad (Commander John P. Champion) on the five vessels still

" The destroyers were under a heavy fire from the light cruisers on reaching the rear of the line, but the
material injuries. In the Onslaught Sub-Lieutenant Harry W. A. Kemmis, assisted by Midshipman Reginald
reached her home port.

" During the attack carried out by the Eleventh Flotilla, Castor (Commodore James R. P. Hawkesley),

Sir David Beatty reports : —

" The Thirteenth Flotilla, under the command of Captain James U. Farie, in Champion, took station astern
flotilla at high speed. She passed close to Petard and Turbulent, switched on searchlights and opened a
enemy destroyers. Moresby reports four ships of Deutschland class sighted at 2.35 a.m., at whom she fired

" Fearless and the 1st Flotilla were very usefully employed as a submarine screen during the earlier part
cruisers without fouling the battleships, and therefore took station at the rear of the line. She sighted during
her, but believes she was attacked by destroyers further astern. A heavy explosion was observed astern not

" There were many gallant deeds performed by the destroyer flotillas ; they surpassed the very highest

"Apart from the proceedings of the flotillas, the Second Light-cruiser Squadron in the rear of the liattle
and four light cruisers, during which period Southampton and Dublin (Captain Albert C. Scott) suffered
the squadron appeared to be very effective.

Abdiel, ably commanded by Commander Berwick Curtis, carried out her duties with the success which

the Great Battle. \_By permission of The Sphere.

determined attacks on the big ships. The following is an extract from Sir John Jellicoe's dispatch describing

Flotillas, under Commodore Hawkesley and Captains Charles J. Wintour and Anselan J. B. Stirling,

with the gallant leader of the flotilla. Captain Wintour. He had brought his flotilla to a high pitch of

taken, and many gallant actions were performed by the flotilla.

one being from Spitfire (Lieutenant-Commander Clarence W. E. Trelawny), and the other from either Ardent

(Lieutenant-Commander Reginald S. Gofif).

The squadron attacked, which consisted of six large vessels, besides light cruisers, and comprised vessels of

and third ships in the line ; those fired at the third ship took effect, and she was observed to blow up. A

remaining, resulted in the fourth ship in the line being also hit.

Onslaught (Lieutenant-Commander Arthur G. Onslow, D.S.C.) was the only vessel which received any

G. Arnot, R.N. R., the only executive officers not disabled, brought the ship successfully out of action and

leading the flotilla, engaged and sank an enemy torpedo-boat destroyer at point-blank range."

of the battle fleet for the night. At 0.30 a.m. on Thursday, ist June, a large vessel crossed the rear of the

heavy fire, which disabled Turbulent. At 3.30 a.m. Champion was engaged for a few minutes with four

one torpedo. Two minutes later an explosion was felt by Moresby and Obdurate.

of the 31st May. At 6. lo p.m., when joining the Battle Fleet, Fearless was unable to follow the battle

the night a battleship of the Kaiser class steaming fast and entirely alone. She was not able to engage

long after.

expectations that I had formed of them.

fleet was in close action for about fifteen minutes at 10.20 p.m. with a squadron comprising one enemy cruiser

rather heavy casualties, although their steaming and fighting qualities were not impaired. The return fire of

has always characterized her work."

CHAPTER XXXII.

sailors' stories of the battle of JUTLAND.

BEFORE I begin to tell you stories of the great fight,
let us ask ourselves the question : Was the Battle of
Jutland a British victory ? It certainly was not such a com-
plete victory as Nelson achieved at the Battle of the Nile, when
he sank or captured eleven out of the nineteen ships opposed
to him ; nor was it as sweeping as the victory at Trafalgar,
when twenty ships out of the forty in the combined fleets of
France and Spain either surrendered or were destroyed. In
the Battle of Jutland, though we made no such wholesale havoc
of the enemy, he undoubtedly suffered heavier losses than we
did. According to Sir John Jellicoe's careful calculation, the
Germans lost three battleships, one battle cruiser, five light
cruisers, one of which may have been a battleship, six destroyers,
and one submarine. These were certain and observed losses.
In addition, one first-class battleship, one battle cruiser, and
three destroyers were seen to be so severely hit that in all
likelihood they went down before reaching harbour. Further,
most of the ships which escaped were so badly damaged that
they were unable to leave harbour for weeks afterwards. Our
losses, you will remember, were three battle cruisers, three
armoured cruisers, and eight destroyers. The enemy's losses
were actually heavier than ours, and proportionately they were
far greater. If we only take into consideration the balance of
damage done, victory must be ascribed to the British fleet.

But there is another and a far more important side of the
question which we must consider. For twenty-two months of
war the British fleet had blockaded Germany, and the German
navy had not dared to come out to try to break the blockade.
On May 31, 1916, it put its fortune to the touch, and the stake

Sailors' Stories of the Battle of Jutland. 283

for which it played was that command of the North Sea which
we had enjoyed so long. Had we suffered defeat, German
warships would have been free to come and go at their will, to
prey upon our shipping, to sink our transports, and to bom-
bard our ports ; while their merchant vessels would once more
traverse the ocean routes of the world. When the battle was
over there was not a German ship to be seen on the so-called
German Ocean. Our control of the North Sea was as com-
plete as ever. Whatever object the German navy may have
had in coming out, it certainly failed to achieve that object.
He who in any struggle prevents his enemy from accomplish-
ing his purpose is surely the victor, or words have lost their
meaning. The Battle of Jutland — ^the greatest naval battle of
history — was a. British victory, and far-sighted men have not
hesitated to call it a decisive victory.

*,H. ,){. ^^ je. j^ ^u

TP ^ TT •«• TT ^F

Now I must keep the promise implied by the heading of
this chapter, and tell you some sailors' yarns of the battle.
First we will read a middy's account of the fight.

" I thought we were out on a stunt, but I did not think it
was going to be the * pukha ' * stunt. I was in my bunk
having a nap after lunch when my servant came and woke
me up, and told me that we had to take battle stations. I
tumbled out pretty quick, and got to my place. I had three
matelots'[ with me in my position, and I don't think the eldest
could have been more than eighteen. They were topping
chaps. They had never been in action before, and though
they looked a bit white when the first shot went off — I felt a bit
shaken myself — they bucked up like Trojans, and after a few
minutes were whistling and singing as if nothing particular
except battle practice was going on.

" Those first few minutes were pretty bad, for the Huns
got in on us first ; and their shooting was just wonderful —
every shell seemed to get home. When we started — and I
think it was Lion, Beatty's ship, which opened the ball — ^we
gave them something to go on with.

" But, my goodness ! what a sight it was. I have seen
some ships in my time, and a good number at a time ; but I
would hardly have believed there were so many ships in the

* Indian word meaning real, substantial,
j French word for sailors (pron. mat-e-lo).

284 The Children's Story of the War.

world as I saw on that Wednesday. The water seemed alive
with them, and the farther you looked the more ships there
seemed to be. Of course of the general action I have only a
very vague and confused idea. We seemed to engage two or
three ships, and then they seemed to disappear or limp away.
We got hit fairly often, but never in a vital spot, and the longer
the game went on the wilder the Huns' shooting became.
Our fellows were as steady as rocks, and our shooting was as
good as at battle practice — and that's pretty good.

" But with the awful noise one could hardly realize what
was really going on. I saw Queen Mary blown right out of
the water, and Invincible and Indefatigable sunk. Talking of
Invincible J there was one sight which I shall never forget. It
was the pluckiest thing I have ever seen. When the ship went
down four of the chaps managed to collar hold of a raft. As
we steamed ahead into action we saw these men on the raft,
and at first thought they must be Huns. But as we passed
by — for, of course, we could not stop for anything — the four
got up on their feet and cheered us like mad ! It was the
finest thing I have seen.

" The ' Black Navy,' as we call the torpedo-boat destroyers,
were absolutely magnificent ; they just wiped the floor with
the Huns' torpedo-boat destroyers, and the way they tackled
the big ships was simply top-hole. I saw one — I think it was
Onslaught — take on a big ship (I believe it was Hindenburgy or
one of that class) and sink her.

" There were some extraordinary escapes. One chap I
know was in a turret. One shell took the top of the turret clean
off. Then another came slap through the side. The shock
threw this chap — he is a captain of the Marines — into the sea.
He was picked up, and except that he was a bit shaken and
stunned, he was all right, and is on duty now."

The middy whose account you have just read saw Queen
Mary, Invincible, and Indefatigable sunk. A naval expert,
writing in the Daily News, believes that two of these ships
were lost not by gun-fire, but by the explosion of their maga-
zines. The Germans, he says, were firing shells which when
they burst flung out flashes of flame 200 feet long. According
to his account, the shells blew off the top of the turrets, and
the flashes shot down the ammunition hoists into the magazines

Sailors' Stories of the Battle of Jutland. 285

and caused the terrible explosions which sent the gallant ships
to the bottom.

^F ^r ^F ^F ^F ^F ^p

Here is a description of the battle from the pen of another
midshipman : —

" As you no doubt have read, the weather was very misty ;
which kept us from a decisive victory. It was very exciting,
and once we were in it I quite enjoyed it ; but the waiting
before wasn't very nice. My action station is in a turret right
in the forepart of the ship, and I viewed the action through a
periscope in the turret. The noise was deafening, and I had
lost my ear protectors ; but I was too excited to notice the
noise. The battle cruisers were firing just in front, and doing
terrible damage. A destroyer just in front of us had its funnel
blown off, and started to blaze away. It was a desperate sight.
Then a big ship close to us blew up amidships, and started to
sink. I got a fine view of her. There were lots of men hang-
ing from the stern and on rafts in the water. A destroyer stood
by to pick them up. Huge splashes came from German shells,
falling into the water fairly close to us, and some ricochetted
over us (I can't spell it). I am absolutely none the worse for
it. Our captain and commander both wore white heather in
their caps. As the first gun in the turret I was in fired, our
gun's crew gave a great cheer, which made me feel all funny.
I thought a lot of you " (the middy is writing to his mother),
" and how wonderfully good you've been to me all through my
life. I also thought of daddy. I had quite a long time to
think in before we get into it. Next morning we met a Zepp
and fired at it ; but it disappeared behind a cloud. I have
a memento in the shape of a tube which fired the second shot
in our turret.

" We had a memorial service this morning, the hymns being
499, 401, 140. At the same time the dead were buried ashore.
We sent a midshipman to assist in carrying the coffin of a
midshipman. All the next night we had to sleep in our turrets.
An overcoat laid on a steel floor was my bed. We expected a
destroyer attack in the night, and some ships had one. Our
fierce part of the action lasted about forty minutes. After a
few shots from the turret it became very hot, and we all took
off our coats. We went into the action with a big Union Jack
flying and two white ensigns on the mast, and another ensign

2 86 The Children's Story of the War.

astern, so there was no mistaking our nationality. The next
morning we were continually passing wreckage and bodies,
some with lifebelts on."

* * # * * # #

A commander thus relates his experiences : —

" It was altogether unimaginable, and even now I have
only a sort of confused idea of what happened. Moreover,
I am still rather deaf from the terrible gun-fire. Although we
rather expected to find some Huns about, we did not think
that it was going to be ' The Day.'

" We came upon them rather suddenly. They opened fire
upon us, and never in all my life have I heard such a terrific
din. It was like a hundred thunderstorms, and Brock's fire-
works all let loose at the same time. The first four minutes
of the battle saw most of the damage done to our big ships.
I saw Queen Mary and Indefatigable go down. It would be
wrong to say Queen Mary went down : she went up. Some
of the shells must have landed right into the magazines, for the
great vessel went right up in pieces into the air.

'* Then Indefatigable received a most tremendous pounding.
You could see the big ship literally staggering under the enor-
mous weight of metal she received. I think that she must have
gone down in about two minutes after she received the first
broadside. Some people aver that Queen Mary went down as
the result of a Zeppelin dropping a bomb into her magazine ;
but I am convinced that it was gun-fire that sank her. But
we had not much time for looking about us.

*' Admiral Beatty opened fire in Lion. The noise was
perfectly awful. We soon began to shake them up a bit, and
though we were inferior in numbers and lighter craft, we got
a jolly good grip on them. Of course, what we wanted to do
was to hold on to them at any cost until Admiral Jellicoe with
the big lot could come up ; then we knew that we should blow
them out of the water : so naturally Beatty was prepared, and
so were all of us, to lose some cruisers. The only point was
to hold on at any cost. Unfortunately, we could not quite do
it, for, as soon as they gathered that Jellicoe was coming up,
the Huns ran for their lives. They were shaken to the core,
and I am absolutely certain that they have lost far more ships
than they have admitted.

** Personally, apart from the big ships they have lost, I am

His Master's Voice. \_Photo, Cribb.

Sir John Jellicoe's dog Spot beneath one of the 15-inch guns of Iron Duke.

288 The Children's Story of the War.

convinced that they lost about twenty torpedo-boat destroyers ;
and when the true facts are known, I think it will be discovered
that we not only chased a bigger and heavier fleet than our
own back into port, but that we inflicted far heavier losses on
them than they did on us.

" Another thing I particularly noticed which showed that
we rattled them pretty badly. During the first four minutes
of the scrap the Huns' shooting was extremely fine ; it seemed
as if ' every bullet found its billet,' so to speak. The moment
we started in on them, however, their shooting became ex-
tremely wild and inaccurate. To start with, the salvos
flopped all right on to the mark ; but afterwards they went all
anyhow, else our losses would have been much heavier. This
proves to me that the Huns have no real stomach for sea-
fighting. Our shooting was wonderfully good, especially that
of Tiger.''

A petty officer's impression of the fight was as follows : —
" Our fellows were in the best of spirits, making fun all
the time, but pumping it into the enemy as hard as they could.
Six shells hit us, but not one pierced our armour, and at the
finish we were still fighting. The enemy gunners are not to
be laughed at. When Jellicoe came up the Germans * hopped
it,' and some of Jellicoe 's ships never got into action at all."

CHAPTER XXXIII.

MORE STORIES OF THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

A SIGNALMAN on the ill-fated Warrior thus tells the
story of the part played by his ship : —

" We went into action prepared for heavier losses than we
suffered. It was our part to hang on to the enemy, and we
did. The battle-cruiser fleet came up from a different direction
from the great battleships, in front of which Warrior and Defence
were sent out. They moved northward for a time parallel to
the main German fleet off the Jutland coast. What did us was
the haze. It kept coming up thickest from the east, and our
ships were against the afternoon sunlight, and the more plainly
visible. Warrior sighted the enemy about two hours after the
battle cruisers began the fight, and opened fire in ten minutes.
I believe four or five German battleships of the main fleet were
firing at us. We were struck by about fifteen big shells, mostly
near the engine-room. One shell penetrated close to the am-
munition passage, but failed to explode, or Warrior would
have been blown sky high.

*' Meanwhile Warrior was herself pouring shell into a German
cruiser, which I believe was the Wiesbaden. It's my belief we
bagged her. She was a long thing, with three fat funnels, and
we struck her with a salvo of six guns — six shells in a row —
and down she went. At the same time my mind was so con-
centrated on my work that I didn't either see or hear the Defence
blown up, though she was our next ship, only four cables away.
She was sunk by two salvos of four or five shells from 12-inch
or 14-inch guns.

"As we came up to the scene of action where the battle
cruisers had been engaged for about two hours, we saw a
destroyer with her boat down picking up the survivors of

V. 19

290 The Children's Story of the War.

Queen Mary as coolly as if no battle was going on. One of
the huge shells which struck Warrior gashed the upper deck
with a huge rent. One shell burst in the engine-room, and
killed many. Several were severely wounded, and the total
of dead will come to about eighty. I want to praise especially
the extreme heroism of the stokers. They kept on at their
work after the engine-room was flooded. Then they drew
the fires and quietly came up to the deck. The signalmen on
the tops also remained in their position throughout. One on
the maintop was killed, having both his legs blown off". Five
or six messenger boys also stood steady, without ' panicking ' at
all, and went quietly to their action station, though none of
them had seen fighting before. Apart from the smashing blows
of the big shells there were very few casualties, but a few were
gassed by the fumes of the shells. As the ship began to fill
she slowly turned half round to draw out of action, the signal
' Not under control ' being raised. As I shifted my position
to look after this signal I saw a shell crash just where I had
been standing, and I thought to myself, * There goes my old
locker ! ' As Warrior turned almost helpless out of action, I
saw the whole main fleet rushing forward to attack the head
of the German line."

*******

Another seaman * thus describes the end of Warrior : — •

" Engadine took us in tow about 8 p.m. After that we
found what we could to eat, and had supper. But throughout
the night there was little or no sleep for anybody. Warrior
was leaking badly, in spite of all efforts to keep out the water,
and she gradually settled lower and lower. . . .

" One could not easily imagine a more perilous situation
than the one we were in ; yet I did not see any one exhibit
the least sign of nervousness or disquiet. Whatever the men
might have thought they kept it to themselves, and steadily
* carried on ' with the jobs allotted to them.

" Morning dawned, with Warrior in very bad case. She
had developed a heavy list to port, and her decks were prac-
tically awash. Clearly she could not last much longer. Only
one possible course was open to the captain, and he took it.
Engadine was ordered to come alongside, and we prepared to
abandon ship. . . .

* London Magazine, September 1916.

A Scene during the Midnight Battle.

(From the picture by C. Clark. By permission of The Sphere.)

A German battleship sinking. The grim spectacle was revealed by the light of many

searchlights flashing across the deep.

292 The Children's Story of the War.

** Transferring the wounded men proved a difficult thing
to do, but we managed it with only one mishap. A man fell
from the stretcher whilst being lifted from ship to ship, and
dropped between the vessels ; whereupon a flight-lieutenant of
Engadine pluckily jumped in and rescued him.

" Having transhipped our wounded, the rest of us followed
them. Captain Molteno being the last one to leave Warrior.
Now Engadine dropped astern, and then, having got clear,
steamed up again past the sinking Warrior. All of us gave
our old ship three hearty farewell cheers as we left her behind."

*^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

TT TP TP TP TP ^F

On 1 6th September the Admiralty issued a list of the officers
and men who had specially distinguished themselves in the
Battle of Jutland. It was a long list ; but you must not sup-
pose that it included all who had done valiantly in the great
fight. Sir John Jellicoe confessed that he found the task of
singling out those who were to receive honours very difficult,
because all had played their parts so well. The following
three heroes were awarded the Victoria Cross : —

Commander the Hon. E. B. S. Bingham.

I am sure that you have not forgotten the gallant attack
made by our destroyers at the beginning of the battle. Com-
mander Bingham, in Nestor, led his division in the most gallant
manner, first against the enemy destroyers and then against
their battle cruisers. Later on he sighted the enemy battle fleet,
and, followed by the one remaining destroyer of his division
{Nicator), closed in to within three thousand yards, in order
to reach a favourable position for firing his torpedoes. The
German battleships poured a hurricane of fire upon the two
little craft, and Nestor was so badly crippled that she sank
some time later. It was supposed that Commander Bingham
had gone down with his ship ; but afterwards he was reported
to be a prisoner in Germany. His Victoria Cross was won by
magnificent daring.

Major Francis John William Harvey, Royal Marine
Light Infantry.

Major Harvey did not live to wear the blue ribbon of valour
which he so nobly won during the great battle. A shell burst
in his gun house, and killed or put out of action almost every
man in it. He himself received a mortal wound ; but even
while the agony of death was upon him he spent his last moments

John Travers Cornwell, V.C. [Photo, Central News.

The boy hero of the Battle of Jutland, aged i6J years.

294 The Children's Story of the War.

in saving his comrades. With great presence of mind and
devotion to duty he ordered the magazine to be flooded, and
by doing so prevented the ship from being blown up. Shortly
afterwards he died. You will search long in the annals of
heroism before you find a deed worthy to rank with his.

John Travers Cornwell, First-class Boy, H.M.S. Chester.

This young hero was an East Ham boy, and had been a
scholar at the Walton Road schools. As a schoolboy he was
in no way distinguished. His master described him as "an
ordinary English boy." God grant that all British boys,
wherever they may dwell, may be as " ordinary " as he 1

He had only been twenty-nine days at sea when he went
into action. You will remember that his ship, Chester (see p.
264), was sent on a scouting mission, and was furiously assailed
for twenty minutes by four or five enemy cruisers. A deluge of
shot swept down upon her, and her casualties were very heavy.
It was during that scene of horror and destruction that " an
ordinary English boy " attracted his captain's attention by
splendid devotion to duty. Admiral Beatty in his dispatch
thus describes the lad's heroism : —

" Boy {First Class) John Travers Cornwell of * Chester ' was
mortally wounded early in the action. He nevertheless remained
standing alone at a most exposed post, quietly awaiting orders ^
until the end of the action, with the gun^s crew dead and wounded
all round him. His age was under 16 J years, I regret that he
has since died, but I recommend his case for special recognition
in justice to his memory, and as an acknowledgment of the high
example set by him."

Cornwell was a sight-setter, an important position for one
so young. It was his business to receive by telephone the
orders sent from the fire control as to the laying and discharge
of his gun. He wore tele-pads, and thus amidst the roar of
the cannonading was able to hear the instructions sent to him
from headquarters. In the first five minutes of the battle he
received a terrible wound ; but though he suffered agonies, he
never left his post until the end of the action. His shipmates
said that during the whole of the fight he kept his tele-pads on,
and looked steadfastly towards the bridge, so that if the tele-
phones broke down he might hear the orders shouted to him.

More Stories of the Battle of Jutland. 295

Shortly after the battle he died, and was buried in a common
grave ; but when the story of his striking heroism became
known, his body was exhumed, and on Saturday, 29th July, was
reinterred with great honour at the Manor Park Cemetery, East
Ham. Six boys of Chester^ Corn well's mates, formed a guard
of honour, and a party of bluejackets drew the gun-carriage on
which lay the coffin, draped in the Union Jack. The bishop
of the diocese, the mayor and councillors, and all the leading
men of the borough joined in the procession, along with naval
cadets and fifty of the hero's old schoolmates, led by their
master. Sir David Beatty, the captain, officers, and crew
of Chester^ and the Royal Navy sent wreaths. Dr. Macnamara,
himself an old schoolmaster, represented the Admiralty, and at
the graveside paid an eloquent tribute to Cornwell's magnifi-
cent courage. A volley was fired, the " Last Post " was
sounded, and the mortal remains of the gallant lad were com-
mitted to mother earth. On the coffin was the simple but
glorious epitaph : —

" Faithful unto Deaths

Though the earth had closed over the body of Jack Corn-
well, the inspiration of his example still " lived and moved
and had its being." A day was set apart on which the story
of his heroism was told to the children of every elementary
school in the country, and collections were made to endow a
*' Jack Cornwell " ward for disabled soldiers and marines in
the Star and Garter Hospital at Richmond. A Mansion House
meeting was held, and arrangements were made for establish-
ing a national memorial in the shape of cottages for disabled
seamen, and naval scholarships for deserving boys. A leading
artist promised to paint a picture commemorating the deed,
a reproduction of which was to find a place on the walls of
some thousands of schools. We part from Jack Cornwell feeling
more than ever the truth of the noble words with which Dickens
concludes the story of Little Nell : " Of every tear that sorrow-
ing mortals shed on such green graves some good is born,
some gentler nature comes. In the Destroyer's steps there
spring up bright creations that defy his power, and his dark
path becomes a way of light to heaven."

CHAPTER XXXIV.

HOW A GREAT WAR CHIEF DIED.

FOUR days after the great naval battle which I have
described at length, a sea tragedy took place which
robbed us of the man whom all the British world regarded
as the organizer of victory. In earlier pages of this work I
told you something of the brilliant career of Field- Marshal
Lord Kitchener. You will remember that he was a student
at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, when the Franco-
German War broke out, but at the time was staying
with his father in North France. Without asking permis-
sion of the British authorities, he immediately enlisted in the
French army, and saw some service. While he was fighting,
a young artillery lieutenant named Joffre was undergoing his
baptism of fire. Kitchener and Joffre were destined to meet
forty-four years later — the one as War Secretary of Britain,
the other as Commander-in-Chief of the French armies.

Kitchener left Woolwich in 1871, and a few years later we
find him engaged on surveying work in Palestine and Cyprus.
Then he went to Egypt, where he spent a busy life organizing
and fighting, and in 1890 was appointed Sirdar, or Chief, of the
Egyptian Army. He owed his promotion to merit alone, and
rose to his high rank by dint of hard and devoted work, and an
inability to understand the meaning of the word " impossible."

In 1896 came the first great opportunity of his life. The
Mahdi had arisen, and had won back the Sudan from us. It
was Kitchener's task to restore it once more to the British
Empire. In the course of a brilliant campaign he utterly
routed the Mahdi 's forces in the two battles of Atbara and
Omdurman, and firmly established British power in the upper
valley of the Nile. For this splendid service he was raised

Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener of Khartum and of Broome.

Born June 24, 1850 ; drowned at sea June 5, 1916,
{Photo, Bourne and Shepherd. )

298 The Children's Story of the War.

to the peerage. Parliament voted him ,£30,000, and warmly
thanked him " for the distinguished skill and ability with
which he planned and conducted the campaign on the Nile of
1896-98."

Kitchener was now regarded as the foremost military or-
ganizer of the British race. In 1900, during the Boer War, he
was sent to South Africa as Chief of the Staff to Lord Roberts ;
but soon assumed full command, and waged war against the
Boers by means of a system of " blockhouses " and *' drives,"
till he secured an honourable peace on May 31, 1902. Again
he received honours, a money grant, and the thanks of Parlia-
ment. In the same year he went out to India as Commander-
in-Chief of the Indian Army. He did great work in reorgan-
izing our forces in the peninsula, but not without coming into
conflict with the Viceroy and the Secretary for India. In 191 1
he became Consul- General — that is, the real ruler — of Egypt,
and this post he held when the Great War broke out.

Now that we know something of his career, let us inquire
what manner of man he was. I need not describe his appear-
ance, for it is familiar to you all. You have seen his strong face
and cold, piercing eyes on many a recruiting poster, and you
can never forget the beckoning finger which drew so many men
to the army in the hour of Britain's need. As he towered above
his fellows in inches, so he rose above them by force of his
masterful character and iron will. He was a man of few friends
and of few words ; he neither sought nor desired the applause
of the crowd. Duty was the watchword of his life, and in
doing his duty he allowed nothing to turn him from his purpose.
One who knew him well says : " He was not ungrateful for
services rendered, but he placed work and the public service
first, and when a man had become useless he threw him aside
like an old rag." Efficiency, and efficiency alone, was the
passport to Kitchener's favour.

When the Great War broke out his name sprang at once
to men's lips. To the mass of the people he was the greatest
and most successful of all living generals. His strength, his
silence, his devotion, and his striking success had won the confi-
dence of the whole nation ; and when he was called upon to
take up the duties of Secretary for War, all felt that the right
man was in the right place. The greatest achievement of his
life was the raising of vast armies by the magic of his name.

How a Great War Chief died. 299

At all times he preferred to work alone, and to concentrate
all power in his own hands. When the problem was one which
a single brain could solve and a single hand execute, all went
well. During the Great War, when the problems of raising
and equipping vast armies were more than one man, however
great in mind and action, could cope with, his method failed,
and certain departments of his work had to be taken over by
others. Nevertheless it is impossible to overpraise the mag-
nificent service which he rendered to the Empire in the dark
days of the year 19 14. To him the nation turned, as to a star
of hope in the sky, and found strength in his quietness and
confidence.

Now we are to learn the tragic story of his death. On
Monday, 5th June, Lord Kitchener with his staff embarked
on the armoured cruiser Hampshire, bound for Archangel. He
was going to Russia to consult with the chiefs of the Russian
army, so that there might be a combined movement in East
and West when the French and British were ready to begin
their offensive. He was also concerned with arrangements for
the supply of munitions to Russia. When the ship sailed the
weather was wild and stormy, and the waves were running
high. About eight o'clock in the evening, when Hampshire was
off the western coast of the Orkneys, sufficiently close to the
land to be seen from the shore, a terrific explosion occurred.
A survivor tells us that " the ship seemed to reel backwards, as
from a staggering blow ; she quivered from stem to stern ;
men were flung down heavily, and in a moment there spread
along the decks choking clouds of gun-cotton fumes." ■

Hampshire had struck a mine, or had been blown up by -a
torpedo from an enemy submarine ; and there were some who
declared that treachery had been at work, and that the enemy had
been forewarned of Kitchener's voyage. The ship began to settle
down by the bow, and wave after wave swept over her decks.
Two of the survivors saw Lord Kitchener a few minutes after
the disaster. He was walking aft on the quarter-deck, and was
joined by three of his staff. An officer called out, " Make way
for Lord Kitchener." Captain Savill, who was helping a boat's
crew to clear the captain's galley, was heard to call his name
three times. Nothing more is known of Lord Kitchener's last
moments.

In twenty minutes Hampshire had sunk beneath the waves.

300 The Children's Story of the War.

Four boats are said to have left the vessel, but all were over-
turned. Three floats, however, got away, and were washed
ashore ; but of the crew of 700 men, only twelve ever
reached land.

One of the survivors, Rogerson, sat astride a float for five
hours, supporting a boy by each arm till they slipped from
his grasp.

" One of these lads," he says, " was the smallest and youngest boy
aboard the ship. But it was he who, during that first awful hour, cheered
his older mates by his example."

TP TP ^P TP ^P ^F

The news of Lord Kitchener's death filled the whole Empire
with deep sorrow, and the shock was felt as much by our Allies
as by us. The British army went into mourning, and grief
was as widespread as when Queen Victoria died. Men sor-
rowed, but steeled their minds, and were even more determined
than before to press on with the war. More than one man
who had appealed to be exempted from military service at once
withdrew his appeal and joined the army. An impressive
memorial service, attended by the King and all the leading
men of the nation, was held at St. Paul's.

Our newspapers were filled with tributes to the great soldier
who had been so suddenly and mysteriously taken from us.
Several of these tributes came from our French friends. I
cannot do better than conclude this sad chapter with a prose
version of some lines from a poem written in a trench paper by
a French colonel : —

" Great England's valiant soldier needed a nobler tomb than
a hole in the ground, and he had the noblest of all tombs. God
ordered his burial ; the loud waves chanted his requiem ; the organ
pipes were the rocky cliffs of the Orcades ; his pall was the black
sky ; his wreaths were the snowy foam ; and the flashes of lightning
were his funeral torches .**

CHAPTER XXXV.

SIX MONTHS ON THE BRITISH FRONT. — I.

SO far in this volume you have heard nothing of the British
forces on the Western front. I must now^ very briefly sum
up the work of our soldiers during the first six months of the
year 1916. During the winter months of 1915 considerable
changes were made in the Higher Command of the Allied
armies. On December 2nd General Joffre was appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the French Armies in all theatres of
war, and the command of the French troops in France was
entrusted to De Castelnau. Thirteen days later General Sir
John French gave up the command of the British Army, which
he had directed for sixteen months, and was replaced by Sir
Douglas Haig, who had done so much to win the Battle of
Ypres. Lieutenant-General Sir William Robertson at the same
time was made Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

Before I pass on, let me tell you something of these two
remarkable men. Sir Douglas Haig, a Fifeshire man, was born
in 1861, and was educated at Clifton and Brasenose College,
Oxford. He joined the 7th Hussars in 1885, and afterwards
served with distinction in the Sudan and in South Africa.
After the Boer War he received rapid promotion, and when
the Great War broke out he was general officer command-
ing at Aldershot. You already know how skilfully and dog-
gedly he directed the ist Army Corps during sixteen months
of unequal warfare. His promotion to Sir John French's post
had long been foreseen. No better man could have been
chosen. Though reserved and somewhat cold in manner, and
credited with no patience for stupidity and bungling, his pres-
ence always inspired his army with the fullest confidence. He
worked early and late, and expected similar devotion from his

Six Months on the British Front. 303

officers. Those who knew him best said that his bright eyes
and strong chin and scrupulous neatness of dress were the
outward characteristics that struck them most.

Sir Douglas Haig joined the army as an officer ; but Sir
William Robertson, the new Chief of the Staff, began in the
ranks. His father was postmaster of the Lincolnshire village
of Welbourn — a big man both in mind and body, and possessed
of a strong will. His mother was gentle and lovable, and dis-
tinguished for her piety. For a time young Robertson served
as a private and a non-commissioned officer ; but in his twenty-
ninth year he obtained a commission in the 3rd Dragoon Guards.
Afterwards he was attached to the Intelligence Department of
the Indian Army, and saw service on the north-west frontier.
As a member of the Staff during the Boer War he was present
at most of the important battles. When the Great War began
he was placed in command of a division, and in January 191 5
became Chief of the Staff to Sir John French. A year later
he was the supreme military authority in this country, and
was responsible for issuing the orders of the Government in
regard to all military affairs. He had proved himself to be a
man of real genius, of great force of character, and of much
physical strength and endurance.

*******

You will remember the terrible experiences of our army
in Flanders during the first winter of the war. During the
second winter conditions improved. Many of the front-line
trenches were floored with brick and properly drained. There
were recreation huts behind the line in which the men could
enjoy their leisure, and in the background there was a huge
camp, in which the new armies were being trained. An Italian
who visited the British front at the beginning of 191 6 wrote as
follows : —

" The way in which your army is fed, clothed, and protected from the
enmity both of man and Nature is worthy of an empire which is the
greatest financial power in the world, and which is ready to sacrifice in this
war its wealth for the peace and freedom of Europe."

The same observer noticed how friendly the British and
French soldiers were with each other, how freely the Prince of
Wales mixed with the " Tommies," and how widely his attitude
towards them differed from that of the German Crown Prince
towards the German privates.

304 The Children's Story of the War.

During the winter months active operations were almost at
a standstill. Each side was watching the other, and life in the
trenches was very monotonous. Rats made their appearance
in great numbers, and devoured everything which came in their
way. Our men tried all sorts of devices to rid themselves of
this plague, and whole regiments of dogs were sent to the front
to take over the work of ** ratting." A correspondent in Paris
says that he saw a trainful of dogs leaving for the fighting line.

The distance between our lines and those of the Germans
varied greatly. In some cases the trenches were no more than
twenty or fifty yards apart. Sniping went on constantly, and
almost every day there were attacks by artillery and trench
mortars.

" On the British front," wrote Sir Douglas Haig, " no action on a great
scale, such as that at Verdun, has been fought during the last five months
(December 1915-April 1916) ; nevertheless our troops have been far from
idle or inactive.

" Artillery and snipers are practically never silent, patrols are out in
front of the lines every night, and heavy bombardments by the artillery
of one or both sides take place daily in various parts of the line. Below
ground there are continual mining and countermining, which, by the ever-
present threat of sudden explosion and the uncertainty as to when and
where it will take place, causes perhaps a more constant strain than any
other form of warfare. In the air there is seldom a day, however bad the
weather, when aircraft are not busy reconnoitring, photographing, and ob-
serving fire. All this is taking place constantly at any hour of the day or
night, and in any part of the line.

" One form of minor activity deserves special mention — namely, the
raids, or ' cutting-out parties,' which are made at least twice or three times
a week against the enemy's line." -'

Sir Douglas Haig goes on to tell us that these raids were
usually carried out at night, by a small body of men who first
prepared a road through our own and the enemy's wire, then
crossed the open ground unseen, and broke into the enemy's
trenches, where hand-to-hand fighting went on in the darkness.
This kind of warfare was especially to the liking of our men. It
gave scope for gallantry, dash, and quickness of decision, and
much skill and daring were displayed. As time went on, the
Germans attempted to make similar raids on our line. Some
of them succeeded, but more often they failed.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

SIX MONTHS ON THE BRITISH FRONT. — II.

I WILL now describe some of the leading incidents on the
British front during the first six months of 1916. Our Hne
then extended from just north of Ypres to the Somme. The
Ypres salient* was still a vast shell-trap, and in this area there
were numerous combats, which in other wars would have been
called big battles. On 14th February the Germans managed to
capture part of a narrow ridge thirty or forty feet high on the
northern bank of the Ypres-Comines Canal . Our trenches passed
over the eastern portion of this ridge, which was known as " The
Bluff." On Thursday, 2nd March, we made an effort to win
back our lost trenches. Between five and six on the evening of
I St March a great collection of guns behind our line began a
terrific bombardment, and our men flung a hail of bombs on the
enemy. All night our machine guns played upon the lost posi-
tion, and when the red sun began to shed its light on the
frosty fields, the assault was delivered. For the first time the
heads of our men were protected by the new steel helmets.

Our troops dashed into the enemy's trenches, and took the
occupants completely by surprise. Many of the Germans had
not fixed bayonets, and some were without rifles and equip-
ment. About fifty Germans managed to get into a crater at
the eastern end of *' The Bluff," but made no long resistance,
and were afterwards captured. Finally all our old trenches
were retaken. They were found to be full of dead, and five
officers and 250 prisoners were secured. Not until midday
did the enemy attempt to recapture his lost position. Then
parties of German bombers were sent out. They hurled their
bombs behind our trenches, and held up their hands in token

* See map, p. 315.
V, 20

Six Months on the British Front. 307

of surrender, whereupon the German guns were turned on them,
and many were killed. Others, however, fought fiercely to the
last, and some terrible combats took place in the deep dug-outs.

The next incident worthy of notice was the fighting which
took place in the St. Eloi region. On 27th March we exploded
a mine near St. Eloi, which blew in 100 yards of the enemy's
trenches. Parties of the Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal
Fusiliers, along with certain Canadian troops, at once rushed
forward and carried 600 yards of the enemy's lines. A young
officer of the Northumberland Fusiliers tells us that the most
difficult part of the job was threading a way through the maze
of wire that covered the slope in front of the enemy position.
" It was very slow work, for once you set foot among the wires
you presented a carefully-sighted target for the enemy machine
gunners." Some of the men carried their comrades pick-a-
back through the wire, the mounted men returning the enemy's
fire and trying to pick off the machine gunners. In spite of
the grim character of the work, the men chaffed each other
about their " mounts," and urged their steeds forward with
many a " gee-up." Once through the wire, our men dashed
into the German trenches. Then began the dangerous work
of ferreting the Germans out of their dug-outs. Some 170
prisoners were taken, and many of them were greatly mystified
at the sudden appearance of the British.

A correspondent tells us that when our men were in the
German trenches an officer came upon two Northumberlands
with their fists up about to fight each other. He discovered to
his amazement that they had quarrelled as to which of them
had taken a German prisoner, then standing by. They pro-
posed to settle the matter by a little fight of their own. This
incident shows you very plainly the keenness of our men.

One other story of this gallant little fight must be told
before I pass on. The day before the assault the general com-
manding the division addressed two of the battalions which
were to take part in it. He told them the fable of the
two frogs which fell into the milk. One, faint-hearted, was
drowned ; the other made such a stir that he churned the milk
into butter, and, sitting on the island thus formed, escaped
destruction. The general then went on to point the moral of
the tale. Next day he saw a wounded man being brought to the
rear. Raising himself slightly upon the stretcher, the soldier

3o8 The Children's Story of the War.

said with a cheerful smile, *' Ay, but, general, I minded me of
yon story you told about them frogs, but the butter wasn't
strong enough to bear me I "

Right down to nth April the Germans made many efforts to
drive us out of the mine craters. On 30th March they carried
one of the craters, but by 3rd April it was in our hands again.
Three days later we lost the same crater, but it was recovered
by a night attack on 9th April. On the nth we held three
out of the five craters ; but on the 19th, after a heavy bom-
bardment, the enemy carried two of them, and on the same day
attacked " The Bluff" and other of our positions. They claimed
to have captured 700 yards of our line, and to have taken guns
and prisoners.

It was on Good Friday (21st April) that the King's Shrop-
shire Light Infantry were ordered to recover the lost trenches.
Towards evening the rain fell in torrents ; the craters became
pools, and the ground was a quagmire. Through the inky
darkness and the pelting rain our soldiers moved forward in
three columns to the assault. The shells of the enemy flung up
geysers of mud, and some of our men fell into the brimming
craters and were drowned. One man stuck in the mud, and
was not released until four days later.

Despite the pools and the mud and the heavy fire, the
British columns got through and took the trenches. Not only
so, but they repelled two German counter-attacks. Some very
fine deeds of valour were done during the advance. A lance-
corporal, for example, spent six and a half hours in dragging and
carrying and pushing a wounded man across 600 yards of the
" No Man's Land." A private who was wounded in the knee
refused to leave the captured trench because he thought his com-
rades were too few to hold it. For thirty-six hours he helped
to defend the trench, and then had to be carried back on a
stretcher. One man held a sap by himself, and single-handed
beat off a German attack. Many other instances of similar
gallantry might be given.

We must now move farther south to the old battle-ground
between Loos and Arras, where there were many violent fights
during the last week of February and the early days of March.
I am sure that you have not forgotten the HohenzoUern Redoubt,
which at the Battle of Loos held up the left of the British
advance, and was afterwards the scene of many deadly struggles.

Six Months on the British Front. 309

Shortly before six on the morning of 2nd March we exploded
five mines which had been tunnelled under the German front-
line trenches. Many of you have seen a cinematograph picture
of an exploding mine, and you can form a good idea of the huge
column of earth that is hurled high into the air. On this occa-
sion it was not only earth that was thrown up for a hundred
feet, but sandbags and mangled bodies as well.

As soon as the five avalanches of earth had fallen, Irish
troops pushed their way over through the debris, and occupied
the newly-formed craters. They seized them at a loss of only
sixty men ; but before long they had to withstand a torrent of
fire from the German guns. When the craters had been liter-
ally plastered with shells of all kinds, the Germans rushed
forward, and fierce bombing combats took place. During the
next few days the Germans made attack after attack upon the
craters, and frequently there were hand-to-hand tussles with
the bayonet. The Irishmen, however, held fast, and did many
deeds of daring. A lance-corporal, for example, filled two
sandbags with forty bombs, and by hurling them at the enemy
beat back a determined advance. On i8th March, however,
the Germans exploded mines close by, and managed to capture
three of the craters.

This kind of warfare was common all along the line. Ding-
dong struggles, in which trenches and mine craters were lost
and won, went on almost daily. As they all had similar features,
there is no need to describe them in detail.

I have already told you how, when the rebellion was on
foot in Dublin, the Germans tried, without the least success, to
sap the loyalty of the Irishmen at the front. You will remember
how gallantly the Munsters raided the trenches opposite to them,
and captured the placards which invited them to surrender.
Early on the morning of the 27th April the Inniskillings and
Dublin Fusiliers, who were holding the "chalk pit salient" south
of HuUuch, were gassed. Immediately the poisonous cloud was
seen, the Irishmen donned their gas helmets, and prepared to
repel the infantry attack which they knew would soon follow.
About two hours later they were gassed again, and their trenches
were furiously bombarded. Then came the attack. The
Germans expected to find the Irishmen either rendered powerless
by panic, or so much in sympathy with their fellow-countrymen
in Dublin that they would surrender freely. They never made

3 I o The Children's Story of the War.

a greater mistake. The Inniskillings and Dublin Fusiliers were
unshaken alike in loyalty and courage. They hurled back the
enemy with the utmost determination, and only a few of the
assailants escaped.

During May the great struggle at Verdun was in full swing,
and all eyes were directed to the wedge of highlands between
the Meuse and the Woevre. On May Day came the distressing
news of the fall of Kut, and on the same day unsuccessful gas
attacks were made upon our lines north of Loos and north of
Messines. On the 2nd other German assaults were stopped
by artillery fire. On the 9th it was announced that the
Anzacs had arrived at the front. On the night of the 15th
there was desperate fighting on the edge of the crest of Vimy
Ridge, where the enemy had seized and fortified a series of
mine craters, forming a rough crescent. After a bombard-
ment we exploded mines under and against these craters, and
immediately the Loyal North Lancashires were sent forward
to seize the new craters formed by the explosions. A fierce
bomb struggle took place ; but within an hour the whole posi-
tion was firmly in our hands, and before morning the crater-
groups had been fortified and machine guns had been mounted.
As usual, many fine deeds of heroism were done by our men.

On the 2 1 St the Germans won a distinct success. They
carried 500 yards of our trenches at the north end of the
Vimy Ridge, and penetrated our lines for a distance of from
100 to 300 yards. On 2nd June, when the lying news of a great
naval victory was being circulated throughout Germany, the
enemy began a determined attack upon our lines on the Ypres
salient. The series of fights that followed developed into the
biggest engagement on the British front since Loos, and it
fully deserves the name of the Third Battle of Ypres. I shall
tell you the story of this battle in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES.

ONCE more the Ypres salient, the scene of so many fierce
and costly struggles, comes into prominence. On page
315 you will see a map of the salient, showing our lines as
they were on the morning of June 2, 1916. Run your finger
along the trench line from the village of Hooge, on the Ypres-
Menin road, to that mound of death known as Hill 60, close
by the Ypres-Comines railway. On 2nd June this portion of
the line was held by 20,000 Canadian troops, which included
units of Princess Patricia's Light Infantry, the Canadian
Mounted Rifles, the Royal Canadian Regiment, and the Can-
adian Infantry. The northern end of the line was held by
the Patricias. To the south were the Canadian Mounted
Rifles. Once again Ypres and Canada were to be linked in
battle renown.

It was a clear, quiet morning, very suitable for observation,
and Generals Mercer and Williams of the 3rd Canadian Divi-
sion had gone into the front-line trenches to take stock of the
situation. Suddenly, at ten minutes to nine o'clock, without
any warning, a terrible cannonade began. Along 3,000 yards
of our front, from slightly south of Hooge to the north of
Hill 60, torrents of German shells began to fall. The generals
at once took refuge in a well-protected dug-out, known as
*' The Tube." They were there when the Germans arrived.
At the end of the day General Mercer was dead, and General
Williams was wounded and a prisoner.

No one on the British side seems to have had the slightest
notion that the Germans were about to make a great assault
upon our lines. Soon, however, it was clear that the attack
had been long prepared. Every kind of gun was used — 5.9

Canadians at Close Quarters with the Germans :

(From the picture by /v'. Caton H'oodviHe.

"The Canadian troops," wrote Mr. Philip Gibbs, the war correspondent, "charged at two o'clock
Sanctuary Wood to Mount Sorel, a distance of about a mile, including Armagh Wood, Observatory Hill,
cess. . . . The men advanced in open order, and worked downwards and southwards into their old
a man, just as Colonel Shaw had died on and June with the party of eighty men whom he had rallied,
men surrendered."

A?-

Recapture of Positions near Sanctuary Wood.

By permission of The Illustrated London News.)

in the morning (13th June). Their attack was directed to the part of the line from the southern end of
and Mount Sorel itself— most important because of the high ground. The attack was a complete suc-
positions. In one place of attack about forty Germans, who fought desperately, were killed almost to
It was one shambles for another, and the Germans were not less brave, it seems. One officer and 113

314 The Children's Story of the War.

guns, naval guns (" Silent Lizzies," as our men dubbed them),
heavy howitzers, and trench mortars. For four long hours the
storm of fire never ceased. Nothing so terrible had been ex-
perienced before.

Glance again at the map, and notice what a big bulge there
was in our lines between Hooge and Hill 60. The distance
from one place to the other, as the aeroplane flies, is little more
than a mile and a half. You can easily see that the Germans
could fire upon this bulge from the south, the east, and the
north. They could not only utterly destroy our trenches,
but could fling such a barrier of bursting shells behind them
that it seemed impossible that any man could pass through
it and remain unwounded. Nevertheless certain battalions
braved that storm of death, and, what is more, won through.

For four awful hours the shells burst in and around the
Canadian trenches. There is nothing so trying to the nerves as
fierce artillery fire, and many a brave man has felt his courage
ooze away under such a strain. The Canadians, however, never
wavered. They endured the awful blast, though they were
powerless to make a reply. In Sanctuary "Wood, which was
held by the Patricias, the fire was intense, and soon the " wood "
consisted only of ragged stumps and splintered boles. The fire
was even worse farther south, where the Canadian Mounted
Rifles were holding shallow trenches out on the flat. They
could only dig down a few feet below the surface. If they
went down any further, water oozed up from the spongy soil,
and turned the trenches into flooded drains. Behind the
Canadian Mounted Rifles were the positions known as Maple
Copse, Observatory Ridge, and Armagh Wood. Each of these
names will be writ large in history.

You cannot possibly form any idea of the awful nature of
the artillery fire that burst upon the Canadian trenches on that
June morning. Some of you who live in Great Britain have
seen, or at least have heard, the explosion of a Zeppelin bomb,
and no doubt you found it terrifying enough. But if you are
to picture the artillery fire which the Canadians endured,
you must imagine Zeppelin bombs dropping by scores every
minute over every acre of the area under attack, and not
ceasing for hours at a time. It is said that in some places
shells fell at the rate of eighty-seven a minute. Before long
huge holes appeared in the ground, and it resembled a picture

The Third Battle of Ypres.

315

Map of Ypres Salient.

of the surface of the moon as seen through a powerful
telescope.

When, at ten minutes to one, the bombardment ceased, the
Germans imagined that the men holding the trenches had
been utterly blotted out.
They supposed that they
had merely to advance and
occupy ground on which
there was no living man to
oppose them. Forthwith
from the opposite trenches
sprang a swarm of gray-
coated Huns. In some
places they had only to
push forward and occupy
what had once been
trenches. But in other
places the Canadians had
taken refuge in their dug-
outs while the storm was
raging, and as soon as it ceased they manned the broken para-
pets once more. This occurred in at least two places — in
Sanctuary Wood and Maple Copse. When the Germans ad-
vanced towards these positions they were met by a fierce rifle
and machine-gun fire, and were mown down remorselessly.

Let me tell you what happened at Maple Copse. C Com-
pany of a certain battalion held a position which was so heavily
bombarded that the reserves felt sure that every man in it had
been blown to pieces or buried alive. No shots came from
the position, and the Germans thought it was without a single
defender. On they came, as carelessly as if they were out for
a stroll. When, however, they were fifty yards away from the
position, a volley burst upon them, and it was so well directed
that those who were unwounded turned and fled. A second
time they advanced, but a second time they were driven back.
Then their big guns got to work again, and battered the posi-
tion once more, while thousands of rifles were turned against
it. Nevertheless, when night fell the Canadians were still
there, determined to hold the ground to the last man.

Elsewhere it was impossible to hold on to the mounds of
debris that once were trenches. To add to the horror, mines

3 1 6 The Children's Story of the War.

were exploded which caused still further wreckage. On the
edge of one of the craters were seen the bodies of a stalwart
sergeant-major of the Mounted Rifles and two privates of the
Patricias. Lying around them and beneath them were twelve
Germans whom they had killed with the bayonet.

In some places the Germans advanced under cover of dense
smoke, and so were not visible to the thin khaki line of dazed
and shaken defenders until they were close at hand. In one
trench, where most of the rifles were unfit for use, the men
climbed out and charged into the enemy with no other weapons
than broken rifle-butts, entrenching tools, and fists. They
charged magnificently, but they charged to their death.

The Germans declared that they took few prisoners because
the Canadians ran away. Never was a fouler lie told. They
took few prisoners because the Canadians preferred death to
dishonour. They fought to the last with clubs and bare hands
against guns, rifles, and bombs. In one place Colonel A. E.
Shaw rallied eighty Mounted Rifles amidst a jumble of ruined
earthworks, and there the Canadians fought until only a handful
remained. Of these, only two managed to reach safety.

In another place a captain ordered his pitiful remnant of
men to retire, but they refused, and had almost to be driven
to the rear. He himself stayed until the last man had gone,
and his comrades, looking back, saw him empty his revolver
at the advancing Germans, then fling it in their faces, and leap
after it to certain death. Innumerable gallant deeds were done
on that dread day. During the bombardment a private from
Kamsac, Saskatchewan, busied himself in bandaging the
wounded, and in getting them under the cover of a battered
sandbag breastwork. When his company was ordered to retire,
he refused to fall back with them. He stayed on with his
wounded, one of whom was a fellow-townsman and an old
friend.

Such was the opening of the Third Battle of Ypres. By
3rd June, despite the counter-attacks which had been most
gallantly made by the Canadians on the previous day, the
enemy remained in possession of a large part of our line
from just south of Hooge to the north of Hill 60. Four days
later the Germans attacked our positions north of Hooge, and
on 8th June our front line ran behind this much-fought-for
village. The outermost angle of the salient was in the hands

The Third Battle of Ypres. 3 1 7

of the Germans. They exhibited a placard on one of their
parapets : —

" ENGLISCH— TAKE WARNUNG BY

KITCHENER'S FATE.

GERMANY IS INVINCIBLE."

A few days later the Canadians made the boast look foolish.
Very early on the morning of Tuesday, the 13th, they attacked
again. At 1.30, after an artillery preparation, they advanced in
four waves.

" When we got going," wrote an officer, " we went through the Germans
like a knife through cheese. They didn't know what to do with us but
throw down their rifles and bolt, or hold up their hands. They said we
ran. You should have seen them skedoodle foi home and ma — those who
didn't throw themselves on the ground and beg to be taken prisoners. We
went clean to the old line, and captured some hundreds of prisoners. Our
artillery had kept them from doing much in the digging-in hne, and so
we had a chance to slam them good and plenty. And you bet we did."

Thus the Canadians recaptured most of their lost positions.
They won back more than 1,500 yards of the old line.
Hea\^ losses were inflicted on the enemy, and many prisoners
were taken. The Canadians had saved the salient once more.

*4C. ^ 4t ^ -4^ t3^

TT •«• TT •«• TP ^

No further incident worth recording took place on the
British front during the remaining days of June. The struggle
had died down at Verdun, and the Germans no longer looked
for success in that quarter. Their newspapers were asking,
*' When is the English offensive coming ? " It was coming
rapidly enough. For months we had been preparing for a
combined assault along with the French on the chalk downs and
woods between the Ancre and the Somme. We were now
ready to make the long-expected " Big Push." At half-past
seven on the morning of Saturday, ist July, the great Battle of
the Somme began with an appalling and long-continued gun-
fire that testified to the successful labours of our munition
workers at home. The story of this great and successful for-
ward movement will be told in our next volume.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

HEROES OF THE VICTORIA CROSS. — I.

IN former chapters of this book I have been able to give
you accounts of the heroes of the Victoria Cross in con-
nection with the engagements in which they performed their
valorous deeds. I am not able to do this in the present chapter,
for at the end of March 191 6 the War Office gave notice that
thenceforward the times and places at which Victoria Crosses
had been won would not be stated in the official accounts.
Probably this course was adopted in order to prevent the Ger-
mans from learning through our newspapers what units were
opposed to them at certain times in various parts of our line.

Between 31st March and 22nd June ten heroes were awarded
the Victoria Cross. I have already given you an account of one
of them — ^Private William Young, of the 8th East Lancashires.*
In this chapter I will recount the exploits of the other nine.

Captain Arthur Forbes Gordon Kilby, 2nd Battalion, the
South Staffordshire Regiment.

Somewhere on the British front a strong enemy redoubt
was to be attacked. Captain Kilby, who had on many former
occasions shown great gallantry, begged to be allowed to lead
his company against the position. At the head of his men he
advanced along a narrow tow-path ; and, though wounded at
the outset, pushed on right up to the enemy's wire, in spite of
terrible machine-gun fire and a heavy shower of bombs. When
he reached the wire he fell with his foot blown off. Never-
theless, he continued to cheer on his men and to fire on the
enemy. When the attack was over Captain Kilby was reported
missing. In all probability he was numbered with the dead.

See Vol. IV., p. 374.

Heroes of the Victoria Cross. 319

Lieutenant Eric Archibald M'Nair, 9th (Service) Bat-
talion, the Royal Sussex Regiment.

A mine was suddenly exploded by the enemy under our
trenches, and Lieutenant M'Nair and many men of his platoon
were hoisted into the air. Some of the men were buried, but
Lieutenant M'Nair, though much shaken, was unhurt. At
once he organized a party with a machine gun, and manned
the near edge of the crater. The Huns advanced ; but the
lieutenant's little band kept up such a rapid fire that many of
the enemy were shot down, and the rest were driven off. Know-
ing that another attack would soon be launched. Lieutenant
M'Nair ran back for reinforcements, and sent men to another
unit to bring up bombs, ammunition, and tools to replace those
which had been buried. As the communication trench was
blocked by the explosion, he had to cross the open under heavy
fire. Finally, he returned, again across the open, at the head
of reinforcements, and thus by his prompt and plucky action
and example enabled the position to be held.

Sergeant Arthur Frederick Saunders, 9th (Service)
Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment.

During an attack in which his officer was shot down. Sergeant
Saunders took charge of two machine guns and a few men, and
although severely wounded in the thigh, closely followed the
last four charges of another battalion, and rendered it every
possible support. Later, when the remains of this battalion
had been forced to retire, he stuck to one of his guns, and by
his clear orders and continuous firing did much to cover the
retirement.

Acting Corporal William Richard Cotter, 6th Battalion,
East Kent Regiment.

Corporal Cotter, whose father and mother lived at Sand-
gate, was the eldest of six sons, five of whom had served the
King, and two of whom had made the great sacrifice. He had
been in the army fourteen years when he showed that con-
spicuous bravery and devotion to duty which won him the
highest award of valour. In the previous December he had
been recommended for the Distinguished Service Medal. After
the explosion of an enemy mine, which blew off his right leg
at the knee and wounded him in both arms. Corporal Cotter
managed to make his way unaided for fifty yards to the crater.
There, in spite of his terrible sufferings, he took charge of the

320 The Children's Story of the War.

men holding it, steadied them, controlled their fire, and arrayed
them anew to meet a fresh counter-attack by the enemy. For
two hours he continued at this work, and only allowed his
wounds to be roughly dressed when the attack had quieted
down. He could not be moved back for fourteen hours ; but,
during all this time of suffering, he had a cheery word for every
man who passed him. There is no doubt that his magnificent
courage helped greatly to save a very dangerous situation.
About a fortnight later he died in hospital. The chaplain of
his regiment said that his last thoughts were with his comrades,
and that his parting words were, " Good-bye ; God bless
them all."

Private Henry Kenny, ist Battalion, Loyal North Lan-
cashire Regiment.

In one day Private Kenny went out of his trench into the
open six different times, and, undeterred by very heavy shell,
rifle, and machine-gun fire, carried six wounded comrades
into safety. He was himself hit in the neck while he was
getting the last man over the parapet.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

HEROES OF THE VICTORIA CROSS. — II.

YOU are now to learn how a chaplain won the Victoria Cross.
He was the first of his cloth to receive the high honour in
this war, and the second to
win the distinction since its
institution in 1856.

Rev. Edw^ard Noel
Mellish, Temporary
Chaplain to the Forces.

On 24th April, '* some-
where in France," a com-
posite battalion made up
of men from every unit
in a particular division
formed a hollow square,
enclosing in its centre the
general and his staff. A
crowd of spectators at-
tended, some of them
French villagers — women,
very old men, and chil-
dren. Twenty-two men
were called out, one by
one ; the story of their
heroisms was recited, and
the general pinned on their
tunics the ribbons of the various decorations which they had
won. The last to be decorated was the Rev. Edward Noel
Mellish, a " very gallant gentleman," as the general rightly
called him.

V. 21

The Rev. Noel Mellish, V.C.

322 The Children's Story of the War.

From his earliest years Mr. Mellish loved soldiers and
soldiering. He was only seventeen when the Boer War broke
out, and as soon as he was old enough he went to South Africa
and enlisted in Baden-Powell's Police. He proved himself so
good a soldier that he would have been granted a commission
had he desired it. But his belief was that the army was not
a man's job in time of peace. Accordingly he obtained a post
in a diamond mine at Jagersfontein, where he was brought into
contact with all sorts and conditions of men, and speedily won
their confidence. So strong and good was his influence, that
a clergyman induced him to give up business and go home to
study for the Church. In due time he was ordained and
became curate of the poor Thames-side parish of St. Paul's,
where he established a Church Lads' Brigade, of which he was
captain. His boys idolized him. He was six feet in height, tall
and strong, and he taught his young admirers how to obey, how
to behave, and how to " play the game."

When the war broke out he could not resist the call. He
obtained an appointment as chaplain, and was at first attached
to a military hospital at Rouen. It was a happy day for him
when he was sent to the front at St. Eloi.

An officer of the Northumberland Fusiliers thus describes
how Mr. Mellish won the V.C. : —

" Nothing could be finer than the way Chaplain Mellish
did his duty, and more than his duty, during the time he was
stationed near us. The conditions on the day on which he
won his Cross were very trying. Immediately the troops occu-
pied the captured trenches, and while the wounded men were
picking their way back painfully, the enemy guns were turned
on full blast, and the intervening ground was deluged with
shell fire and machine-gun bullets, not to mention shells, and
grenades that came from a portion of trench still in enemy
hands. Into this tempest of fire the brave parson walked with
a Prayer Book under his arm, as though he were going to a
church parade in peace time. He reached the first batch of
wounded, and knelt down to do what he could for them. The
first few men he brought in himself, without any aid, and it
made us think a bit more of parsons to see how he walked
quietly under fire, assisting the slowly-moving wounded, and
thinking more of saving them from discomfort than of himself.
It was only when the ambulance parties were able to get out

A Fight in a German Dug-out

{From the picture by F. Matania. By per?ntssion of The Sphere.)

This picture tells a story of German treachery. While engaged in clearing out dug-outs
a British officer stood at the entrance of one of them and called upon the occupants to surrender.
They declared that they could not come out because they were wounded. The officer, there-
fore, entered the dug-out, and in a moment was struck down with a death wound. You may
be sure that in a few minutes his men had avenged his death.

324 The Children's Story of the War.

during a lull in the fighting that he took a rest. Next day he
was out on the job as unconcerned as ever, and some men of
my regiment had reason to be grateful for his attention to them
at critical moments. Some of them would never have sur-
vived had it not been for the prompt assistance rendered by
Mr. Mellish."

Such was the man who stood in the middle of the sunlit
square on that April day, when gallant soldiers received their
meed of valour. When a thousand of his comrades broke into
loud and admiring cheers in his honour, he blushed till he
almost matched the new bit of crimson on his breast. Modesty
was ever the virtue of the truly brave.

Lance Natk Lala, 41st Dogras, Indian Army.

Again an Indian soldier appears in the bead-roll of lofty
heroism. Lance Naik Lala, finding a British officer of another
regiment lying close to the enemy, dragged him into a temporary
shelter which he had made, and in which he had already band-
aged four wounded men. After making the officer comfortable
he heard calls from the adjutant of his own regiment, who was
lying in the open severely wounded. At the time the Germans
were not a hundred yards away, and it seemed certain death to
go to the rescue of the stricken man. Nevertheless Lance Naik
Lala insisted on going out to his wounded adjutant. He wished
to take the adjutant on his back and crawl in with him ; but as
he was not permitted to do this, he stripped oflF his own cloth-
ing to keep the officer warm and stayed with him till just before
dark, when he returned to his shelter. Then he carried the
first wounded officer back to the main trenches, and returning
with a stretcher, brought in his adjutant. Never was the Vic-
toria Cross more gallantly won.

Captain John Alexander Sinton, M.B., Indian Medical
Service.

During this war the doctors have covered themselves with
glory. Over and over again they have tended the wounded
under a storm of shot and shell, and many of them have been ^
stricken down in the midst of their merciful labours. In these *
pages you have read of several doctor heroes. Captain Sinton '
was a very distinguished member of this gallant band. Although
he was shot through both arms and through the side, he re-
fused to go to hospital, and remained as long as daylight
lasted attending to the wounded under very heavy fire. In

Heroes of the Victoria Cross. 325

three prev^ious actions he had displayed similar bravery and
devotion.

Sepoy Chatta Singh, 9th Bhopal Infantry, Indian Army.

In reading the stories of those Indian soldiers who v^^on the
Victoria Cross, you must have been struck by their self-sacrificing
efforts to rescue the wounded. Sepoy Chatta Singh won the
highest award of valour by going out to assist his commanding
officer, who lay helpless in the open. He bound up his officer's
wound, and then dug cover for him with his entrenching tool,
and all the time was exposed to a very heavy rifle fire. For
five hours, until the darkness fell, he remained beside the
wounded officer, shielding him with his own body. Then
when night shrouded the battlefield he went back for assist-
ance and brought his charge into safety.

Once more let me remind you that the men whose exploits
have been recounted in this and the former chapter were not a tithe
of the heroes who deserved, and in some cases received, recog-
nition for deeds of outstanding courage during the first six
months of the year 1 9 1 6 . Many other soldiers received the Military
Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, the Distinguished Con-
duct Medal, and the Military Medal. I could fill these pages
with the record of their gallantry. Do not assume that great
deeds of daring and self-sacrifice are only done by the winners of
the Victoria Cross. Every battalion, nay, every company, in the
British army, glories in its roll of heroes, all of whom, whether
they received recognition or not, were worthy of a place on the
highest roll of fame.

" Well done for them ; and, fair isle, well for thee !
While that thy bosom beareth sons like those.
The little gem set in the silver sea
Shall never fear her foes 1 "

CHAPTER XL.

WHY ITALY DECLARED WAR ON AUSTRIA.

IN chapter xli. of Volume IV. I made a passing reference to
the Italian campaign, which began on May 25, 191 5. I
must now describe more fully Italy's part in the war. Before
I do so, let me remind you that when the Central Powers flung
down the gauntlet to France and Russia, Italy was their partner
in what is known as the Triple Alliance. You will be inter-
ested to learn how Italy came to join this unholy combination,
and how she broke away from it and threw in her lot with
the Allies.

Down to the year 1878 Italy was more in sympathy with
France and Britain than with the Central Powers. She had
the same ideas of liberty and progress, and was grateful to
Britain for helping her to secure her freedom. But in 1881
she suffered a great disappointment. She had long regarded
Tunis as a country which she had the right to govern, for
more than fifty thousand Italians had settled in that North
African land. In 1881, however, France, with the sanction of
Great Britain, occupied Tunis, and Italy naturally felt much
aggrieved.

The Italians thought that France and Britain had been
unjust, and that they would stand a much better chance of
securing their rights if they joined Germany and Austria. On
May 20, 1882, the Italian Government signed a treaty with
these Powers, and the Triple Alliance came into being. It
was renewed in 1887, in 1891, and again in 191 2.

In 191 5, for the first time, we learned something of the terms
of this Treaty of Alliance. The most important article was to
this effect : If one or more of the Great Powers, without
being directly provoked^ should attack one or two of the parties

why Italy declared War on Austria. 327

to the treaty, and war should result, then Germany, Austria,
and Italy would make common cause against the attackers.
If, however, one Great Power should threaten the security of
one of the parties to the treaty, and war should result, then
the other two parties undertook to remain neutral and friendly.
If they thought fit to join in the war, they could, of course,
do so.

Though Italy had made a treaty of friendship with Austria,
you must not suppose that there was any love lost between
the two countries. Italians and Austrians have been bitter
enemies for many a long day. There is a historic reason for
this hatred. When Napoleon was rising to power there were
many small states in Italy, each ruled by its own king. Napoleon
swept these petty kingdoms away, and set up republics in their
stead. After his downfall in 181 5 the Congress of European
Powers met at Vienna and put Italy under the heel of Austria.
The old petty kingdoms were restored ; the heirs of the tyrants
who had formerly ruled them were placed on their thrones, and
were backed up by Austrian armies. Worst of all, the Congress
handed over to Austria the provinces of Lombardy and Venetia
in North Italy, together with the long strip of coastline which
runs round the head of the Adriatic Sea and along its eastern
shores.

The history of Italy between 181 5 and 1871 is the story
of how, by means of uprisings of the people, the states of
Italy became united and the Italian nation arose. Through-
out all these struggles for unity and freedom Austria was the
enemy. Her armies again and again destroyed the hopes of
the Italians. So fiercely was she hated that the national watch-
word became " Death to the Austrians ! " It is only within the
lifetime of living men that Austria has been forced to yield
Lombardy and Venetia to Italy. Right down to the year 1866,
when Prussia defeated Austria in what is known as the Seven
Weeks' War, the Austrian flag waved over the domes and towers
and canals of Venice. When Austria, as you will soon learn,
was made to disgorge Venice, she still retained a good deal of
territory that properly belonged to Italy. This territory is
called by the Italians ** Unredeemed Italy," and for many
years they have longed to restore it to their native land.

Now that you understand why the Italians cherish a deep-
rooted hatred for the Austrians, let me tell you how it came

why Italy declared War on Austria. 329

about that the Austrians were forced to give up Venice. The
Seven Weeks' War, you v^ill remember, was brought about by
a quarrel between Prussia and Austria as to the future govern-
ment of the two provinces which had been stolen from Denmark.
As soon as war broke out Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy, made
an alliance with the King of Prussia. One of the conditions
of this alliance was that no peace should be made with Austria
until she had given up Venetia to Italy. When peace was
made, Venetia was restored to the Italians. They also begged
for " Unredeemed Italy." " Give us the Trentino," they
cried ; but Prussia would not do so. " Let us, at least, have
Trieste," they implored ; but Bismarck angrily refused.
" Trieste is for Germany," he declared. Austria was to be
allowed to keep the great Italian port in pledge for Prussia,
till Prussia was ready to plant her own mailed foot upon the
shores of the Mediterranean.*

Prussia, according to her wont, played false with Italy.
Though she made Austria give up Venetia, she arranged the
boundary line between Italy and Austria in such a way that
all the advantages were on the side of Austria. The frontier
which Austria was allowed to fortify was worth three victorious
campaigns to her. A writer j- has thus described it. He viewed
a wide stretch of it from a point high up above the plain of
the Veneto.

" At our feet and all about us the level country lay glistening in the
sunshine, with the white towers and red roofs of the towns thrusting them-
selves like islands out of that sea of green and gold. But if your gaz-?
travelled across the plain, north, or east, or west, it was arrested by the
mountain masses billowing skyward in range beyond range, banks of gray
and purple in the foreground, great black walls and ridges farther back,
with gleams of silver flashing from snow peaks among the clouds of the
horizon. On that bastion, everywhere on its higher ramparts, Austria
has sat in her armour, guarded and secure herself, always ready to surge
down through the gates and passes and river valleys upon the hill country
and lower slopes of Italy, and then into the rich cities and fertile fields
of Lombardy and Venetia. The barrier for part of its length, in the great
salient of the Trentino and on the steep and stony cliffs along the Isonzo,
has Italian soil and Italian peoples behind it, the unredeemed Italy that
gives the motive for this war. But to reach the promised land, Italy has
to fight her way up the mountains, and throw out the alien garrison en-
camped upon their upper levels."

* See Vol. I., pp. 84-85. ~~ "

I Sidney Low, in the Fortnightly Review (Sept. 1916).

330 The Children's Story of the War.

From 1908 onwards the Italians found the Triple Alliance
more and more distasteful. One of the articles in the treaty
pledged the parties not to attempt to win influence and terri-
tories in the Balkans without first coming to an agreement
with each other. Nevertheless, Austria annexed Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and in various other ways the interests of Italy
were sacrificed. When the Great War broke out the Triple
Alliance was on a very shaky foundation indeed.

When Austria-Hungary sent her infamous Note to Serbia,
and seemed bent on overwhelming that little country, Italy
strove in every way for peace. She backed up Sir Edward
Grey's proposals for a conference, and plainly told Austria
that if she moved against Belgrade she would be breaking an
important article in the treaty. Further, she made it very clear
that if Austria, as a result of her high-handed action, should
find herself at war with Russia, Italy would not help her. Such
a war would be provoked by Austria, and by the terms of the
treaty Italy was free to stand out of the quarrel.

Such was Italy's attitude at the beginning of the war. On
4th August she declared herself neutral. As a matter of fact,
her army had been neglected, and she was then quite incapable
of taking the field, even if she had wished to do so. In any
case she was forced to wait and prepare.

Before long the Italians saw that the time had arrived
when they might make a bold bid for " Unredeemed Italy."
" Trent and Trieste ! " was rapidly becoming a popular cry.
liefore the end of the year 19 14 the Austrian and Italian Govern-
ments were discussing the question, and by the middle of
February 191 5 the Italian Government warned Austria that if
either Serbia or Montenegro were attacked without previous
agreement, grave consequences would follow. This threat was
sufficient to cause Austria to draw back for a time, and mean-
while Germany tried to persuade her to give up to the Italians
some of " Unredeemed Italy," and to pay them a sum of money
in order to keep them out of the war. On 8th April Italy
formally demanded the Trentino, a better frontier, Trieste
and the neighbourhood (which were to form a new self-govern-
ing state), together with some islands oflF the coast of Dalmatia.
Austria was also to recognize Italy as sovereign power in Al-
bania. If Austria would consent to these terms Italy pledged

Why Italy declared War on Austria. 331

herself to remain neutral, and to pay Austria a large sum of
money for the loss of Government property in the territories
which should be given up to her. Then began long discussions
between the two Governments, and meanwhile popular feel-
ing in favour of the Allies was rising in Italy. On 28th
March it was rumoured that
Austria and Italy had come to
an agreement. But rumour
was a lying jade, for when
in May the Austrian terms
were printed and circulated,
they fell so far short of the
Italian demands that there
was great anger throughout
the country. There were,
however, some Italians, in-
cluding the leader of the
opposition, who were quite
ready to fall in with them
and thus avoid war. The
Prime Minister, Signor Sa-
landra, however, would have
none of them ; and as the
leader of the opposition had
a majority in both Houses

of Parliament, he sent his General Count Lmgi Cadorna, Commander-in-

resignation to the King.

Then it was that the
Italian people showed very clearly that their sympathies were
with the Allies, and that they were eager for a war with
Austria. A great orator appeared in Rome and roused
the people to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. He called on
the name of Garibaldi, the great liberator, and declared that
if he could return to them he would brand them as
traitors and cowards if they disarmed Italy and thrust her
again into slavery. The King refused to accept the Prime
Minister's resignation, and his people received the news with
great joy. A procession a mile long marched to the King's
palace in Rome, amidst wildly cheering crowds, and when
Parliament met the Prime Minister found himself strongly sup-
ported. The people had spoken, and their voice was all-

Chief of the Itahan Armies in the Field.
(Drawn by F. Maiania.)

why Italy declared War on Austria. 333

powerful. On 22nd May mobilization was ordered, and next
day war was declared against Austria. Never was a war more
popular. Almost the whole nation was determined that the
sacred soil so long in the hands of their hated enemies should
be freed at last.

•iU 4U 4U 4b 4b 4C. 4U

•7P W TT tp TT tp ^p

Before I conclude this chapter, let me tell you something
of the army and navy with which Italy was about to challenge
the might of Austria, and Germany too. Service in the army
was compulsory ; it began at the age of twenty, and lasted for
nineteen years. Recruits were divided into three classes — the
first class formed the first line of the regular army ; the second
class received a few months* annual training for eight years,
and then passed into the Militia ; the third class was only called
up for thirty days' training each year. In time of peace the
strength of Italy's army was about 15,000 officers and 290,000
men. Her total war strength was about 2,000,000, of whom
half were trained.

Her crack regiments were the Carabineri, the Bersaglieri,
and the Alpini, all composed of picked men. No doubt you
have seen pictures of the Bersaglieri, with their shiny black
hats and drooping cocks' feathers. They are wonderful
marchers, and at manoeuvres have been known to cover forty
miles in 2. day. The Alpini, who wear a gray felt hat with a
high crown, a small brim turned up at the back and down at
the front, and a black eagle's feather at the side, are perhaps
the finest mountain troops in the world. We shall hear some-
thing of their exploits in the next chapter. Italian soldiers are
not big, but they are tough, very hard working, always keen
and cheerful, and there is a fine spirit of comradeship between
officers and men. Italy's field artillery was armed with 75 mm.
guns, and she had a large number of howitzer batteries and a
heavy siege train.

The Commander-in-Chief was King Victor Emmanuel III., a
gallant, simple, and straightforward monarch, much loved and
trusted by his people. He was the third king of United Italy,
the first being Victor Enamanuel II., King of Sardinia, who was
declared king on March 17, 1861. Humbert I., the father of
Emmanuel III., was assassinated by an anarchist in July 1900.
You will be interested to know that in 1896 Emmanuel married
Princess Helene, daughter of Nicholas, King of Montenegro. ^

334 Tl^^ Children's Story of the War.

The Generalissimo was Count Luigi Cadorna, a man of
sixty-five, and the son of the man who led the Italian army with
great gallantry in 1870. As a young man, General Cadorna had
served on his father's staff, and had since won fame throughout
Europe as a writer on military science. No man in Italy knew
the frontier on which the war was to be waged better than he.
Every mountain, valley, and ravine was as familiar to him as
the bogs and lakes of East Prussia were to von Hindenburg.

A few words must be added about Italy's navy. It con-
tained four Dreadnoughts and two others almost ready for sea,
all armed with 12-inch guns. In addition, there were ten pre-
Dreadnought battleships and a number of older vessels. Three
of the cruisers were very fast, though none of the armoured
cruisers could steam more than twenty-two knots an hour.
The light craft included twenty submarines, a large number
of torpedo boats, and forty destroyers. With this naval
force Italy was greatly superior to Austria-Hungary. She
took over from France the task of holding the enemy in the
Adriatic Sea.

The Admiral-in-Chief was the Duke of the Abruzzi, first
cousin of the King. He was a man of forty-two, who had won
renown as an explorer, a mountaineer, and a geographer. He
had led scientific expeditions to the Arctic wastes of Alaska,
to the vast peaks of the Himalayas, and to the thick jungles of
Ruwenzori.* During the Tripoli War f he had skilfully com-
manded a division of the Italian fleet.

^F "W 'Tr w *fc "^p ^F

With these forces Italy was now about to undertake a terribly
difficult task. She was to try to force her way across lofty,
snow-clad mountains, on which the Austrians had erected
strong fortresses commanding every possible path. In the
next chapter I shall give you some idea of the character of
the frontier, and then you will understand what vast obstacles
beset the Italian army.

Italy, however, began the war with two important advantages.

* Mountain of Central Africa, the eastern half of which lies between
Albert Nyanza and Edward Nyanza. It was explored by the Duke of
the Abruzzi in 1906. Some of the peaks are between 15,000 and 17,000
feet in height, and are snow clad.

f Fought against Arabs and Turks in 1911-12. After a very difficult
campaign peace was signed, giving sovereign rights over the country to
Italy.

Why Italy declared War on Austria. 335

In the first place, both her army and her navy had seen recent
war service. During the previous fifteen years her soldiers
had fought on the Red Sea coast and in Tripoli, and her sailors
had gained much experience in transporting and convoying
armies, and in bombardments and blockades. In the second
place, she did not take the field until more than nine months
after the first shots were fired in Flanders. All through the
winter she had been busy equipping and training her soldiers,
and gaining experience from the operations in East and West.
Her generals had clearly understood the value of heavy artillery
and many machine guns, and they had studied trench warfare
in all its phases. Onlookers, they say, see most of the game.
The Italian generals had watched the great war game very
closely, and they had laid to heart the lessons which the com-
batants had only learnt at a terrible cost of men and material.

CHAPTER XLI.

WAR IN THE MOUNTAINS.

BEFORE we can follow the Italian campaign intelligently
we must spend a few minutes in studying the map on
page 338. The thick black line which is traced upon it marks
the frontier between Austria and Italy. Those who made this
frontier had one great object in view — namely, to put the Aus-
trians in such a favourable position that they could swoop
down upon Italy whenever they wished to do so. They
prisoned Italy behind mountain walls, and they gave to Aus-
tria every pass by which guns could cross the rocky barrier.
All along the frontier, at every gateway in the mountain wall,
you will see Austrian fortresses. Nowhere in the world is
there a more formidable frontier.

Run your finger along it. You see that its shape is that of
an irregular S lying on its side, thus en . You notice that
the western loop of the S is much narrower than the eastern
loop. It is to the western loop that I wish you to pay special
attention now. In chapter xli. of our fourth volume I told
you that when Italy joined in the war she set herself to conquer
the Trentino, which is inhabited mainly by Italian-speaking
people, and is part of what is known as '* Unredeemed Italy."
The Trentino is contained within the western loop of the S. It
is a great broken headland of mountain jutting into the plains,
and its rim is formed by lofty ranges which are only pierced by a
few river valleys and passes, all of them difficult. The great river
of this region is the Adige. It rises high up in the Alps, sweeps
eastwards, turns south past the city of Trent, and breaks
through the southern rim of mountains to the east of the Lake
of Garda. It then meanders across the plain to join the Po
at Verona. Your map shows you a very important railway

Y. 22

War in the Mountains. 339

following the course of this river from Austria into Italy.
A road also follows the river, and at Bozen meets a high-
way which gives a route across the high Alps into Austria
proper. You can see at a glance that by far the best road
from the Trentino to the Italian plains runs along the valley
of the Adige. Look at the group of black stars round Trent.*
Each black star represents a fortress. Nowhere in the Tren-
tino are the fortresses so thickly clustered together as around
Trent. By means of these fortresses the Austrians blocked
the northward road into Austria proper.

A little to the east of Trent there is a lake in which the
river Brenta begins. This river breaks through the eastern
rim of mountains, and then flows south to join the Po. A
railway follows its course, but the road which runs alongside
it is very difficult for an army to follow. Farther north there
are several other passes, but the broken district of the Dolo-
mites lies between them and Bozen. The only real break by
which a modern army can advance through the rim of the
Trentino mountains is the narrow gap through which the
Adige finds its way to the plains.

Now follow the eastern loop of the S. For about one
hundred miles this loop consists of a sheer rampart of almost
unbroken mountain. About thirty miles east of Bozen a
highroad has been constructed through the heart of the white
limestone crags at a height of some five thousand feet ; but in
places it runs through a defile which is commanded by a hundred
points from which an army on the march could be swept away.
Most of the other passes are mere bridle paths ; but one of
them, just about where the loop begins to turn to the south,
carries the railway from Venice to Vienna. Though this is the
easiest of all the great routes across the frontier, it is so narrow
and difficult that it could easily be held against an invader.

Now follow the frontier from the railway which I have just
mentioned to the sea. Find Cividale. Your map shows you
level ground extending from this town to the Gulf of Venice.
" Ah ! " you say, '* here at last is a weak place in the armour-
clad frontier of Austria. Between Cividale and the sea the
Italians have a chance of pushing into Austrian territory." I
must, however, remind you that our map is on a small scale,
and that the country from Cividale to the sea is by no means

* See map, p. 352.

340 The Children's Story of the War.

as easy as it looks. The whole distance is only about twenty
miles, and this is far too small a front for the deployment of
a great army. Further, behind the frontier there is the river
Isonzo, and lining its eastern bank are many high hills. You
can easily see that the line of the river forms in itself a very
strong defensive position. A great force of guns ranged on the
heights behind the stream would make the Isonzo front almost
impregnable.

Now you begin to understand the tremendous difficulties
which the Italians had to face when they proposed to invade
Austria. The Austrians had every advantage of position ; but
they had their weakness too. A modern army, as you know,
depends mainly upon railways for moving and provisioning
troops, bringing up guns, and suppl5dng them with stores of
shell. If you look at the Austrian railway system you will
notice that it skirts the frontier from the shores of the Gulf
of Venice right round to the pass by which the river Adige
breaks through the mountains. But you will also notice that
it has very few branch lines, because the hill-valleys make
railway construction almost impossible. Between the railway
line and the actual frontier all material has to be brought up
by road through steep valleys and across high hills. The
Italians, on the other hand, were well supplied with railways.
In the eastern loop of the S you see railway lines crossing and
recrossing, and forming a very complete system by which they
could readily supply their troops on the frontier with stores,
guns, and ammunition.

*jf. .if, jt* jt. ji, 4fc

TT TT TP •JP TT flP

You will probably ask, '* Why did not the Austrians, as soon
as Italy declared war, sweep down from the mountains along
the valleys of the Adige and the Brenta, and through the passes
of the Carnic and Julian Alps, and overrun the Italian plains ? "
This was, of course, the right thing to do ; but Austria in
May 191 5 could not provide the men and guns for such an
advance. She had her hands full in the East, where, as you
know, Mackensen had begun the great drive which was to cause
the Russians to retreat far into the recesses of their land. Austria
was obliged, for some months to come, to stand on the defen-
sive all along her Italian frontier. Almost immediately war was
declared she blew up the bridges on the Adige, and in the
eastern loop of the S abandoned all her territory west of the

War in. the Mountains. 34 1

Isonzo, thus clearly showing that she was going to stand fast
and let the Italians butt their heads against the mountain walls
and the river line that formed her strong bulwark of defence.

What was the Italian plan of campaign ? General Cadorna
had two objects in view. First and foremost, he wished to
capture the great seaport of Trieste, which lies, as you will
observe, about twenty miles as the aeroplane flies to the south-
east of the Lower Isonzo. You must not imagine that once the
river was crossed all would be plain sailing. Find the Aus-
trian city of Gorizia, on the Isonzo. Before the war it was a
delightful town of white churches, hilly streets, broad squares,
and gardens of laurels, pines, and palms. The climate is so
mild that it was known as " The Nice of Austria." Strangely
enough, its special industry was the printing of Hebrew books
for the East. Between Gorizia and Trieste stretches the great
limestone plateau of the Carso. Before the Italians could reach
Trieste they had to cross this great obstacle.

"It is a mass of wrinkled rock, with scrub and thick undergrowth in
some of the gullies, but for the most pcirt naked stone, its gaunt ribs and
blank shoulders scourged and flayed by the relentless sun. Save for the
lizards that bask and bake themselves on its fumace-like floors, it is hfe-
less, as it is waterless and treeless ; no shrub or tuft of mountain moss,
no bird, and scarcely an insect, can find nourishment in this burnt solitude.
The Austrians had strengthened the forbidding fastness by elaborate works.
The whole face was veined with galleries and covered ways, with dug-outs
and caves and gun emplacements in the solid rock. ... To besiege this
place was like attempting to carry the Rock of Gibraltar."

Cadorna 's second object was to watch and hold the whole
northern border, lest the Austrians should sweep down to the
plains, cut the railways behind the Isonzo front, and take him
in the rear. Accordingly, he decided to attack the Trentino
and all the passes along the eastern loop of the S. If he could
push across the Dolomites by the highroad to the east of Bozen,
he might reach and cut the railway by which the Austrians main-
tained themselves all along the frontier. The Austrians would
then be prevented from operating in the Trentino.

TT ^P ^P ^P TP ^

Though the Austrians intended to stand upon the defensive
by land, they were quite ready to strike by sea. A squadron
of two battleships, four cruisers, and some eighteen destroyers,
supported by many aircraft, pushed out from Pola on 23rd

342 The Children's Story of the War.

May, and early next morning attacked the Italian coastline
from Brindisi to Venice. The object of this attack was to
damage the railway which runs along the Adriatic shore, for
the most part within range of the guns of warships off the
coast. Railway and signal stations and bridges were destroyed,
and some of the seaside towns suffered severely. Airmen flew
over Venice and dropped bombs on the Arsenal, on the oil
tanks, and on the balloon sheds. A wave of anger swept over
the Allied and neutral countries when the news reached them
that the lovely city of Venice, with its exquisite monuments of
-art and piety, had been attacked. All was over by 6 a.m. The
Italian fleet had been surprised, and the raiding squadron had
done its work unmolested.

^r ^F flp ^p ^r ^r

By the evening of 24th May Cadorna*s Isonzo army had
crossed the frontier, and its left was just under Monte Nero,
which commands the railway running south to Gorizia ; while
its extreme right was on the shores of the Gulf of Venice. It
was a wet season, and the bridges over the flooded Isonzo had
been blown up. While the Italians were bringing up rein-
forcements and making ready for an attack on Monte Nero,*
Italian airmen were busy bombing the railway farther south,
so as to cut off supplies and reinforcements from the Austrians
on the river line. By the end of May the Italians had reached
the Isonzo, but had not crossed it.

In the central section there was much scattered fighting,
and the Italians captured several of the passes, one of them
the pass already referred to, east of Bozen. On the 30th they
were only fifteen miles as the crow flies from the Austrian rail-
way junction at Franzenfeste ; but those fifteen miles included
the highest peaks of the Dolomites, and the road — one of the
finest in Europe — ran, as I have already told you, through
a narrow defile which gave every advantage to the de-
fenders.

The Trentino fighting also began on May 24th. On that
day Italian detachments pushed forward to the frontier on both
sides of the Lake of Garda and through the Tonale Pass, which
you will find on the western rim, to the west of Trent. By the
end of the month the Italians had closed in on the Trentino
fortresses. So far their success, though small, had been con-

* See map on p. 347.

War in the Mountains. 343

tinuous. They had secured their flanks. The enemy could
no longer descend at will upon the plains.

You must remember that all the fighting which I have briefly
described above was carried on amidst towering Alpine peaks,
and sometimes above the snow -line. Roads had to be made ;
heavy guns had to be hauled up mountain sides ; trenches had
to be dug on the edges of ravines or amidst the everlasting ice
and snow. To give you some idea of the character of this
mountain warfare, I will briefly describe the assault on Monte
Nero, which rises in a sheer cliff to a height of 9,000 feet above
sea level. A picked company of Alpini was detailed for the
assault, which was made on a dark, misty night.* " No boots "
was the order, " and no knapsacks." Officers and men tied their
boots by the laces to their belts behind. Some wore socks to
protect their feet ; others wrapped bandages round them. Only
rifles, bayonets, and ammunition pouches were taken. In com-
plete silence the men scaled the wall of rock by means of two
great cracks, while a more numerous column ascended the steep
rocky slopes farther south. The climbers, clinging like flies
to the rock faces, were not discovered until they had almost
reached the top of the precipice. While the Austrians hastened
to repel this unlooked-for attack, the main body came up and
overwhelmed them. Thus the summit was captured, six
hundred Austrians were made prisoner, and the Italians secured
a position from which they were able to work south towards
Gorizia.

Many other mountain spurs were also captured in much
the same way, and again and again the Alpini took the
foe by surprise. Not only had they to storm these difficult
positions, but to hold them against fierce counter-attacks. By
this time the Austrians no longer trusted to the natural ad-
vantages of their positions, but girdled the rocky peaks, 6,000,
7,000, or even 8,000 feet above the level of the sea, with wire
entanglements and pitfalls of every kind.

By the end of June both sides had settled down to trench
warfare.

A writer who visited an Italian outpost on the summit of

Monte Cristallo, which you will find south of Sexten,f tells

us that in the mass of this mountain, up to heights of over

eight thousand feet, in crannies in the rock, in steep gullies,

* See picture on p. 349. | See map, p. 338.

Hauling a heavy Italian Mortar to its

{From the picture by F. Matania.

One of the main features of the Italian campaign was the excellence of the Italian infantry. Heavy

a heavy mortar m the act of being dragged up the mountain side. You will observe that a track has

Position high up on the Mountains.
By permission of The Sphere.)

pieces were hauled above the snow-line in all sorts of ingenious ways. The above picture shows you
been specially made so that the gun cannot run back when the strain on the ropes is eased.

346 The Children's Story of the War.

and in chimneys of snow, the batteries were placed and hidden
quite secure from the fire of the enemy.

" A company of men divided into two half-companies held, the one half
the base of the precipitous rock upon a sward of high valley, the other the
summit itself, perhaps 3,000 feet higher ; and the communication from one
to the other was a double wire swung through the air above the chasm, up
and down which travelled shallow cradles of steel carrying men and food,
munitions and instruments. Such a device alone made possible the estab-
lishment of these posts in such incredible places, and the perilous journey
along the wire rope, swung from precipice to precipice and over interven-
ing gulfs, was the only condition of their continued survival. The post
itself clung to the extreme summit of the mountain, as a bird's nest clings
to the cranny of rock in which it is built." *

The same writer tells us that by means of these cable-ways
the Italians made secure the whole mountain buttress, and cap-
tured and closed all breaks in the Alpine wall.

" You find small posts of men that must have their food and water
daDy brought to them thus, slung by the wire ; you find them crouched
upon the little dip where a collar of deep snow between bare rocks marks
some almost impossible passage of the hills that must yet be held. You
see a gun of 6-inch or even of 8-inch emplaced where, had you been climb-
ing for your pleasure, you would hardly have dared to pitch the smallest
tent. You hear the story of how the piece was hoisted here by machinery
first estabUshed upon the rock ; of the blasting for emplacement ; of the
accidents after which it was finally emplaced, and of the ingenious thought
which has allowed for a chance of recoil or displacement."

I need not follow in detail the fighting which went on
amidst the mountains all through the summer, and, on the
Isonzo, right down to the close of the year. In this section of
the front the Italians were striving to capture Gorizia, the key
to Trieste. Should it fall, Trieste could be turned from the
north. Upon Gorizia, then, the chief interest of the campaign
centred almost from the beginning.

Look carefully at the little map on the next page. On the
northern edge of the Carso you see the ridge of St. Michael,
about eight thousand yards to the south-east of Gorizia. On
the eastern bank of the Isonzo, about three thousand yards from
the same city, you notice the Podgora Ridge. If the Italians
could capture the ridge of St. Michael and the ridge of Pod-
gora, they would be in possession of observing stations which

* Hifeire Belloc in Land and Water.

War in the Mountains.

347

S.floriQDO

would enable them to batter down Gorizia, and prevent the
enemy from bringing up guns and reinforcements.

For months the Italians strove to capture the heights, and
in November they managed to instal themselves on the slopes
of the Podgora Ridge, and also to gain a footing on the ridge
of St. Michael. In December they were for the first time
able to turn their big guns upon Gorizia. Many infantry
attacks were made, and in all of them the Italians showed
wonderful courage and perseverance. Again and again they
nearly broke through ; but at the end of the year Gorizia was
still in the hands of the Aus-
trians. Meanwhile in the
Trentino the valley of the
Adige had been secured as far
as a few miles south of Rove-
reto, and the valley of the
Brenta was in Italian posses-
sion as far up as a few miles
west of Borgo. The road
across the Dolomites was also
locked, bolted, and barred
against the Austrians.

TT W •«•

During the first months of P^*
19 1 6 there was a lull on the \
Italian front. Deep snow lay
on the mountains, and in all
the upper valleys white thick
mists shrouded the lower
ground. Though fighting was

0 VOO 2000 SXU 4000 JCOO SOOO KOO aODOYM

Map of Isonzo Front.

impossible, the lines high up on the mountains had to be
strengthened and held in spite of Alpine storms, deep snow,
and bitter cold. These were the real enemies of the Italians
during the winter. I need not tell you that the men who
held the mountain lines suffered great hardships. They were
frost-bitten and buffeted by driving tempests, and frequently
lacked food and fire. In many cases convoys of provisions,
men, guns, and the trenches of friend and foe were swept
away by avalanches.

All along the front the Italians laboured hard to preserve
the positions which they had already won. On the Car so

34^ The Children's Story of the War.

they blasted out deep trenches and dug-outs, laid down water-
pipes, and in a variety of ways prepared for the coming of
the spring, when the war could be renewed in real earnest.
Not until April was there any operation of importance. In
the previous November the Alpini, under the command of
Colonel *' Peppino " Garibaldi,* grandson of the Liberator, had
won a footing on the Col f di Lana after a desperate struggle.
The Col di Lana stands a little to the south-west of Cortina,
on the highroad which I have mentioned more than once in
this chapter. It was the one favourable observation post of
the enemy which the Italians had failed to secure. They had,
as it were, shut all the doors of their house, but until Col di
Lana was fully secured there was a window left to the Austrians
by which they could look down into Italy. In April 191 6 the
Italians held the greater part of the col, but the Austrians were
still on the summit.

For three months during the winter the Italians tunnelled
under the peak, and laid a mine for the purpose of blowing
the Austrians off the mountain. A fortnight before the mine
was ready for exploding the Austrians began countermining.
They fired their mine first, but with no real effect. On the
night of 17th April the Italians touched off their mine. A
huge crater 150 feet wide and nearly fifty feet deep was formed
by the explosion, and this the Italians occupied. They were
raked by Austrian artillery fire for some time, but before long
they had established new lines in which they could defy the
enemy's shells. The Austrians had at last been driven from
the sole remaining window by which they could look down
upon Italy.

Just about the time that the great mine on Col di Lana was
completed, the Alpini made an attack of a most wonderfully
daring character. Look at the mountain wall on the west side
of the Trentino. A little south of Tonale Pass you will find
Mount Adamello, which is famous for its huge glacier. Three
rock ridges running roughly parallel, and north and south, cut
across this glacier. On the eastern ridge the Austrians were

* Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82), Italian patriot and commander of
irregular forces. He played a very large part in the liberation and unify-
ing of Italy. At the beginning of the war his statues in the various Italian
towns were surrounded by cheering crowds.

t A high narrow pass between two mountain peaks.

A Climb to Victory.

(Frotii the picture by H. IV. Koekkoek. By permission oj The Illustrated Loudon A'^ews.)

This picture shows you the Alpini making the remarkable night climb to the summit of
Monte Nero in order to surprise the Austrians at daybreak. The incident is fully described
on page M^-

350 The Children's Story of the War.

posted, the Italians being on the western ridge. Early in
April Austrian outposts occupied the central ridge, and the
Italians determined to drive them off.

On the night of nth April some three hundred Alpini,
clothed in white, mounted their skis^ and worked their way up
to the glacier until they were 10,000 feet above sea level. A
terrible storm assailed them ; they lost their way, but were
obliged to continue moving lest they should be frozen to death.
In the early morning the Austrians saw them scattered over the
glacier, and apparently at the mercy of their machine guns.
But these wonderful men, though worn out by their long night
march and their heavy losses, charged across the glacier, carried
two of the Austrian positions, and killed or captured nearly
all the defenders.

Seventeen days later, on a clear, starry night, two thousand
Alpini again climbed the glacier, and found the Austrians on
a lower saddle of the eastern ridge. They had left the highest
point of the ridge in order to take shelter lower down from the
bitter wind. As soon as the Alpini were sighted the Austrians
made off at top speed for the peak, and a great race began.
The Alpini won by a few minutes, and, with the help of other
columns, managed to capture the whole glacier, but not with-
out furious and long-continued fighting. In order to support
the advance, a battery of 6-inch guns had actually been hauled
up to the western edge of the glacier.

By means of feats such as this the Italians gradually made
headway. They would have made more rapid progress had
they possessed at the beginning of the war a large supply of
heavy guns with which they could have battered down the
Austrian fortresses. They had to build big guns while their
infantry clung on to the ground which had been so hardly
won. Through the winter their gunmakers worked hard, and
in spring many new pieces were brought up to the front.

The time had come for the Austrians to make a big effort.
In the previous spring they had seen von Mackensen's vast array
of heavy guns blast the Russians out of their trenches on the
Donajetz, and hurl them back in rapid retreat. The Austrians,
or their German masters, now decided to strike a similar blow
at the Italian army, which they said consisted of beggars,
buffoons, mandoline players, and brigands. They were about
to punish the Italians for their so-called treason. The Austrian

War in the Mountains. 351

soldiers were told that the Italians were downhearted, that
victory would be easily won, and that there would be plentiful
wine and glorious loot in the towns and villages of Lombardy
and Venetia.

All through the winter the Austrians collected vast quantities
of food, equipment, guns, and munitions. They drew troops
from Galicia, from the Balkans, and from their reserves, and
by the 12th of May they had arrayed 400,000 men with 2,000
guns, many of them of enormous calibre, for the great adven-
ture. All was ready for a mighty blow that would be sure to
break the Italian front.

I need hardly tell you where the blow was to fall. Austria's
great army and her heavy guns could only be brought right up
to the Italian border by passing through the Trentino. You
already know that the Austrian frontier railway sends an im-
portant branch along the valley of the Adige. The most likely
place for the great new offensive to begin was Trent. From
that city the Austrians could send troops down by rail towards
Verona, or along the valley of the Brenta, so as to cut the lines
of Italian communication with the Isonzo front. If this could
be done quickly, the Austrians would force the Italians to give
up their attacks on Gorizia, and to fall back to meet the enemy
on the plains of North Italy.

Map to illustrate the great Austrian Offensive in the Trentino.

The dotted line (marked A) running from a Utile south of Roveredo in a north-easterly
direction to the Val Borgo shows you the position to which the Italians fought their way
by May 15, 1916. The great Austrian offensive began on 13th and 14th May, and the
Italians were obliged to fall back. By ist June the Italians had been driven south-eastward
to the dotted line marked B B. The Austrians occupied Arsiero and Asiago, but this was
the high-water mark of their advance. They could not capture Monte Pasubio, which com-
mands the road along the Adige, and they were obliged to draw off troops to meet the "Big
Push" of the Russians^on their eastern frontier. By loth June the Austrian offensive had
come to an end, and the Italians had begun to attack all along the line.

CHAPTER XLII.

HOW THE AUSTRIANS MADE A GREAT EFFORT AND FAILED.

IN the first fortnight of May the great Austrian army and its
huge array of mighty guns rolled down from Trent. The
Italians were then holding a line which ran from a mile or two
south of Rovereto to the east of the lake in which the Brenta
rises. It is marked A A on the map (page 352). On 13th and
14th May they were assailed by a terrible storm of fire, followed
by infantry attacks all along the line. The Italian guns were
outnumbered and outclassed, and quite powerless to keep
down the fire of the Austrian artillery. Our Allies were forced
to fall back ; but they did so slowly, selling every yard of
ground at a hea\y cost.

On 20th May they had to retire across their frontier and
take up the new battle-front marked B B on the map. It ran,
as you will notice, along the heights covering the fortresses of
Arsiero and Asiago, and its pivot on the west was Monte
Pasubio, which lifts itself more than seven thousand feet above
sea level, and stands like a huge sentry commanding the valley
of the river Arsa, running up to Rovereto, and the valley of the
Posina, running eastwards past Arsiero. On their right flank
the Austrians pressed down the valley of the Brenta, pushing the
Italians before them. They captured Borgo, and by ist June
had opened the road to Asiago, which they occupied. On the
same day another column entered Arsiero. The Austrians
were now on the edge of the plains, and the situation was grave
indeed.

But the Austrian advance had already reached its high-water
mark. From the day on which Arsiero and Asiago were cap-
tured the tide began to turn in favour of the Italians. Cadorna
now had the situation well in hand. While the Austrians were
V. 23

How the Austrians' Great Effort failed. 355

pushing back his front he was bringing up reserves from all
parts of Italy. In a single week during this perilous time he
gathered together half a million men, and by means of the
railways — which do not move the traveller to admiration in
time of peace — hurried regiments, batteries, stores, horses,
wagons, and ammunition from the uttermost parts of the penin-
sula to the new front.

He strengthened his hold on Monte Pasubio, and on the
pass to the south-west, by means of which the Austrians hoped
to push down to Verona. Had they been able to seize these
two positions, they would have rolled up the left flank of the
Italians. Cadorna, however, hung on like grim death to
Pasubio and to the pass. The Austrians turned a vast num-
ber of guns on Pasubio, and kept up a bombardment day
and night for three weeks ; but all in vain. Meanwhile a six
days' infantry battle raged round the pass, but the Italians did
not yield an inch of ground. You can form some idea of the
terrible fighting in this region when I tell you that on the last
day of the battle 7,000 men died on the field. On 7th and
8th June the Austrians made violent attacks to the east of
Asiago, and on the loth hurled eighteen to twenty battalions
against the mountain which commands the railway from Asiago
to Schio. With the failure of this great attack the Austrian
offensive came to an end. On 26th June flags were fluttering
in all the towns of North Italy. The Austrians were retreating,
and the Italians were hard on their heels.

The great offensive had failed, and failed miserably. The
Austrians had used up an enormous amount of ammunition,
and they had lost in killed and wounded at least a hundred
thousand men. We shall see in a later chapter that by sending
this great array of troops and the best of their guns to make an
onset upon the Italians they had so weakened themselves on
their Eastern front that the Russians were able to win striking
successes.

The Austrians meant to fall back to prepared positions on
the high ground, where they would be able to hold the Italians
with smaller numbers of men. Cadorna, however, followed
them up rapidly. By means of motor cars he pushed his
troops up the mountain roads, over the hills, and along the
woodland paths, and thus gave the enemy no rest for the sole
of his foot. Early in August the Italian guns were threatening

356 The Children's Story of the War.

the cross railways by which alone the Austrian withdrawal could
take place.

On the Carso the assault never slackened, in spite of
the peril in the Trentino. Tunnels were driven through the
limestone under the feet of the Austrians, and the Italians
sprang to the attack literally out of the ground, and within a
few yards of the enemy's trenches. A great assemblage of
Italian guns, howitzers, and heavy trench mortars rained a
torrent of fire on the defensive works of Gorizia in the first
week of August, and the garrison, stunned and deafened, was
unable to resist the infantry assaults that followed. With
bayonet and grenade the Italians drove the Austrians headlong
out of Gorizia.

The key of Trieste had been won, and all was ready for
the forcing of the Carso. No light task lay before the Italians.
The crest of the plateau was not yet in their hands, and there
was a terribly difficult region to be traversed before the Italian
flag could wave over the great seaport, which, though Austrian
in name, was Italian in heart.

CHAPTER XLIII.

STORIES OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN.

MANY interesting stories of the mountain warfare de-
scribed in the previous chapters have been told, and I
must tell you a few of them before I pass eastward and deal
with the great offensive which the Russians so happily launched
while their foes were vainly battering at Verdun and striving
to overwhelm the Italians on their rocky frontier. Italy had
a great asset in her King. A writer tells us that where the
danger was greatest or encouragement was most needed, there
the King was to be found. ** He dashes in his gray motor car
along the flat roads in the Friuli * region, appears on horse-
back on the hills near Gorizia, climbs on the back of a mule
in the Carnic passes, and gains on foot, helped by an alpen-
stock, the heights of the peaks from which Rovereto can be
seen.

" Once he crossed the Isonzo on a pontoon bridge south of
Monte Nero. After sunset an officer of the General Staff came
up to his Majesty and told him that an attack of the enemy
was expected during the night, and that it would be unsafe
for him to remain on the left bank of the river. The King
promptly replied : ' If this point is dangerous for my soldiers,
it is my place,' and there he remained. To the Crown Prince,
who asked when he could return home to his boy, the King
replied that he could not leave the front while thousands of
his * boys ' were risking their lives."

tP tt tt tP 'vF rff "nP

More than once his Majesty had a narrow escape. On
one occasion he was on the left bank of the Isonzo when a
mountain spur was to be stormed. A shell exploded so near

* The eastern half of the eastern loop of the S. See map, p. 338.

358 The Children's Story of the War.

to him that a spHnter of shrapnel wounded his horse. He had
no thought for himself, but he was full of solicitude for his
stricken steed, and ordered it to be sent at once to the Blue
Cross, which, as you know, ministers to wounded horses.
When the members of his staff bade him retire to a place of
safety, he refused to listen to them. He simply called for
another horse, and said, '* Here we must win or die ! " Then
he rode amongst his troops, who greeted him with loud shouts
of delight, and forthwith rushed to the attack. The position
was won, and is now known to Italian soldiers as " the King's
Spur."

Wr 'tr 'w ^F '9P Wr ^F

I am sure you will like to read a story about General Cadorna.
You will remember that he came of a military family, and
that his father. Count Raphael Cadorna, was a famous general.
In the war of 1866 his father commanded an army corps
which advanced on Trieste, but did not reach that seaport
because peace was declared before he attacked the Carso. It
is said that one day during the campaign which I described
in the former chapter, General Cadorna placed his finger on a
certain spot on his map, and said, " That is where my father
got to." Then moving his finger to Trieste, he added, " And
that is where / have to go."

^fr tF tP tP w '9^ vfp

I told you on a former page that before the campaign had
been long in progress the Austrians strengthened their posi-
tions high on the mountains by means of barbed wire. You
will be interested to learn of the ingenious manner in which
the Italians broke through the entanglements on one of the
mountains. They collected a number of wild buffaloes and
drove them forward towards the Austrian positions. Suddenly
they exploded some bombs behind the animals. Immediately
they took fright and stampeded towards the enemy's lines.
So amazed were the Austrians to see a herd of buffaloes charg-
ing down upon them that panic seized them. With horns
and hoofs the terrified animals smashed through the wire, and
they were closely followed by the Italians. A very short
struggle followed, and the Austrians holding the position
surrendered.

'9r "ff V "TP 'fp "fr w

The Italian soldier is a great smoker. During the cam-

Stories of the Italian Campaign. 359

paign he was seldom to be seen without a cigar in his mouth,
even when he was manning the trenches and beating off an
attack. It is said that one night an Austrian officer, looking
across the No Man's Land, saw a row of red lights behind the
enemy's wire entanglements. At once he gave the order to
fire. Almost before the bullets left the rifles the Italians leaped
into the Austrian trenches. They had left their lighted cigars
on their parapets, fifty yards behind, in order to deceive the
enemy !

Tr TP TP TT ^^ ^P

You have already read stories of the extraordinary climbing
powers of the Alpini. Let me tell you how they captured
the position of Monte Cimone.* It is a plateau from which a
mountain path rises for some four hundred feet. The Aus-
trians occupied the plateau and the summit on 26th May, and
fortified it very strongly. Machine guns were so placed that
they commanded all the gullies by which it was thought possible
for an enemy to climb. On one side the plateau ends in a
sheer wall of rock. This side was not guarded, for the Aus-
trians did not believe that any soldiers could ascend it.

The Italians began their attack by heavily bombarding the
plateau. Their artillery hurled shells on the position from
two o'clock on a Saturday afternoon until 4.30 the next morn-
ing. During the last two hours of the bombardment the
Alpini were busy. Two companies scaled the face of the
mountain by means of rope ladders, and the men arrived one
by one under the overhanging crest, where they squatted down
on tiny ledges or wedged themselves into crevices. The
enemy in the meantime had become aware of their presence,
and from the edge of the plateau hurled bombs and stones
upon them. At ten in the morning the Alpini scrambled up,
broke through the barricades, and rushed towards a redoubt
which the Austrians had established on the plateau. They
managed to get very near to it ; but when they had flung all
their bombs they were driven back to the edge of the cliff".

Then was seen an extraordinary sight. Alpini manned the
rope ladders and formed a continuous chain from the Italian
positions down below up to the plateau. From hand to hand
they passed up bombs and stones, which the men on the plateau
hurled at the foe. Meanwhile the men on the ladders were
* Two or three miles north of Arsiero.

A Frontier Duel in the Shadow of the ivxuuuLains .

( From the picture by H. W. Koekkoek.

This picture gives you an excellent idea of the mountain frontier between Italy and Austria. The
Milan and Venice. Austrian guns are firing from the slopes of the mountains. In the foreground are
ment. Pontebba, the village in the middle distance, is the first station in Italy reached by the traveller

Italians in Action on the Road to Pontebba.

}iy permission of the Illustrated London News.)

zigzag road up the mountains was constructed by Napoleon, and is the big military highway between
Italians behind breastworks of stones, covered by leaves; in front of them you see the usual wire entangle-
journeying from Vienna to Venice by this route.

362 The Children's Story of the War.

being bombed from above. When a man fell the line moved
up one. That was all. The Alpini worked on quite uncon-
cerned. Enemy bombs which fell without exploding were
handed up again in the hope that they would behave better on
the return journey.

By three o'clock in the afternoon the redoubt had been
won, and before daybreak on Monday the whole of Monte
Cimone was in the hands of the Italians.

^F ^r ^r w TP ^r

The picture on page 365 gives you a good idea of the
way in which the Italian peasant women helped in the cam-
paign. Where the tracks leading to the Italian gun posi-
tions were too steep and narrow for the passage of horses and
mules, or where it was not convenient to set up the aerial
cables described on page 346, women and girls carried up
the shells in panniers strapped to their backs. A war corre-
spondent with the Italians thus wrote : " Everybody within the
war zone appears to be doing his or her * bit ; ' but I was some-
what surprised to see women engaged in a task which called for
great physical strength and much nerve. I saw women carry-
ing coils of barbed wire up the mountains. Each of these coils
weighed close on fifty pounds. When I passed this convoy,
although it was high up and the women must have been tramp-
ing for some hours, they were all as cheerful as possible, and
seemed to regard their job as a pleasure jaunt. And all the
time big guns were booming and shells were falling close by."
Elsewhere women did all in their power to cheer and encourage
the soldiers. While the great assault on the Carso was in
preparation the women of certain Italian towns wove garlands
of flowers and sent them to the front. The men bound them
round their helmets, and thus, crowned with flowers, fought
their way on to the plateau.

TT TT TT TT TT ^F

In earlier pages of this volume I have mentioned the steel
helmets which were served out first to the French and, later
on, to the British on the Western front. The Italians supplied
some of their men with almost complete suits of armour, and
utilized these ironclad warriors for the purpose of cutting the
enemy's wire. It is interesting to notice that in this and in other
ways both sides reverted to the war customs of their fore-
fathers. From the very earliest times men in lofty positions

Stories of the Italian Campaign. . 363

have rolled great stones and boulders down mountain sides
upon the enemy below. Frequently the Austrians collected
boulders on the edge of steep slopes, and set under each of
them a branch of a tree to serve as a lever. By lifting the
levers the boulders were sent crashing down the mountain
sides on their errands of death and destruction. Those
of you who have read the story of how Hannibal * crossed
the Alps in the days of old will remember that the mountain
tribes frequently impeded his advance in the same way. The
wild hillmen on the North-West Frontier of India have fre-
quently bombarded our own troops in a similar fashion.

During the winter Italians and Austrians alike adopted a
device of nature in order to render their fighting men less
conspicuous. Many animals and insects, as you probably
know, assume the colour of their surroundings, and are thus
less easily seen by their foes. For example, mountain hares,
which in summer are blue-gray in colour, become white in
winter when the hills are covered with snow. During the
winter fighting the soldiers on both sides were dressed in
white clothing, and thus became invisible when the valleys
and hills were a dazzling expanse of snow. The sentries high
up on the mountains in exposed places looked more like Arctic
explorers than fighting men.

*JL 4^ ^ ^ Jf, d&

TP TP TP ^T ^r TP

Already you must have admired the great ingenuity and
perseverance displayed by the Italian engineers in overcom-
ing the difficulties of transport amidst the high mountains.
Roads had to be constructed before the guns could be ad-
vanced ; positions had to be blasted out high on the snov^y
summits ; and aerial cables had to be established to supply
the gunners with shells, stores, and food. By means of these
slung wires guns weighing nearly eight hundredweight were
carried to the top of precipitous peaks. Heavier- guns were
hauled along the roads by steam tractors, and man-hauled by
means of drag ropes at zigzag turns. In some cases cogged
rails were laid down, and teams of men by sheer force dragged
them into position. (See picture, pp. 344-345.) Batteries of
guns, each weighing eleven tons, with a carriage of five tons and

* Carthaginian general (247-183 B.C.), one of the greatest military
geniuses of olden days ; crossed the Alps from Gaul (218 B.C.), and for a
time overran Italy.

364 . The Children's Story of the War.

a platform (in sections) of thirty tons, were in this way actually
installed at a height of 9,000 feet. The very heaviest siege
howitzers had to be used, for ** high-angle " fire was the only
possible way of subduing many of the Austrian forts, which
were hidden away amidst the crags on the steep upper slopes
of the mountains.

One of the most vivid descriptions of the conditions under
which the war was fought along the Isonzo front was supplied
by a wounded Austrian officer :-—

" When I was wounded the battle was raging along the
whole line. I was standing on a point from which I could see
the whole of the Gorizia battlefield. The country below me
was a ring of death, and in the south, near the sea, the whole
line was aflame with the guns. . . . There are two great features
in the fighting on the Isonzo : one is the amazing rapidity of
the gun-fire, and the other the closeness of the enemy positions
to each other. Imagine, then, the strain on the nerve !

" The Italians prepare every one of their attacks with many
hours of bombardment, and it happens very often that after
such a deluge of fire they simply send out patrols to ascertain
if there are any living beings yet in our positions. The
patrols return with the news that there are defenders still
alive, and the bombardment continues until all have been put
out of action. The cases of insanity in consequence of the
nerve shocks sustained by the bombardment were very numer-
ous. One of our men after one of these cannonades refused
to eat or drink, for he said that the Italians had poisoned every-
thing. At last he died. Another in a fit of insanity began to
fire at his own officers. He was not seized until he had wounded
three of them. No doubt the Italians also felt the strain, for
we often heard them cry, ' Santa Maria ! ' Our men could
only survive by hiding in caves and tunnels, and by protecting
themselves with sheets of steel. I can truly state that the
greatest heroes of human endurance in this war are those men
who fought on the Italian front, whether they were defenders
or attackers.

*' The two opposing linfes in some parts were so close to
each other that only fifteen yards divided them. In such posi-
tions any one who showed an inch of himself was doomed to

Italian Women carrying Shells to the Gun Positions on Alpine Crests.

(Front the picture by F. Alatania. Py permission of The Sphere.)

366 The Children'?, Story of the War.

certain death, in spite of the steel protectors. The distance
was so small between the lines that the Italians in one place
succeeded in pulling down our wire entanglements with long
sticks.

" When, later on, I was wounded by shrapnel, I could see
nothing on the way to Gorizia but wounded men struggling
along or being carried in an endless line. There were soldiers'
graves by the hundred along the roads that were under the
fire of the Italian guns. The men who struggled along on the
* unhealthy ' roads did not seem to pay any attention to the
shells and shrapnel ; they walked with complete indifference,
as much as to say, * We've had our share ; these shells are not
for us.' "

*******

It is said that, despite the terrible and almost unceasing
bombardment, the people of Gorizia lived much in the usual
way. Many business premises naturally were closed, for much
of the trade of the place was in Italian hands. Goods and
provisions of all kinds could be procured, but the prices were
very high. Eggs, for example, cost tenpence each. " In one
street," wrote a correspondent, *' a whole row of flower shops
remained open, their windows ablaze with roses, violets, and
asters. Indeed, in this town, under fire day and night, the
flower trade flourished steadily. Barbers, too, shaved on with
a steady hand amid the thunder of the artillery, Austrian and
Italian. Here and there one might buy rings made from the
aluminium fuses of Italian shells, and inlaid with copper.
They were displayed as * Souvenirs of Gorizia.' "

So many shells fell into the town that their fearful novelty
soon wore off, and people who suspended business for fear of
them lost caste with their neighbours. Yet almost every street
already bore its marks of warfare in the shape of broken win-
dows, cracked walls, and shell holes. There was one tower
almost completely girdled with shrapnel pits. Certain streets
were barricaded as being too dangerous for traffic, and one of
them, which had suffered very badly, was renamed " Shrapnel
Street." Nevertheless people frequently scrambled between the
wooden barriers and the house walls, and took a walk along
the forbidden ways.

"tr rff ^6 'fp WP ^F ^F

I will conclude this budget of stories with a word picture

Stories of the Italian Campaign. 367

of the Carso, or Karst, from the pen of a Scottish chaplain
long resident in Venice.* When next I describe the fighting
on this front I shall have to tell you of the Italian advance
along the Carso. You can only realize the enormous diffi-
culties which beset the Italians in this part of their campaign
if you have a clear picture in your mind of the wilderness of
desolation known as the Carso.

" We are here on the edge of the Karst (in Italian, Carso),
and on the edge of the fighting. In years gone by the word
Karst made me think of our own word Carse, and of the bonnie
Carse o' Gowrie.f It does so still — not, however, by way of
likeness, but of contrast. A more barren, forbidding, inhospi-
table tract of country than the Karst I never saw. As far as
the eye can reach northwards and eastwards — yes, and much
farther than one could walk or even drive in a long summer's
day — there is nothing but a treeless, lifeless, waterless wilder-
ness of rough ground, strewn all over with rugged limestone
boulders of all sizes. Everywhere, too, there are large funnel-
shaped holes, some fifty feet in diameter, some a few hundreds.
Their sides are perfectly formed, and slope gradually down-
wards until they come to a point at the bottom. They are all
of moderate depth, from fifty to a hundred feet ; the sides are
generally grown over with grass, and sometimes there are
clumps of shrubs and dwarf trees. Occasionally they are flat-
tened at the bottom, and cultivated."

The writer then goes on to say that if there is nothing of
beauty on the surface of the Karst, there is a wealth of it under-
neath. The surface is only a crust, covering a fairy world
below ground. At Adelsberg, some thirty miles south-east of
Gorizia, there are marvellous caves, the largest and most mag-
nificent in Europe. They run under the Carso, and for five
and a half miles you may traverse streets and lanes lighted by
electricity, and pass from one to the other of four vast grottos,
in one of which balls are held twice a year. Everywhere glisten-
ing columns of huge stalactites are seen. There are lakes and
pools in which their splendours are reflected, and streams and
rivulets working their way to the light, and slowly enlarging
the caves as they do so. In the waters live eyeless fish.

* Scotsman, March 24, 1916.

t Rich arable district on the north bank of the Tay, stretching for
fifteen miles from the Hill of Kinnoul towards Dundee.

368 The Children's Story of the War.

*' But it is not in this enchanted region that the ItaHan
soldiers are fighting, but on the dreary, wild, spongelike, rocky
crust above, now colder and drearier than ever, for it is covered
with snow, and frequently enveloped in mist. Across it, too,
often blows, at this season of the year, the * Bora,' a fierce
north-east wind, which has been known to unroof houses,
overturn loaded wagons, and even stop a railway train. Indeed,
the railway at many places is protected against it by lofty but-
tressed walls of wood and stone.

" This, then, is the Carso, where the Italian soldiers are
fighting. The conflict calls for patience, courage, perseverance,
and endurance, and these virtues the Italians exercise with
right good will. It ought to, be remembered that the whole
European conflict hangs together as one. No matter where
the fighting is, the result is not merely local,' but general. For
example, the heroic conduct of the French at Verdun roused
the Italians to undertake a vigorous offensive here on the
Carso, which in its turn was felt at Verdun, as it prevented
the transport thither of Austrian troops and cannon."

TP ^T TT TT TT TT

The Austrians, says the same writer, were so badly fed
that at places where the trenches were within shouting distance
they frequently begged the Italians to throw them some bread.
Not only were they badly fed, but badly cared for, and the
consequence was that they were glad to be taken prisoners.

** One of the happiest of these Austrian prisoners was a
young aviator. His sympathies were Italian, as are those of
most of the inhabitants of the towns and villages on the banks
of the Isonzo, and along the southern edge of the Carso towards
Trieste. He told us how five times he flew over Venice as
a pilot. Once he was ordered to circle over St. Mark's Square.
At a height of 4,000 feet he could see the people walking up
and down and sitting at the cafes, all gazing up at his aero-
plane. A bomb was dropped, and the piazza cleared in a
moment, but soon filled up again. He did not know whether
it was aimed at the Campanile, on which the Austrians falsely
assert anti-aircraft guns were mounted, or at St. Mark's Church.
Fortunately, the bomb fell between the two, doing no more
damage than making a hole in the pavement of the piazza.
The aviator himself was glad to learn this fact."

' CHAPTER XLIV.

THE GREAT RUSSIAN RECOVERY.

IT is to Russia that we must turn if we would witness the
great and moving drama of the war. Neither France nor
Britain has suffered so many and such striking reverses of for-
tune as she ; neither of them has been Hfted to such heights
of hope or flung down to such depths of gloom. At one mo-
ment we see her banners waving on the field of triumph ; the
scene suddenly changes, and she hovers on the brink of dis-
aster. Every misfortune in the whole armoury of fate seems
to be heaped upon her ; yet her courage never falters, and her
faith grows not dim. From every blow she recovers, taught
by experience and chastened by suffering. She presses on
anew and never despairs, assured that in the end the God of
battles will reward her patient and uncomplaining fortitude
with the crown of victory.

We see her at the outset of war suffering one of the cruellest
defeats in her history, but in the Austrian crown-land of
Galicia moving from success to success, while the watching
world foretells that ere long her legions will tread the soil of
their arch-enemy. A threat to her northern line, and she is
forced to retrace her steps and give up all that she has won.
We see her next meeting a furious thrust at Warsaw, the key
fortress of Poland, and flinging back the foe almost from the
gates of the city. Then once more we hear the thunder of
hoofs, the tramp of armed men, and the rumble of the guns
as she presses westward over her old tracks. Towns and
cities fall before her ; she struggles amidst the wooded hills
and bare peaks of the mountain barrier of Hungary, and is
almost within sight of the German border. Again she beats
V. 24

370 The Children's Story of the War.

off an attack on the Polish capital, and is rewarded by a victory
that just falls short of disaster for her enemy.

The tide of battle ebbs and flows in Galicia ; Russia re-
coils, but still keeps her footing on alien soil. In the spring
of 191 5, when she grievously lacks arms and ammunition, her
enemies assail her with a tempest of fire, and she is forced
back and back almost to her own frontier. Her doom seems
to be sealed ; but her generals have the courage to retreat into
the bowels of their own land, drawing the foe after them.
All her conquests are abandoned ; her fortresses are over-
whelmed ; she yields whole provinces to the invader, and leaves
hundreds of thousands of her people to the mercy of a pitiless
conqueror. Eastward and ever eastward she moves, and mean-
while her arsenals and foundries work night and day at feverish
heat to put weapons into the hands of her soldiers ; the Allies
come to her aid, and slowly but surely she gains the strength
to oppose her enemies. Her forces in the south press for-
ward again ; they gain ground, and once more fortune smiles
upon her. At the close of the year 19 15 there is every sign
that her recovery cannot be long delayed.

* * * * * m *

You remember the line which the Russians held through
the long dark winter. From the Gulf of Riga it ran along the
western bank of the Dwina as far as Dvinsk ; then it struck
south, some fifty miles to the east of Vilna, passed to the west
of Baranovitchi,* and plunged into the Marshes of the Pripet.
Thence it proceeded southward in front of Rovno, and so on
to the border of Rumania — a distance in all as the crow flies
of about six hundred miles, though, of course, much more if
all the curves and twists and zigzags of the line are taken into
account.

Fix your attention for a few moments on the Marshes of
the Pripet. f This great stretch of water-logged ground, with
here and there patches of hard soil, is never fit for the move-
ments of great masses of men. Rarely even in the depths of
winter is it so firmly frozen that guns and transport can move
freely across it. The Marshes divide the eastern front into two
distinct parts, and compel both friend and foe to treat the
northern section as a command quite separate from the southern
section.

* Bar-an-o-vit'chee. f See map, p. 379.

Crossing the Pripet Marshes.

{from i he picture by H. C. Sep pings- Wright. By permission of The Illustrated London News.)

All over the surface of the marshes are deep sluggish streams and flat island patches ot
firmer ground. To cross the streams and link together the few tauseways that cross the
district, the Russians built timber bridges supported on trestles. A Russian infantry regiment
is here seen marching over one of these bridges.

372 The Children's Story of the War.

You know enough about the cHmate of Russia to be well
aware that during winter warlike operations must be brought
almost to a standstill. Were hard frost to prevail all the
time, armies could move and battles could be fought. There
are, however, intervals of partial thaw which turn fields and
roads into morasses, along which wheeled vehicles cannot make
their way.

Then comes the spring. In Western Europe it is a de-
lightful season, full of the promise of summer. But in Eastern
Europe it is the time when the frozen ground gives up its
moisture and the whole land becomes a quagmire. Trenches
are flooded, low levels become inland seas, and the roads are
axle-deep in mud. When the thaw is over, a season of about
six months sets in, and during this time troops and transports
can be moved freely and war can be waged in real earnest.

In the south operations can begin earlier. You will re-
member that von Mackensen was able to begin his great drive
on April 28, 1915. In 1916, however, it was not until the
beginning of June that the Russians were ready to make the
great advance which I am about to describe. They did not
intend to put their fortunes to the test until they were fully
armed and munitioned. They chose a fortunate hour in which
to strike. The Germans were in the midst of their great
assault on Verdun, and needed every man and gun that they
could spare for service in France. The Austrians were also
involved in a great offensive in the Trentino, where, as you
know, they had massed 400,000 men and large numbers of
heavy guns. The Russians began their advance at the moment
when their foes had weakened their eastern front, and were
so deeply engaged elsewhere that they could find but few
reinforcements.

In what part of the line should they strike — to the south
of the Pripet marshes, or to the north ? They chose the south-
ern sector, for several reasons. First of all, because it was
held mainly by Austrians, who are far less formidable foes
than Germans. The Russians were well aware that the Aus-
trians had sent many troops and the cream of their guns to
the Trentino front. Attacks on the southern sector would also
clear the Rumanian border, and, if successful, give them access
to Galicia and the best of all roads to the heart of Germany
and Austria.

The Great Russian Recovery. 373

We may divide this southern sector into three separate
arenas of war: (i) what is known as Volhynia* — that is, the
country between the marshes of the Pripet and Galicia ; (2)
a central section facing Eastern Galicia ; and (3) Bukovina.
During the winter Austrian armies under a kindly old gentle-
man, the Archduke Frederick, were holding the line from the
Pripet marshes to the border of Rumania. The Archduke's
troops had made themselves very comfortable in this region.
They had established bakeries and slaughter-houses behind
their lines, and had even erected sausage factories. There
were also vegetable gardens in the rear, and in the villages
and camps behind their lines pigs and cattle were fattened.
Mr. Stanley Washburn, the Times special correspondent, thus
describes the winter quarters of the Austrians as they appeared
when the Russians gained possession of them : —

" At a safe distance from rifle fire behind the Unes one came on the
officers' quarters, which seemed Hke a park in the heart of the forest. Here
one found a beer garden with buildings beautifully constructed from logs,
and decorated with rustic tracery, while chairs and tables made of birch
still stood in lonely groups about the garden just where they were left
when the occupants of the place suddenly departed. In a sylvan bower
was erected a beautiful altar of birch, trimmed with rustic traceries, the
whole being surrounded by a fence through which one passed under an
arch neatly made of birch branches. The Austrians must have had an
extremely comfortable time here. Everjrthing is clean and neat, and, no
matter how humble the work, always in good taste. One of the advancing
corps captured a trench with a piano in it. It was clear that the Austrians
did not spend a desolate or lonely winter on this front."

The Austrians, in Volhynia, in the centre, and farther south
in Bukovina, believed that their lines were impregnable.
Every possible device had been adopted to render them so. In
most places there were five lines of trenches, one behind the
other, some of them from 15 to 20 feet deep. Everywhere
they had field railways and a fine system of roads to supply
and reinforce their front. Where, as in the marshy regions
of Volhynia, trenches could not be easily dug, breastworks of
timber were erected, and were approached by causeways paved
with logs. In some places these log roads were built on em-
bankments, so as to be high above the floods. Between the
lower courses of the Styr and the Stokhod there were several
bridges of this kind, some of them over two miles long.

* Vo-lin'e-a.

374 The Children's Story of the War.

A German military writer on the 5th of June said that
the Russians would need armies several millions strong to
break through this formidable front. " The Russians," he said,
" can have no success unless they compel us to bring troops
from other theatres of war. But that will not be necessary,
for we are quite strong enough there to hold on the defensive."
He felt sure that '* this last adventure " of the Tsar's armies
would " end in disaster." He was soon to be undeceived.

The Russians in Volhynia and Bukovina were now under
the command of General Brussilov, of whom you have already
heard more than once in these pages. He came of an old
Russian noble family, and was a man of medium height and
spare build, with fine features and steady, sharp gray eyes.
He was a splendid horseman, and though sixty-three years of
age, was full of life and vigour. By his generalship in Galicia
during the earlier campaigns, and by his activity in September
191 5, when he captured Rovno, and even, for a short time,
Lutsk, he was already marked out as Ivanov's successor.

Brussilov had two objects in view in making his advance.
In Volhynia he proposed to capture the railway junction of
Kovel, so as to prevent the Germans to the north sending
reinforcements and material to the Austrians in the south.
When Kovel was seized he meant to strike south-westward,
and, in conjunction with a movement from the south, attempt
to envelop the Austrians and destroy their armies. At the
least he hoped to make them fall back.

In Bukovina he had another object in view. He proposed
to seize the important railway centre of Czernowitz,* and
occupy all the province. This would put him in touch
with the Rumanians, and enable them, if they should elect to
play a part in the war — as they did on 27th August — to begin
their operations without having the Austrians on their flank.
Further, by driving the Austrians out of Bukovina, Brussilov
would put himself on the right or southern flank of the Aus-
trians, who were holding the central part of the line.

By I St June the Austrians became aware that the Russians
were about to begin a great oflfensive. A flutter of alarm ran
along their lines, and they no longer boasted that they were
impregnable. The Germans, hoping to forestall the Russians,

* Tsher-nyo'vits, capital of Bukovina, Austria ; on the Prutli, 165 miles
by rail south-east of Lemberg.

General Brussilov. ypiioto, Record Pi esi.

Before the war Brussilov was widely known in Russia as a brilliant cavalry leader. His
generalship in Galicia during the earlier campaigns, and his activity in September 19 15, marked
him out as the successor of Ivanov. His soldiers were devoted to him. A timid fnend
suggested to one of them that retreat might be necessary. " What— retreat I " replied the man.
"No. Impossible! We are Brussilovs I "

376 The Children's Story of the War.

began an attack north of the Marshes ; but it was of no effect,
and did not in the least interfere with the execution of Brussilov's
plans. For months he had been studying the enemy's positions,
and working out the best means of attacking them. On 4th
June his guns began to thunder all along the line of 250 miles,
and for a period of from twelve to twenty hours they never
ceased to hurl shells upon the Austrian trenches. The Austrians
were now tasting the medicine which von Mackensen had ad-
ministered to the Russians fifteen months before.

When the artillery preparation was over, the Russians dashed
forward with the bayonet, and in a short time were in posses-
sion of the Austrian first-line trenches. Then the Russian
gunners lifted their sights and lengthened their fuses, and
rained down a curtain of fire which cut off all communication
with the rear. The Austrians were trapped ; the solid deep
trenches of which they had boasted proved to be snares. Thou-
sands were killed by the Russian bayonets, and though the
Hungarians fought furiously for a time, they were soon seen
holding up their hands.

On that 4th day of June the Russians captured no less
than 13,000 prisoners. Even more remarkable was their
success on the third day of the offensive (6th June), when the
haul of prisoners numbered 40,000 rank and file and 900
officers. Artillery, machine guns, trench mortars, search-
lights, and all sorts of war material also fell into their hands.
A number of batteries were taken with guns and limbers all
complete. We in the West stood amazed at the swift overthrow
of the Austrians, and at the enormous number of prisoners
captured in three short days. The success of the Russians was
due to the splendid timing of the operations all along the line,
and to the fine way in which the various branches of the service
supported each other. '* On our entire front," a correspondent
wrote, " the attack began at the same hour, and it was im-
possible for the enemy to shift his troops from one quarter to
another, as our attacks were being pressed equally at all points."

TT TT TP TT ^F TT

The greatest success during the opening days of the offensive
was won in Volhynia, where the Russians were aiming at the
railway junction of Kovel, the meeting-place of five railways,
and at the strongly-fortified city of Lutsk, which stands on the
Styr, about one hundred miles to the south-east of Kovel,

The Great Russian Recovery. 377

Should Kovel fall, the enemy would be forced to abandon all
that he held east of that place and south of the Marshes. On
the opening day of the attack the Russians broke clean through
the Austrian lines, and their cavalry poured through the gaps
and cut off all retreat. Next day, while the Archduke was
celebrating his birthday at Lutsk, the alarming news reached
him that his " impregnable front " had been pierced in half
a dozen places, and that the Russians were advancing with
amazing speed. Fresh troops were hurried up to stem the
torrent, but in vain. In two days the Russians advanced more
than twenty miles, and everywhere the enemy fled before them.
So great was the panic of the Austrians that at one point they
left six 4-inch guns ready loaded, and cases of shell beside them.
About half-past eight on the evening of 6th June the Russians
began to pour into Lutsk. Everywhere they saw signs that the
enemy had retreated in hot haste. Military stores of all kinds
had been left behind, and thousands of wounded had been
abandoned.

Not until 1 6th June was the Russian advance in Volhynia
stayed. By this time a great bulge had been made in the
Austro-German line. The bulge began at Kolki, on the Styr,
then followed the course of the river Stokhod. West of Lutsk
it was more than fifty miles deep. A great salient had been
created, and the Russians were in a favourable position for
breaking through to the north-west towards Kovel, and to the
south-west towards Lemberg.

The Germans, of course, counter-attacked, and a violent
battle raged in the strip of ground, only six or eight miles wide,
between the Styr and the Stokhod. The Germans were
beaten back, and a Siberian regiment crossed the Stokhod
and captured a whole German battalion. In the same battle
the Hussars of White Russia charged through three lines of
the enemy, and did awful execution. On the evening of i6th
June the Russian right wing was only about twenty miles from
Kovel, while the left wing was seven miles from Brody.

At this point we must leave the northern section and learn
what was happening in the central section, between Dubno
and Buczacz.* The Russian troops in this part of the line were
set the task of holding the enemy's centre while the great out-
flanking movements from the north and the south were in

* Boot'shatsh.

3 78 The Children's Story of the War.

progress. While the forces in the Bukovina were pressing
northward to get on the right flank of the enemy, the forces in
Volhynia were pushing southward to get on his left flank, and
thus envelop him. Pressed on both flanks, the Austrians strove
to break the Russian centre, and very hot fighting followed.
In the central sector no great advance was made, or indeed
expected. Nevertheless some ground was gained. Dubno,
the third of the Volhynian fortresses, was captured, and by
1 6th June the Russian frontier station on the line from Rovno
through Brody to Lemberg had been seized. During these
operations one of the newly formed Russian regiments behaved
most gallantly. After a fierce fight the men forded a river
with the water up to their chins. ** One company was engulfed,
and died a heroic death ; but the valour of their comrades
and their officers resulted in the disorderly flight of the
enemy, of whom 70 officers and 5,000 men were taken
prisoners." *

One stirring incident of this struggle must not be forgotten.
It is the story of a dashing attack made by Russian cavalry on
eight dismounted regiments of Hungarian horsemen.

" In the early morning of 8th June the Russians started out from a
certain hamlet, and forced the stream with such unexpected rapidity that
the Hungarians had no time to destroy the bridge, and hurriedly retreated
to a village which we will call S. On the following day the Russians awaited
the arrival of an infantry brigade before starting the attack, which began
about 8 p.m. Dragoons were in front, with Hussars behind them, and
Lancers and Ural Cossacks in the rear. The charge was led by the com-
mander of the regiment, his senior staff officer, the adjutant, and the chap-
lain: In front waved the regimental standard. The chaplain blessed the
commander and the men, and then took part in the attack. Stretched out
in one long line, squadron after squadron charged, till the field was covered
with horsemen, whose shining lance points and swords flung back the rays
of the setting sun. The enemy's fierce but scattered rifle and Maxim fire
failed to check them, though in that mad charge many horses fell with
their riders. The Hungarians pushed forward two or three battalions in
order to take the Russians in the rear ; but this move had been foreseen,
and Russian flanking forces with Maxims mowed them down as they emerged
from the woods. The survivors were driven back in disorder. The Hun-
garians fought bravely, and groups of them made a desperate stand. Some
of them flung away their rifles, and, seizing the lances, strove to wrest them

* Colonel Tataroff, whose troops performed this fine feat, was wounded
in the heart by a shrapnel bullet in the third week of July. He cried out,
" I am killed ! " but by a supreme effort rose to his feet and dashed forward,
shouting, " Charge ! " He died with this order on his lips.

Map to illustrate the Russian Offensive between the Marshes of the Pripet
and the Rumanian Border.

The broad black line shows the Russian front on June 2, 1916.

380 The Children's Story of the War.

from the troopers' grasp. Their resistance, however, was in vain. All was
soon over. Some two thousand prisoners were taken, and many trophies,
including two howitzers, which the Russians removed by harnessing their
horses to them with traces made of plaited strips cut from their cloaks.
At 9 p.m. the bugles sounded the ' Fall in,' and though not all responded
to the muster roll, the Russian losses were inferior to those of the enemy.
The Hungarian general, in congratulating the Russian cavalry, said :
' We thought cavalry had outlived its time, but evidently there is still
good work left for it to do.' "

The Austrians had by this time brought their ill-starred
adventure in the Trentino to an end, and they were hurrying
men and guns to the eastern front in order to " stop the rot."
The Germans also had scraped together troops from France
for the purpose of flinging them into the great gap in the
Austrian lines. On i6th June they began a violent counter-
ofi^ensive, and the Russians were forced to withdraw from the
western bank of the Stokhod. Many days of fierce battle
followed, with the result that the Lutsk salient was slightly flat-
tened out. The Germans fought desperately ; they knew that
a new Russian army was about to take the field, and that the
British and French were ready to make a mighty assault in
the West. They therefore strove with all their might to beat
back the Russians while there was yet time. All the efforts
of the Germans, however, could not win back the ground that
had been lost.

1^. 4t. ^ ^^ ^^ ^U ^t

•TT TT TT TP TP W TT

Look at the map on page 379, and ^ follow the course of
the river Dniester, which rises on the north-eastern slopes of
the Carpathians and winds its way across Eastern Galicia.
Notice its tributary the Strypa, which flows almost due south
to join the main stream. For about thirty miles the Strypa
formed the front between the opposing armies. The country
west of the river is a high plateau seamed by deep ravines,
each with a river flowing at the bottom and dense woods on
the steep banks. You can easily understand that these ravines
formed a strong natural line of defence. Farther north, as
far as Tarnopol, the ground is undulating, the valleys are
marshy, and the rivers broaden out in many places into ponds
and lakes. In this part of the line the Russians made but
little headway. Farther south, however, they won a striking
success. After ten days of battle the Austrians were driven
from the eastern bank of the Strypa, and ground was gained

The Great Russian Recovery. 381

beyond the river. Many prisoners and a number of big guns
fell to the victors. Then came a lull ; the advance was not
resumed until the early days of July.

*******

Now we must see how the Russians fared in Bukovina,
which, you will remember, is a mountainous country thickly
covered with forests, in which the beech trees from which
the province takes its name are most common. About twenty
miles south of the Dniester runs the Pruth, and still further to
the south is the river Sereth. A glance at the map shows you
that the valleys of the Pruth and the Sereth are the natural
highways of Bukovina. Along them run the railways and the
roads ; between them is very difficult hill country.

The thick black line on the map shows you how the Russian
front ran south of the Marshes when their offensive began on
2nd June. You will notice that it touched the Dniester at the
point U. It roughly followed the winding course of that river
eastward and near Okna, then struck southward to the Pruth.
To the south-west of the loop where the line swung round to
the south there is a little plain. The Russians proposed to
cross the Dniester, carry this plain, and from it begin their
advance into Bukovina. On 2nd June they opened a bom-
bardment of the Austrian positions on the plain, and two days
later flung their infantry across the river. The Austrians with-
drew a few miles, only to discover that another attack had
begun on their right flank. A very desperate battle was fought,
and the Hungarians showed great courage ; but after four
days of struggle the enemy began to give way. By 9th June
he was beaten, and the Russians were only fourteen miles from
Czernovitz. Over 18,000 soldiers, some 350 officers, and ten
guns were captured.

A wedge had now been driven in between the Dniester and
the Pruth, and the gates into Bukovina were wide open. The
defeated Austrians sought safety in flight, and the Russians
followed hard after them. On the morning of 13th June the
people of Sniatyn,* a town on the Pruth about midway be-
tween Czernovitz and Kolomea,f saw their own soldiers stream-
ing through the streets in hurried retreat. All night long they
had heard the roar of guns, and had seen the sky red with
the glow of burning villages. Homeless refugees, v.ith all that
* Shnee-a'tin. f Kol-o'mya.

382 The Children's Story of the War.

they could save from the wreck of their homes, had been com-
ing in for days past. In the afternoon the Russians entered
Sniatyn for the third time during the war.

The Austrians were now in full flight. On the line of the
Pruth they made a stand for three days ; but their plight was
hopeless, and they knew it. On Sunday, nth June, the officials
of Czernovitz posted bills informing the people that they would
probably be under the fire of Russian guns that day. Six days
later Austrian transports of all kinds were rolling through the
streets, and the rumour that the soldiers were behind them
sent a thrill of despair through the city. Trains crammed with
refugees left the station. In the course of one day between
6,000 and 8,000 people abandoned their homes.

Prisoners were taken in shoals. Between the 4th and the
1 3th of June the Russian armies which started from the Dniester
had captured more than 750 officers, nearly 40,000 men, and
large numbers of guns and Maxims. On i6th June the line of
the Pruth was forced, and next morning Russian troops entered
Czernovitz, and were received with joy by those of the resi-
dents who had remained. For the fifth time during this war
Czernovitz had fallen into the hands of a conqueror.

Once the Pruth was passed the Russians moved rapidly.
Three days later they crossed the Sereth. On 22nd June
Kuty, on a tributary of the Pruth, was entered, and from
three sides — north-east, east, and south-east — Russian forces
rapidly closed in on Kolomea. The capture of this town would
give them the entrance to the Delatyn Pass, by means of which
they could if they wished threaten the plains of Hungary. Mean-
while the country south of the Sereth was being overrun.
After a stubborn fight on the evening of 23rd June the town
of Kimpolung, only a few miles from the Rumanian border,
was seized. With the capture of this place the whole of the
Bukovina was once more in the hands of the Russians. In
three weeks they had conquered a province more than half as
large as Wales, and were on the borders of Rumania.

Hf * m * * * *

The whirligig of time had at last brought its revenges.
Within a single month Russia had inflicted a series of smashing
defeats upon those who, less than a year ago, fondly imagined
that they had made an end of her. Never in all the history of
warfare had such enormous captures of men and material been

Cossacks bringing in Austro-German Prisoners.

KFrom the picture by H. C. Sef pings- Wright. By permission of The Illustrated London News. )

In popular slories the Cossacks are often accused of cruelty. Here they are seen helping along
their footsore and weary prisoners, and carrying the wounded upon their horses.

384 The Children's Story of the War.

made in so brief a time. Between one-third and one-half of
all the Austro-German forces between the Marshes and the
Rumanian border had fallen into Russian hands. Between 4th
June and the end of the month no fewer than 217,000 Austrians
and Germans had been made prisoners, and the number of
killed and wounded could hardly be estimated. In any former
war such huge losses would have meant utter ruin to the side
that suffered them ; but in this war, which is a war of nations
and not of armies, the blow was not decisive. There were many
bitter battles yet to be fought before the Central Powers were
ready to cry, '* Hold, enough ! "

The Russian hammer-strokes had not yet ceased to fall.
The second chapter of the great offensive was about to be
opened. The story, of how it fared must be left to our next
volume.

* * * * * ^ *

So ended the first half of the year 19 16. In six months
the whole aspect of the war had changed. The Central Powers
had failed, alike in the West, in the East, and in the South.
They had wasted their armies in a terribly costly struggle for
the possession of a city that had no value save the faded glory
of a name, and they had vainly flung away life and credit
amidst rocky steeps and Alpine snows. And while they were
thus draining away their failing strength Russia arose like a
giant refreshed, and smote them hip and thigh. Ere her
mighty onset was stayed, Britain and France, shoulder to
shoulder, were on the eve of the vastest offensive ever es-
sayed by man. So, on the last evening of June, the stars
that gleamed forth in the heavens were beacons of hope and
promise to the Allies. They had good cause to believe that
the night was far spent and the day was at hand.

END OF VOLUME FIVE.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

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