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Campaign History of the 151e Régiment d'Infanterie - XIII
~ 1916 ~
Verdun - Second Tour (5-9 April) - Part I
The origin of the name Le Mort Homme (literally, the "Dead Man") has now been lost to time. Alistair Horne posited it perhaps some forlorn traveler who became lost in a snowstorm centuries before and died alone in the cold. What's more certain is that it had already been the scene of savage fighting for weeks when the 42 DI is sent up in early April 1916. German forces had made multiple bloody attempts to take Le Mort Homme and the other heights on the Left Bank of the Meuse in March. Mort Homme was a large twin-peaked summit situated at the end of a long ridge that rose from Left Bank of the Meuse in a southeasterly direction. The summits of Mort Homme were referred to by their height in meters: Côte 265 and, several hundred meters to the south of the Côte 295 (which itself had a lower summit at 287 meters just to the north of 295 proper). Any literal reference to height of the summits can be forgotten. would become irrelevant. The shelling unleashed here was so extreme that 10 meters of top soil was blasted off the surface.
At the cost of enormous bloodshed and loss of material, the Germans had managed to get a foothold on the 265 in late March, pushing the French out of their first-line positions. The intermediary line in the saddle between the sister summits on Côte 295 (i.e. 287 and 295). then became the new French first-line, with a covering trench line on the reverse slope immediately below the summit. A secondary line fortification was located several hundred meters to the south of this. General Deville's warning to be ready for combat would prove all too correct in a matter of days.
5 April: On 5 April the 151 is alerted that it will be going up to the front to relieve the 150 RI. As usual, Lieut.-Colonel Moisson with his senior officers and machine-gun company commanders leave in the morning to carry out a reconnaissance of the regiment's new sector at Mort Homme. Around noon the regiment is boarded onto trucks where they progress up a country road until linked up with the la Voie Sacrée ("the Sacred Way"). Jubert reflected on the dualistic nature of the road:
Every day for two months there were two kinds of processions that passed each other continuously. In convoys by the hundreds, there were the endless lines of heavy motor trucks veiled in long green tarps. The convoys looked alike, but they are not the same. They follow each other like night follows day, like death follows life; those coming from Verdun and those going there.The convoy continues its slow, lurching drive along the critical artery until it reaches Baleycourt, where the men are told to get out. The trucks can go no further without risking coming under artillery fire, so the rest of journey will be done on foot. From Baleycourt the regiment must backtrack a short distance to Blercourt. Mobile kitchens waiting for the men there, though it seems only some companies were able to enjoy a meal before heading up to the front lines. The 1 Company (1 Battalion) set off immediately without receiving any food. The 11 Company (3 Battalion) on the other hand fared better. They wouldn't depart Blercourt until later that night. The men quietly ate their soup in the darkness and then took advantage of the delay to get a little sleep in the damp grass and the icy wind.
These trucks, loaded and containing men packed together, hot air, strong odors, shining eyes, a feverish and congested mass. Some are young, dressed in nine; their faces and their hands are clean; they seem dressed for a party, but their faces are sad, their dreamy eyes, their voices silent and abandoned. The others are dirty, ragged; their hands are black and their faces; they wear bruises and linens; in relation to other they seem poor. But their faces are gays; they sing ; we feel they would not change the point of fate; even they have some pity on the best clothes they intersect. Were not they the same yesterday? The rag is enjoyed at this time, because the danger that has made it a respected man she raises now. There was a striking contrast between the gaiety in dirty faces, finally issued a distress too long and serious faces, silent, of those who, dressed as for a party, had not yet won their game against fate.
The relief march up to Mort Homme would be long and difficult. The first stage took them over muddy roads that traversed up and down the rolling ridges. From Blercourt the regiment first passed through Jouy-en-Argonne before proceeding onto Sivry-la-Perche. German 380 shells thundered loudly as they passed overhead like some enormous invisible wagons rolling down a cobblestone street. A little ways further columns reached the ridges overlooking Germonville, where the French heavy artillery thundered away ceaselessly, the muzzle blasts lighting up the column in a fevered flickering as it trudged by. Jubert recalled:
The march lasts all through the night, slow and trying, toward the luminous zone that envelops the battle. Now and then, a hellish noise throws one's hearing off as a big caliber cannon spits out a heavy shell. The flame bursts not 10 meters away from us. There is the sound, and then for a minute we are deafened. The young new recruits were grave and silent. Even before encountering the enemy, the first sensation of the brutality of death's workings makes an impression on them...Upon entering Germonville the regiment had already gone over 13 km, but the march would only get more difficult from here. From the village the column left the road and took to the open country, skirting Bois Bourrus to the west before crossing over the plain that led toward Chattancourt and Mort Homme beyond. Cpl.-Four. Laporte noted:
A shell bursts 10 meters away from my company causing disorder in the ranks. In the darkness, there was yelling and running, and we had to reorder the files and the ranks. But the ineffectiveness of the projectile had already reassured them. The new recruits retake their place without too much trembling. They've had their first lesson in danger.
After having skirted along the edge of a large woods [Bois Bourris] and by a few villages in ruins, we pass through the area of what had been Chattencourt [sic, Chattancourt], this village being the closest to the front. The shells here fell without nonstop and numerous gaps were torn in our ranks before reaching our trenches.By the time Campana's company passed Bois Bourrus it was midnight, with the most difficult part of the trek still to come. Campana recounted the experience:
Our torture commenced. The waterlogged ground was strewn with telephone wires, barbed-wire, and especially shell-holes. The night was so dark you couldn't see a meter in front of yourself. The men, in single-file, held onto the bayonet scabbard of the man in front. We advanced blindly groping our way forward to the far off front lines. We were led by a guide who, fortunately for us, knew the terrain. At 2 am we rested for a few minutes. On the horizon, flickering pale-colored lights appeared and then disappeared. A low roar reached our ears as we approached the battlefield.The regiment entered the first communication trench while they were still several kilometers from the front lines. The windy and seemingly interminable trenches and -- as per the norm at Verdun -- were also too shallow to afford any real protection from projectiles. Already, the men could hear stray bullets singing by overhead and smack into the earth around them, like deadly songbirds hurtling down from the sky.
Kilometers followed kilometers. The darkness became less thick as the dawn light began to bathe us, the sky taking on an ashy gray, then violet to pale green, and finally a bluish hue. The morning clouds were burned away by the first rays of the sun.The 1 and 2 Battalions went into line on the summit of Mort Homme; 1 Battalion on the left, 2 Battalion on the right. From his position, Campana could see another company in front (north) of his own installing itself in the first-line trench that traversed the saddle between the sister summits on Côte 295 (i.e. 287 and 295). This afforded Campana and the men of 1 Company some relative security, allowing them to get a little rest. Once they arrived in their trench, exhaustion immediately overwhelmed the men:
It was now 4:30 am. We had been marching since 9:00 pm the previous evening and we still hadn't arrived. We passed over several defensive lines of entrenchments, followed a line of batteries, passed the brigade PC, and at last arrived at our trenches we were to occupy on the top of Mort Homme at 6:00 am.
They didnt even have the strength to find shelters. They laid down randomly, wherever they could - on the fire-steps, in the communication trenches, in the mud - and immediately fell asleep, totally wiped out from the dreadful march. I followed their example, stretched out on the ground and passed out.Laporte and the 1 MG Company set their guns up in a position on the left (western) side of Mort Homme. As they had experienced during their first rotation on Côte de Froideterre and Ravin de la Mort, the situation in the second-line positions was in fact worse than that in the first-line:
We took up our positions around 5:00 am...in the middle of a violent bombardment. Wrecked night and day by the bursting of shells of all calibers, only the remnant of trenches now remained. In reality, we were connected simply by a line of holes (or more accurately, excavations). Only a few shelters still remained.Because of the inevitable slow progress and endless delays faced by 3 Battalion in it's approach to the front, it was unable to reach its assigned second-line position before daylight arrived, forcing a halt its movement until darkness returned. To avoid the risk of being spotted by enemy aircraft and artillery spotters, it would spend the day at Germonville.
The rising sun seemed to further rouse the god of war. The enemy artillery now became more active and the intensity of the bombardment grew stronger. It would continue throughout the length of the day. Despite this, Laporte again volunteered to lead a ration resupply party. The harrowing tale is recounted here in full:
Not a meter of ground escaped the shelling and it was a miracle that any human being could survive under this deluge of hell-fire. Everything was flashes, detonations, smoke. That evening around midnight, I took advantage of a light lull and went out on a rations resupply, accompanied by eight poilus, all volunteers. The "promenade" was certainly hazardous. We were just leaving our positions when a rain of shrapnels [shells] hit us. One of the poilus in our party was thrown to the ground, killed instantly by a shrapnel ball that struck him right in his forehead. We stopped for a moment and after relieving our poor comrade of his load of canteens, we set back off on our route right through the bursting shells.
Countless times we had to throw ourselves down to the ground to avoid the huge fragments that whistled their death cry as they plummeted down in all directions! After much excitement, we finally reached the small village of Chattencourt [sic], which we passed through without incident. A Small village! In reality, imagine piles of bricks and scorched beams with streets made of water-filled shell-holes. It wasn't very easy to walk through on this black night, amidst all this chaos.
About 2 km past the entrance to the village we found the mobile field kitchens. And how happy our cooking comrades were to see us: "So, over there? How's it going?" etc. Our provisioning complete, we rested a moment before heading back fully loaded, the body draped with canteens and stew-pots. While moving back through the village, we pass other fatigue parties. We weren't entirely alone out here; this route was the most practicable. And after each spectacular chute of mud [from bursting shells] rained back down, the curses of the men always ended in laughter. The most important thing was to not lose the slightest portion of the precious rations.
We left Chattencourt [sic] in the direction of Mort-Homme around 2:00 am [on 6 April]. The bombardment was going stronger than ever, gradually increasing in intensity as we advanced. Once again we reentered Hell. We walked in zigzag in order to avoid (so we believed) the fire of the German batteries, which sometimes continued firing on the same point. We trudged on like this for more than an hour when all of a sudden, believing to be in our trenches, we heard shouting in a voice we knew all too well: we were at the edge of a German trench. In the pitch-black night, we had lost our way. Needless to say (with now weapons and only the precious rations in hand), we all huddled up in an enormous shell-hole. After we could no longer hear anything suspicious, we turned back in the direction from which we came with the greatest speed despite our load.
I've never been able to explain how, but an hour later we arrived back safe and sound in our own trenches this time (if we hadn't had the death of a comrade to mourn, we wouldve had a good laugh). It was around 5:00 am. We were given a good welcome. Our comrades were afraid that we had all been laid out in this desert of fire. A chore duty of this type made it back one time out of two. That's why we had to call on volunteers. Anyways, we hadn't been knocked around all that bad this time. I recounted our story to the captain [Capitaine Antoine], who couldn't help from laughing despite the circumstances. We have to keep up morale afterall, dont we?
The rations distributed, the men of the fatigue went back to their places in their sections. Separated from us by about 100 meters was a section that only had an effective of fifteen men at this time. Our comrade who had been killed during the course of the fatigue was from this section and as the fatigue volunteers from the other sections were going back to their emplacements, I took the stew-pots and canteens myself to hand out the rations for this neighboring section. The 100 meters that separated me from them wasn't easy ground. It was a true obstacle course: nothing but shell-holes. Fortunately, the bombardment had calmed down some. I had hardly gone 20 meters when I fell flat on my chest. I had collided with a big poilu, who I had knocked also off his feet. He let out a curse which brought me back to my senses!
With my helmet in my hand, and before he had the time to get back on his feet, I landed a strong blow on his head (his helmet, by good fortune, had rolled off onto the ground). It was in fact a German who, without being fazed by the blow he had received, lifted his hands into the air and stammered out: "Kamarad Français." The only weapon I had on me was my revolver, but it was covered over by the canteens and when I fell. Even more, I had let half the stew-pots, which held meat and vegetables, tip over. I first made sure that he didn't have any weapons -- he was a young German of 18 or 19 years who was leaving his lines to surrender. I made him get in front of me and brought him to the captain. He wasn't the first one who had come over to our lines since the last two days...
I was weary after this long walk over the devastated terrain. I went to find my captain again. The interrogation of the prisoner was still going on. The "Fritz" seemed at ease. He confessed that they had suffered enormous losses. They'd been sent up as reinforcements, being previously on the Russian border, and were told that they were going to Paris. For them, Verdun was Paris!...But all they had managed to take up till now were shells of every caliber falling without letup. The interrogation over, the prisoner was lead to the rear, accompanied by a liaison agent.
Capt. Savary is evacuated from illness and Lieut. Le Gallo transfers from 9 Co. to 12 Co. to take command.
6 April: Up on the summit of 295, Campana had managed to get a few hours of sleep before waking up and conducting a quick inspection of the lines. This done, he went to find his shelter and was pleasantly surprised with its soundness it was halfway interred in ground with railway ties covered with a layer of stones and earth. He noted:
...It was an old artillery command post very solid and comfortable, even luxurious I must say. It contained two suspended frame beds made with wire mesh, a table, two stools, and a stove with a stove pipe, all of which had surely been taken from Chattencourt [sic, Chattancourt] by a poilu who was fond of the material comforts. Since Ive been at war, its the first time that I was the temporary proprietor of such an agreeable abode.From his shelter, Campana had a commanding view of the surrounding landscape. Far away on the horizon he could make out Montfaucon atop on its dominating height. In the shell-plowed plains below him he could make out the Forge stream winding its way through the devastating countryside. To his right was Chattancourt, which sat obscured by the yellow smoke of 105 shrapnel shells. On his left, Esne, the ruins of which were bathed in the soft light of the morning sun. And overlooking this village was Côte 304, where large plumes of smoke spurted up from the 210s and 305s that were crashing down just now on its slopes.
While Campanas position was so far spared from the same heavy caliber shells, the same could not be said about the 151s second-line positions. Laporte was with 1 MG Company in a support position and noted:
Our first day at Mort Homme was bad. The German artillery along with the French artillery gave us no respite. At nightfall, the bombardment lightened a bit...But the artillery duel continued to rage away over by [Esnes]. Our first-line trenches were very well situated and didn't suffer as much as the second-line, which was a hundred meters away from it.As darkness again obscured the land, the 3 Bat. is now able move up in reserve of the second-line positions. Jubert is among them and described the position he came to occupy:
The second-line fortress was dug below the summit, separated from the mother-summit of Mort-Homme [meaning Côte 295] by an angular double system of ravines. A company occupied the position, along with some machine-guns. On its wings it was joined to a line of trenches heading off to the east toward Chattancourt, and to the west across the Hayette Ravine. Dominated it from afar by Montfaucon hill (which was a threat to us), to the west of Côte 304, and to the northwest by the top of Mort-Homme, known as 291 [in reality, 295]. Under the view of these two hills, each of which protected the other, the second-line position wasn't really all that dangerous a place. The shells fell around it. Though there were no shelters to protect us from the rain, the majority of men rested in the communication trenches under their under tent-canvases, despite a daily bombardment that enveloped us with smoke.The disposition of the regiment on the evening of 6 April was as follows: on the left, 1 Bat. with three companies in the first-line (from left to right: 1, 3, 4) and 1 MG Co. and 2 Co. in support in the cover trenches; on the right, 2 Bat. with three companies in the first-line (from left to right: 8, 6, 5) and 2 MG Co. and 7 Co. in support in the cover trenches; in reserve in the second-line, 3 Bat. and 3 MG Co. The 162 RI is in liaison to the left of 1 Bat. and the 8 BCP is in liaison to the right of 2 Bat. Losses for the regiment on 6 April include 1 wounded (Sdt. Paubin). Capitaine Savary is evacuated for illness. Lieut. LeGallo is transferred from 9 Co. to 12 Co. to take command.
7 April: The men work to organize the sector, with the regiment on high-alert in expectation of a big attack. In the reserve positions, work on the fortress was handed off from the engineers who had constructed it to the companies of the 2 Bat. Each night, a section would be tasked with carrying on the work at night. The nights were brisk and those off-shift slept huddled up with a comrade, sharing blankets to keep warm. Otherwise, Juberts men had little to concerns themselves in their sheltered position. As a distraction from reading letters and books, they could look on Côte 304 and, in front of them less than kilometer away, Mort Homme smoking and bursting like a volcano under the storm of German shells. This bombardment continued to increase in intensity, a box barrage that saturates the first and second lines as well as in between. Laporte was up in the first-line under this avalanche of steel and remarked: I have never witnessed such a deluge of fire, to the point that deafness had begun to overcome those who still remained standing. Losses for the regiment on 7 April include 3 killed and 8 wounded. The casualties recorded in the JMO include:
Killed: Sdts. Phillpe (Paul), Caillet, Michel (Paul)
Wounded: Sgts. Paradis (René), Mangras; Cpl. Le Gall (Louis); Sdts. Chambat, Plichou, Colin (Octave), Luce, Brun (Joseph).
8 April: The day is calm. Around 1900 hrs, a German soldier was spotted coming over to the regiment's first-line trench with his arms up in the air and was let into the lines. Sous-Lieut. Campana asserted that the deserter was in fact first caught by a patrol lead by Lieut. Olivier and that he was brought straight to Capitaine Carrère's PC for an initial interrogation. The German, of Polish origin, declared that he'd deserted his post when he'd learned that his regiment would be attacking the next day. He also stated that a comrade of his had planned on surrendering as well. The JMO states that the deserter did not know the time of the attack. Campana claimed otherwise, saying that the man put the zero-hour of the preparatory bombardment was 0800 hrs, followed by the infantry attack at noon. Artillery of all calibers, heavy mortars, and even flame-throwers were to be used to soften the French positions. If the attack failed, the bombardment was to continue unabated until the evening.
Cpl. Laporte also recorded the episode of the two deserters in his diary, claiming that he in fact was present when the two deserters had surrendered. Perhaps understandably, there were some minor variances about the episode between his account, Campanas, and the JMO. For example, Laporte claimed that the two men, who spoke French very well, were Alsatians. The JMO and Sous-Lieut. Jubert assert that the men were Polish in origin. Either way, Laporte's account is still interesting:
My captain and I accompanied them to the battalion leader's PC, which was located 100 meters from us. There, our two prisoners immediately declared that the Crown Prince's army was going to launch a large-scale attack at noon on 9 April. These declarations concurred with other intelligence already received and the amplitude of the bombardment couldn't deny it.Both Campanas account and the JMO mention that, having provided this intelligence, the two prisoners were immediately escorted to Lieut.-Colonel Moissons PC where the information was repeated. After listening attentively to the report, Moisson thanked them for the invaluable information they had provided. But before dismissing them, he also told them that they were traitors to their country. It was a hard lesson for the now-dejected men.
All companies of the regiment were alerted to the imminent attack, immediately follow by reports to the other units of the 42 DI. Extra stores of ammunition and grenades were brought up. Laporte reported that a machine-gun had been placed every ten meters with all fields of fire pre-sighted. The anticipation amongst the men was palpable they were spoiling for a fight where they at last had the upper hand.
The news of the imminent enemy attack spread throughout the regiment. When Jubert was told to be ready to move his men forward the next day for a possible counter-attack, he quipped to a fellow officer: "This will do us good. We were starting to get out of the habit of dying."
Campanas section was located on the south slope of Mort Homme (height 295), just below the crest, and was sheltered from frontal fire. However, his position was open to enfilade fire from the German guns on Talou. Moreover, German air craft had photographed their trench, which ensured that German artillery could easily target their position.
At the same time, Campana had no view whatsoever of his friend, Lieut. Oliviers, positions at the bottom of the north slope of Mort Homme (height 295), nor of the enemys trenches save his third lines on height 265. That said, there was an advanced post 30 meters from Campanas trench that was placed just on the crest of the hill, which had a much better view of the surrounding terrain. He knew his own position would be targeted by German artillery, so Campana resolved to enlarge the post at night and shift his men there for the coming assault. Distributing picks and shovels to his men, he explained the purpose of their work and the men immediately understood the importance of the task. They would literally be digging for their lives, so Campanas men dug without break throughout the night. When morning came, the advantage of the position was obvious. The post overlooked the valley between heights 295 and 287, and afforded unobstructed views of Lieut. Oliviers positions in front, the entire German defensive system, and the positions of 7, 8, and 9 Cos. to his left. To his right, Lieut. Gontran had placed one of his machine-guns, which enjoyed a superb field of fire.
The rest of the night proved uneventful. The German side remained quiet: it was the calm before the storm. Lieuts. Boissin, Lielhoudt, and Teisserenc (previously evacuated) are brevetted as capitaines. Losses for the regiment on 8 April include 6 wounded (Cpl. Jau; Sdts. Morel (Eugene), Chuavet (Louis), Fauvart (Paul), Gelin (Jean), Roger (Lucien)).
9 April: The early morning remained calm. As he woke, Jubert gazed at his slumbering men: "They were sleeping, with no suspicion that death hovered over them. Like condemned men, they would only be awoken in order to die." At 0700 hrs, the German artillery opened up with a massive bombardment on Mort-Homme and the neighboring Hill 304. In fact, it was the heaviest one since the opening of the battle on February 21, So as to feign ignorance of the impending assault, the French artillery, contrary to the normal practice, fired only a few number of shells and far away from the interior of the German lines. All units in the 42 DI were on high-alert and the troops were all at their combat posts, waiting and ready. Campana was sitting in his newly expanded advanced post with his section. He had already ensured his men had their rifles ready and placed stockpiles of grenades within arms reach, and then waited.
As the sun rose, the day revealed itself to be clear and the sky free of clouds. Suddenly, at 0800 hrs as anticipated, a single 105 shrapnel shell burst in the air, producing a yellowish-green cloud of smoke and breaking the serene calm. It was the signal for the attack. Three more shells burst, one after the other, while on Côte 304 huge plumes of smoke burst out of the ground. Innumerable shells now roared overhead. At Chattancourt, a veritable storm of 150s plummeted down. Then from all around, columns of smoke black, gray, white, and yellow shot up from the earth as the general bombardment of the entire sector began. The ground under our feet shook as hundreds of shells detonated around them.From the sheltered position of the second-line positions, Jubert watched the spectacle unfold.
There were two distinct zones of fire: one smashed the trenches along the line of Côte 304 to 285 [really, 295 of Mort Homme], the other blocked the Colonel's ravine [Ravin de Chattancourt at the base of 295] where the enemy judged our reserves to be built up.The JMO states that the positions of 1 Bat. (on the left) began to be heavily bombarded at 0830 hrs. The storm of shells continued unabated for another three hours. The bombardment then doubles in intensity around 1100 hrs with shells of all calibers. Meanwhile, 2 Bat. (on the right) came under an even heavier bombardment than 1 Bat. The 7 and 8 Cos. (on the right flank of 2 Bat.) was particularly targeted by heavy minenwerfers. Campana could see both companies from his position and counted the shells coming down on the 7 and 8 Cos. positions at the rate of five a minute. Meanwhile, behind him, eight shells exploded nearly simultaneously in the trench he had abandoned the night before. A close escape indeed. To his right, he could see heavy plumes of black smoke rising up into the air the Germans were using flame-throwers against the chasseurs of the 8 BCP, turning the men into living torches. Meanwhile, in the skies above, German aircraft were very active, reporting back to their artillery the effects of their fire. One of these is shot down by a French Nieuport and crashes down in the French lines, the pilot burnt to a crisp.
I have rarely seen such a sight. It was massive in scale and had a life of its own. It spread out like a game of death in the beauty of the morning...Brushstroke was being added to brushstroke in quick succession, dozens at a time. So heavy you could suffocate if you were close. From a distance they looked fresh, harmonious to the eye. Thunderclouds floated across the sky, touched with the color of the morning. The sun has this virtue: beneath its rays, death takes on pure beauty.
At noon, the German artillery lengthened their fire and the bombardment achieved its maximum ferocity, the sound of the explosions now changing into a demented confusion of noise. A flare shot up from the German lines. It was then that the German infantry assault began. (Note: While Campana and Laporte said that the German infantry went over the top at 12 on the dot, the JMO states it was at 12:15). From his advanced post with its commanding view, Campana recorded the scene:
Suddenly, waves of German infantry now jumped out of their trenches and rushed forward toward our lines. A company of German infantry with bayonets fixed now charged against Campanas position. It pressed on a few meters, then, under the tac-tac of our machine-guns, it collapsed. Some men having escaped our volley of bullets fled back in disorder towards their jumping off positions. None made it back. Our merciless fire stopped them in their tracks and the survivors threw themselves to the ground.Laporte was also a witness in the first-lines and recorded the scene:
They were all superb, strapping fellows. When this mass of men in tightly packed ranks had gone a dozen meters, the cross fire of our machine-guns literally mowed-down the first ranks. The second wave then took its turn and immediately suffered the same fate as the first. Those Germans, and there weren't many, who managed to pass through this storm of metal were taken down by rifles or grenades.The situation was far more critical though elsewhere on the regiment's front. On the right, other waves of German infantry broke against the 7 and 8 Companies, whose trenches had been pulverized by the well-sighted heavy artillery fire and could not be adequately defended. Campana could see them clearly.
Gunner-Sergeant Dufour pointed his weapon on the teeming horde: the Hotchkiss spat out 300 bullets a minute. Under the rain of steel, the Boches tumbled down like toy soldiers and in a few seconds, many green-gray bodies lay scattered on the ground. Seized with panic, the survivors scattered in all directions. So each of my men chose his victim and did his best to knock off another pretty target. Not a single German made it back to his trench. In front of us, a calm settled in, but to the right and left waves of enemy advanced toward our positions and on the side of the 8 Chasseurs, the hideous black smoke continued to rise up.With the 1 MG Co., Cpl. Laporte was awestruck in the face of the fury of the fighting.
What an inferno of fire! What an infernal noise! The unending German waves were all made of tightly packed ranks. They gradually grew larger. Heaps of bodies were already laid out in front of us. The muzzles of the machine-guns turned red. We fired without stop. From their part, our 75 canons created enormous devastation in the German trenches, just behind the assault waves. Our heavy artillery rained down on the German reserves without stop. The Germans continued to fall in front of our lines. It was a real slaughter...Savoring the carnage unfolding before his eyes, Campana couldnt help but think back on the 6 October 1915 in Champagne, when the 151 had been slaughtered in the impenetrable barbed-wire. Though few of his men had been there with the 151 and escaped the massacre, Campana told his men about the disaster and inspired a deep abiding desire for revenge.
Angrily, hatefully, but with calm, they chose their prey. Rifle placed in the crook of the elbow, attentive, they scan the slopes covered in dead bodies. Under our violent bursts of gunfire, many Germans were pinned to the ground, hoping to escape the massacre by playing dead. But sometimes, either taken by a sudden panic or profiting from a moment of calm, they leapt up and ran back towards their trenches. Amused by this new type of hunt, my men took carefully aim and shoot them down like rabbits.Recovering from the shock, Campana could now see the German communication trenches that led back to the enemys third line teeming with little green men, like branches of a tree: it was Prussian chasseurs. They were over 1,000 meters away [on 265] and likely thought they could not be seen by the French, as many marched across the open ground in order to move up quicker. They Prussians advanced carrying their rifles in one hand, their bayonets reflecting the sunlight. Campana ran over to the corporal-gunner manning the nearby Hotchkiss of this excellent target and then rejoined his men. Once again, the machine-gun spat out its bullets by the hundreds and the men see a great agitation suddenly produced among the enemy columns. The German chasseurs quickly jump down into their communication trenches but the storm of bullets contains to rain down on the tightly-packed enemy troops.
I had taken the rifle of my orderly and see a big German hurtling down hill 265. I fired in repetition. On the third shot, he threw up his arms and collapsed with his body stretched out. I continued to empty my magazine on him. Out of the six rounds that still remained, four hit his body, the other two throwing up little clouds of dust behind him. I was certain that he was truly dead.
Boche planes overhead look down on us. A few moments later, a volley of 105s and 210s slam down around us. My soldiers jump down from the fire-steps. In order to give them confidence I remained at my post and photographed the explosions. I was thus able to take one of a fantastic explosion of a 210, a fragment of which struck my chest but didnt have enough force to penetrate.
"Get back up to your places, the Boches are going to come back at us again. We dont have anything to fear from the bombardment, these shells arent for us."
The Captain [Carrère] arrived in the trench. He was tranquilly smoking his old pipe:
"Hows it going in front of you?
"Not bad. See for yourself.
"Oh, hey, thats nice work. Im coming from the 3rd Section. They already have three killed.
"For the moment I dont have any killed or wounded.
"Gontran has had his second machine-gun buried by a 105.
"Hes doing marvelously. Look at this whole line of Boches it took less than two minutes to mow down." The Captain advanced toward Sergeant Dufour to congratulate him:
"It's a pleasure to see that you havent wasted any time!
"The pleasure is entirely mine, mon Capitaine. Its fantastic stopping these bastards right in their tracks and to see them come tumbling down like chips of wood. There was an officer leading them, making big gestures with his arms to give his men nerve. I shot him down with my musket. He must be over there, in the group of dead. Im going to try to find him with my binoculars I see him, hold on, mon Capitaine, would you like "
A dry crack rang out and Dufour collapsed into my arms, his skull split open. The bullet striking him square in the forehead had burst his head open and bits of brain splattered our greatcoats. The sergeant had been knocked off.
Suddenly a loud explosion rings out to Campanas right and a corporal comes running up to him.
"Mon lieutenant, the 210 fell close to us, the machine-gun is in pieces, the aimer and loader have been killed. Im done for too.After calling over a stretcher-bearer to take care of the wounded corporal, Campana tells his men to fire as if theyre at the shooting range, with calm and taking care to not waste ammunition. They had already gone through an entire sack full of cartridges and theyre muzzles were burning hot. Yet with their machine-gun out of service, the 30-40 bullets that the rifles could fire a minute werent enough to stop the rapidly advancing German troops, which moved across open ground and up through the communication trenches before deploying into the departure parallels before throwing themselves forward.
"Are you wounded?
"I am in the chest, Im f-cked."
My men fired without stop and each time they knocked off a Boche, they laughed like a big children I carried out target practice for more than a quarter hour, while my orderly reprovisioned his comrades with ammunition. Id hoped that our artillery fire would open up on them soon, but their fire appeared to be concentrated to the right where the Prussian chasseurs had taken the [French] first-line and were moving on to the second.There was a new lull in this part of the sector. But from Cumières side (to the east), the bombardment continued to rage on. For his part, Laporte watched the progressive destruction of his regiment and the bravery displayed by so many.
In front of us the Boches came at us but en masse this time. In a few minutes the slopes of hill 265 were covered in enemy rushing toward us. This time, we only had our rifles to stop them, and that was not sufficient. At our feet, in Lieutenant Oliviers trench, the fighting was already hand-to-hand. On the off chance, I sent up a red flare to request artillery fire. The situation had become critical. The green horde had already overwhelmed our first-line and was advancing toward us Suddenly a terrifying barrage was unleashed on the German waves: the 75s and 155s rained down as thick as hail on the hundreds of men packed elbow to elbow. My soldiers screamed in joy while the fire continued.
"Bravo! Bravo!
"Go on then! Bing! Bing and bing! Oh, mon lieutenant, take a look at this omelet!"
The bodies were piling up, whole lines of Boche were dropping like wheat before the scythe. Others under the explosions of our shells were thrown several meters up into the air mixed with clouds of earth and stones before crashing back down. German grenadiers, with greatcoats rolled around them in bandolier fashion, advanced toward us. Barely thirty meters separated us from them.
"Fix bayonets! Get the grenades ready!"
The fire of our 75s redoubled in intensity. Fortunately one gun fired too short and several shells fell on the enemy grenadiers. Seized by panic, the survivors tried to about-face but in the violence of the bombardment, they ran around lost. So they made the "Kamerad!" [to surrender] and headed toward us. There still were about forty of them. We were too overexcited to have pity on them.
"No prisoners, boys! Shoot all these vermin!"
Caught between our rifle fire and our bursting shells, they ran panic-stricken to the right and left. My men cold-bloodedly shot them down. Soon the last grenadier collapsed. For the second time the enemy fell back in disorder. Heaps of corpses lay on the slopes of hill 265. It looked like a field recently harvested where bales of hay wait to be collected.
One of our sections had lost all of its men except for one, Faglain*, who was able to save his machine-gun and continued to fire into the enemy waves. We took some losses, but nothing compared to the bloodshed across from us. Thousands of their men were stacked up one on top of each other in front of our lines, the ones further off were countless. Further away, the Meuse carried along streams of bodies. We (those of us who survived) looked like filthy chimney sweeps after this terrible massacre. They didn't think much of their assault troops, sacrificing countless men. Our losses were less severe than theirs.
*In fact Soldat Faglain's actions are cited in the official regimental historical: "...[T]he sole survivor of his machine-gun section and with an extraordinary calm, he set his gun up on the parapet and coolly mowed down the enemy columns which, after several attempts, fled back in disorder, holding them off for two hours until a bullet arrived felling him across his gun."
On 2 Battalions front, the situation had continued to deteriorate. Around 1300 hrs, under the weight of the German infantry attack, 7 Company is no longer able to hold onto their trenches and falls back creating a gap between the 1 and 2 Battalions. Meanwhile, the 5 and 6 Companies fight desperately to hold onto their own trenches, as waves of German attack troops begin to overwhelm them. Gradually they begin to cede ground to the enemy. Effectively, all companies in 2 Battalion (5-8) had now been pushed out of their first-line positions. Further down the line, the 8 BCP, which was in liaison to the right of 2 Battalion, had been forced to abandon its first-line too. This resulted in a large gap opening up between the 8 BCP and the 151's right flank, a precarious condition that could be disastrous if exploited by the enemy.
As the German assault troops signaled back their progress, German artillery largely ceased firing to avoid hitting their own men. Below the summit in the second-line, Jubert and his 11 Company remained largely out of touch with the events going on above them. They took the slackening of the enemys fire to mean that the attack had been thwarted. Believing they had been spared, the men vented themselves in hysterical relief. Soup was served to the men who feasted voraciously. As the smoke overhead began to clear and suns rays began to break through once again, the men sat down to play cards as they awaited further orders. Jubert was doing quite well for himself with a lucky run of cards when a message arrived from the battalion commander, which quickly blew away the false-pretense of comfort like the arrival of a 77 shell. The top of Mort-Homme had been overrun and they were ordered to retake it immediately. The prospects seemed dire indeed. They would be counter-attacking uphill against an enemy who was quickly entrenching in the newly conquered positions. To make matters worse, Jubert and his men would have to advance across open ground, as navigating the communication trenches up the slope would only slow their progress.
The counter-attack to retake 2 Battalions positions would be led by 12 Company, together with the remnants of 5 Company and two sections of 7 Company. From his post, Campana could see the units moving up the communication trenches to the second-line positions back to his right. They were composed largely of new recruits of the class of 1916, which had only joined the regiment two weeks before, now about to face their baptism of fire. Campana took out his binoculars and recognized a classmate from his Saint-Cyr promotion class, Sous-Lieutenant Camusat de Riancey. Suddenly Campana was struck by a small detail and could hardly believe his eyes. His classmate was wearing his white dress gloves!
French 75s rained down now with their high-pitched screams on the regiments lost first-lines for several minutes to soften the enemys defense before lengthening its fire. As it did, the counter-attack force, bayonets fixed, jumped up out of their trenches and bounded forward in two waves. Observing from his position above and to the left, Campana watched his Saint-Cyr comrade climb out of the trench only to immediately collapse on the parapet, already struck by a bullet. Taking a moment to recover, he got back up on his feet and ran another dozen meters before being struck a second time and falling down again.
Ahead of him, his men rushed upon the enemy defenders. Between the brief moments of silence punctuated by explosions, Campana could hear singing as the attackers closed in. Here we encounter one of those great incidents of war that has become ensnared in the murky reality of myth. Campana claims that he heard the sound of the "La Marseillaise" being sung. Many official accounts at the time reported the same. The French Etat-Major along with the Press seized on these reports, trumpeting them around as a display of the patriotism and zeal of French troops. The reality is probably something different but no less compelling, as will be recounted later by Jubert.
Many of the men in 12 Company by now had been shot down. Those who made it to the objective now jumped down into the trench and for several minutes a short but brutal hand-to-hand fight ensued. Soon the remaining Germans fled the trench, pursued close behind by the French attackers and their now bloodied bayonets. Few in number, the survivors of 12 Company pulled back to the retaken line.
Looking back at the spot where his friend had fallen, Campana could see Camusat de Riancey lying motionless upon the ground, his white hands resting crisply on his blue greatcoat. He would learn later that evening that his young friend had not been killed outright. Thrown to the ground by a bullet that had torn open his side, he had the strength to get back up again and continue to lead his men. But he was struck by three more bullets in the belly and collapsed a final time. Transported back to a first-aid post, he would die in horrible agony late in the evening.
Despite their valiant efforts, 12 Company was unable to reestablish contact with the 8 BCP on the right. Around 1420 hrs, the remnants of 5 and 6 Companies were enveloped by the enemy and largely wiped out. Shortly thereafter, 11 Company received orders to prepare to counter-attack to the right of 2 Battalions positions where 12 Company had advanced in order to reestablish contact with the chasseurs. Sous-Lieutenant Jubert helped to assemble his men, noting that at the moment there were only a hundred or so men present in the company.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jubert saw no hesitation his men, many of whom were the 20-year-old recruits of the Class of 1916. As soon as the order was given by a sergent, the men went about quietly collecting their gear and loading up on extra rations and ammo. As soon as they are all kitted up, the company moves forward through the communication trench to the jumping off trench in the second-line. Based on Juberts account, the 11 Company likely advanced in a northeasterly direction toward 2 Battalions lost first-line trenches stretching to the east of Mort Homme. Up on the erupting summit of 295, isolated handfuls of survivors from the 5, 6, and 8 Companies held onto the small holes and folds in the ground that now comprised the French first-line. Following another preparatory artillery bombardment, at 1545 hrs 11 Company sets off to retake the positions lost by 6 Company.
Climbing out of the trenches, they quickly formed up into well-aligned skirmishing lines and began to advance up the slopes of Mort-Homme. The majority of the men's faces were grave, though some managed a pale, taught smile when Jubert caught their eye. As they approached the combat zone, spontaneous shouts of encouragement were exchanged:
"We'll show them what the boys from the North are made of, mon lieutenant! "And those from the Ardennes too! "And the boys Paris!"As he and his men the colonels dugout, Jubert could see wall of fire and steel in front of them. Jubert turned to look behind himself and as he did, he saw a shell burst on the ground and hurl a man several meters into the air. As the dead man plummeted back, he was immediately jerked back up by the blast of a second shell. The same shell that tossed the ragged body back up caused a half-section to flatten itself in anticipation on the ground. Yet as soon as the danger had passed, the men rose back up from the ground one-by-one and get back into line. As the elements of 11 Co. continued forward to the bottom of the crest, Jubert saw an officer gesturing to them and he made his way toward the man. It was Mollet, whod been posted to give last-minute directions
Weve taken the crest. Once there, we go down towards the ravine where, like at the bottom of a crucible, we meet a hellish fracas of explosions and smoke that dispenses death amongst us. Another hundred paces, were in the danger zone. The shells fall all around us. Men are getting killed. With grave faces, they move in pace and in good order.
"The Boches are up there [on the crest] or behind it. One section will progress through the Boyau de Zouaves, the rest of the company will take the crest by the right oblique.After advancing another 200 meters, Jubert and his men reach the first crest and see the second (265) ahead of them. Theyre unable to spot any indications of a trench line. Jubert and the other section leaders order their men to resume a walking pace and maintain their order for the final push. They have another 100 meters to go as their eyes continually scan for the enemy. Amazingly, their skirmishing line is still intact and in good order, as the men advance with their rifles balanced in one hand.
"Wheres the enemy?
"Thats for you to tell us."
Us section leaders are at our posts several paces to the front. I look at them: an admirable line to my right, Noël, Dubot, Buisson. "Were going to give them a thrashing!" a man shouts, laughing. "The bastards wont get past us." More voices join in, building their confidence. Laughing, I appease them and calm them down with a gesture.
"Well sing on our way up there! Forward, boys!" Theres a real sense of satisfaction making this assault. Were advancing, Noël, Dubot, Buisson, and me. We maintain good order. Its a pleasure to face death in this way.
Suddenly on their left flank, a German machine-gun opens up on them, which the Germans had set up near the PC of 8 Co. At this very moment, in attempt to bolster his courage, a man struck up a popular café-concert song, which soon the entire company joined in on. But the machine-gun had its own song of death to sing and men were now being struck down by its rain of lead. Jubert could hear the cries of his fellow officers, Noël, Dubot, and Buisson, as they are hit and fall but he presses on all the same.
"Watch your alignment!" I yell.The momentum of the charge had hurtled the survivors of 11 Co. to top of the hill. The singing had now stopped as eyes now fixed on the final objective that was thirty paces away, then fifteen, then five. Jubert turned around and asked himself where the company had gone to. Finally, he reached the trench and jumped down into it, but found it deserted, the enemy fled. Where were the Boches? Juberts men asked. Jubert quickly took count of his men. He saw a handful of his old soldiers and a few new recruits from the class of 16 (who hed still not learned their names) -- ten in all out of the hundred who had started off. That was it. Looking back on the ground behind them, he could only see the dead and some wounded who were trying to drag themselves up to the trench as they continued to be fired on by the enemy machine-gun.
"Forward!" someone repeats behind me, "Weve got them!"
My men follow the command. Bullets patter down by the hundreds and plow up 20 cm of earth, as a light smoke rises around me. Thats their effect on this beaten ground, as the dust rises up. They brush past my feet and graze past others as I dodge about them. Behind me a man is singing and the cries of the wounded are silenced.
In the safety of the trench, a soldier offers Jubert some fancy tobacco, which he always takes into combat. Jubert shares it with the survivors around him. In the uneasy calm, anxiety now began to seep into Jubert and his men, as the cries of the wounded and their calls for help reach their ears. To help boost morale, Jubert seized a German envelope lying on the ground and ceremoniously recorded the names of the men to recommend them for commendation for the Croix de Guerre.
A quick exploration is made of the trench system they now occupy. Theres no one there except for the dead: French zouaves and chasseurs and Germans, all mixed together. Jubert recognized the importance of the position, albeit that it was only defended with ten men, and quickly jotted down a brief note to Lieut.-Colonel Moisson: "I don't know where I am, but the position is of the first importance, and I have only ten men to hold it. I request the two companies be sent up immediately.
Sending the man off to regiment, Jubert goes on a brief reconnaissance with two wounded comrades. Proceeding two hundred meters down a flattened communication trench, they suddenly spot an entire platoon of German infantry only twenty meters away, heading up another trench running perpendicular to their own. The Germans, loaded up with grenades, have their gaze fixed straight ahead though and Jubert with his pitiful company go unseen. After the platoon passes, they beat a quick retreat back to the center of the position.
Once arriving back to the small party of defenders, Jubert is told that the runner he had sent out was wounded and returned unable to deliver the message. A wounded fellow officer, Dudot, volunteers to go to deliver the message. When Jubert protests, the officer insists he be the one to go since he was effectively out of the fight. He shakes Dudots hand, the fingers already stiff and paralyzed. As he watches Dudot scale the parapet and head down into the ravine, he cant help but think to himself, "There goes another dead man."
The small band of survivors of 11 Co. had made it to the 295 summit having taken about 600 meters of ground. As Juberts impromptu roll call had confirmed, of the 100 men who had begun the counter-attack only 10 were left. Most had been cut down by enemy machine-gun fire in the final portion of the advance.
Following 11 Co.s counter-attack, at 1830 hrs the 10 co. is sent forward to counter-attack to try to retake additional ground lost by 2 Bat. This company advances in the same perfect order as as the 11 Co. had but the same enemy machine-gun that had been placed in the from 8 Co. PC and forces it to halt it's advance on the summit of 295. The 10 Co. makes a final attempt to advance shortly after once night had fallen but is unable to progress. At this point, only 9 Co. still remained in reserve in the second line.
Gradually, the German bombardment begins to diminish in intensity. Some final salvos fall on Chattancourt and at the foot of Côte 304. A salvo of yellow-green shrapnel shells burst in the sky and then an impressive silence settled over the land. The last rays of sun bathed the heaps of bloody corpses covering the slopes of Mort Homme. The sky turned a blue-green, then pale green, then purple. Above Cumières the moon rose glowing red. As it continued its ascension, the light changed to yellow and illuminated everything in a blue light.
The regiment's situation on the right was tenuous. On the regiment's right, a 600 meter gap existed between it right flank and the 8 BCP's left. There also remain gaps between 7 and 10 Co. and between 10 and 11 Cos. Meanwhile, Jubert's request for reinforcements meanwhile went unanswered and the young officer decided to try to reach the regimental PC himself. He struggled down the ravaged, shell-hole strewn landscape, scrambling up and down endless craters. In one large crater, he encountered a group of wounded, among whom is Sous-Lieut. Noël whose leg has been broken. Noël pleaded with Jubert to take him with him. It wrenched his heart to leave his friend but his first duty is to get to the colonel. Jubert pressed on but encounters a group of stretcher-bearers and directed them to group of wounded he's just left behind. When he finally arrived at the colonel's PC, Jubert was greeted like a man returning from the grave and was showered with congratulations. Sous-Lieut. Coureaux (flag-bearer) informed him that both General Deville and Lieut-Colonel Moission had observed his company's counter-attack and were brought to tears at the moving sight.
Yet to Jubert's call for reinforcements, there was none to give. After some further discussion, eventually Jubert is promised that a company will be sent up as soon as one is available. Dejected, Jubert headed back up the hill and on the way passed Sous-Lieut. Noël being carried back on a stretcher and who'd grown very pale. The two embraced without speaking, his friend's fate all too obvious: death was taking another life. When Jubert arrived back at the summit, he found his men still nervously holding on to their position, though it comforted him to see them eating their reserve rations of bread and tinned meat.
Shortly after, Jubert would go out on reconnaissance with one of his men, stumbling upon the dead in front of their trench. Fortunately, he was able to find the battered remains of the 8 BCP and reestablish the liaison between the two units, albeit tenuous. All along the line, the battle-worn exhausted men of the 151 waited vigilantly through the night fully expecting another German attack, but it does not come. Nonetheless, Jubert and his small handful of survivors of 11 Co. would be left to hold on to their dearly-earned positions for 36 hours without any relief, all the while under non-stop artillery bombardment and machine-gun fire.
The situation at the end of the day is as follows: on the left the front of 1 Bat. has held; 5 and 7 Cos. are back in their former trenches; 12 Co. is in the Boyau de Chattancourt; the remnants of 10 and 11 Cos. are along the Cumières Road. An unknown gap exists between the right of the 151 and the 8 BCP. A reconnaissance by an officer to find the 8 BCP determines that the chasseur battalion is located on the north crop of Chattancourt, having three companies in line and one in support. There is a gap between the two units of around 600 meters. Lieut.-Colonel Moisson instructs for half of 9 Co. to the right of 11 Co. (now reduced to only eight men) to re-center itself with two available sections of machine-guns from Capt. Gelly's company. From it's side, the commander of 8 BCP sends a request to Moisson and a company commander of 94 RI sent up as reinforcement to reestablish the left to help close the gap.
During the night, two companies of 1 Bat/162 RI and takes the company of the 94 RI to rejoin the first-line, several sections remaining with 11 Co. as well as a company of elements of -- to reassure the liaison between the 151 and 8 BCP. Starting at nightfall, the Engineers Co. 6/3 ter. is employed to rectify the connection between 10 and 7 Cos. The 12 Co., which advanced forward at night outside of the communication trench, had come to occupy the Chattancourt - Bethincourt Road. The Engineers Co. 6/3 ter. also dug a trench 150 meters long to reconnect the 10 and 11 Cos. There still remained 150 meters to watch over, which is covered by a scattered line of men placed in shell-holes.
At the end of day, the disposition for the regiment is as follows: the 10 and 11 Cos. are in positions along the old Cumières Road; 7 and 5 Cos. occ


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Today saw the appointment of a new member of the illustrious pantheon
of Avalon: Tyranis, god of war. Though rumours had abounded of his coming
and he has been preparing in Olympus for the past few weeks, it was
only today that his visage was revealed in all its glory - in the temple
of war atop Mount Olympus.
Tyranis duly takes his place as a fully-fledged deity, of equal stature
to any of the mighty Olympians. See HELP TYRANIS for words penned by the
deity himself and seek out his temples about the land should you wish
gain an audience with the land's newest of divinities.
This, as far as plans go, completes the ordination and appointment duet
for the year 2008. Next year will see at least three, however, with
one appointment already determined, one available - alongside the
next ordination - for late summer of 2009. This should coincide with the
twentieth anniversary of Avalon itself. See HELP ANNIVERSARY for
up-to-date information on the preparations underway for what promises
to be the biggest event in the history of the land.
Written by my hand on the 30th of Midsummer, in the year 1203.


text:
Click Stars To Rate
TITLE: [Jūichidanme - act eleven of the Chūshingura - headed for the shrine] CALL NUMBER: FP 2 - JPD, no. 291 (A size) [P&P]Restricted access; material extremely fragile; please use online digital image. REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-jpd-00294 (digital file from original drawing) RIGHTS INFORMATION: No known restrictions on publication. SUMMARY: Drawing shows a few men confronting by the 47 rōnin on the Ryogoku Bridge over the Sumida River during the night on their return after attacking Kira Yoshinaka's home and beheading him. MEDIUM: 1 drawing : color. CREATED/PUBLISHED: [between 1800 and 1850] NOTES: Title devised by Library staff, no information provided by Nichibunken-sponsored Edo print specialists in 2005-2006. Forms part of: Japanese prints and drawings (Library of Congress). SUBJECTS: Forty-seven Rōnin. Samurai--Japan--1700-1710. Confrontations--1700-1710. Bridges--Japan--1700-1710. Country life--Japan--1700-1710. FORMAT: Ukiyo-e Japanese 1800-1850.Drawings Japanese Color 1800-1850. REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print DIGITAL ID: (digital file from original drawing) jpd 00294 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/jpd.00294 CONTROL #: 2009615284
Clker.com is owned by Rolera LLC, 2270 Route 30, Oswego, IL 60543 support\at\clker\dot\com


text:
Dec 31, 2013 / Written by Woody Myers
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text:
Why Use the Recycled Natural Gas?
The recycled natural gas is produced when the methane gas generated in the landfills is separated by the modern technologies and mixed with the main distribution system of the natural gas line for the domestic and commercial use. The methane gas is produced in the landfills due to bacterial decomposition of large quantities of waste generated over number of years.
There are many valid reasons for using the recycled natural gas. In US there are more than 1800 municipal landfills where about 60% of the total solid waste is dumped. Off all the natural gas available in the US, almost 25% percent is available from the landfills, making it the largest source of the methane gas in the country.
In these landfills large quantities of the methane gas is produced that has potential to cause human and environmental hazards. For instance, due to this methane gas the surrounding buildings may catch fire even when ignited by small spark of the gas lighter. Similar safety concerns are present on the actual landfills as well. Thus if not utilized properly, the methane gas liberated from the landfills can be dangerous for the human and environment safety.
Further, the landfills keep on liberating large amounts of methane gas for a number of years to come. That's the reason that some of the landfills that have been converted into the golf courses and parks still emit the gas and some of them pose real safety threats.
The natural gas is also the greenhouse gas that has potential to add to the overall global warming effect. Hence, the natural gas generated in the country should be utilized for the constructive purposes instead of allowing it to roam free in the environment causing various hazards. Using the recycled natural gas helps keeping the surrounding clean and safe. Even the US Department of Energy (DOE) encourages the use and combustion of methane gas released from the landfills.
Companies Supplying Recycled Natural Gas
To prevent the waste of precious methane gas and for the human safety, the technologies have been developed by the companies to separate the natural gas from the landfills, purify it and mix with the main distribution system of the natural gas for various applications. There are number of companies involved into production of recycled natural gas, one of them is GNG.
Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) is one of the leading gas providers in Georgia including Atlanta. The company provides natural gas obtained by the normal methods and recycled natural gas obtained from the landfills. GNG gets its supplies of the recycled natural gas from Live Oak Landfill in DeKalb County, Georgia. The Live Oak field can generate the gas good enough for almost 15000 families for the next 15 years to come.


text:
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Choice of waistcoat: normally a bow tie is worn with a 3 button waistcoat and a 5 button waistcoat allows for straight ties or cravats to be worn.
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If you don't see your size within our ranges or you would like part-outfit hire , please contact us and we will do our best to help you.
Please note you will be charged for shipping but this will be deducted if the hire is collected from the shop


text:
I didn't have Google or parents that exposed me to science and engineering. I reached adulthood and felt behind my colleagues in electrical engineering. Here I give 5 tips of what I would expose my two kids to science and engineering.
Tag Archives: Arduino
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Accelerometer Tutorial #3: Arduino Self-Balancer
Tiny9 presents the Arduino Self-Balancer just using an Arduino Nano, a servo, and the Tiny9 LIS2HH12 Module.
Little Bits vs Sparkfun Review
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Accelerometer Tutorial #2: Basic Earthquake Dectector
Using the accelerometer in a practical way for earthquake detection instead of just receiving data.
Accelerometer Tutorial#1: Working with an Accelerometer
Accelerometers are used in a lot of different type of electronics. Such as: Phones, Bouncy balls, Drones, fitness trackers, Cars, etc. Here we learn with an arduino nano how to work with an Accelerometer.
Accelerometer Tutorial #1: Working with an Accelerometer
What does an accelerometer do? Tinee9 has a number of accelerometer arduino instructables to help you understand what they do and how to work with Tinee9's accelerometer module.


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12. Transportation Issues
ACSI Articles and Forms
- School Transportation and the Risk to Your School
- Do Permission Forms Waive Liability for Schools?
- Field Trips - When Are Schools Liable for Student Safety?
- Transportation - Congress Bans School Purchase of 15 Passanger Vans
Please contact us with Helpful Resource suggestions.
Notice: These articles are designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. They have been provided to member schools with the understanding that ACSI is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Laws vary by jurisdiction and the specific application of laws to particular facts requires the advice of an attorney.


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This week's Findmypast Friday marks the release of over 2.3 million UK records and newspaper articles. The latest additions include a collection of pollbooks and directories from 1830's England, a register of London apprentices and significant updates to our collection of historic British newspapers.
England, Pollbooks and Directories, 1830-1837, contains over 62,000 records. Each record includes both a transcript and an image of the original source material. The information recorded may vary depending on the source and date, although most will include your ancestor's name, details of the event that was being recorded and were it was recorded. In many cases, Pollbooks will also include details of their residence and occupation, as well as the names of eligible voters who did not vote. In this collection, you will also find The Quaker Annual Monitor. The Monitor is a list of all the British Quakers who died within the last twelve months. For many of the individuals listed, obituaries with short biographies including causes of death were printed. In some cases, the obituary or memorial is several pages long and details the individual's dedication to the faith. The Monitor is an excellent source for family historians as the obituaries may include the names of other relatives.
The Newington Apprentice Register 1891 lists the details of apprentices who trained in the Newington district of Southwark. Each record consists of a transcripts created using the original apprentice records held at the Southwark Local History Library. Each transcript will reveal an individual apprentice's name, age, the name of their master, where their master was based and the names of their parents.
A browse function has been added to our collection of over 1.9million Hertfordshire Parish Registers. It is now possible to browse through over 1,600 register books from cover to cover. The books contain records of baptisms, banns, marriages and burials conducted across 400 years of the county's history.
Don't forget to regularly check our dedicated Findmypast Friday page to keep up to date with all the latest additions.
About Findmypast
Findmypast (previously DC Thomson Family History) is a British-owned world leader in online genealogy. It has an unrivalled record of online innovation in the field of family history and 18 million registered users across its family of online brands, which includes Mocavo, Genes Reunited, The British Newspaper Archive amongst others.
Its lead brand, also called Findmypast, is a searchable online archive of over two billion family history records, from parish records and censuses to migration records, military collections, historical newspapers and lots more. For members around the world, the site is a crucial resource for building family trees and doing detailed historical research.


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Pastoral Words and Prayer on the Newtown TragedyFiled under Biblical Womanhood | Prayer | Suffering
As mothers we are full of grief and mourning for the families who have lost loved ones and precious children in the Newtown tragedy. We have no words. We look and are appalled and lay our hands over our mouths (Job 21:5).
Yesterday, one of our pastors, Jeff Purswell, offered the following thoughts from Scripture. Listen to the audio or read the transcript below.
Two days ago, although it seems like a lot longer, our nation experienced an unspeakable tragedy, perhaps one of our greatest tragedies, certainly in my lifetime, in the shootings that took place at the elementary school in Newtown, CT. Over the past few days I've experienced what I'm sure we all have: a barrage of news and updates and images and interviews and condolences and speculations about what can only be described as a horrific tragedy. I'm sure we have all experienced, to different degrees, a range of emotions from grief and sadness and revulsion and mourning. And as we come in this morning as the church, as the people of God, beyond our own personal experiences, beyond what we would say here, this is also a national tragedy. As a nation we are mourning, as a nation we are grieving, as a nation we are grappling with these events. And it's right, it is good for us to do that. It is right for us to share in national grief as people that God has placed in this country. That's good, that's right. But as Christians we are even more fundamentally, as Paul has reminded us in the letter we have been studying, we are citizens of heaven. We are those who have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so as we absorb and process these events it is important that that citizenship inform the way that we process, inform the way that we interpret, inform the way that we respond. And so we as pastors want to take just a moment to think with you about that. How do we respond? How do we process? What perspective does Scripture give us in a moment like this? And it is critical to ask those questions, because we are and will continue to be immersed in a national conversation. We are and will continue to be barraged with an array of interpretations from media to mental health experts to politicians and to those that we interact with daily, neighbors and friends and coworkers.
Scripture first informs our response. Our first response, in a moment like this, is appropriately grief. We grieve. We grieve with those who grieve. That is not just a Christian response, that's a human response. As we see a nation grieving, we are beholding the image of God in people. When we see people who wouldn't be Christians showing compassion, that's the image of God in them, marks of God's image, and we share that. As Christians we don't only share that, we have even more reason to grieve with others and to sympathize with others, as we demonstrate God's heart to others. Being Christians doesn't immunize us from grief, being Christians empowers us to grieve authentically, and to grieve truly with those who grieve, to grieve at the presence of evil and sin, to reflect true compassion to others, to reflect God's own heart to others. So Scripture informs our response. We grieve.
Scripture also informs our interpretation. Everywhere, every news channel: "Why?" How do we interpret what just happened in our nation? It was evil. Pure and simple. It was evil. Christians don't have to flinch from that. Christians don't have to fudge on that. Christians don't have to spiritualize that. This was unspeakably evil. It was horrifically sinful. This was a profound violation of God's law and completely contrary to his heart. We know that. We say that. And Scripture helps us further. Although this was evil, and although it was shocking, it's not surprising. The unregenerate human heart, in rebellion against God, is as Jeremiah reminds us in chapter 17, desperately sick. "Who can understand it?" the prophet says. It's beyond comprehension. And it is marvelous mercy that God in his common grace—through conscience, through law, through providence—restrains our sin so that this kind of thing is not common. But the fallen human heart is capable of much evil. So we are not surprised. Over the next days and weeks experts on TV will speculate about causes and offer explanations, none of which are going to be fully satisfying, none of which will provide authentic answers. This was an evil act and people get that. Evil cries out for an answer. People everywhere are grappling for an answer. But the only true answer will not be found in analysis. The only true answer is found in the cross of Jesus Christ. That's not a cliché. On that cross, in an act of unspeakable evil, the murder of the sinless Son of God—in that act, God defeated evil by taking sins of rebellion, our sins, upon himself, by absorbing God's just wrath against heinous sins, against all that would defile God's good creation. So scripture helps us interpret.
Finally, Scripture opens our eyes to the opportunity that this is. National crisis like this provide Christians an opportunity to do what we are called to do—to bear witness to the truth. Not in a glib way, not in a dispassionate way that is unaffected by grief, and certainly not in a self-righteous way. But as we grieve, as we mourn the loss of life, we don't do so without hope. There is an answer to evil. And it is the cross of Christ, Christ who came to put away evil and to set all things right. To bring as the prophets say, the righteousness of God. To set all things right. A righteous God, only a righteous God, can render judgment for acts like we beheld this week. Only he can ensure justice. And not only can God bring justice, he can restore. He only can heal, he only can set right. And so because of the cross of Christ, all of us, who if we are honest, we know we fall short of righteousness, we have an offer of forgiveness from a righteous God who came to remove our unrighteousness. And we have a Savior who came not just to judge, not just to forgive, but to redeem, to set right. There is mercy and grace and healing for all who believe in Jesus. And as tragic as these killings were, Christ's power is even greater than the tragedy, even greater than the evil, even greater than the anguish. Ultimately, that's where our hope as Christians lies. We long for answers that will satisfy, but we long in vain. Because God doesn't give us precise answers. But what he does do, just as he did to Job, he offers himself. He has revealed to us in Scripture, and preeminently in his Son, he has revealed to us his character. And so we don't know why this happened, but we do know that he is here and that he is good and that he is wise and that the is powerful and he is at work in the most horrific circumstances. He's at work to bring about his redeeming, restoring, saving purposes. So we are going to take a moment now to pray that God's hand would be at work in these circumstances and those affected by them. So pray with me.
"Heavenly father, in our weakness, and in our helplessness, we come to you in your all-sufficiency and your grace. Lord, in the wake of this tragedy, our hearts are deeply grieved, even from a distance. Our sensibilities are overwhelmed, Lord our nation is mourning. And so Lord, we pray, we pray for your mercy. We pray for abundant mercy to be poured out, Lord, especially on the parents and the families of those children and those adults. Lord we can't imagine. But you can. Lord we have no words and we have no power, but Lord you have the words of life and you have all power. Lord, your word says you are near to the brokenhearted, and so Lord draw near we pray to those whose hearts have been broken and whose lives have been shattered. For those who know you, draw near as their Shepherd who comforts and restores. Lord, for those who don't know you, draw near to reveal your mercy and your grace. Lord, for pastors and Christians who are there, in CT and connected to this tragedy, give them great compassion and great wisdom and great power to minister your love and represent your heart to this community. Lord, it is like a great wound has been opened in the soul of our country. Lord, bind up that wound in the way that only you can. In the midst of the national conversation and the speculation and all the recrimination, bring into all of this your grace, open our hearts to your perspective, open our lives to your gospel. Have mercy on us as a country. Lord, we don't know, I don't know all the ways to pray, but we do pray that you would be at work and active in every circumstance, in every conversation, personal and national. Be at work Lord. Father we can only pray that your gospel would be on the move. That hearts would be opened to your reality, eyes would be opened to your holiness, lives will be opened to your grace, to your gospel. Cause people to turn to you as the only answer to our questions, Lord, the only remedy to a tragedy like this. Let your gospel of grace rule and reign in circumstances, in hearts, in that community, and in our nation. Lord, you are the sovereign God, great and mighty and wise to use the greatest evil for your own sovereign and good and redeeming purposes. That's who you are, Lord. So do that in these circumstances, for the good of all of those so deeply affected, for the good of our nation, for the spread of your gospel, and ultimately for the glory of your name. We pray all of this in Jesus name, Amen."


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Episode 7: " For Services Rendered"
by Dan Tomasik
Quick Taste:
A look inside Abraham's history with the German. Meanwhile, the plague spreads further & further out of control.
After last week's disappointment across the board, "For Services Rendered" gets the series back on the track to excellence.
As has been stated previously, Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) has an intense and unquestionable screen presence that makes all of his scenes extraordinary. This episode, however, belongs to another character. The suave, unsettling, German strigoi affectionately referred to in these reviews as "Blink"; his true identity finally revealed as former SS officer Thomas Eichhorst (Richard Sammel). The Eucharist has been both center stage and behind the scenes from the beginning, but there has always remained a certain "off" quality about him. Maybe he smiles too big, shows off too eager, or commits to being a servant of the undead too whole-heartedly. He has never felt like a real character, more a caricature of an evil mastermind that is just as scary as he is silly. This time, however, Eichhorst's human side is revealed. The man within the monster.
It's strange to imagine one's humanity being revealed with flashbacks to nazi Germany, but such is the case. Eichhorst's treatment towards Abraham is finally given some background. There's something in the way he watches young Abraham, it's not condescension, but genuine awe & respect he feels for the young Jew. A recognition that he holds a gift Eichhorst would kill to possess. But unlike in so many other depictions of the Third Reich, Eichhorst does not punish Abraham for his talent. Instead, his appreciation for the skill brings out a certain passion within himself. You can hear it in the almost musical way he refers to Abraham by his number. Who would have thought 8230385 could have a ring to it? One can feel the artistic quality Eichhorst seems to try and add to everything he does. It's the one quality he still hasn't been able to fully grasp, despite immortality.
The flashback scenes between the two are fantastic to watch. Above all, the way Eiichhorst almost treats Abraham as an equal, even while dangling death over him repeatedly. He's such a lively character; multi-dimensional and passionate with regards to a variety of subjects. It's clear to see where so many of his more perplexing qualities stems from. And strangely, it makes us miss the days when he was an SS officer. He may have fought for the worst side in human history, but he didn't do it from blind obedience. He chose that path. A vampire hatched from the shell of such a person; now *that* is a villain.
Back in present day, Eph, Nora, Jim, and Abraham have a little chase with Eichhorst, leading to a duel between him and Abraham. Well, "duel" might be a strong word. Abraham swung his sword ferociously, Eichhorst watched him and moved out of the way as if the sword wasn't even there. Next time, bring the nail gun, Abraham.
Last, but most certainly not least, is the chase in our final survivor's home. It's a wonderful setup, watching these people flee from the transformed version of the attorney woman through a house that's half mirrors and filled with reflections of light. It makes each twist and turn interesting to watch. It's like a fun house fused with a horror ride. Then there's the ending, which brings the introduction of a whole new side to this conflict between man and strigoi. Who they are, what side they're on, it's impossible to tell. They are both immediately allies and immediately enemies, but their true allegiance remains a mystery. There has not been a better ending to an episode of any show this summer. Oddly enough, despite such a cliffhanger, it doesn't leave one asking for more. Instead, it leaves one wanting to experience the episode again. The whole episode is so intriguing and captivating that it encourages multiple viewings.
A couple vampire attacks, blood all over things, a showdown reminiscent of Hellboy in a subway station. Then there's the squad of strigoi commandos that shoot metal rods into the heads of the undead with expert proficiency.
Some interesting and exciting chase scenes. Great use of light and shadow to play around with menacing figures. The final scene is the best kind of thrill. At first it feels hopeless for the human characters, then a savior comes from out of nowhere. However, once the saviors are revealed to be strigoi, the fear level quickly shoots back up. Every single second of the encounter feels like it lasts an eternity. Are they friend? Foe? Will they kill us? Help us? Are they with the others? Are they separate? A million questions we still don't have the answers to. That's true suspense.
Biggest Shock:
The Strigoi Commandos. A complete dark horse element that abruptly appears out of nowhere. Half the shock is when they reveal to be on our side. The other half is the ruthlessness with which they dispose of potential threats.
WIBTOVE (Why It's Better Than Other Vampire Entertainment):
Strigoi Commandos that kick ass.
Score: 8.9/10


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Research in Motion's big unveiling Tuesday of an enterprise mobile device-management platform that can handle Android and iOS devices is no sudden strategic shift for the ailing BlackBerry maker.
It's been a long time coming -- too long, in fact. Way back in early May, RIM acquired German software company ubitexx, with the express purpose of rolling out mobile management software that went beyond BlackBerry devices to accommodate the smartphones and tablets that have invaded the enterprise, where RIM once had a dominant foothold.
That was nearly seven months ago. In the meantime, RIM has seen its device sales, revenue and share price plummet, with no end in sight. In other words, the company has been standing on a burning platform.
Yet RIM"s response could generously be described as leisurely. I know it takes time for acquisitions to clear regulatory hurdles, but you would think RIM has been doing some work to integrate ubitexx's ubi-Suite device management solution with its BlackBerry Enterprise platform. You know, to hit the ground running.
Not quite. RIM's mobile device-management software isn't going to be available for at least three more months:
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is currently in early beta testing with select enterprise customers. RIM is now accepting customer nominations for the closed beta program which will start in January, and general availability is expected in late March.
Note, by the way, the "expected in late March" hedge. Even if Fusion is available by then, that's still almost a year since the ubitexx acquisition was announced.
And this is the fundamental problem with RIM. It has responded too slowly to competitors and changing market conditions.
Not only is this a problem in terms of transitioning the company away from its reliance on device sales and platform purity, it makes it even harder for RIM to compete in the mobile device management arena. It's not like RIM is creating a new market or serving an unfulfilled need. There already are plenty of MDM vendors, including Good Technology, Sybase, Zenprise, AirWatch and McAfee, not to mention dozens of smaller competitors.
Which means RIM can't expect to walk into the MDM market and dominate. The outcome may be just the opposite, especially as the number of IT leaders who cling to the old BlackBerry enterprise paradigm continues to dwindle.
If RIM can't reverse its fortunes in the smartphone market -- and there's no evidence that it can -- and becomes no more than another player in the MDM market, shareholders and employees are facing a grim future.


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The new Flash TV show has a its flaws. But after the pilot episode I think it might be the best superhero show ever televised.
It's achingly sincere and unapologetic about being its source material. It makes Smallville, Agents of Shield and Gotham seem ashamed of what they are.
There's no winking in the show. It's not ironic. There's no arch comment on superheroes or comic books. There aren't any overtly comedic characters to deflate its sense of purpose. The Flash's heroism occurs without reluctance. He is simply a good and brave person who wants to do the right thing.
It's strange how refreshing that is. After the gloom of the Dark Knight trilogy and the oppressive volume of Man of Steel, seeing a D.C. character be an uncomplicated do-gooder just kind of feels good. It harkens back to the simple joy of reading comic books as a kid. The good guys are good guys. Sometimes being a good guy is complicated because people think you're a bad guy, like with Spider-Man or the X-Men, but the stories had simple moral codes overall. Everybody ended up doing the right thing for the most part.
I watched the pilot episode of The Flash with my computer open. I was only half paying attention to the show at first. Then I started googling character names. Pretty much every character on the show is comic based. Iris, the love interest has the same name as the Flash's eventual wife in the comics. The Star Labs assistant played by the girl from Sky High has the same name as a comics villain. And judging by this tweet by the actress, that's no coincidence. I could continue but honest to Zoom, it could be a spoiler.
I've watched super hero-based shows all my life and hey almost invariably only import the bare bones of the source material. Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor will be ported over without Brainiac, Mr. Myxlplyx or Bizzaro. They'll rename Bruce Banner David Banner and never mention Rick Jones, Betty Ross or the Abomination.
Smallville was the worst of them. The show never featured Clark Kent as Superman. But the show runners realized they could hype up an episode by distantly alluding to the comics. So viewers would get two minutes of an interpretation of a classic character talking to a guy in a blue and red shirt who had yet to learn to fly. The first season of Agents of Shield was littered with similar teases but with they've improved greatly in the second season, unapologetically featuring a comics-accurate Absorbing Man.
Speaking of Smallville's aversion to show Superman being Superman: The Flash is having none of that. Barry Allen was in his stupid red suit running around like a lightning bolt moron by mid point of the first episode. It was glorious.
So I'm hooked, despite the blandly handsome lead actor, the cheesy thwarted love story, the flat dialogue and strangely rushed plotting. Don't let me down, nerds!


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The Office Talent Olympics
What better way to get your workplace together than the Office Talent Olympics? Focusing on communication and celebration, your teams will train with our highly experienced performers to bring out their singing, comedy, dancing and acting skills in a joyful and transformative environment.
For workplaces and teams of up to fifty people, this extraordinary bonding and developmental experience offers an opportunity for workplaces to embrace new skills, connect and strengthen a positive office culture. In doing so, the programme increases communication and trust, reduces inhibition and boosts presentation and performance.
Essentially its a hoot with secret corporate benefits.
Your gang will be trained in a selection of the following areas:
- Singing
- Storytelling
- Improvisation
- Mime
- Stand up Comedy
- Acting
- Dance
- Circus
- Lip Sync + Air Band
Hour 1: Meet the Coaches:
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) explains the rules of the Talent Olympics and divides the gathering into groups to compete against each other in one of the chosen performance fields. The MC introduces a specialist from each performance field who will present the skills and tricks of their talent and be allocated a team to coach.
Hours 2-3: Skill Embracement & Rehearsal:
Under the guidance of their coach, each team will train for the their specialised skills and performance to prepare for showtime!
Hour 3-4 Showtime:
The MC introduces each team, who with the encouragement of all, debut their exciting new act. At the completion of each performance, the crowd roars and awards their points.
A final play-off round occurs with a lip sync battle, the crowd cheer for their ultimate winner and that team is crowned this years Office Olympics Winner.
Optional drinks, hugs and cheers follow. And everyone works much more productively and happily forever after. Or until next year.. when The Games begin again!
<p>What better way to get your workplace together than the Office Talent Olympics? Focusing on communication and celebration, your teams will train with our highly experienced performers to bring out...