f
sweeping on to the second lines they tried to intrench themselves in
the wrecked German first line. Immediately German artillery hurled
shells of the heaviest caliber into those lines and tore them into
fragments.

"Then came the reserves and by nightfall the Russians had again been
driven out.

"Four days later, suddenly without warning, a mud-colored wave began
to pour forth from the forest. It was a line of Russians three ranks
deep containing more than 1,000 men. Behind this was a second wave
like the first, and then a third.

"The German artillery tore holes in the ranks, which merely closed up
again, marched on, and made no attempt to fire. They marched as though
on parade. 'It was magnificent but criminal!' said a German officer.

"When a fourth line emerged from the woods the German artillery
dropped a curtain of fire behind it, and then a similar wall of shells
ahead of those in front. They then moved these two walls closer
together with a hail of shrapnel between them, while at the same time
they cut loose with the machine guns.

"The splendid formation of Russians, trapped between the walls of
fire, scattered heedlessly in vain. Shells gouged deep holes in the
dissolving ranks. The air was filled with clamor and frantic shrieks
were sometimes heard above the incessant roar and cracking of
exploding projectiles.

"Defeated men sought to dig themselves into the ground in the foolish
belief that they could find safety there from this deluge of shells.
Others raced madly for the rear and some escaped in this way as if by
a miracle. Still others ran toward the German lines only to be cut
down by the German machine-gun fire.

"In less than twenty minutes the terrible dream was over. The attack
had cost the Russians 4,000 lives, and yet not a Russian soldier had
come within 600 yards of the German line."

Another important feature of the March offensive, especially in its
early phases, was the patrol work, executed on both sides. This
required not only courage of the highest order, but also a high degree
of intelligence on the part of the leader as well as of the men
working under him. The results obtained by patrol work are, of course,
of the greatest importance to the respective commanding officers, and
many times the way in which such a mission is carried out is the
decisive factor in bringing success or failure to an important
movement. At the same time patrol work is, of course, a matter of
chiefl