rt. One day we watched two hostile planes chase
him back right to our trench. When they came near us we opened rapid
fire that forced them to turn; but before Samson reached his
landing-place at Salt Lake we could see that he was in trouble; one of
the wings of the machine was drooping badly. We watched him land in
safety, saw him jump out of his seat, and walk about ten yards to a
waiting motor-ambulance. The ambulance had just turned when a shell hit
the aeroplane. A second shell blew it to pieces.

[Sidenote: A naval and artillery bombardment.]

But Samson had completed his mission. About half an hour later the navy
in the bay and our artillery began a bombardment. From our trenches,
looking through ravines, we could see the men-of-war lined up pouring
broadsides over our heads into the Turkish lines. From our position in
the valley we watched our shells demolish the enemy's front-line
trenches on the hill well to our left. Through field-glasses we could
see the communication-trenches choked with fleeing Turks. Some of our
artillery concentrated on the support-trenches, preventing
reinforcements from coming up. A mule-train of supplies was caught in
the curtain of fire. The Turks, caught between two fires, could not
escape. In a few minutes all that was left of the scientifically
constructed intrenchments was a conglomerate heap of sand-bags,
equipments, and machine-guns; and on top of it all lay the mangled
bodies of men and mules.

All through the bombardment we had hoped for the order to go over the
parapet, but for the Worcesters on our left was reserved the distinction
of making the charge. High explosives cleared the way for their advance,
and cheering and yelling they went over the parapet. The Turks in the
front-line trenches, completely demoralized, fled to the rear. A few,
too weak or too sorely wounded to run, surrendered.

[Sidenote: The Turk's dislike for German officers.]

Prisoners taken in this engagement told us that the Turkish rank and
file heartily hated their German officers. One prisoner said that he had
been an officer, but since the outbreak of this war had been replaced by
a German. At present the Turks are officered entirely by Germans.

[Sidenote: Losses from disease.]

With the monotony varied occasionally by some local engagement like this
we dragged through the hot, fly-pestered days and cold, drafty,
vermin-infested nights of September and early October. By the middle of
October