Fire Curtains
The method in which “curtains of fire” are laid down is very clearly described.
“While I was at the front I had opportunity to observe three distinct types of barrage-fire, the ‘box,’ the ‘jumping,’ and the ‘creeping.’ The ‘box,’ I have already described to you, as it is used in a raid. The ‘jumping’ plays on a certain line for a certain interval and then jumps to another line. The officers in command of the advance know the intervals of time and space and keep their lines close up to the barrage, moving with it on the very second. The ‘creeping’ barrage opens on a certain line and then creeps ahead at a certain fixed rate of speed, covering every inch of the ground to be taken. The men of the advance simply walk with it, keeping within about thirty yards of the line on which the shells were falling. Eight-inch shrapnel and high-explosive shells were used exclusively by the British when I was with them in maintaining barrage-fire. The French used their ‘seventy-fives,’ which are approximately of three-inch caliber. Of late, I believe, the British and French have both added gas-shells for this use when conditions make it possible. The Germans, in establishing a barrage, used their ‘whiz-bangs,’ slightly larger shells than ours, but they never seemed to have quite the same skill and certitude in barrage bombardment that our artillerymen had.
“To attempt to picture the scene of two barrage-fires, crossing, is quite beyond me. You see two walls of flame in front of you, one where your own barrage is playing, and one where the enemy guns are firing, and you see two more walls of flame behind you, one where the enemy barrage is playing, and one where your own guns are firing. And amid it all you are deafened by Titanic explosions which have merged into one roar of thunderous sound, while acrid fumes choke and blind you. To use a fitting if not original phrase, it’s just ‘Hell with the lid off.’”
The wound that ended McClintock’s career with the Canadian forces was received at the battle of the Somme. Major Lewis, in command of that section, sent for him:
“‘McClintock,’ said he, ‘I don’t wish to send you to any special hazard, and so far as that goes we’re all going to get more or less of a dusting. But I want to put that machine gun which has been giving us so much trouble out of action.’
“I knew very well the machine gun he meant. It was in a concrete emplacement, walled and roofed, and the devils in charge of it seemed to be descendants of William Tell and the prophet Isaiah, They always knew what was coming and had their guns accurately trained on it before it came.
“‘If you are willing,’ said Major Lewis, ‘I wish you to select twenty-five men from the company and go after that gun the minute the order comes to advance. Use your own judgment about the men and the plan for taking the gun position. Will you go?’
“‘Yes, sir,’ I answered. ‘I’ll go and pick out the men right away. I think we can make those fellows shut up shop over there.’
“Good boy!’ he said. ‘You’ll try, all right.’
“I started away. He called me back.
“‘This is going to be a bit hot, McClintock,’ he said, taking my hand. ‘I wish you the best of luck, old fellow—you and the rest of them.’ In the trenches they always wish you the best of luck when they hand you a particularly tough job.