Their officers don't seem to have any
consideration for the men at all, and we have a suspicion that the heavy
losses of German officers aren't all due to our fire. There was one
brought in who had certainly been hit by one of their own bullets, and
in the back too." Other soldiers say the same, and add that if it
weren't for dread of their officers the Germans would surrender
wholesale. "Take the officers away, and their regiments fall to pieces,"
is the dictum of one of the Somerset Light Infantry, "and that's why we
always pick off the German officers first."
There is not the slightest divergence of opinion in the British ranks as
to the German infantry fire. "Their shooting is laughable," "they
couldn't hit a haystack in an entry," and "asses with the rifle," are
how our men dispose of it. The Germans fire recklessly with their rifles
planted against their hips, while Tommy Atkins takes cool and steady
aim, and lets them have it from the shoulder. "We just knocked them over
like nine-pins," a Highlander explained. As to the German cavalry, one
Tommy expressed the prevailing opinion to nicety. "I don't want to be
nasty," he said, "but what we all pray for is just half-an-hour each
way with three times our number of Uhlans."
When it comes to artillery, however, Atkins has nothing but praise for
the enemy.
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