A French trench grenade launcher with a team of four — an observer, one to man the catapult, and two managing the grenades. Photograph from 'Ambulance No. 10; Personal Letters from the Front,' by Leslie Buswell. Most of Buswell's book consists of his letters in June, July, and August, 1915. A volunteer corps, the American Ambulance Field Service had over 200 ambulances in the field in 1916.
Text:Grenade catapult, first line trenches
"Ever since Sunday, July 4th, there has been an attack and counter-attack, and life has been real hell for those poor fellows in the first line of trenches. Every imaginable kind of instrument of destruction has been hurled on them, mines (the narrow part fits into the gun which is a sort of mortar — radius about four hundred metres), torpedoes (radius about four hundred metres), '320's,' '250's,' '220's,' down to '77's,' burning petrol, chlorine — all this not in dozens, but in thousands and tons. No one can believe what it is like there; it is indescribable, and the Germans are getting the same thing too. I suppose the French have lost over twenty-five hundred this week in wounded and killed and many prisoners — and this over a line of seven kilometres! And the Germans? Many more!"
Excerpt from a letter written July 11, 1915, by Leslie Buswell recounting events of the previous week. The Germans had attacked on Sunday, July 4, taking ground the French had retaken from the invaders in the previous six months. The French retook the lost ground on July 5, 6, and 7. A driver with the American Ambulance Field Service, a volunteer organization attached to the French Armies, Buswell was stationed at Pont-à-Mousson, France, north of Nancy. Each unit of the Service consisted of 20 to 30 ambulances, each of which could carry three wounded lying down, and three seated. The Ford trucks could deliver men to a doctor in under an hour, greatly increasing their chances of survival. In 1916 over 200 cars were in service.
Ambulance No. 10; Personal Letters from the Front by Leslie Buswell, pp. 53, 54, copyright © 1915, and 1915, by Houghton Mifflin Company, publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, publication date: 1916
1915-07-06, 1915, July, grenade launcher, grenade, trench
