The counter assault

Mortar shells screamed over the trenches, tearing apart the french landscape. Frantic attackers zigzagged left and right, falling to concentrated american fire and french artillery. Bullet after bullet sliced through the wind and found its mark each time. "Keep firing! You're tearing those bastards a new one!" An american officer exclaimed into the telephone. More shells dropped, flinging barbed wire and corpses into the sky.

Several sergeants ran up and down the trench, screaming "Fix Bayonets! Fix Bayonets!" Officer whistles shrieked, veteran Canadian soldiers tapping the American greenhorns on the shoulder and motioning to the bayonets they wore on their belts. Enlisted men quickly attached the 11 inch blades to the barrels of their rifles. Officers and squad leaders drawing M1911 pistols and an assortment of melee weapons.

"Assault formation!" The Officer barked. Soldiers shifted and formed two even rows, the mortar fire paused for the counter assault. The wails of the wounded and dying from no-mans land finally heard. Weakened German attackers pulled back, the Morale of them completely crushed. Patiently, the American and Canadians waited for the order to attack. The silence was soul breaking, men crying out for their mothers and wailing like babies from the fields.

Loudly, the whistles blared "Over the top!!" Major Johnson screamed. Battle-cries from the men filled the air and the first row clambered over the ladders and sandbags. On the other side of the field, German MG-08s lit up the horizon. Allied attackers fell back into the trench line and onto the mud, landing on the men behind him. Others dove into craters for cover, crawling and dashing ahead to the fight.

 "Keep going! Don't give up!" The troops kept pushing up, throwing grenades and shooting their rifles at the lines. Under the cover and grenade and rifle fire, the first squads advanced quickly into the trench.

"Over the top! Move!" The whistles blared again. Another row jumped over the edge, rushing to reinforce the first wave. The first men stormed the trench and assaulted the MG emplacements, beginning a face to face bloody brawl. Bayonets thrust into bellies,  Sharpened shovels embed themselves in foes necks, and clubs bashing ribs and skulls apart. Several soldiers began to pry open the emplacement doors, filling the German operators with fear.

The second wave soon arrived, engineers and infantry clearing out the last bits of resistance in the trench-line. Officers barked to continue the charge, pushing the fresh reinforcements over the top of the next line. Suddenly, shells whistled and impacted the ground, heavy artillery! Across the field, heavy machine guns began to tear apart the charge. German marksmen aimed down from the trees, picking off advancing officers and leaving enlisted without commands. Then came the most fearful sound; Gas.

"Gas! Gas, put your masks on!" Sergeant Phillips yelled. The soldiers wrestled with the elastic straps of the masks, securing them firmly on their faces. The deadly green smoke flowed into the trench, obscuring vision to about a meter. The unlucky few coughed and cried, rubbing their burning eyes. "Ron didn't put his mask on! Come on and help!" One of the Americans yelled. He began to stand before being pulled down by his comrades.

"Are you crazy!?" Sergeant Phillips hissed "He's as good as dead, if you stand the snipers will pick you next!" Whispers continued between the men, more German shells exploded and Stranded Soldiers fought on for dear life outside of the gas. Some men sobbed, cried, and wailed, holding pictures of loved ones in fear. It felt like hours of crying, with the gas blocking vision so much you could only tell time if you had a watch.

"Shit, ah, help me!" Screams broke out through the trench, men drew knives and hammers to defend themselves. In the middle of the trench, several German saboteurs were killing men in the gas. A small scuffle emerged as the Germans were discovered. Masks were pulled and blind swings flew. A Saboteur grabbed one of the men by the mask, slashing away at his enemies throat repeatedly. He turned and thrust forth at another American, plunging the blade into the Soldiers gut.

An engineer charged forward and swung his pickax at the man, catching him in the jaw. The bone shattered and his fabric mask tore in half. The German fell into the mud, completely lifeless.
The engineer continued attacking the man, crushing the entire skull into a messy goop. German after German fell in the trench to the sheer number of active defenders.

After the carnage, fifty Allies were found dead. After the scuffle, two sentry guards patrolled through the line. After the gas cleared, it was sunset... A bright orange glow setting a backdrop on the chaotic horizon.