Seeing that we were evidently interested, he thought that it was the proper time to get down to the real subject of “intelligence,” but we, too, were prepared.
“Do your aviators know everything that is taking place?” he asked. “Yes,” answered Davis, “our aviators are very intelligent. The command has great confidence in them”; “and,” I added, “in fact, aviators see a copy of every Army order issued.”
“You knew, then,” he continued, “that you had attacked from Verdun to Rheims and the French from Rheims to Soissons and the British from Soissons to the sea.”
“Yes,” I said, “I know that the Allies have attacked all along.” And, as a matter of fact, I did, but most of our flyers did not, and it was only on account of the nature of my work that I knew this information. But I also knew that for some time past Marshal Foch had been pulling a big, strategic fake down in the Vosges mountains from Lunéville to the Swiss border, a very quiet sector, by displaying an unusual amount of activity in the parading of empty motor trucks back and forth to the front, which, of course, could not have been unnoticed by the Germans and necessarily caused them much concern. As a matter of fact, I knew that those trucks were empty and were being paraded only to create the impression that the Allies were getting ready to attack in that sector. Intelligence reports that I had read previous to my capture stated that the Germans were looking forward to this attack and that some of the newspapers had even mentioned it. So, when he fired his next question I, too, had my little pop-gun all ready, cleaned, oiled, primed, bored, trigger pulled, cocked, aimed, set and loaded to the brim with T.N.T., triple forced dynamite, and I let him have it.
“Ah, if you are attacking all along here,” he said as he pointed to the battle area on the map on the table, “you are pushing us north. Now, you must attack from Verdun east or you are leaving your right flank unprotected, so unless you do attack toward the east we will flank and annihilate you.” Sweeping his hand over the big, broad map of France, he assumed the air of a Napoleon.
I wasn’t worried about that flanking movement, for I was all fixed for that; in fact, I was way ahead of him. I was doing my best to figure out my location and the way to the lines so that if there was any chance of my escaping I would know, at least, the general direction in which to go.
“Oh,” I said, apparently without thought, “you haven’t the latest reports, have you? Well, since it’s out I’ll tell you. Our latest communiques this morning stated that we had attacked in the Vosges, had surprised the Germans, and our troops will have taken Mulhausen by to-morrow morning.”
I have never seen a man so happy as this Intelligence Officer—he was all smiles. He had made certain a conjecture, for he had found out that we were really going to attack in the Vosges, and he knew that it had not yet taken place. I could see the gleam in his eyes as he visioned the honor, prestige and the like he would reap as the reward for his wonderful discovery. He apparently could not wait to get the news to headquarters. Abruptly closing the conversation, he shook hands with us, rang the bell and turned us over to a couple of officers who took us out to the camp in our tin-wheeled bus, and in a few minutes we were again in jail, where, relieved from the presence of German officers, we threw off the cloak of dignified propriety and, giving vent to stored-up jollity, we laughed heartily and long.
Indeed, we felt sure by the very affable manner in which we had been released that the duck had been royally fixed. I do not know how true it is, but I afterwards heard that this Intelligence Officer was so convinced and enthusiastic over his discovery that the General was also convinced, and in turn reported it to the Gros Headquarters at Treves, and that the Supreme Command issued preliminary orders to take two Divisions away from the Argonne Reserve for duty in the Vosges. This may or may not be so, though I am inclined to think it is not, but it does not particularly matter. I do know, however, that afterward, for some reason or other, when I was transported by rail through Germany I was honored with extra guards, who had in their possession a descriptive card which honored me to the extent of remarking that I was a very dangerous character, clever liar, and was to be especially well watched.