Picture 1: On Reconnaissance.
Hans and his comrades go farther and farther in enemy lands,
But in face of the Germans the French do not stand.
Hans tries to find them and hurries ahead
Through forest, towns and houses he treads.
Then finally near Spichern in the early morning light
He finds the French entrenched and ready for a fight.
Picture 2: Storming the Spicherer Hills.
He tells his commander what he has found,
The troops rejoice, great joy abounds,And soon the Germans will the French engage
In Spichern where they’ll show their rage.
They bravely cut a path uphill
With their guns and with their iron will
At the front of the fight little Hans we can see
Leading the troops to victory!
Picture 3: A Glorious Victory.
High atop the Spichern hills the fighting rages on
With bayonet and rifle butt until the fight is won.
The Germans’ blows are hard and cause the French to flee
They run downhill and seek to hide below among the trees.
The Germans fire after them, then fire once again,
“The battle is won! Victory is ours!” proclaim the German men.
Picture 4: Requisitioning in the Villages.
The fleeing enemy is pursued, the victors are close behind,
And on the way of their pursuit an empty town they find.
And then since food is running low they search throughout the town
But usually, despite their work, no foodstuffs can be found.
Our Hans, however, knows the hunt and looks in the right places.
He returns to camp with more supplies to all the happy faces.
Picture 5: Pursuing the Fleeing Enemy.
And so the march continues, the French are still in flight
And though supplies run short, pursuit through day and night.
We chase the red-pants Frenchmen, like hunters stalk their deer,
So far and so relentless, till Paris is quite near.
Hans is now quite happy, the goal is now not far,
He laughs and jokes with his comrades throughout the tiring march.
Picture 6: Bring the Mail to the Troops.
The soldiers are most happy, when the mail from home arrives.
The letters and gifts from home are the passed out to all the smiles.
But since the foe would also like to commandeer these things,
A military escort must accompany all the things we bring.
So Hans must sit there on the wagon, rifle in his hand
And sees to it that the post arrives within the foeman’s land.