Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-01-25
HINDER AN ARMY'S MARCH.
Obstacles Thrown in the Way Of an Invading
Military Force.
Pearson's Magazine.

Military Force.
Pearson's Magazine.
The use OF obstacles in warfare is AS
old as war itself and between the turf.
covered holes and caltrops Of Bruce at
| Bannockburn and the modern "mili-
tary pit" and "crows-foor" there is lit
tie difference.
The obstacle which best fulfills the
required conditions and which has
practically only one drawback is "wire
| ENHANCEMENT"
1t does not afford cover to the enc
my should he gain possession OF it.
1t is difficult to remove or surmount
and special tools, such as cutting phi.
ers or nippers, are required for it's de-
struction. 1t is difficult to see and if
exposed to artillery fire cannot be set
alight. On the other hand, it is an
obstacle to a counter attack and in
bulk rather cumbrous to transport
from one place to another.
"Wire ENHANCEMENT" may be either
high" or low" In the "high" va
riety stout stakes are driven into the
ground in rows about six feet apart,
about four feet being left above
ground; the wire is then taken dag
onally from the top OF one stake to the
bottom of another and afterward hori-
zontally between the stakes, the whole
forming network very difficult to
get through.
In the low wire ENHANCEMENT" the
stakes are only eighteen inches above
ground and the wire is stretched dag
onally and horizontally between the
heads of the stakes.
Low wire entanglement' is more
easily concealed than "high" and also
takes shorter time to erect, but it is
not so much of an obstacle and large
masses of men soon trample it down.
Abatis" is favorite and effective
form of obstacle and its use depends
only on the number of trees available.
1t may be formed either by cutting
off the limbs of trees and picketing
them to the ground where they are
wanted, having pointed out and sharp
ened the branches; or, especially
when the edge of the wood is being
held, by half cutting through trees
young ones for preference. as they do
not catch fire so easily-bending them
over in the direction OF the enemy and
interlacing with ropes.
Military pits" have rather gone
out of use nowadays, but consist, as
their name implies, of V-shaped pits
from eighteen inches to three feet
deep with a breadth at the top of
from two to three feet.
The pits are arranged in rows,
checkerwise, and are usually covered
with thin layer of turf or brushwood,
while sharp-pointed stakes are driven
into them. They are useful against
cavalry, but are hardly likely to repay
the time and labor involved in their
construction, and, if captured by the
enemy, are easily converted into in.
trenchments for his use.
"Crowsfeet" are practically obsolete
now, but may be mentioned as a relic
of former days. Crowsfeet" are
made of four spikes welded together
and arranged in such a manner that
whichever way they are thrown one
spike will always be uppermost. They
are useful against cavalry, but, on ac-
count of their bulk and weight, would
rarely be carried by modern army.
We now come to an essentially Gal
lie obstacle, "chevaux-de-frise," which
was largely employed during the
street fighting of the French revolu-
tion. A section of "chevaux-de-frise"
consists of length generally six
feen of iron piping, which is pierced
with holes; through these holes point
ed iron rods are passed, crossing one
another so as to form double row OF
spikes at the top, and at the same
time TO act as legs for the section to
stand on.
Palisades" are principally en-
ployed in the defense of bitches in
front of large earthworks and are
formed by driving stout. pointed
stakes into the bottom OF the ditch,
the stakes being further secured by
longitudinal beams called "ribands,'
so that when the attackers leap into
the ditch they run every chance OF be-
ing impaled.