Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
LITTLE ACTIVITY
RECORDED ALONG
ENGLISH FRONT
Germans Press Attack in
One Quarter Against
Indian Troops.
SHIPPING CARRIED ON
ALMOST INCESSANTLY
Prisoners Recently Captured
Take Gloomy View
of Future.
sUBTERRANEAN LIFE is RULE
Even Men Not Actually Engaged in
Fighting Line in Under
ground Quarters.
sUBTERRANEAN LIFE is RULE
Even Men Not Actually Engaged in
Fighting Line in Under
ground Quarters.

LONDON. December 5.-The press
bureau to-day issued a report from an
eyewitness at the front covering milf
tary operations during the three days
from November 20 to November 90, in
elusive. This report is summarized as
follows:
General inactivity is recorded along
tho English front, with the Germans
pressing the attack in one quarter
against the Indian troops. vino have
been extending their trenches in an
cndcaVor TO get in close quarters VITA
tho encmy. There has been some she'll
ing OF the rear of our front line south
OF Lys. but this form OF annoyance
diminishcs daily along the whole front.
Shipping. howcvcr,tiS carried on almost
necessarily. There seems 10 he little
doubt that the Germans are employ
ing civilians, either willing or unwill-
ing, TO dig trenches. Some civilians
have been seen and shot while en-
gagged in this work
While IL is necessary to accept the
evidence of all prisoners with caution.
there is change In the views ex-
pressed by some officers captured re-
Gently. which appears to be genuine.
They admit the failure of the German
strategy, and profess to take a gloomy
view of the future. At the same time
it must he confessed that as yet there
- no lUdl Wow ~ Jnal
generally held by the enemy, nor has
thnrc been any definite indication Of "a
lack OF morale among the German
troops.
MEN RESPONDING TO
MOBILIZATION ORDERS
Tho highways OF Northern France
are crowded with men responding to
the various mobilization orders issued
BY the French government. Thou
de Il
In the course OF a.. short automobile.
trip. The strangA procession includes
a curious mixture 4of. types. a COM
siderable proportion of these new
drafts are composed of middlc-ngcd
men OF good physique. and likely
young men from the countrysidc
The change within the last few days
OF what may be termed the atmos-
phcre of tho battlefield has been
marked. The noise OF cannonading has
now decreased to such an extent that
for hours at time nothing is heard
heavy guns OF the allies the occasional
rattle of machine guns and the in
tcrmittent fire OF snipers on either
side. So far as the use OF explosives
lis concerned. the greatest activity Is
found in local attacks with hand
grenades and short range howitzers
The enemy has practically ceased his
efforts to break through the line by
assault and he is now devoting his
energies to the same type Of siege
operations which have been familiar to
the allies since the beginning OF the
battle OF the Aisne
Subterranean life is the general rule
in the neighborhood of the firing line.
Even those men not actually engaged
In fighting live in underground quar-
ters. Some of these quarters, called
funk holes" are quite elaborate and
comfortable. and contain many con-
veniences not found In the trenches On
the firing line.
ASSAULTS ACCOMPANIED
ny SHOWERS OF GRESADES
They communicate with the firing
which make enfilading impossible. Az
tacks are made on the firing line by
blinded saps, which are constructed by
a special earth borer. When this Sc
crct tunnel reaches the enemy's trench
an assault is delivered amid shower
deavor to burst their way through the
opening and then try to work along
the trench. Machine guns are quickly
brought up to rcpel counterattack
Most of this lighting takes place at
such close range that the guns on
either side cannot be fired at the
enemy's infantry without great risk
come tG~take the place of artillery, and
they are being used in enormous guam
titles. The short-range howitxers are
of three types, and those used by the
Germans have come to be termed the
Jack Johnson" of close attack. The
smaller bombs and grenades thrown
by hand. although local in action; are
very unpleasant, particularly in The
inclosed space Of n trench. These gre
nades are thrown continuously by both
sides, and every trench assault is first
preceded and then accompanied by
showers of these murderous missiles.
This kind of fighting is very deadly,
and owing 20 the difficulty of observa-
ton. Ii is at times somewhat blind.
This difficulty has in measure been
decreased. however. by the use of the
hyperscopc, an instrument which works
Very much like the periscopc OH n sub
marine
1t permits an observer to look out
over the top of parapet without rais-
ing his head above the protection Of
the trench.