The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-04

Germans and Austrians remain IN
force and where German anu russ
for months strove fruitleSsly TOT more
than temporary advantage. Inc TWO
armies were deadlockeo !oi IIals
weeks in the foothills Of the Carpa-
thians. and their commanders, in an
effort to save their men, resorted TO
ruses night attacks and snort snarp
engagements at isolated parts OF the
opposed lines in order to gain small
advantages and break down the
morale of the enemy.
Some German Ruses.
Robert Crozier Long, British cor
respondent in Russia, writing to The
Fortnightly Review, tells Of some of
the strategems he witnessed in a visit
| to this front Of the eastern war. In
| four weeks" he writes, the Germans
tried half a dozen tactical devices
| Here they proved the industry OF their
staff and the unity Of their command
with that of the Austrians. The ca
| price of individual commanders plays
no role. A new ruse is put in force
| simultaneously along the whole
| BSura- -RaWka line, OmetlmeS, also,
| along the Nida, and even down the
Dunajec to the Carpathian foothills.
In the night attacks are tried some
clever. stratagems. During my f1rst
| visit, from a distance Of ten miles be-
hind the firing line, one could see at
night a wide arc of horizon glaring
from illumination-rockets and search
lights, and hear a tremendous mixed
roar of rifle and artillery fire and
the explosions Of hama grenades and
shells. This meant a night attack
Wounded men who s,reamed in next
morning nearly always had stories Of
ruses by which the enemy (the Ger
mans sought to gain local advant
ages. When the defenders are used
to one device they are surprised with
4 another. Usually the night attack is
E signaled with a single rocket; after
t this up go illumination rockets in
| great numbers, making daylight over
z our trenches; and when the attack is
f we'll forward searchlights are turned
on in order to dazzle the infantry,
S make them shoot blindly and ham
Y per them in bayonet work. During
e one period Of night attack fever, this
f program was tried on successive
n nights. Our men got used to it, and
: although hampered by the glare
e fought with success. On the seventh
n or eighth night came the usual attack
y preliminaries The Russians rein.
k forced the threatened trenches Ir
5, the belief that Germans as usual
n were creeping through the dark bel
5, under the searchlight beams, rifle.
n and machine guns were turned on
: The enemy did not appear. Simulta
e neously, about a mile to the north
n without signals illumination rocket
n order hurled themselves against
quiescent position and capture.
y trenches which had to be retaken a
s. dawn. At exactly the same hour thi
n surprise maneuver was executed 2
l. miles south on the Rawka line, an
id again on the lover Nida, where film
l. night attacks. with brilliant illumi
e nation, had been made during tn
D preceding week. The ruse was trie
st by different tactical units, even b
s. different armies. It is pYain that tn
n General Staff, Or the staff OF som
in group OF armies, is not above work
ry ing out homogeneous surprise tactic
IS for the whole front. From these al
III tacks the immediate German gain
On small, but there is a cumulative e1
IS. feet in psychical fatigue
ng The correspondent tells also of ste,
ns shields used for defense by the &c,
an man trench fighters These shield
though thin, will turn a high-powe
revolver bullet at few yards. The
on will not keep out the service riff
re bullet: The German infantryme1
he knowing this, hold their shields at a
IS angle. The light steel surface
,es tough enough to deflect a bull,
an striking it anglewise, and the man b,
ke hind the shield is safe.
It Ihe ingenious Germans have i,
ms, vented 'bridge' to cross the Ru
ln- SIAN arrangements of barbed wir
ed, The Russians make their wire e7
err tanglements by driving three or fo,
Try rows of steut stakes close to II
me ground and winding them well wit
he heavy strands of barbed wire. To e
sht across the Germans use what tn,
md call the Stacheldrahtbruckl nh
is length of stout canvas. back,
one with very heavy mesh wire. II cs
ain be rolled up readily and carried on
1ey mans back. When a Russian o.
hey tangiement tan 31 is encountered, the ca.
eat vas roll is got out and snread ov
I'm, the Darbed wire. It makes a secn
Ind bridge over which the attack,
ex- party can dash. Another method
ian approaching barbed wire with RE,
IAN men me behind behind it is 10 get down flat
om the ground and Wrige1e harind
lips DarreI OF clay, or a sack fillad nv;