The Benson signal., 1916-09-23
LIGHT RAYS new
AID IN WARFARE
EngliSt-lan Invents Remarkable
Engine of War Called
"Light-o-Mine."
IS USED IN FRENCH ATTACKS
Mines Laid in Captured Trenches Are
Set OFF by Ray Of Light When
Reoccupied by the
Enen1v

r. PaFiS.-Light as an adjunct and aid
of modern warfare is the newest ally
of the allies, summoned to aid in the
campaign against the central powers
by H. Grindell Matthews, an English
man.
Grindell Matthews engine of war
is called 'light-O-mine," and COM
prises an electrO-clockwork arrange
ment that is attached to a series Of
bombs and which is set off by ray
of light. The new form of trench
fighting, the raiding tactics first car
ried out by the British and now be-
ing engaged in to a great extent by
the Russian troops on the French
front and by the poilus themselves,
avaiis itself largely of the use of this
'light-O-mine."
The apparatus itself is about a
yard long and four inches square. 1t
consists of lens at one end, open and
resembling pocket flash lamp. In
side is dry battery, q sensitized
plate and a clockwork, and from
that lead wires. When raid is made
on an enemy trench, this apparatus
is carried, and with it a line of trench
bombs. Now line of trench bombs
consists merely of 20 or SO or 100 or
2OO yards of ordinary iron piping, a
little larger, for instance, than gas
piping. The piping is cut in suitable
lengths-say 10 or Is feet long each.
From each of the ends protrude two
bits of wire, the positive and the mega
tive, for the current to be transmitted
to detOnate the bombs. The piping is
packed tightly with alternate cham
bers Of T N T, as the allies standard
high explosive trinitrotoluol is called,
and shrapnel, bits of iron nails and
slugS of metal.
Mines Are Planted.
The raiding party carrying this
equipment and preceded by a wave of
grenade thrOwers, raids the enemy
trench after short but intense bonn
bardment. They bayonet or blow up
with grenades the survivors in the
trench, then hastily lay this mine of
piping. all connected up with the
wires, in the bottom of the trench,
covering it over with a few spade
fulS Of earth. The end of the long
pipe-line of bombs is attached by
wires to the ''light-o-mine" appar-
atus, and this is hidden in the enemy
trench, leaving the bull's-eye lens ex-
posed and pointing back at some OBJ
ject in the FrancO-British lines.
About this time the German batter
les in the rear have been advised that
an enemy detachment is occupying a
front trench section at that point and
a few shells begin to drop in. That is
the signal for the raiders to clear out
and return to their own positions.
Cautiously the enemy reconnoiters for
ward when he hears nothing and no
shots are. fired from the lost trench.
Finally he approaches and finds it de-
serted. r first thing he does is to
Chamber over the parapet and look for
wires leading across the No Mans
Land to the raiding party's positions,
and finding none, has no suspicion that
q AAAAAS AOO OOCA pAUCCU III LECuCU.
Troops are sent forward to reoccupy
the trench, and just when it Is COM
foTtably held by the Germans again.
a star shell is sent up from the Fran
cO-BritiSh position in line following
that toward which the lens of the
''hght-O-mine" is pointed. The light
serves to set off the long line of piping,
full of I N T and shrapnel, and the
Germans are blown out of the trench.
1t would not be feasible to detonate
the mines by wireless on the principle
used by John Hayes Hammond, Jr.,
in guiding his manless boat, as in the
first place it would thus be necessary
to place aerials above the German
trenches after q mine were laid and
the enemy would notice the uprights