South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-12
NEW WEAPON IS
USED BY ALLIES
EngllShman InventS Bomb
Which Can be Set Off
by Lights.
-eInatIonlI - serT.ce

international News Service.
LONDON. Sept 1Z-Bombs hur-
riedly buried in trenches about TO
be abandoned 90 the enemy and set
of az the proper mement by light
from flaming shells are the latest
horrible weapon 20 he used on the
western front. They were invented
by H. Grindell Matthews. an Eng
lishman.
The device is called a "light-o-
mine and comprises an electric
clOckwork arrangement, attached to
a series OF bombs.
The apparatus itself is about "A
yard long and four inches square.
IL consists OF "a lens at one end. open
and resem bling "A pocket flash lamp.
Inside is a dry battery. a sensitiz-
ed plate and clockwork. and from
this lead wires. When a raid is
made on the enemy trench this APP
paratus is carried. and with it line
Of trench bombs. Now line OF
trench bombs. consists -lerely OF
twenty or nifty or a hundred or two
hundred Yards of ordinary iron pip
ing, a little larger, for instance than
gas piping The wiring is cut in
suitable lengths say ten of fifteen
feet long each. From each of these
prOtrudes two bits of wire the pos
tive and the negative for the cur
rent to be transmitted 10 detOnate
the bombs. The piping is packed
tightly with alternate chambers Of
T. NJ. r. as the allies standard high
explosive and shrapnel. bits of iron
nails and slugs OF metal
Raid Enemy Trench.
The raiding party carrying this
equipment and preceded by a wave
of grenade throwers. raids the en-
envy trench after short but in
tense bOmbardment They bayonet
or blow up with grenades the sur
viyOrs in the trench, then hastily
lay this line of piping. all connected
up with the wires. in the bottom of
the trench. covering IL over with
few spadefuls of earth. The end
OF the long pipeline of bombs is
attached by wires 20 the "light-O-
mine apparatus. and this is hidden
in the enemy trench, leaving the
bulls eve lens exposed and pointed
back at some object i'm the French
British lines.
About this time the German bat
teries i'm the rear have been advised
that an enemy detachment is oc-
cupying "a front trench section at
that point and a few shells begin
10 drop in. This is the signal for
the raiders 10 clear out and return
20 their own positions. Cautiously
the enemy recOnnoitres forward
when ne hears nothing and no shots
are fred from the lost trench Fin
ally ne approaches and finds il de
serted. The first thing he does is
to Chamber over the parapet and
look for wires leading across the
no Mans Land 20 the raiding par
tvs positions. and finding none, has
TO suspicion that a mine has been
placed in his trench. Troops are
sent forward 10 reOCcupy the trench,
and just when il is comfortably held
by the Germans again. star shell
is sent up from the Franco British
position in line following that
toward which the lens of the light
o-mine' is pointed The light serves
10 set off the long line of piping.
fall OF + y + and shrapnel. and the
Germans are blown out of the
trench.
Cannot Use Wireless.
II would not be feasible 10 de-
tomato the mines by wireless on the
principle used by John Hayes Ham
mond. jr.. i'm guiding his manless
boat. as in the first place it would
thus be necessary To place aerials
above the trenches after a mine
" ere laid and the enemy would no
tice the uprishts at once. In the
second place the activity on the
wireless of both allied and German
machines overhead. signalling direc-
tions to batteries. would lam" the
condition necessary TO fire the mine
10y activity
The mines can be set off by day
light; ordinary light having no eff
feet on the lens. Only if the lens