Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-27

trenches and field fortiications is the
work OF Tho siX-inCh shell the three
inch she'll is more effective against
troops. in defense. in pursuit. but not
powerful enough to break through
trench Notifications. At nightfall after
one OF those calm days Of the official
communiaue, the men creep out through
the mud 10 stretch more barbed wire
whore the lines have been broken. 10
drive new stakes where they have been
wrenchcd out by shells. Two Of the
daily cares are the destruction and
maintenance OF those lines. To drive
those pickcts into the ground II is
necessary to pound them: each stroke
or the Slodce hammer resouuds and
draws shot f-om the opposing trench
twenty To 100 yards away: the shot
afterwards becomes q fusiiladc. and
often brings the first and sometimes
the second line INTO a night attack.
our soldiecs have developed the In
S;incts of Il trapper." said an officer.
from living so long In close contact
with the enemy they are able ny i'm
pcrCcpt!hle signs to detect the stroke
in preparation by the adversary. or Il
weakness that il is necessary 10 Put TO
profit without delay.
TRENCH Is DAiIY SCHOOL
OF HEROIC PATIENCE
The trench is daily school or
bravery and heroic patience" added
the officer. with no recess, but y little
vacation every four days. See all that
goes on. hut don't he seen. that is the
watchword all along the line: il is
unQucS;iouuhiy the same on the other
sid" OF the wire entanglem"utS. for
every rise OF ground that gives 4 van
tn"e rolu; Of observation is bitterly
contested
The slightest elevation occupied on
one side Obliged the adversary To bur
row deeper into the earth. NJ some
points the adNerSari"S have runounccd
heights that have cost too much. and
have dug In on the slopes they push
ont little listening or observation posts
armed with machine gums, for the pos
session or destruction Of which all
imaginable cNpcdients arc employed.
NJ certain points III" listening post is
within two yards OF the eucmy's trench,
aud in some cases the two Anniversaries
occupy the same trench separated only
by harricadc of sacks of earth. The
tension there is At tho maximum IN the
[ iucessant guard against Il surprise 1t
is III suci; spots so many soldiers sue
cumb or are blinded for life by the
hand grenade. which. in hands become
expert by u years training have become
Il more terrible engine OF war than ever
before.
~Thc struggles never ceases. though
, it may not every day give copy for
/ the communicates" said an officer. at
| takes OF I'll hitherto known and some
/ hitherto unknown methods. Each de-
tachmcnt makes war in the way in
which the lay OF the ground and the
/ position of the troops impose IL. Where
| barbcd wire cant hc used. spiked de-
I lenses. called 'cEcVauS dc friSc. with
! sharp pointed stakes OF steel sticking
I UP To the height Of 4 man. are rolled
/ over the parapct OF the trench. Whore
the lines arc so close artillery cam
not hc used against the adversary, the
trcnch morton called the 'crapouillot'
comes into play. Where the contact
is such that even The mortar cannot be
utilized. we fall back on the hand grcn-
AIDE, or the aerial torpedo 1t Is the
torpedo that, according 20 the evidence
OF prisoners, causes most terror as
well as most havoc in The German
trenches II may be used AT close
range, and its explosive force is extra
ordinary"