American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-02

tered, with the result that the Germans
decided upon deep. concrete dugouts
and heavily cemented trenches which
made their appearance very soon
thereafter. and which were features
OF the unsuccessful German defense
on the Somme the following year.
But the allied artillery was by now
up TO the task OF smashing concrete
dugouts and heavily-relnforced trench
e. during the Somme campaign. BY
that time they had learned from the
Germans the value OF heavy artillery.
and were supplied with pieces up to
and Including 15-inch long-range guns.
hurting huge shells filled with high
explosive. These giant guns together
with the lighter field guns, were
grouped In parks 80 as 20 concentrate
a tremendous fire on a short section
OF German line. The Teuton trench.
Is were shattered, as We know; and
because OF their being rather heavily
held. the German casualties we're ex-
ceedingly high. Resortong TO deep,
concrete dugouts proved OF little avail
10 the Germans; for while II Is true
that they escaped to some extent the
heavy artillery fire. they only sur
yived 10 be taken prisoners by the al
lied infantry who were on top OF them
before they could emerge from their
underground refugees. This was made
possible by the moving barrage first
introduced by the French a%rtillerists.
Aerial supremacy also figured In
the old-style trench warfare; for Civ
nm gAUfr,I - 49,. "a. a.. Ill. -
able TO fly over the German lines and
therefore direct the artillery lombard
ment TO a nicely. Reports In the past
have told OF a row OF shells falling In
perfect register on a German trench
Of irregular shape. under the direction
Of artillery spoilers flying overhead.
All OF these conditions gave rise to
the "piil-box" defense, which made its
appearance in the German lines some
time this year. The 'pill-box" is the
British soldiers name for a small.
round, concrete blockhouse which con
tains a number OF German machine
g%unners. The "pill-box appears TO be
the smallest Of German concrete de-
lenses, some OF which are nothing
short OF fortresses in every sense OF
the word.
The "pill-box" strategy OF this year,
" We can interpret the German High
Commands scheme by what has been
taking place during the French and
British offenses of this year, com
prises the use of she'll holes, trees,
rocks, and other available shelter for
machine guns. instead Of the old-style
TAlLU ~ NVanghA. L. III. -
there Is TO be no system of positions,
but merely a zone of defense" The
organization of this zone of defense
10 such that the aerial observers of
the allies cannot detect the individual
machine-gun posts; hence hits by d.
rect artillery becomes almost impos-
sible except by mere chance. The
troops holding positions In the de-
Tense zone are eschelOnned in depth
OF feeble density In front, but increas-
ing progressively toward the rear
where special shock regiments and
regular infantry are held in force for
sudden, smashing counter attecks.
In resisting an offensive the scheme
Is supposed to work out about as fol-
lows The enemy either British or
French-eXpends In his customary
lavish name tens OF thousands of
shells In mussing up the ground I'm
front Of him, which in this case is in
The German zone OF defense. By the
law Of probabilities only a small per
centage Of German shell-hole posi-
tions, '~pill-boXes." tree shelters. and
so ON. are put out of action. As the
enemy lays his moving curtain Of fire
or barrage to protect his advancing
Infantry waves. the German defenders
still cling 10 their shelter. but the
moment the harrage is past they take
their posts and open fire with hundreds
OF machine guns on the enemy infan-
try. The object, 1t appears. Is to kill
off or disable as many of the attack
ers as possible. so that by the time
these forces have penetrated the zone
OF defense 10 a point where their ar
ttllery a no longer support them
adequately, and by the time they have
been considerably cut down and
weakened, the German forces scattered
about. reinforced by selected shock
corps and regular infantry In the rear.
go from the defensive into the often
sive with the intention OF restoring
conditions as they were before the
battle.
The success of this scheme. accord
ing TO captured German orders. de-
ponds largely on camouflaging the
machine gun posts. Earth removed
IN preparing posts must be thrown in
TO %unoccupied she'll holes. or il the
contiguration Of the earth permits.
must be scattered on the surface In
this manner dugouts can escape aerial
observation. The comfort Of the
scattered garrisons evidently inter-
ests the German high command but
little. They are told that IL the hu-
midity OF the ground prevents the use
OF mine galleries. Il will be sufficient
% have simple shelters against shrap-
mel. immediately behind the first line
shell-hOle centers Of resistance for
machine guns. dugOuts should be