The Southern herald., 1917-02-23
clothing of Smut's Forces Torn
TO ShredS in ThOTnbuSh
Jungle Fighting.
uT MEN ARE VERY FIT
u.,v Members Of Destroyed German
Cruiser KOenigsberg's Crew Killed
I, csptured-Armored Cars the
Joy Of the Army.

Zane Town.-Because Of the diver
IN Of its unlts-BritOns from the
sompland, South African British, BO-
4, East Indians, and South African
r.Hves-General SHUTS expedition In
oeman East Africa is known popu-
hry as the ragtime army. The ragged
INV would be an even more apprO-
Mate designation, for mostly 1t is
msde up of men whose clothing is In
htters. This is not due to the wear
snd tear incidental to a rapid trek Of
inward of thousand miles, fighting
good part of the way, which many
h the regiments have to their credit,
n much as to the fact that to get at
tie enemy the men frequently have to
break by main force through jungles
Of thick thornbush, which tear their
dOthing to shreds and scratch their
bodies from head to foot, so that on
emerging they generally present the
nDpearance of being horribly wounded
when not a bullet has touched them.
Little things like that, with marches
astlng from two o'clock in the morn
Ing at which time the columns when
practicable set out, until six o'clock in
the evening, without q drink Of water
On the way, and often to go into action
bgalnst machine ,,un fire before rest
lng, in no wise affect the spirit Of the
troops. There is splendid rivalry among
the white and colored regiments, in
endurance as we'll as in fighting. A
man feels keenly disgraced If his
strength fails him and he is compelled
% fall out, so If he is stricken with
isver he keeps right on with his COM
fades and tries to joke and sweat 1t
out Of his system. The result is that
the ragged army is made up Of men
who literally are as hard as nails
lean, agile powerful fellows, clear Of
eye and all skin and muscle.
Armored Cars Their Joy.
The joy Of the army is the armored
cars. The value of these machines
manned by naval crews cannot be es-
Hmated. They have saved hundreds
Of men from being killed and thou
sands from being wounded. They can
locate the enemy's machine guns with
out loss when ordinary methods would
De as futile as they would be costly in
country which offers such eXtraor-
dnary facilities for concealment. An
Illustration in point is furnished in ac-
counts Of the operations of one Of Cen
efal Van Deventer's columns recently
engaged in driving the Germans out
q the territory nCrth of the Mahenge
@amps, where they are now kraaled.
The pursuit took the column into a
mountain pass most admirably adapted
lOr the purpose of a trap. AS was
sufmised, the Germans had not failed
Q take advantage of the opportunity
@make a stand. The road led through
gap up into narrow mex in horse
moe Of high wooded mills from which
every inch Of the inclOsed space was
ommanded. The armored cars, one
a time, went on toward the mex
VAlle the infantry deployed to right
and left of the hills and began the
scent Nothing happened for awhile,
not sign Of the enemy was in evi-
oence and the cars came to a halt in
vpen ground. Immediately they were
OOwered with machine gun bullets
uon all directions.
They had accomplished their pur-
Mse Of drawing the enemy's fire. but
while the lead battered on the cars II