Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-12
CANADIANS REHEARSE
BATTLE BEFORE ATTACK
Careful Study of Foes Lines
Brings Them Victory With
Small Casualties
By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS


WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN THE
FIELD. Jan. 22 Cby maiD.
Rehearsals OF weddings, christenings and
coronations are an established institution,
but II took Armageddon to furnish the
world with such new wrinkle as the re-
hearsal of battle.
Such rehearsal was actually pulled off
before the Canadians stOrmed the German
lines Wednesday north of Arras, when dur
ing a snowstorm they took 1O1 prisoners
and a number of machine guns and de-
stroyed German trenches dugouts and mu-
nltions.
The British system of tabulating the
enemy defenses was go complete that the
Canadians were provided with a detailed
plan of the trenches which It was proposed
to raid, including the German names of
every trench, crater and dugout.
DUMMY SYSTEM USED
Thus, a dummy system was arranged
behind the Canadians lines complete to the
last dugout mouth, with the German sign
posts as in the original bit OF territory.
Here the Canadians rehearsed a miniature
battle, every man having his own par
tlcular job,e The rehearslng raiders were
even taught such German commands as
Come out, or we will blow you up" or
'-Come out. you are safe" Hands up"
"Surrender and so
Asked whether they preferred to attack
by night or by day the men replied day"
Therefore at daylight on Wednesday they
jumped over the parapet and crossed No
Mans Land over four inches of snow.
over twin mountains of Stag to the left
rolled the smoke of a barrage, binding any
machine gunners there. Another swamped
the ruins 10 the right Rockets Of yellow
red and green from fake positions, where
II was designed TO make the Germans be-
lieve the Canadians were assembling, cast
. strange glow over the field of snow in
the dull morning light and completed the
Germans bewilderment
AS a prolonged bomba rdment swept the
center before the attack, the machine guns
between the smoke curtains were absolutely
silent Thus there were practically no cas-
ualtis before the attackers reached the first
line.
TEUToN RESISTANCE LIGHT
Here the Germans made small resistance.
They were quickly subdued while a second
party. advancing, occupied the second line.
sixty yards further on. The Germans occu-
pying this second line surrendered without
nghting.
Au officer at the mouth of a dugout
called out six times. Come out" voice
within replied Yes" in English each time.
Finally a Strassburg professor commanding
the German company emerged complaining
he was unable to make his men understand
German as they were Poles and Silesians.
Meantime. a Canadian sergeant discov-
cred store OF ammunition He feared to
blow II open in the open lest the explosion
kill his own men. so the entire stock was
slid down dugout from which the Ger
mans refused to emerge. Stokes bimb
riding on the last box. This detonated the
lot.
Elsewhere In the attack were Canadians
shouting "Raus" down dugouts and blow
ing them up when their warnings were un-
needed.
After everything was destroyed the Ca
nadians returned TO their own trenches un-
molested bearing the smallest Of casual
ffes
This is a good sample of the minor bat
ties which occur daily on the British front.
After this part 'cular one an officer re-
marked; The men didn't need officers.
once started the thing ran automatically
Iike Z phonosraph turning out music"