The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-10-18

dividual fire. The shooting was good
and accurate, and in this work, as
throughout, one could not but be
struck by the keenness and intensity
of purpose that was apparent. Anoth-
er notable point, again was the
amount Of individual initiative left to
the men.
When q man knows what to do, or
ders for the most part are not given,
and the men carry out their work 81
lently, in much the same way as
work is done silently in such a highly,
organized unit as a salvage vessel.
British Instructors.
It is common knowledge that
certain number of British instructors
have been lent to the American force
by the British army, and in the after,
noon we visited a squad of young Of
ficers who were being trained by Brit
ish drill sergeants-
The British sergeants have made
themselves immensely popular with
the Americans, have been very cor
daily welcomed by them and speak
with the warmest admiration of the
splendid material they have the priv
ilege of handling.
When one considers the short per-
iod that their training has lasted one
is amazed at the physical fitness of the
men. The officers are learning less
ons that they will have to impart to
the men under them. and it was in
this section of the, valley, perhaps,
that one noticed most markedly how
thoroughly the training is directed to
promoting individuality and to en-
phasizing in the case Of each man
that his primary object is to kill Ger
mans without being himself killed by
them. ~ 5..ss.6
Much of the drill consists Of play
ing organized games to promote
physical fitness on the one and on
the other hand to reduce the reaction
period to the minimum. In each
brigade the individual is penalized for
the slightest inattention and for any
slackness, and all the time the British
1sergeants were there speeding the
squad up in every possible way. The
most realistic of the games, perhaps.
was when the men stood round in a
ring with a sergeant In the middle.
they with their backs to him. Each
man had rife and fixed bayonet, ana
Unexpectedly the sergeant would
touch one of them, and 1t was for him
to show Immediately how he would
attack a supposed enemy Gin this case
the sergeant) whatever. the defensive
adopted. II
Precision of bayoneting is being
taught by making the men stab
through a small ring held for them
and as the sergeant touched one or
other of the men he further conapli-
Gated the problem by telling them.
you have no rife" or You have no
bayonet," and it was then for the men
to attack as best he could.
Capturing Trenches.
It is in teaching the men how to
capture trench that the lesson In
German killing is most thoroughly
emphasized.
AS we saw the work there was a
squad Of mon assembled at the head
of trench, and in every recess of it
were dummies representing Germans.
the trench, for the theory was that it
was a surprise attack. and every de-
tall of their movements was controlled
and criticized. They were shown
how to avoid letting their bayonets
| be seen, and each man was encourag-
ed to simulate battle hate as he
struck has German dummy.
ACannedn Hate for Americans.
And the sergeant kept up a running
| fire of comment, thus: Make a good
| Boche, and there's no good Roche but
| a dead Boche'' There are two of
them there, one has got some rum and
| the other a sandwich. you take the
| sandwich and I'll have the rum. ~
Don't make a mistake about 1t;
Fritz Is no fool, he'll stick you II you
| don't stick him." What you've got
| to do is to kill Fritz, as many Fritzes
as you can" That's it." fas bayon-
ct thrust went home) pull it out and
| make q. good bayonet of 1t again." ans
| SO on.
At the officers. training ground the
| the trenches were rather more elabor-
ate than those we saw in the ranks
and the method of attack was also
rather more elaborate. The ground.
;bya -sozaeeszo0sg yards. O,