Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-22
ONE BOMB! POOP!
HUN ''PILLBOXES'
Go UP in SMOKE
CBy Associated Prsssl

BEHIND BRITISH LANES IN
FRANCE.-The business Of attacking
the German "pillboxeS" has been re-
duced almost 70 a mathematical sci
ence by the British army. PillboHes
which are not done in BY the big
guns in the preliminary commandment
are rushed by the infantry and a
grenade is dropped through QUE OF the
ioop-holes.
An attack on a little section OF Ger
man line a few days ago illustrated
the anti.pillbox technique. The attack
was made under desperate weather
conditions "A cold wind cut through
the men drenched clothing and
heavy raindrops stung their numbed
faces. The line OF craters and shell
holes which the advanced British
troops held was thigh deep in water
and mud, while sections OF the hastily
raised sand-bag parapet kept slipping
down as the sodden earth gave way.
The waiting men were almost deaf
ened by the overhead blast OF the ar
tillery drumfire. The orders of the Of
ficers could hardly be heard a few
feet away and had to be shouted down
from crater to crater along the irregu.
lar line.
The men had been ready for long
time, but in these modern battles all
depends upon the guns, and every.
thing must wait for them to finish off
their work. At last the moment came,
whistles blew family, inarticulate
voices sounded and the fire curtain
lifted so that the earth of the first OBJ
jectives lay quiescent and smoking
no longer spouting in black, flame
shot plumes toward the sky.
There was no instant leaping from
the trench. Men clambered cnm-
brously up the slippery stacis of the
craters, falling on hands and knees In
the mud. Here and there a soldier
helped a falling cofnrade to regain his
balance. Voices cursed, laughed OF
complained non-conimissioned Off
GERS herded 'on their sections and the
attack was launched. Right and left
| the plowed and cratered surface of the
barren earth seemed to disgorge men
who moved slowly, some at wide in
tervals, some grouped together cir.
cling the edge of some quagmire.
Noises were all confused; and indis.
Ftinct: enemy shells burst overhead,
but their report was drowned by the
thunder of the British barrage. Some
where up-wind smoke bombs had been
lighted and the wind carried down a
protecting veil of mist and the acrid
scent of chemicals. An occasional man
fell face downward In the mud; 9TH
ers, not so badly hit, rolled into the
deceptive cover OF water-filled craters
to founder there till Observation-Disclosures
could recover them. Unwounded men
who had been engulfed by mudholes
to the Thighs appealed to comrades to
pull them clear but the wind bore
their voices away and the ranks plod-
ded on d1heeding to the assault. :
Gradually the men struggled UP the
crest OF the rise, painting and out aof.
breath. Concrete piilbox gun EN-.
placements bHlged shattered and ex-
posed among the craters.
One pillbox atop the crest was still
| in action. From ifs mound of earth
came the familiar rat.tat.tat, and the
air seemed full of the whip-Iash Of
bullets. Some one shouted and ges-
ticulated. The men broke into q.
stumbling run. A hand grenade burst
in the mud yard or two short OF the
embrasure then like pack of hounds
men crowded forward to the quarry,
IA section cfrcled the rear and rifle
firing broke out at close quarters
Bullets were aimed at the Sits. and
the bullets that went through ricochet.
ted inside the pillbox in search OF
their target Suddenly . wild figure.
| In khaki appeared gesticulating on the.
domed concrete top. knelt down and
threw something through the embra.
sure. A moment and the narrow slip
spouted flame and smoke wreathed
the group. Then all was quiet.
Three minutes later two wounded
British soldiers were keeping watch
over the three remaining live members
Of the captured garrison. The wave
OF attack had passed on over the de.
lenses and the pillbox had fallen