Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-19
BRITISH FORCES
COOL IN ACTION
IN EAST AFRICA
Scientific Accuracy in Direc-
ton of Artillery Fire Aided
in Routing Germans.

London. April 19-(Correspondence
Of the Associated Press. )-Thorough-
ness of preparation, GOODNESS in execu-
ton and scientific accuracy in the d.
rection of artillery fire characterize
modern battles as demonstrated in the
last important conflict, in the clearing
Of German East Africa by British
forces. according to IN account of the
battle of Ruff river as related by
Reuters special correspondent. This
was the last campaign personally
commanded by Major-General Jan
Christian SHUTS, the former Boer
commander, and resulted in giving
and the inhabitable portion Of German
East Africa.
For W weary months, writes Reu-
ter's correspondent, the army lay up
on its weapons. consolidating, reor-
ganizing, rebuilding railway lines and
piling up great dumps of food and
Kidding itself Of it's sick and wounded.
Then It moved forward from Moro
goro. The object of the advance was
the election of 1.-THE enemy from his
trenches on the Mgeta river and the
seizure of the passages of the Ruff
river.
Directed From Hill.
Tho battle was directed and con-
trolled from an observation hill at
Dathumi but General SHUTS spent
little time on the hill. He had made
ders. Nothing remained for him to do
and he was back in his camp calmly
reading q book.
In a straw hut the brigadier gener-
al a at a table on which vas an
oriented map showing the strategic
and geographical points Of the plans
which lay before us, at his elbow the
telephone and just below the hut the
wireless instrument necessarily emit
ted sparks. Higher up the slope of the
hill were the observing stations Of the
battery commanders.
Hut Burning Signal.
The burning of huts at Kiruru sig
nailed the beginning of the battle. The
b~rigadier general. a polite little man
who has lectured at the staff college
for twenty a and who knows the
especially Of artillery, called the
howitzer battery by telephone.
open fire a little to the right of
the palm trees" he said. you have
1.-THE elevation and direction. The Nj
gerians will be on the move" Just
behind the palm tree and a little to
the right a great brown cloud Of mud
and smoke rose high in the air. From
the plain came the boom of heavy
~ "AAN "AA oASIi5 S44S I4NS1 pId1lCll
rose clouds of smoke, mud and dust.
The staff officer handed in a tele-
gram reading: The infantry are now
about to advance; they ask artillery
support"
Field Guns Up.
Bring the field guns into action
said the general.
1t was all so very matter of fact
This little man who was about to lei
loose upon the German trenches q
hells broth of fire and disaster, acted
as II he were in his own drawing
room, deciding how many Jumps OF
sugar he would take with his tea. In
deed, in h same breath that he d.
rected the battle. he discussed wheth-
er an extra can of sardines and to-
matoes should be opened for break
with herrings.
Down below on the plains the
howitzers were lobbing sixty-pound
shells into the German Askaris, the
Nigerfans were advancing by sharp
rushes and the rat-tat of the machine
guns and the crackle of musketry
broke very family. Airplanes sailed
over us. A message came from the
Nigerfans. I'VE are going to AXE the
enemy's trenches: please lift gunfre.
The order vas passed along. "all guns
lift two degrees"
Little black dots, like tiny ants, are
rushing where the shells are bursting.
The Nfgerians are rushing the trench
es. The forward observing officer re-
ports that the enemy, is retiring. The
ffteen-pounders, man-killing guns
shower shrapnel on the German line
of retreat.
The infantry report having occupied
the German first line Of. trenches,
halting for one hour to consolidate
The brigadier general commented on
the difficulty of observation in the
humid atmosphere and suggested q
cup Of tea. 1t seemed hat nothing
more would happen until after lunch,
so I visited the commander-in-chief
He was occupied for the moment with
a volume by George Gisslog and was
satisfied with the reports he had re-
ceived. BY dark the whole Of the Ger
man entertainments were In our
hands. From a rag-time expedition,
the army had developed into a scien-
tifc instrument of a
Certainly ceaseless vigilance is the
price of liberty. and also Of making a
living for a family.