New Britain herald., 1918-05-06
new BRITAIN Held
AGAINST Big ODDS
Mimic Home Guard War Proves
Interesting ManeuVer

New Britain was today attacked
by four companies of enemy troops
and after several skirmishes of out
posts and general fight, in which
'hand-to-hand fighting played a
prominent part, the attacking party
was driven off by three companies Of
defenders and the city was retaken"
Thus writes the mimic war CORE
spondent Of the New Britain Herald
under the date of Sunday May 3,
Somewhere in Connecticut Yes
terday seven companies of Home
Guard troops conducted field man
euvers in this city, the object being
for the three defending companies tc
drive off the four companies of at
tackers. In the afternoon there was
a battalion review in Walnut Hill
park at which time Col Burpee and
1t. Col McMahon, with Mayor G.. A.
Quigley, reviewed the. Home Guards
men and the civilian population had
real opportunity to see what the
Home Guard is and what it is doing.
New Britain Retaken.
The mimic var Of yesterday devel-
oped some very interesting facts. The
sisting Of companies from Southing
ton, Bristol and Berlin. numbering
four, had captured Hartford and was
marching on Bristol via New Britain,
while three companies consisting of
Companies H and M. of this city and
the Plainville company. in COM
mand of Major Merrill of Bristol,
were in full retreat. The Black Rock
bridge had been blown up and Major
Merrill had been given orders to hold
off the enemy for two hours during
which time the bridge could be re-
built Major Woodruff was in charge
of the attacking party and when he
arrived in New Britain he found that
Major Merrill had his men EN-
trenched'' in Walnut Hill park and in
the "sanguinary 1ghting' that en-
sued the ttacking force was cut to
pieces and driven back, while New
Britain was again retaken by the To-
cal forces. Company NJ Of this city
was ordered to hold the comfort
house in Walnut Hill park and by
clever show of force succeeded III
making the enemy think that there
was a greatly superior force there. AS
result he threw in his entire force
and while the defenders were elthr
''klIlCu or captured lllSN SuNCScoCu III
hating the advance and deploying the
enemy so that they were eventually
outf1anked.
One Company Wiped Out.
The rules which governed this
mimic war were that any man VINO
needlessly exposed himself was de-
clared killed and referees were de-
tailed to each unit. One company
commander, in drawing up his men
for an. advance brought them III
squad formation across the field. The
result was that the supposed machine
gunners moved down the entire COM
pany and the umpires ruled that the
command was wiped out. Thus TINS
company was taken from the field OF
action. The umpires were Captains
Delamatar and Gadd, Majors Cos
grove and Bronson and Lieutenant
Root. 1t Col. Mcmahon had COM
plete charge of the evolutions and
Col Burpee with Capt. F. Fl. Johns
ton AS his aide, was chief of the re-
viewing officers.
The members of the Home Guard
rationed themselves and during the
noon hour ate in the field at the park.
In the afternoon the public review
took place.
Col. Burpee and his staff we're the
guests of Captain and Mrs Johnston
after the maneuvers.