The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-25

] 10 'lii llN'N Af'N 'lAh III lil'NN 'lsAN N'N4N
! burn down in a second or two, while
others would "slzz" for n week before
exploding. Back in BljGhly the NUM-
tion workers weren't quite up to snuff,
the way they are now. If the fuse took
a notion to burn too quickly they gem
orally buried the bomb maker next
day. So making bombs could not be
called Il "cushy" or safe job.
After making several bombs the pro-
feSSor instructs the platoon in throw
ing them. He takes n liam tin" from
the fire step, trembling a little. be.
cause it Is nervous work, especially
when new at it, lights the fuse on his
striker. The fuse begins TO "sizz" and
Sputtcr and a spiral of smoke, like
that from a smoldering fag, rises from
it, The platoon splits in two and
ducES around the traverse nearest to
them. They don't like the looks and
sound Of the burning fuse, When that
fuse begins to smoke and "siz2' you
want to say good-hy to II rs soon as
possible, 50 Tommy with all his might
chucks II over the top and crouchcs
against the parapct, waiting for the
explosion.
Lots of times in bombing the liam
tin" would be picked up by the Ger
mans, before it exploded, and thrown
back at Tommy with dire results.
After lot Of men went West in this
manner an order was issued, reading
something like this:
ITO all ranks in the British army:
After ignitng the fuse and before
throwing the jam-tin bomb, count
Slowly one! two! three!"
This in order to give the fuse time
enough to burn down, so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw 1t back.
Tommy read the order---he reads
them all, hut after he ignited the fuse
and IT began to smoke-Orders We're
forgotten, and away she went in record
time and back she came TO the further
discomfort of the throwCr.
Then another order was issued to
count, zone hundred two hundred!
three hundredl" But Tommy didn't
care if the order read TO count up to
u thousand by quarters, he was going
to get rid Of that liam tln," because
from experience he had learned not
TO trust 1t.
When the powers that he realized
that they could not change Tommy
they decided to change the type Of
bomb ana did sO--suhstituting the
"hair BRUSH" the "cricket ball" and
later the Mills bomb.
The standard bomb used in the Brit
ish army is the mills" II Is about the
shape and size Of large lemon. Al
though not actually lemon, Fritz In
sists that it is; perhaps he Judges 1t
by the havoc caused by its explosion
The Mills bomb is made of steel, the
outside Of which Is corrugated into 4S
small squares, which, upon the eXplo-
sion of the bomb, scatter in wide
area, woundng or killing any Fritz
who is unfortunate enough to be hit
by one Of the flying fragments.
Although very destructive and cf
ficlent bomb the mills" has the con
ildence of the thrower, in that he
knows 1t will not explode until re.
leased from his grip.
1t is q mechanical device with q
lever, fitted into Il slot at the top,
which extends half way around the
circumference and IS held in place at
the bottom by fixing pin. In this pin
there is small metal ring, for the
purpose of extracting the pin when
ready to throw.
You do not throw n bomb the way Il
baseball Is thrown, because when in
a narrow trench, your hand Is liable
to strike against the parados, traverse
or parapet, and then down goes the
bomb, and, in couple Of seconds or
so, up goes Tommy.
In throwing, the bomb and lever arc
graspcd In the right hand, the left foot
is advanced, knee stiff, about one and
a half It's length to the front, while
the right leg, knee bent, is carried
slightly 10 the right. The left arm is
extended at an angle of As degrees.
pointing IN the direction the bomb IL to
be thrown. This position is similar
to that of shot putting. only that the
right arm IS extended downward. Then
YOU hurl the bomb from you with an
overhead bowling motion, the same as
in cricket, throwing Il fulrly high in
the air, this In order to give the fuse
chance TO burn down 50 that when
the bomb lands, It Immediately ex.
plodes and gives the Germans no time
TO sCnmper out Of its range or to re.
turn IL.
As the bomb leaves your hand, the
lever, by means Of spring, is projected
into the air and falls harmlessly tC
the ground n few feet In front Of tht
bomber.
When the lever flea off It releases
a strong spring, which forces the frln.
pin into percussion cap. This lgnltel
: the fuse, which burns down and set
off the detOnatOr, charged with fulml
, nate Of mercury, which explOdes TN
main charge of ammonia.
, The average British soldier Is not al
expert at throwing; 1t is a new gam
, to him, therefore the Canadians an
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