Gunnison news-champion., 1918-03-15

sputr-r and a spiral Of smoke. like
that from a smoldering fag. rises from
H. The platoon splits In two and
/ ducks around the traverse nearest 10
them. They don't Ike the looks and
/ sound of the burning fuse. When that
! fuse begins 10 smoke and -sizz- you
want 20 say good-by to 1t as soon as
possible. 50 Tommy with all his might
chucE~ It over the top and crouches
againsr the parapet, waiting for the
eIplo-lDn-
Los 81 times in bombing the "jam
7 tin" would be picked up by the Ger
Z mans before IL exploded. and thrown
{ back - Tommy with dire results.
Af'sr a lot OF men went West in this
man. an order was issued. reading
something Ike this:
"Tu all ranks In the British army
I Afte- lguIilng the fuse and before
I throw1g the jan-ttn bomb. count
Z slow q one two, three"
I tt In order to give the fuse time
. enou-a 10 burn down so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
I could throw II back.
Tommy read the order-he reads
then an bur after he ignitei the fuse
/ and IT began TO smoke-orders were
I forgutten. and away she went in record
time nd back she came TO the further
! discomfort Of the thrower.
tn another order was issued TO
corn zone hundred! two hundred
thr'.. hundredf" But Tommy didn't
cGr. n the order read TO count M to
"A tl-g~nnd by quarters. he was going
IN = r'h Of that "jam tin because
I froh p"r3ence he had learned not
[ TO rs. It.
VII the powers that be realized
'hh, rs"y could not change Tommy
/ thoy d,sl led to change the type Of
bomh and did so-substituting the
''hHir brush" the cricket ball. and
later rh- Mills bomb.
! IT. standard bomb used in the Brit
ish army is the Mills" II is about the
I shnre and size OF large lemon. Al
though not actually lemon. Fritz in.
/ fsts 'hnt II is: perhaps he judges II
! Dy o." havoc caused by its explosion.
! The A''Is bomb is made Of steel. the
( outsIdr Of which Is corrugated into As
o ~iilatl @'iAAl'N. WHICH,. upon lllf tAltlh-
sion Of the bomb. scatter In n Wild.
/ area wuunding or killing any Fritz
who Is unfortunate enough TO be hi
by one of the flying fragments.
| Although a very destructive and ef
| ficicn' bomb the Mills has the con
fdencr OF the thrower. in that lac
knows It will not explode until re-
Leased from his grip.
II Is n mechanical device, with o
lever. fitted into slot at the top
which extends half way around the
l circumference and is held In place nj
the bottom by fixing pin. In this pin
there Is small metal ring. for the
I purpose Of extracting the pin when
ready to throw.
You dc not throw bomb the way
baseball Is thrown. because, when in
n narrow trench. your hand is liable
to strike against the parados. traverse
or parapet, and then down goes the
bomb. and. In a couple of seconds or
50. up goes Tnmm;.
In throwing. the bomb and lever are
crasped IN the right hand the left foot
Is advanced. knee stiff. about one and
a half Its length to the front, while
The right leg, knee bent. Is carried
slightly to the right. The left arm is
extended at an angle of 45 degrees
pointing IN the direction the bomb is to
be thrown. This position is similar
TO that of shot putting. only that the
right arm Is extended downward. Then
YOU hQrl the bomb from you with an
-,
in cricket. throwing II fairly high In
the air, this In order to give the fuse
II chance to burn down so that when
the bomb lands, 1t Immediately ex-
plodes and gives the Germans no time
10 scamper out of its range or to re-
turn II.
As the bomb leaves your hand, the
lever. by means Of a spring. is projected
into the air and falls harInlessly to
the ground a few feet In front of the
bomber.
When the lever files of Il releases
a strong spring, which forces the firing
pin into percussion cap. This ignites
the fuse, which burns down and sets
on the detonator, charged with fulmi-
nate Of mercury, which explodes the
main charge o! ammonal.
The average British soldier Is not an
expert at throwing; 1t is a new game
to him. therefore the Canadians and
Americans, who have played baseball
from the kindergarten up. take natu-
rally to bomb throwing and excel In
this act A six-foot English bomber
win stand in awed silence when he
secs . little hve-foot-nothing Canadian
outdistance his throw by several yards.
I have read few war stories Of bomb
ing where baseball pitchers curved
their bombs when throwing them, but
a pitcher who can do this would make
-Christy' Mathewson look like a piker.