The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-05
By n. Gernsbaek,

There is hardly a spot on earth
| today where modern science receives
as many professional tryouts. as in
our war trenches. New methods, new
| schemes, new inventions are being
tried out forever, and like many an
other game 1t settles down to a
game Of wits where that side having
| the most brains and the most in
genuity is likely to win out in the
end.
When two forces are deadIocked
against each other and when it be-
comes practically impossible to pass
over the intervening mo Mans
Land" with assailing forces, it is of
primary Importance to know what is
going on in the other fellows
trenches. 1t being impossible to raise
the head above the parapet due to
continuous bullet streams, the men
in the trenches are more or less on
edge continuously, as they do not
know what Is going to happen next.
Consequently most of the recon-
noitering is done during the night,
and to counterfeit this the enemy
uses the so-Called star-shells which
illuminate the landscape for miles
around for a period Of few seconds.
During this time there is always an
opportunity to catch advancing
forces or patrols and thus annihil-
ate them.
The thing that a commander is
most interested in, is to know just
when the enemy is going to leave his
trenches to make an attack. If he
could know exactly at what time
such an attack is to be made, this
information would often be of price
less value. or course, it goes with
out saying that the enemy is not
likely to give away such tnforma-
ton IL he can help IL. Advance posts
in advanced trenches, called in field
parlance listening posts" are OF
course quite satisfactory, but they
do not get advance information, and
they are simply there to stop an adj
vancing force or to tell the men be-
hind the lines as soon as the attack
has started. This listening post is
usually a shell hole somewhere be-
Land" we'll fortified with sand bags,
and we'll in advance Of the front
trenches. 1t is usually manned by
two men. and a machine gun or
sometimes rifles only. 1t has occur
red to us that advance information
could readily be obtained by what is
popularity called the dictagraph. But
the question Immediately comes up,
how are the dictagraphs to be placed
in the enemy's trenches? OF course,
while it is rather a ticklish business,
it is not impossible and our illustra-
ton shows how it could be readily
accomplished.
We first need our sensitive micro
phones properly camoufiaged so they
will have a rather innocent appear
L., nNh 40 3haHP Gould
made up as cobble-stones, pieces of
log, or any other object that would
not arouse the suspicion Of the en-
envy. 1t would then be the duty of
some Of the men to take these thus
sensitive microphones
up to the very edge Of the enemy's
trench, conceaIing the microphones
behind his parapet and sand bags.
Needless to say in doing so, 1t is
necessary for the party who lays the
to clear the barbed |
wire entanglements. and this is
ticklish business. Inasmuch as these |
wire entanglements are often pro-
vided with cowbells and other in |
geniOus tell tales which immediate |
ly inform the enemy that someone is |
near, the trick can be accomplished |
For instance. the |
may be thrown by hand |
like a bomb, taking good aim that 1t |
does not actually land into the |
thin wire trailing from be-
hind the microphone and which /
should have the same color as the /
ground, will not be readily detected
by the enemy. In this case, the wire /
would of course lay on top Of the /
oarbed wire entanglements, but be-
Ing very fine Il probably would not
be observed from the enemy's trench.
Naturally all this work must be
done during dark night, ii being
to crawl out Of the /
trenches in mo Mans Land" dur
ing the daytime without counting
certain death. It also goes without
saying that the enemy will surely
discover some of the microphones in
time and shoot them to pieces.
However, it should be possible to
place enough Of them in such q man
ner that at least few win stay in
place where they will not be dis
covered. III should be remembered /
that grass or vegetation growing i
over the microphones as wei as over
the fine cable will practically conceal /
both entirely from view. The same i
Is true OF dust and sand, etc. which /
an aid in hiding the microphone.
Naturally q microphone of this kind 4
must be rugged and the arranRem snt i
should be such that no matter how
The microphone is thrown, 1t should