Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-11
PICTURE OF DAILY LIFE
OF FLANDERS BATTERY
Story Surrounding Great Siege
Guns of Modern Warfare.
MEMS WORK FULL OF THRILLS
Constant Alertness Essential to Sue
cess-Call Of Airplane Operator
Causes Instant Action on Part OF
Trained Firers.
ny A "GAnnIsoN GUNNER,


Succeeding battles have shown moro
and more the paramount Importance OF
the heavy howiizer in modern war
fare. The article below has been writ
ten with the object of conveying a pic
tUre CT the Gai:y life of Il siege bat
ter; on the iunders front. The heavy
gunner OF the liesent day shares TO
the iull the Eaiosh!ps and dangers OF
: his foo.-slogging brother, and 10 him
Is due 4 fair share Of the crcdi; for
tn. many successes achieved during the
past !earI
The guttering candle on the switch
board table shed nickerns ligh; in
side the battery commanders post
dugout from which the officer in
= charge OF the battery controls the
!. firing. The officer on duty. sE-tchinC
: en- hours sleep on his camp bed in the
! corner. stirred now and again uneasily;
s rat scuttled 10 and FRO behind the
Z wooden boarding of the walls; outside
distant sun doomed occasionally.
In the battery outside all was quiet:
the four great howitZers, looming in
: distinct under their tarpaulin covers
]. In its camouhaGed gunpit. were de-
: serted; the crews, tired after a mid
= night shoot, in response TO a sudden
4 call. were sleeping in their dugouts,
Z only the gas sentry paced ceasclessly
TO and fro The warm June night was
:. just merging into dawn. and already
81 pinkish streak had appeared in the
~ east Now and again came q faint
:. pop" as 4 Nerey light went streakins
) up from the enemy's trenches 4 couple
= OF thousand yards away, hung minute
!. in the sky. and then Glided slowly 10
!, earth again, illuminating everything
= with strange, unreal light. 4 fros
) croaked from some forgotten pool. an
: early bird p!ped note two.
Z In the wireless dusout the operator
:, is already on the alert, receiver
: clamped TO each ear. ready TO pick UP
: the delicate signals tapped down from
= the ar by the myers of the observer.
= Suddenly lac sits UP with jerk. and
: picking up Il telephone lying a his
Z elbow. shouts:
> "Airpiane calling up"
"Airplane calling UP, sir" says the
: operator III the Il. G. Post. And the
= officer Is out OF bed in a trice.
Action" he shouts to the corporal.
/. who has suddenly appeared a the en-
: trance TO the dugout, megaphone in
hand, and then darts over to the map
:, table TO work cut the latest weather
: corrections
; action bellows the n1egaph one, and
: in minute the battery is alive with
+: men. The covers are whipped OF the
: guns, camounagc urAGsvA u.,ck from
: the muzzles. breeches opened AMI
: Sights ,tested.
: NO. ready to load, sir. No ready
: TO load. sir! No. ready 10 load. sir.
: No. ready to load, sir!' sing out the
: numbers in rapid succession.
- AraGtol, full charge, load" comes
2. back the answer
simultaneously. up run four pairs OF
1 brawny gunners. she'll tray between
:. them; the loO-pound projectle is
: slipped INFO the brccch.
Home roar the Nos. (the name
= given TO the y. c. .. in charge OF the
gum, and with a clang tho she'll is
q rammed in. cartridge follows. and tho
- brcech is swung 10: four lanyards are
:. fixed, and The four firing numbers take
= the strain on the cord. and stand there,
tenscly waiting the order.
= Battery ready. sir' says the subal-
= tern in charge OF the guns.
:. By this time the day has fully
: dawned. overhead our airplame is fly
!, ing round the battery in great circles,
: droning lazily; a gentle breeze springs
Z UP, rustlinG the long grass in the
/, Shell holes.
"Put out the signal that we are ready
Ito fire telephones the operator to The
q wireless man. and brcathess runner
PUSHES from the dugout and does the
: neediul.
II a moments pause. and then the air
!, plane suddenly turns and flies OF away
! from the battery, heading straight for
s the tarSei--a, cunn!ngiy concealed Ger
!. fingers art-busy. im It'll the Ike. of his
!, instrument. 'capping, Fire, FIRE, nre"
Fire, No. l!"-shouts the corporal
Z NO. !. fire." repeats the man III the
+ Eunrit. The lanyard number heavcs
Z his shoulder. scratching noise fol-
= lows as the tube is fred, one great re-
:. Nerberat!ns roar. The gun has be!ched
form Ills mass oil metal whose scream
: !nS night : audible as il iushcs to the
target, some five miles away.
Up aloft, the observer is watching:
: suddenly, some 200 yards in front OF
F., the target he sees a little cloud OF dust
:, spit up, followed by pun OF whitish
: smoke Turning. he i!tes back and:
Minus 200 and line" taps out his
= little key.
Minus 200 and line" repeats the
wireless operator to the L. {. Post.
= and:
= NO l. drop degrees" roars the
mega phone.
-. Seven o'clock, and the shoot is over
:. The airplane has s!gnaled that 1t is
,.-Eoing home, and mat the shooting has
= Lccn splendid. seve!al .. rs ,.> GlrsCt
hits are termed in gunners' narlance)
: have been scored and the gunncrs, nav
Sing cleaned up guns aud gunp!ts, troop
loft 10 the cookhousc, where -FOUR over
val Ned orderi!es have prepared break
fast. Eight smoke BACKED "Gi%ics," o.
cooking pots, steam on the primitive
s.fireplacc. made Of couple OF iron bars
Laid across brick supports; an appctlz-
+Sing odor Of hot tea escapes from the
Lids; huge frying pans, filed with do7-
ems OF rashcrs Of ration bacon are siz-
Ealing on the Goals; while, in the ba ~
numbers OF loaves arc De.ns
.sliced UP.
Il The battery quartermastcr Is there,
y-chat;ins with the sergeant-major.
,.~supervising operations, 10 make sure
.4Sthat every man gets fair share.
=. ''All ready, sir" says the chief cook
cat length, and huge cheer goes up
+ from the nle Of waiting men as the
l@Quartermaster. with a broad grin, an
.~swers
- Garry on"
- One by one the men como up. each
with his tin mug and plate; eacl. gets
&c pint Of steaming hot tea. a couple
Eof rnshers and huge hunk OF bread
3Tttnd goes off back TO his dugout TO en-
.s5oy his wcll-earned meal.
e. Meanwhile, the officer and his two
stelepho nists. dispatched AT dawn from
.rthe battery, are making their to!lsomc
fCwey TO the o. -. Cor observation poSD