Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-03-17
THE TOP"
Continued from Page 81

NuAANI /. NANAN VI uMAN I0Us
After making several bombs the pre-
fessor instructs the platoon In throw
ing them. He takes a siam tin" fror
the Ere step. trembling a little, be
cause II r. nervous work, especial,
when now nj II, lights the fuse on M
striker. The fuse begins to ''slxz" an,
sputter and n spiral Of smoke, Tx,
that from a smoldering flag. rises from
II. The platoon splits IN two ans
ducks around the traverse nearest /,
them. They don't like the looks ant
sound Of the burning fuse. When thai
fuse begins TO smoke and "sizz" you
want to say good-by to II as soon n
possible. 30 Tommy with al his might
chucks II over tho top and crouches
against the parnpet, waiting for the
explosion.
Lots OF times 10 bombing the sjam
tin" would be picked up BY the Ger
mans. before II 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;
''To all ranks In the British army,
After igniting the fuse and before
throwing the jam-tin bomb. count
slowly onel twoi threei"
This In order TO give the fuse time
enough 10 burn down. so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw II back.
Tommy read the order-ho reads
them all. but after he lgnited the fuse
and II Begin 10 smoke-orders were
forgotten, and away she went In record
time and back she came TO the further
discomfort OF the thrower.
Then another order wns Issued 10
count. zone hundred two hundred
three hundredf" But Tommy didn't
care II the order read 10 count up 10
a thousand by quarters, he was going
10 get rid Of that "jam TIN" because
from experience he had learned not
10 trust II.
When the powers that be realized
that they could not change Tommy
they decided TO change the type OF
bomb and did so-substituting the
hair brush" the cricket ball." and |
alter the Mills bomb.
The standard bomb used IN the Brit
sh army is the mills" II Is about the |
shape and size OF large lemon. Al |
though not actually a lemon, Fritz In
sists that II is; perhaps be judges Il
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 n wide
area. wounding or killing any Fritz
who Is unfortunate enough to be hit
by one OF the flying fragments.
Although a very destructive and ef- |
ncient bomb the Mills" has the con
hdence Of the thrower, 10 that he
knows II win not explode until re-
eased from his grip.
II Is a mechanical device, with q
ever fitted into n slot at the top,
which extends half way around the
circumference dhd is held In place at
he bottom by fixing pin. In this pin
here Is n small metal ring. for the
'urpOse OF extracting the pin when
eady 10 throw.
You dc not throw a bomb the way a
aseball IL thrown. because, when In
narrow trench. your hand Is liable
strike against the parados. traverse
parapet, and then down goes the
omb. and. In n couple OF seconds or
D, up goes Tommy.
In throwing, the bomb and lever are
rasped m the right hand, the left foot
advanced, knee stiff, about one and
half Its length TO the front, while L
he right leg. knee bent. Is carried
lightly 70 the right The left arm Is
Stended at an angle Of As degrees,
)inting m the direction the bomb Il 20
thrown. This position Is similar
that OF shot putting. only that the
ght arm is extended downward. Then
~ hurl the bomb from you with an
Terhead bowling motion, the same as
cricket, throwing Il fairly high IN
10 air, this In order 10 give the fuse
chance to burn down so that when
~ eSHe minus " tultneOlntoly ex- |
odes and gives the Germans no time
scamper out OF its range or to re-
Irn II.
As the bomb leaves your hand, tho
'yer. by means Of spring. is projected
to the air and falls harmlessly 20
'e ground a few feet In front OF the
Dmber.
When the lever flies on It releases
strong spring. which forces the firing
IN into percussion cap. This ignites
70 fuse, which burns down ana sets
I the detonator, charged with fuimi-
ate OF mercury. which explodes the
ain charge Of ammonia.
Tho average British soldier is not an
Epert at throwing; II Is a new game
him, therefore tho Canadians ana
mericans, who have played baseball
ON the kindergarten up, take natu-
lily 70 bomb throwing and excel In
us act A six-foot English bomber
I'll stand In awed silence when he
,es little flye-fOot. nothing Canadian