The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-18


about the machine gunner and his ma
chine. The authors adventures and es-
eapes will take the kink out of a per
manently marcelled wave Yet the Cap
tain assures us that everything he re-
counts is literally true. And we believe
him!
Mcbride, an Indiana man who had
been in British Columbia in railroad con-
struetion work, resigned commission in
tho Indiana Guard and in October,
1914, enlisted in the Canadian Expedi-
tionary Force, not having patience to
wait till America got into the war. He
went overseas as private in the machine
gun section of the Dist Canadian Bat
TALON, I'd Division, c. E. F.
The Machine Guns Part.
Emma Gee is war talk for IN. G.
(machine gunner. The M" becomes
Emma to avoid confusion with M in
verbal orders. Concerning the machine
gun Mcbride says:
"The evolution of machine gun tactics
is perhaps the most outstanding feature
OF the whole war. From being, as it was
considered a year ago, merely an emer-
gency weapon, or, as the text book writers
were pleased to call it, q weapon of OPP
portunity,' it has become the most i'm
portant single weapon in use in any army,
not even excepting the artillery. A prop
erly directed machine gun barrage is fan
more difficult to traverse than anything
the artillery can put down. And the
combination of artillery and machine guns
working together, whether on the offensive
or the defensive, represents the-highest
point ever attained in the effective use
of fire in battle"
Big and Little Emmas.
The author tells us much that is inter
csting, though somewhat technical, con-
corning the different types Of machine
guns, the. Colt, the Viekers, the Maxim.
He points out the distinction between the
true machine gun and the automatic rifle,
the former being so heavy that it must be
mounted on substantial tripod, while the
latter is light and may be carried about
and operated by one man.
Capt. Mcbride gives US list of names
of the various projectiles used in present
warfare, as: the Woolly Bears, high ex-
plosive shells that burst and give out
dense, curling smoke resembling immense
bears; Silent Lizzies, Signing Susans,
Whispering Willies, Jack Johnsons, very
black exploders; crumps, grandmothers
and railroad trains. Then there is the
whiz bang, whose name is self-explana-
tory. 1t bursts so suddenly that there is
never time to take cover.
He gives a vivid description of an at
tack on the German salient, March 81,
1916, in which the Canadians had care
fully prepared mines.
promptly at the appointed time the
mines were fired and then ensued the most
appallingly magnificent sight 1 have ever
witnessed. There was little noise, but the
very earth appeared to writhe and tremble
in agony. Then, slowly, it seemed in the
dim light, the ground heaved up and up
until, finally, bursting all bonds, earth,
trees, buildings, trenches and men went
skyward. Immediately followed great
clouds Of flaming gas, expanding and
growing like gigantic red roses suddenly
bursting into full bloom. 1t was an earth
quake followed by volcanic eruption"
Hurricane Fire.
The Germans answered with great
demonstration of artillery fire, during
which Mcbride had rather exciting times.
"Our parapets were blown down in a
hundred places and the air was filed with
flying sand bags, iron beams and timbers.
A shell struck under the gun by which