The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-11

him is due a fair share OF the
achieved during the past year.
The guttering candle on the switch
board table shed Pickering light in
side the Battery Commanders Post
a dug-out from which the officer in
charge of the battery controls the fir
ing. The officer on duty, snatching an
hours sleep on his campbell in the
corner, stirred now and again uneas-
lily; rat scuttled to and fro behind
the wooden boarding Of the walls;
outside a distant gun doomed occa-
sional1y.
In the battery outside all was quiet;
the four great howitzers, looming in
distinct under their tarpaulin covers
in it's camouflaged gun-pit, were de-
serted; the crews, tired after a mid
night shoot, in response to sudden
call, were sleeping in their dug-outs'
only the gas sentry paced ceaselessly
to and fro. The warm June night
was just merging into dawn, and al
ready a pinkish streak had appeared
in the east. Now and again came a
faint "pop" as a Verey light went
streaking UP from the enemys
trenches a couple of thousand yards
away, hung a minute in the sky, and
then glided slowly to earth again, IL
Eliminating everything with a strange,
unreal light A frog croaked from
some forgotten pool, an early bird
piped a note or two.
In the wireless dug-out the opera
tor is already on the alert, receiver
clamped to each ear, ready to pick up
the delicate signals tapped down from
the air by the fingers of the obser-
yer.
Suddenly he sits up with jerk,
and picking up a telephone lying at
his elbow, shouts:
."Aeroplane calling up!"
"Aeroplane calling up, sir" says
the operator in the B. c. Post. And
the officer is out of bed in a trice.
"Actionw he shouts to the cor
poral, who has suddenly appeared at
the entrance to the dug-out, mega
phone in hand, and then darts over
to the map-table to work out the lat
est weather corrections.
"Action!" bellows the megaphone
and in minute the battery is alive
with men. The covers are whipped
off the guns, camouflage dragged
back from the muzzles, breaches op'
ened, and sights tested.
mo. 1 ready to load, sir! No 2
ready to load, sir! No ready to load
sir! No. ready to load, sir!" sing ou
the numbers in rapid succession.
"Amatol, full charge, load!" come.
back the answer.
simultaneously up run four pair!
of brawny gunners, shell-tray between
them: the hundred-pound projectilt
is slipped into the breech.
"Home" roars the Number / 9TH,
name given to the N. C. o. in charg,
of the gun,) and with a clank tn,
shell is ramned in, cartridge follows
and the breech is swung to; four Ian
yards are fixed, and the four firini
numbers take the strain on the cord
and stand there, tensely waiting tn
order.
Battery ready, sir!" says the sub
altern in charge of the guns.
By this time the day has full
dawned. Overhead our aeroplane 1
flying round the battery in great cir
Giles, droning lazily; gentle breez
springs up, rustling the long gras
in the shell-holes.
ready to fire." telephones the opera
tor to the wireless man. and a breath
less runner rushes from the dug-ou
and does the needful.
A moments pause, and then tn
aeroplane suddenly turns and flies OF
away from the battery, headin
straight for the target-a cunningl
concealed German gun position. IF
Oh
key of his instrument, tapping, Fir,
fire. fire!
Fire, No. II" shouts the corpora
mo. 1, fire!" repeats the man 1
the gun-pit. The lanyard numbt
heaves his shoulder, a scratchin
noise follows as the tubs is fired, or
great reverberating roar. The gu
has belched forth its mass of meta
whose screaming flight is audible 6
it rushes to the target, some five NH,
away.
Up aloft, the observer is watchin,
suddenly, some two hundred yards
front of the target, he sees a lit
cloud of dust spit up, followed by
puff Of whitish smoke. Turning, !
flies back and
Minus 200 and Incl" taps out h
little key.
minus 200 and line!" repeats IL
wireless operator to the B. C. Pos
and:
mo. 1, drop two degrees!" roa
the megaphone.
Seven o'clock, and the shout is owe
The aeroplane has signalled that it
gong home and that the shooting h
been splendid. Several o. KS Gas 1
rect hits are termed in gunners pa
iance) have been scored, and the gu
ners, having cleaned up guns al
5un-pits, troop off to the cook-houl
where four overalled orderlies ha
prepared breakfast. Eight smok
BACKED "dixies," or cooking DO
steam on the primitive firepla,
made of a couple of iron bars la
across brick supports; an appetizi
odor of hot tea escapes from the lie
huge frying-pans filled with doze
of rashers of ration bacon, are sizzli
on the Goals; while in the backgrou
numbers of loaves are being sliced d,
The battery quartermaster is the
chatting with the sergeant-major. $
pervising operations, to make su
that every man gets a fair share.
"All ready, sir!" says the chief CO