Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-31

end Is studded with sharp steel spikes.
while through the center OF the club
| there IL nine-inch lead bar, TO give
| 1T weight and balance. When YOU get
L prisoner all you have to do is just
stick this club up in front of him. ana
believe me. the prisoners patriotism
for Deutschland uebcr allies fades away
and he very willingly obcys the orders
OF his captor. II. howeverr'thc prisoner
gets high-toaed and refuses to follow
you. simply persuade" him by first re-
moving his tin hat. and then-wcll. tho
use OF the lead weight I'm the per-
suader Is demonstrated. and Tommy
looks FOR another prisoner.
The knuckle knife Is a dagger affair.
the blade of which is about eighteen
inches long, with heavy steel guard
over the grip. This guard is studded
with steel projections. At night in a
trench. which is only about ,hrco to
four foot wide. 1t makes very handy
weapon. One punch In the face gcn-
orally skaters Il mans jaw and you
can get him with the knife as he goes
down.
Then We had what We called our
como -alongs." These are strands of
barbed wire about three feet long.
made into nocso at one end: at the
other end the barbs arc cut off. and
Tommy slips his wrist through a loop
TO get good grip on the wire. II
the prisoner wants to argue the point.
why just place tho largo loop around
his neck. and no matter If Tommy
wishes to return to his trenches at the
Walk. trot or gallop, Fritz Is perfectly
agreeable to maintain Tommy's rate
OF speed.
We were ordered to black our faces
ana hands. For this reason: At night,
the English and Germans use what they
call star shells. SORT Of rocket affair. !
These are fired from u large pistol
about twenty inches long. which is held
over the handbag parapet OF the trench. /
and discharged into the air. These
star shells attain a height of about
sixty feet. and range of from fifty /
to scvcnty-iive yards When they hi,
the ground they explode. throwing out
a strong calcium light which lights up
The ground In Il circle OF a radius OF
between ten 10 fifteen yards. They also !
have = parachute star she'll which. af-
ter reaching height of about sixty
feet cNplodes. y parachute unfolds |
and slowly floats to tho ground. light
ing UP large circle in mo
land" The official name OF the star
shell Is ...very-light." Very-lights
are used &c prevent night surprise at
lacks on the trenches. If IA star shell
calls In front OF you. or between YOU
and the German lines. you are safe
from detection. as the enemy cannot
So Sou AIiouSh TIC pTlEnt curtain OF
light. But If 1t falls behind you and. /
as Tommy says. you get into the star
shell zone" then the fun begins: you
have to lie flat on your stomach and
absolutely motionlcss until the
light of the shell dies out This takes
anywhere from forty TO seventy sec
ends. II you haven't time 10 fall to
the ground. YOU must remain absolutely
SIN in whatever position you were in
when the light exploded; it is advisable .
not TO breathe. as Fritz has AN eye
like an eagle when he thinks you are
knocking at his door. When a star
shell is burning in Tommy's rear. he
can hold his breath for week
You biacken your face and hands so
that the light from the star shells viii :
not reflect on your pale face In a
trench raid there IS quite sufficient rea-
son FOR your face 20 be pale. If you
don't believe me. try II just once. I
Then another reason for blac.,iue
your face and hands is that. after YOU
nave entered The German trench at
night. white face" means Germans.
b!Isk face" English. Coming around
traverse you see Il white face in
front OF YOU With a prayer and wish |
ing FRITZ the best o. luck" you intro |
ducc him to your "persuadcr" or
knucklc knife.
y little later We arrived a. the COM
nunica;!on trench named Whisky
street, which led To the fire french a,
me point wc We're TO go over the ton
and out IN front.
tTo be continually