The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-04-11

cause it is nervous work, especially
when new at 1t, lights the fuse on his
striker. The fuse begins to "sizz" and
sputter and a spiral of smoke, Hike
that from a smOldering flag, rises from
1t. The platoon splits in two and
ducks around the traverse nearest to
them. They don't like the looks and
sound of the burning fuse. When that
fuse begins to smoke and "sizz" you
want to say good-by to 1t as soon as
possible, so Tommy with all his might
chucks it over the top and crouches
against the parapet, waiting for the
explosion.
Lots of times In bombing the liam
tin" would be picked up by the Ger
mans, before 1t 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:
ITO all ranks In the British army
After ignlting the fuse and before
throwing the Jam-tin bomb, count
slowly one two! three!"
This in order to give the fuse time
enough to burn down. so that the bomb
would explode before the Germans
could throw 1t back.
Tommy read the order-he reads
them ALL but after he ignited the fuse
and 1t began to 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 was issued to
count, zone hundred two hundred
three hundred" But Tommy didn't
care If the order read to count up to
q thousand by quarters, he was going
to get rid Of that "jam TIM" because
from experience he had learned not
to trust It,
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
chair brush' the Cricket ball" and
later the Mills bomb.
The standard bomb used in the Brit
ish army is the Mills" 1t is about the
shape and size of large lemon. AL
though not actually lemon, Fritz in
sists that 1t is; perhaps he judges ii
by the havoc caused by its explosion.
The Mils bomb is made of steel, the
outside of which Is corrugated into As
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
ficient bomb the Mills has the con
fldence of the thrower, in that he
knows it will not explode until re-
leased from his grip.
1t is mechanical device. with n
lever, fitted into n slot at the top,
which extends half way around the
circumference and is held in place at
the bottom by fixing pin. In this pin
there is small metal ring. for the
purpose of extracting the pin when
ready to throw.
You do not throw bomb the way
baseball Is thrown. because, when in
narrow trench, your hand is liable
to strike against the parados, traverse
or parapet, and then down goes the
bomb, and, in a couple of seconds or
so, up goes Tommy.
In throwing, the bomb and lever are
grasped In the right hand, the left foot
is advanced, knee stiff, about one and
half It's length to the front, while
the right leg, knee bent, Is carried
slightly to the right. The left arm is
extended at an angle of 45 degrees
pointing IN the direction the bomb is to
be thrown. This position is similar
to that of shot putting, only that the
right arm is extended downward Then
You hurl the bomb from you with an
overhead bowling motion, the same as
in cricket, throwing it fairly high in
the air, this in order to give the fuse
a chance to burn down so that when
the bomb lands, it Immediately ex-
plodes and gives the Germans no time
to scamper out of its range or to re-
turn 1t.
AS the bomb leaves your hand, the
lever, by means Of spring, is projected
into the air and falls harmlessly to
the ground few feet in front OF the
bomber.
When the lever flies off 1t releases
strong spring, which forces the firing
pin into percussion cap. This ignites
the fuse, which burns down and sets ]
off the detonator, charged with fulml-
nate Of mercury, which explodes the
main charge of ammonia.
The average British soldier is not an
expert at throwing; 1t is n new game
to him, therefore the Canadians and
Americans who have played baseball
from the kindergarten up, take natu
rally to bomb throwing and excel in
this act. A six-foot English bomber
will stand In awed silence when he
sees little Merchandising Canadian
outdistance his throw by several yards. /.
have read q few war stories of bomb J.
ing, where baseball pitchers curved
their bombs when throwing Them but
pitcher who can do this would make /.
and is losing valuable time playing In
the European War bush league, when |
he would be able to set the "big
league" on fire.
We had cushy time while at this
school. In fact, to us 1t was a regular
vacation, and we were very sorry when |
one morning the 0diufanf ordered uS