Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-30
NEW TRENCH ENGINES
ARE USED BY GERMANS
improvements Are Designed Like
Ninenwerfer to Harass the En-
envy and Start Fires.
by PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.

especial C0ffe1p0A0enCe OF the Even.
Ing Star and the Chicago Daily News.)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. Feb.
ruary ga new model 'mlnenwerfer."
the terrible trench engine which hurts
through the air without noise Of dis
charge and with no other warning than
q slight whixxing sound missiles
charged with high explosives. has ap-
peared in the German trenches. 1t IL
called the "hugelminenwerfcr' and
heaves . z4-centimeter projsctile. which
weighs 212 pounds and IL guided by four
wings attached to the sides, any dis
lance up to 1900 meters.
There are also other new models Of
'mineuwerfers," heavy. medium and
light. This weapon In very popular
with tho Germans for trench fighting.
although the new regulations allow
each battalion Of infantry only four
light pieces. instead OF eight. as hero
tofore. The "minenwerfer'' crews be-
long to the pioneer companies. are COM
manded by artillery officers and OPP
erate in strict connection with the in
fantry regiments. Infantrymen dislike
take up position in their trench. for it
means invariably a heavy reciprocal
bombardment as soon as a few shelle
are fred. The "minenwerfer" operators
cannot /claim to belong to the most
popular branch Of the army.
Used to Annoy Enemy.
The chapter Of "minenwerfers'' in the
new German rulebook, Regulations
instructive. Directions are given to
the artillery and the "minenwerfer."
taking into account the possibilities of
each arm and the end to be attained.
''Minenwerfers" should be used in place
short range destructive fires. barrages.
amin ilaIio:l fires and for worrying the
enemy as thereby considerable economy
10 realized. It 10 insisted that they be
The information received concerning
the number and location Of the German
aviation schools 10 rather contradictory.
In addition to the Army instruction
camps. it 10 probable that each Of the
big aeroplane factories has special
machines are tried out and put in
shape and where student pilots come
to begin their apprenticeship. The in
struction of pilots ID carried out in the
aviation school military or civilian)
and is completed at a depot escadrille.
Training Parks in France.
Observers are trained in the schools
Of the interior Of Germany or at the
aviation parks in northern France. The
training consists Of conferences on tao
tics and technics and practical exer-
cises. Conferences deal with the Ger
man and enemy aviations, wireless
telegraphy, artillery fire regulating.
aerial photography. weather service,
flying by the compass and the stars.
writing up Of reports. etc.
The practical exercises include flights
with and without tactical missions
(proflting by the movements Of troops
which may be going on in the neigh
borhood), exercises in machine gun
firing at targets on the ground and
exercises in aerial combat. During
these combats. which last at least hf-
teen minutes. the aeroplane attacked
and the assailant machine photograph
each other, which permits . later study
to be made Of the nature and useful
ness Of the maneuvers prescribed to the
pilot by the observer.
The bomb throwers receive q special
instruction. The student takes his seat
In an elevated fuselage and, using q
sight. drops arrows on an endless chain
about ten yards long and Of a certain
width. on which 10 painted q landscape
and which moves under him at varied
quicknesses.