Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-06-14
HUGH: '.SUbUAYS A
AID BYNG'S drive
Enuineers Work for Months Pre-
pairing the Way.
PLAN ATTACK As SURPRISE
Tunnels Constructed From Bases Many
Miles in Rear Directly to Advances
Trenches-Batteries of Great Guns
and Huge Trench Mortars Sent For
ward by the Underground Routes
Attack IssSurprise.

and Huge Trench Mortars sent for-
ward by the Underground Routes
Attack IssSurprise.
Extensive developments in tunnellng
subways and other forms OF suDter-
ranean passages contributed largely to
,the smashing success of the first phase
of the British offensive conducted by
the Third army, under General Sir Jul
liam Byng, who was In command OF
the Inflated forces at Gallipoli In 1919.
Through indefatigable labor cover
ing q period of several months the
British army's engineering forces con-
structed q series of tunnels comparable
TO New York's four-track subway lines
from bases many miles in the rear Oil
rectly to their. advanced trenches, at
intervals along the forty-mlle front Sc
lected for the attack.
It was deemed prudent to adopt this
method of preparation in place OF the
hitherto invariable artillery lombard
nent. Several factors induced the
adoption of the new formula for often
sive tactics.
In the first place, one Of the prin-
cipal defensive features Of the Hin
lenburg line was the fosse, or tunnel
running the whole length Of the sec
ndary defensive position, with anten-
ne running rearward at Intervals.
This enabled the Germans to shift ana
transport troops, munitions and even
light pieces underground.
| Secondly, the condition Of the ter
rain over which the battle was to be
fought was such that it was Infinitely
Better that it be kept solid, dry and
| irm for the advance of the attacking
units, instead Of being pounded to a
OF of mud and slime by the tremen-
lous hammering Of thousands OF
Ihells.
Surprise Attack.
Thirdly, 1t was Of the utmost value
hat the thrust should be surprise
stack, as it was well known that the
herman high command believed firmly
hat Sir Douglas Haig's attention was
concentrated on the Ypres sector.
General Byng's victory was won on
he battlefield chosen by Won linden
lurg when he retreated to the famous
Zine" which bears his name in Febru-
,ry and March last. AS the German
troops fell back they Systematically
devastated the country, telling trees.
blowing up whole forests, dynamiting
villages and removing every crumo
md vestige of cover for advancing
troops from the map. They left tn"
zone of operations bare and naked to
he view Of their observers on ridges
n the rear, in captive sausage" bal
oons and airplanes.
The British and French pushed for
ward their lines in contact with the
enemy and dug in and intrenched last
March when the German retreat stop
bed at the Hindenburg line, prepared
months in advance and admirably pro-
tected by barbed wire entanglements
on a scale never before seen.
During the early summer preliml-
nary work was begun for the sudden
smash which materialiZed on Novem-
Der 20. From points far in the rear
protected by ruins Of villages destroyed
during the battle Of the Somme in the
latter half Of 1915, and from the cover
of woods and forests which had sprout-
ed new vegetation despite the axes and
hatchets Of the retreating vandals, the
tunnelers and "sand-hogs" began their
work.
The underground routes leading to-
ward the front were no tortuous sub
terranean passages with tiny, narrow
gauge railways and little cars hauled
by mules pulling a few shells to each
load. Instead they were fine, large,
we'll ventilated and lighted subways'
with standard gauge railways inside
and whole trains, propelled by cleo
tricity, carrying shells, food and other
munitions up toward the front.
BY Underground Routes.
Entire batteries of the greatest guns
ever used in history, as we'll as the gil
] gantic trench mortars evolved by posi-
ton warfare, were sent forward by the
underground routes, and men in the
| trenches were relieved by fresh divis-
ions, who travelled In style on the sub
way trains. Later, on the eve of the
attack, whole regiments of cavalry
were sent through the tunnels on the
| heels of the great tanks that numbered
through and held themselves in readi-
ness to start forward.
It was no wonder that the German
units occupying the Hindenburg line
sectors opposite the front chosen for
| the British attack, dubbed their line
eden" No British Smelling bothered
them in the daytime, and If q few
shells were lobbed over during the
night, the enemy regarded 1t as nothing
more than the daily "strafe." The Brit
| ish had good reason for Withholding
their artillery fire during the months
of preparation. They knew that every
shell they fired would call Krupp
projectile in reply, and they did not
want too many enemy pieces sprink-
ling their rear lines, for there would be
danger that the subways-even though
they were bored deep-how far under
ground I may not say-would be
wrecked by penetration shell. The
underground lines were cut in various
places at different times, however, but
always repaired.
| The Ecr n.,lini stratinn has estah