The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-04
lUMBERMEN TRICK
: THE HUN b0MBERS

How the twentieth the DiRSest
regiment in the world, made up OF
lum bermen and foresters. fooled the
Germans and saved ammunition
dumps and big sawmills from the Hun
bonn bers, is told by Pervical Sheldon
Ridsdale. secretary of the American
Forestry association, of Washington,
y. c., who recently returned from
three-month tour of France, Belgium
and England investigating the forest
losses of those countries. The asso-
citation has planned to aid in the re-
forestation of those countries, also of
Italy.
The biggest mills operated by the
Twentieth regiment" says Mr. Rids-
dale, was IT Eclaron, In the forests
of Argonne. These were situated
near big ammunition dumps and as
the plant was run all day and all
night. being electrically lighted, 1t
made very good target. The mills
were bombed several times but none
OF the workers was injured nor was
much damage Gone. and finally real
American trick resulted in so nnislead-
ing the German bombers that the dan
ger was entirely overcome. This trick
was devised by Major Spencer who.
realizing that the electrically lighted
mill was a bright target for the Ger
man hombcrs. ran electric wires into
the heavy woods for distance OF
one-third Of a mile from the mill and
installed a Number OF electric lights
on the trees Whenever an alarm of
an air raid came. the lights of the mill
were extincuiahed and the lights
among the trees one-third of a mile
from the mill were lighted by switch
ing on the current and were kept
blazing while the Germans wasted
bombs on them and inflicted damage
only on some of the trees
Other mills up along the fighting
front We're also bombed frequently
but without serious damage"
Continuing his statement about
some of the wonders accomplished by
this regiment of lum bermen and for
esters during The war, Mr.. Ridsdale
writes in the American Forestry mag
azineS
The regiment was composed OF
forty-nine companies of approximat e-
ly 250 men each divided into four
teen battalions and having connected
with it Thiity-six Engineer Service
companies or labor troops. 1t was
organized originally TO contain forty
eight companies. but the forty ninth
was added in France, being composed
OF members og the New England saw
mall unit who had spent almost two
years In cutting in the Scotch forests.
Three officers and ninty men volun-
teered as II rucleus of this company
the full com plement was secured by
getting men from other organizations.
The chief forest cutting of the reg
iment was in the ,Nosges section with
Ispinal as headquarters. At Eclaron
in the forests Of Argonne was the lar
gest single installation. mill capable
of shipping. as II did, an average of
5 900 ties a day. This mill furnished
duck boards bridge timbers. piles
and poles. etc, for the First and Sec
ond armies.
The amount Of wood required by
an army for fuel, in winter especially
is not appreciated by the civilian. For
instance, at the time the armistice was
signed. Leutenant-C Colonel A. s.
Peck, assisted ty Major f. j. Stuart,
Captain Donald Bruce, Captain Jo-
seph Kittridge. Jr., some twenty
lieutenants ard twenty sergeants OF
the twentieth, had charge OF 10000
ouartermaster troops, all colored. cut
ting fire wood for the First and Second
American armies. at the fighting front
with headquarters at Chaumont
These men managed TO secure and
maintain a daily production OF about
5000 cords OF wood a day, which sup
piled fuel tor approximately 100000
troops.
'At the time the armstice was
signed. the regiment had eighty-one
iur Der mills il operation and twelve
more being installed.
@TAeSevcrtil battrfiurr, VI htCh WAT
nlaced az the disposal of the French