Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1917 — RAGTIME ARMY IN EAST AFRICA [ARTICLE]

RAGTIME ARMY IN EAST AFRICA

Clothing of Smut’s Forces Torn to Shreds in Thombush Jungle Fighting. BUT MEN ARE VERY FIT Many Members of Destroyed German Cruiser Koenigsberg’s Crew Killed or Captured—Armored Cars the Joy of the Army. Cape Town. —Because of the diversity of its units—Britons from the homeland. South African British, Boers, East Indians, and South African natives —General Sin fits’ expedition in German East Africa is known popularly as the ragtime army. The ragged army would be an even more appropriate desigmtttonr' for mostly It is made up of men whose clothing Is in tatters. This is not due to the wear and tear Incidental to a rapid trek of upward of a thousand miles, fighting a good part of the way, which many of the regiments have to their credit, so much as to the fact that to get at the enemy the men frequently have to break by main force through Jungles of thick thombush, which tear their clothing to shreds and scratch their bodies from head to foot, so that on emerging they generally present the appearance of being horribly wounded when not a bullet has touched them. Little things like that, with marches lasting from two o’clock in the morning at which time the columns when practicable set out, until six o’clock in the evening, without a drink of water on the way, and often to go into action against machine-gun fire before resting, in no wise affect the spirit of the troops. There is splendid rivalry among the white and colored regiments, in endurance as well as in fighting. A man feels keenly disgraced if his strength fails him and he is compelled to fall out, so if he is stricken with fever he keeps right on with his comrades and tries to joke and sweat it out of his system. The result is that the ragged army is made up of men who literally are as hard as nails — lean, agile, powerful fellows, clear of eye and ail skln and muscle.

Armored Cars Their Joy. The Joy of the army is the armored cars. The value of these machines manned by naval crews "cannot be estimated. They have saved hundreds of men from being killed and thousands from being wounded. They can locate the enemy’s machine guns without loss when ordinary methods would be as futile as they would be costly in a country which offers such extraordinary facilities for concealment. An Illustration In point is furnished in accounts of the operations of one of General Van Deventer’s columns recently engaged in driving the Germans out of the territory north of the Mahenge swamps, where they are now kraaled. The pursuit took tUe column into a mountain pass most admirably adapted for the purpose of a trap. As was surmised, the Germans had not failed to take advantage of the opportunity to make a stand. The road led through a gap up into a narrow nek in a horseshoe of high wooded hills from which every inch of the inclosed space was commanded. The armored cars, one at a time* went on toward the nek while tttS Infantry'deployed to right and left of the hills and began the ascent. Nothing happened for awhile.

Not a sign of■ the enemy was In evidence and the cars came to a halt In open ground. Immediately they were showered with machine gun bullets from nil directions. They had accomplished their purpose of drawing the enemy’s Are, but while the lend pattered on the cars It was Impossible to discover whence It canto. Finally the leading ear went on and turned Into an abandoned native camp, still followed by the deadly stream of lead. The sharp-eyed observer at last noticed a peculiar movement* of leaves on a'lidgeTT Tfie guns were turned on the spot, and In a Jiffy an enemy machine-gun company was put out of business. The combined guns of the car then peppered the ridges systematically, and by nightfall the Infantry was In possession of the northern slopes. During the night the enemy retreated southward, and, when

this was discovered, tfie cars and mounted scouts went after them. Th« scouts happened unexpectedly upon a. party of mounted Germans' In a clearing, rode Into them at fall speed afltfpulled them off their horses. Airplanes and Motorcycles. In addition to the armored cars* most of the columns are outfitted with airplanes and a cyclist corps, which also have) rendered Invaluable service* The Indian mountain batteries, which: are worked with Incredible speed and: accuracy by their crews, are the ad* miration of the army. Little by little the entire compla* ment of the German cruiser Koenigs- • berg, destroyed by Admiral King-Halt In the Rufljl river on July 11. 1916, Is being killed or captured. Many bav«. 'Been ta ken ln the northern operations, and reports from General No’rthey, whose columns are closing In from the south, show that In the advance on. and capture of Malangali a petty officer and four sailors were taken, together with a 4.2-Inch field howltser that had been worked by gunners from, the Koenigsberg.