Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 207, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1917 — NEED FAST WORK IN TRENCH RAIDS [ARTICLE]

NEED FAST WORK IN TRENCH RAIDS

English Expert Tells of the Sudden Assaults on Ever-Alert Germans. NEW SCIENCE IS DEVELOPED Purpose Is to Shake the Morale of the Enemy and Make Him Uncertain as to the Next Object of Attack. London. —The trench raid, one of the developments of the European war, is the subject of an official Interview with a British officer, which has been approved by the British press bureau. The narrative of this officer is of particular Interest at this time when the Americans are soon to go into the trenches to be called upon to carry out, among other things, just such raids as are here described. “The trench raid is made for the purpose of shaking the enemy’s morale, inflicting losses upon his personnel and destruction upon his works, and capturing prisoners and documents that may reveal his condition and intentions. Carried out chiefly at night, at frequent intervals and at many places, it exercises direst effect upon the enemy’s nerves. Since 1916 its constant practice has been the policy of the British command. Captured German letters bear ample witness* to its efficacy. We will attempt to sketch a simple form of such a raid.

“For some days previously the field artillery has been methodically cutting lanes through the enemy’s wire at many points. An attack may or may not be pushed through these lanes. The enemy cannot be sure. In any case he cannot decide which of the points of passage will be used. Punctually at ‘zero’ hour the artillery hurls a barrage on the enemy’s support and reserve trenches, while an Inferno of explosions breaks out all along the line of trench to be assaulted —the bombardment of Stokes mortar and trench howitzer batteries posted In or near our front line. Under cover of this bombardment the raiding force rushes the Intervening space. How the Raid Begins. “This raiding force is organized In squads of eight men and one noncom-

missioned officer. In each squad are tw’o bomb-throwers, two bayonet men, two rifle bombers and two ammunition carriers, who are also reserve throwers. Each squad has its objective clearly assigned to it prior to the attack. In a smother of smoke the raiders leap into the trench. Flames shoot up, shedding a ghastly glare. High among them the red signal rockets of the Germans are drifting across the night, but the barrage they summon comes too late. To right and left, as detailed, the squads turn along the trench —now probably a broken-walled ditch filled with loose earth, blocked by wrecked traverses, strewn with sand bags and the bodies of men. In front, peering round the traverses, darting forward, keeping the survivors of the enemy on the run, are the two bayonet men of the squad. Immediately behind them is the first ‘thrower,’ his acolyte the ‘carrier’ following close. Then follow the officer, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the squad. Behind them is a rifle bomber, ready if necessary to fire his, grenades in advance of the bayonet men. In the rear of him are the other thrower, his carrier and the other rifle bomber.

“The ideal aimed at is to so press upon the enemy that he cannot dare to stand —our bayonet men are upon him ere he can dare to throw or shoot. But there comes a time when the enemy ‘handgranatentrupp’ has assembled Itself —behind a barricade If possible. One after another their bombs whizz through the 'air, burst In a vtcious detonation and choking smoke. The progress of the raiding party Is checked. Spaced out along the trench, each man, if possible at the corner of a traverse for the better dodging of a bomb. Is engaged In a contest where, though the target cannot be seen, victory is to the side that throws stralghtest. “It Is essential that the fight should not degenerate into a mere bombing duel. The officer gives an order and the rifle-bomber, the sixth man down the file, opens fire well down the trench, outranging the hand-thrower. A few seconds of vivid flashes, of violent detonations —there Is a silence of groans beyond. The bayonet men rush round the traverse,' speed along the trench, clamber over a half-fin-ished barricade of sandbags. A dark figure looms opt of the smoke. There Is a quick scuffle, the dart of steel. The bayonet men rush on, followed by the rest of the squad. The Work of Machine Gun*. “The farthest objective has been reached. It is now important to make a ‘block’ in the trench, behind which the purposes of the raid can be securely accomplished. The leading squad, the ‘point’ as it is technically -termed, sheltered by a traverse, hurl their bombs along the next section of enemy treffch. If space allows, the second thrower is brought up alongside the first —one throwing to his extreme range, the other throwing short The rifle-bombers fire over their heads to ranges up to ninety yards. The hostile rush is held back. In the rear another squad Is feverishly piling sandbags into a barricade. Completed, the bombers rush back behind the

stretch they have vacated. Traverses are blown up, lengths of trench filled In. From behind comes the rapid hammering of machine guns taking toll of an enemy attempt to dash across the open and bomb down the trench. . "In the captured section, empty now of effective foes, men are rushing In a search for the dugout openings. They fling down each a couple of bombs that explode with a soft phutt! Down below in the dark cave is a sheet of flame, an intense heat, choking smoke. Fumes wreathe thickly out of the entrance. Gasping, dazed survivors rush out, are seized upon. Explosion after explosion leaps up In the stretch of the raided trench. "Once more the red signal rockets drift among the roaring flares. The enemy barrage crashes In the air and from the ground. On the flanks spiteful machine guns rake en enfilade the tangle of rusty wire, the shell-churned desolation of No Man’s Land. But if they have ordinary luck, the raiders are already safely back In their own trenches.”