GAME OF THE GUNS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 13 February 1915, Page 6

GAME OF THE GUNS

The following official despatch by the British Eve-witness, with the Headquarters Staff in France, has been cabled to the Sydney "Sun": — -'A heavy battery and a battery of field artillery shelled dug-outs on our right. The occupants bolted to the.shelter of a house. Our heavy guns were quickly trained on tfheir r<tfuge„ and when the- Germans retreated to the woods our field guns shrapnelled them out. Our howitzers shelled their convoy and destroved some waggons. "Next dav the guns made good practice against the enemy's trenches, and houses, and found an excellent target in the shape of a battalion marching into a small woodi^ "A continuous artillery combat almost takes the form of a game in some parts of the field. As soon as the German batteries start shelling us our guns are directed against certain places in the enemy's lines, the bombardment of whicfi, we know by experience, will soon have the effect of inducing him to desist. "Having obtained the range of the most hostile batteries, we can generally silence them or render their fire comparatively harmless. .. "The weather is dry and windy, and the conditions in the trenches-somewhat improved. Though the wind was blowing at the rate> of ninety miles an hour the aeroplanes accomplished successful flights during Friday and Saturday. The River X.vs fell a foot on Monday. '.-,- ""The Commander-in-Chief inspected a lar"-e force of cavalry, including many Indian regiments. It was drawn up in columns of squadrons, with artillery and transport. The scene had for its setting the open; rolling ground thinly sprinkled with snow and Tiacked by a dark wood. "A forest of lances was seen against the wintrv sky', and' the long line of horsemen." many turbaned and sullen lookimr. and the" guns, formed. a roost impressive picture. Both men and horses were in splendid condition, and fit for anvthing. "..■,-.• -J *."ln a sceptical and materialistic age it j is somewhat surprising to find a reliance being placed on charms. Yet not a few of our prisoners possess so-called prayers which are reallv written charms against death," wounds, "disease/and every imaginable evil. One such document covered protection against shot and the sword, visible; ,and invisible foes, and all kinds of «mr\s, but, curiously enough, it omitted"the"one mischance which actually befel its' : pV <rner > that oi hem S made apn soner. i " , "Jklanyi of these amulets and charms areprobably of very ancient origin, and have been', handed down among the German peaeatntry for generations. "It is} difficult for those who do not • know something of the problem of maintaining aE-annv in the field to realise what immense efforts and how great an amount of v material are required to keep roads in repair, especially those under motor traffic; Owing to the soft earth on each side of the paved roads where we have been operating, there has been churned up a mass of mud two feet deep, and it has been necessary to find some method of increasing the width of the road surface. This is being successfully done." < - ■