How a Siege is Carried Out

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 8561, 16 August 1904, Page 4

How a Siege is Carried Out

(From the Daily Mail.) Tho predictions as to the length of time Port Arthur will hold out vary considerably, but if we consider what it means to take a bravely-defended fortified place by siege, it seems likely that the Japanese have at the very least six weeks' work from the time serious operations commence. Of course nobody knows, because this is the first time a modern fortified place has been attacked with high exjjlosive shells and high angle fire. But unless the Russians surrender through demoralisation, what is called a "regular siege" will have to be carried out, and this is necessarily a slow operation. After the besieging force has got into position the advance must be made in trenches. Miles and miles of trenches, four feet deep and ten or more feet wide, will have to be dug, the work being done at night, and this is what makes a siege so tedious. As soon as the bombardment, which is continued night and day from the moment it begins, has slackened the Are of the fort, preparations are made to open the trenches. There are several kinds of trenches—simple trenches, saps, flying saps, full saps, blinded saps, etc.—each suited to particular circumstances, but space will not allow of their description. Two terms, however, must be made clear—"approaches" and "parallels." A "parallel" is a trench, often many miles long, which fronts the fortress. Supposing the army is 4000 yards from the fortress during the commencing bombardment this is called the "first artillery position." They want to move nearer, and so they construct the "first parallel," perhaps at a distance of 3000 yards from the forttress. But, in order that men and guns may move safely into "parallel," approaches have to be cut. That is, a number of trenches leading from trie first artillery position into the "parallel." These approaches run in zig-zags, as, if they were straight, they would be open to the enemy's fire. The way in which the "parallel" is opened is very interesting. Soon as it grows dusk, a number of officers, accompanied by sappers, move forward. Here they trace the lines which the parallel will follow. Each sapper has a picket and a measuring tape. The officer stations the first sapper at the end of. the trench-line, takes the end of his tape and walks along until the tape is drawn out. At this point he places a; second sapper, takes his tape and walks to the end of it, and' so on. The sappers drive the pickets into the ground, fasten the tapes to them, and lie down to await the working party. Later on the working party, with picks and shovels, arrives and sets to work with all its might. By break of day each man must have dug a trench sft long, 6Jft wide, and 4ft deep, except the front 18in, which is only l£ft deep. The earth he piles in front, to form a parapet. At daylight this trench will be occupied by a strong force, called the "guard" of the trenches." But the work is not yet finished, for the following two nights are also devoted to digging, and when finished the trench is 10ft wide at the bottom or more, much wider on top, 4ft deep, having steps in front and protected by a parapet of earth in front, which is about 4£ft high. Behind this "parallel" protected places are formed for the artillery, another big job, seeing that 30ft of earth, and probably more, is required to ensure the safety of the guns. The artillery is now brought forward to this, the "second" artillery position, whence it can obviously fire with much better effect. The guns open fire as soon as possible, and from this position they have a good chance of silencing the guns of the fortress altogether. The sappers now commence to make approaches forward from this first parallel until they reach, the line where the second parallel is to be constructed. The second parallel! will have to be nearer to the first than it is to the fortress, so that, if there is a sortie of the enemy, reinforcements can reach it sooner than the enemy's troops. Tt is precisely the same as the first parallel, although it may be constructed with the .aid of "gabions, which are large wicker baskets without bottoms. In this second parallel the sappers are greatly exposed to the enemy's fire, and by using 'these crabions they can throw up cover more quickly. When the second parallel is finished and occupied, a further advance is made, and a third parallel is opened. In the old day,s three parallels, sufficed. _ But .'With, the I present long-range guns more-are required. i At BelfoTt the Germans opened their third parallel 1200 yards from the fortress, and they would have had to open more only that the Trench surrendered.' -At Port Wagner, in the.American' Oml War, five parallels -were required:-" At 'Port' Arthur perhaps more than this will be necessary. Of course, the nearer the besiegers get to the fortress, the ; harder their work.' They have to construct bomb-proofs and splinter-profs, and to .work" behind shields. Tt is obvious that all this work takes a loner time to "execute. At this stage, of course, the fortress may surrender, worn out by the bombardment, which never ceases. Bnt over half a million shells

were thrown into Belforfc, nearly every house in the place was struck, and yet did not surrender until orders were sent from Paris. . "■ .. What effect the. high explosives may have on the Russians it. is impossible to say. But, granting that the Japanese arrive at their last parallel, the following series of events will ensue. From this position will be made the final attack, and, in military language, this part of the operation consists of: 1. The capture and crossing of the covered way. . 2. Breeching the scarp and counterscarp. 3. Capturing and crowning the breeches • the outer works and the main work in succession. 4. The final reduction of the interior entrenchment or keep. Bather a formidable undertaking; very bloody, "and not always successful. The besiegers have this in their favor, fresh men can be brought up, while the garrison is often weak from want of food, and half demented from the long bombardment. On the other hand, the besiegers are working under terrible difficulties, exposed to the deadly fire of rifles, machine-guns, and probably field-guns, while the ground over which they pass may be honeycombed with mines, and may at any moment be flooded. It must not be forgotten that there are usually, as at Port Arthur, detached forts a good distance outside the fortress E roper. And to take any of these forts y siege involves all the operations described. When the forts, or, at least, two of them, are taken, the whole series of approaches and parallels have then to be constructed towards the fortress proper. So that the taking of a place by regular siege is a long task. Many places, however, surrender after some days' bombardment, as did a dozen or more in the Fran-co-Prussian War. CHAMBERLAIN'S COUGH REMEDY. No one who is acquainted with its good qualities can be surprised at the great popularity, of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. It not only cures and grip effectually and permanently, but prevents these diseases from resulting in pneumonia. It is also a certain cure for croup. Whooping cough is not dangerous when this remedy ia given. It contains no opium or other harmful substance, and may be given as confidently to a baby as to an adult. For sale-by all chemists and storekeepers, price Is 6d and 3s. Hehdy's Egg' Julep is an ideal tonic for the hair. It completely destroys, dandruff, prevents greyhess, and gives the hair a beautiful gloss unobtainable by any other preparation, and the price being only Is, brings it within reach of all. Try it. Sole agent for Oamaru: Miss M'NieoU, Art Repository, Thames street.