A TERRIBLE WEAPON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 788, 19 August 1916, Page 8

A TERRIBLE WEAPON.

ALLIES'NEW AERIAL MINE; ITS DEVASTATING EFFECT. I THE BATTLE ON THE SOMME. j Discussing the Sommc offensive, the Berlin correspondent of the Anierican United Press, says that the j Allies appear to be making great use. of a new aerial torpedo or mine of unusual size, the concussion and explosive force of which are terrific.' Details of this are given in the first hand report from the German lighting front from Lieutenant of Re- j serves Alfred Dambitzen, formerly! on the staff of the "Berliner Zei- | tung Am Mitlag," printed in his paper to-day. Dambitzen was wound-1 ed. Dambitzen writes:— "The music for the great dance began to play the next morning at 7. The enemy began getting in his artillery work, this time of heavy calibre. Huge shells began lo strike' on our left wing and near the third trenches. Half-an-hour later came ' the first mine, or torpedo mine. "We are used to mine shooting, [ both in the active and passive sense.! But these things which now began \ coming tlown on us were something new. It was of a much larger cali- j bre than hitherto used or thrown at j such distances. The explosion of the j first aerial torpedo was so terrific j it broke all the window panes in my i bombproof. Showers of Earth Follow. "I saw a tremendous geyser of; black earth rise nearly 300 feet in j the air, which upon coming down, covered everything with rocks, j bricks, and dirt. It was a miniature j Vesuvius, and not small either, j After the first came a second and ( third, and then, at regular short in-, tervals, but it seemed without end, one after another.

"On the lop of my bombproof, covered with 13 feet of earth overhead, crouched n.y sentry and observer. When he saw one of these aerial torpedoes coming through the air in our direction he came plunging tlown from his post lome to protect himself against the deluge of rocks and dirt, and then hastened up again.

I "The current of thought of those sitting in the bombproof as these ! aerial torpedoes came, grows interesting. Now, the devilish thing is shooting through the air—lo, 20, 30 seconds one has for consideration and suspense, whether it's going to fall on the bombproof, the 13ft earth-roof of which is no protection against 1501b of dynamite. Then comes the terrifying crash, roar, j concussion, and shock. At last the countenances of Hie men become normal again. I Storm Half-minute Later. | "The last phase of the effect of the mine comes half a minute later, -when a rain of clay, rocks, and debris comes rattling down with a rush, fills the trenches and enhances to the bombproofs. One had (hardly recovered one's self when a second comes.

"One of the next aerial torpedoes threw my observer 1(1 steps downstairs into the bombproof, and a fragment of the torpedo, 18in long, tore the door of the bombproof out of ils frame, and threw it into the middle of the room.

"The destructive effect of the heavy mine-shooting soon became evident. After a few minutes one of my platoon leaders reports that, of three connecting bombproofs, two covers are crushed in, and the men can no longer remain in them. I let one group come to my bombproof and let the other wander to the left. "The transfer occurs without loss, but the men in their haste have time only to grab their guns and cartridge cases, leaving their haversacks, which they never see again. A little later I send a man to the left wing with an order. He returns quickly—it is impossible to get through. "I go and look at the situation myself. It looks hopeless. As far as the eye can see, one mine crater bordering on another, each 7ft deep, between them the earth thrown up high. Boards, lumber, post facings, and reinforcements of the trenches torn out and scattered everywhere, mixed with them portions of the barbed wire entanglements. It's a wild chaos. "There was our work of months. That was what was left of the rigorous order and cleanliness of our trenches, where even a piece of paper or a cigarette stub did not dare be thrown. In a few minutes nine months' work has been destroyed and obliterated. Volunteer Finds Destruction. "I call for volunteers to carry orders to the left. wing. Several step out. I select one. Me returns in half an hour with comparatively good news. He found the groups of the left wing safe in an undestroyed bombproof, but seven yards of intervening trenches levelled. United leading and direction of my men is now impossible. I send my best men, commissioned officers, to lake charge of the left wing. "During all this time there, is an incessant crash and roar, with geysers of dirt shooting over an acre, of aerial torpedoes' and the heaviest of calibre shells. Every few minutes the scene is repeated of an observer on the bombproof plunging down the steps, repeating the coming of another mine. The air is full of their crash, roar, concussion, and shock. Between them is audible the distant 'trommeling' (drum-fire) of distant guns.

"Now a volunteer stumbles into my bombproof, crying, breathless, his face distorted by terror. In gasps he finally reports that the bombproof of my trc«eh patrol had

been crushed in. He had managed to work his way out, but the other i eight men were under the logs and dirt. I immediately send men with spades to dig them out. The second platoon does the same. Communications are Wrecked. | "Now comes news from the comipany chief that the leader of the first I platoon is missing. Communications and connections between the different platoons are destroyed. The communication and approach I trenches in the rear are under such j heavy lire that it is impossible to !get through. Orderlies sent out by jfhe company commander to re-estab-jlish connections return after hours I without having been able to establish contact again. | "This was not done until nightfall, I when the iirst platoon leader was 'rescued. He had been covered up ;by a dirt geyser thrown by a torjpedo. He was comparatively uninjured."