"RUPERT."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 835, 13 October 1916, Page 6

"RUPERT."

THE KITE BALLOON. EYE OF THE ARTILLERY. Yesterday and to-day our artillery has been pounding away at the enemy with extraordinarily good results. We do not know as yet all that has been accomplished, but the trustworthy reports of our observers —whose work has been facilitated by a clearer atmosphere than we have bad for some time past—make it clear that we have reduced several important Roche positions to a slate of lemporaiN ineptitude, writes a correspondent in an exchange. For a good many days now the (■crmans. tuning brought up portentous reinforcements of heavy guns have been searching vainh for our artillery emplacements. The\ have fired a great deal of "heav\ stuff"—

mostly at random, and the cited has been almost nil. This is due lo the utter lack of success which lias attended their aerial observations. Everybody is asking what has .none .wrong with the air service of the enemy. i f only wish those people who speak and write in the language of ! a foolish and unworthy pessimism ! about the "command of the air*' Could see, as I do almost daily, our Hying men careering across lerrii lory held by the enemy, while hardly ever does a Roche "plane dare show its nose across its own protected frontiers. Another department also of our air service is deserving of the highest praise Hie kite-balloon section. The kite-balloon, or "sausage." lias a fixed post of observation in the air. In the Army it is know as "Rupert." Why "Rupert" I do not know. any more than anybody knows why the anti-aircraft is called '•Archibald.-' Wonderful Eyes.

I have visited "Rupert's Retreat" when he has been at home lo his friends, lie is rather an uncouthlooking object, lie really does resemble a sausage in the air. willi a caudal appendage the utility of which may not be disclosed. Rut be has wonderful eyes in his head, and from his fixed position lie is

able lo note the cited of long-range artillery lire in a fashion which is extremely useful lo tin- men a! Hit;

end ul' our Runs. ! limy iid! disclose precisely how "Hupci I" does his w oik, Iml he is ;i

wonderful creation. It is only within the past six months that he has been adopted definitely as a trustworthy adjunct of our military service. I have counted within the purview of vision as man\ as 2(i of our "Kuperts" in the air al one time. Our French Allies, 100. have recognised his worth, and use him freely. The Germans, likewise, have sausage balloons, hut we have succeeded in "strafing" ;i very large number of them, whereas ours are so well protected against enemy devices that the percentage of accidents is infinitesimal. All honour to "Rupert" and the brave men who daily ascend with him into the skies. He is a terrible thorn in the flesh of the enemy.

As a typical instance of the bravery and resource of our otlicers, I may mention an incident connected with the attack we made a short time ago. A small party of our troops actually reached a certain village then held by the Germans, but were unable to sla\ there. Three officers, however, remained behind. They look refuge in certain dugouts, and after some days of close imprisonment in the most exciting circumstances, actually succeeded in rejoining their men. The stratagems to which lhe\ resorted max not be made known, but anyhow they were able completely to outwit U M . Bodies I,) (he midst of whom they had practically been living.