MUSICAL SHELLS AND ANCIENT GUNS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2612, 6 November 1915, Page 14

MUSICAL SHELLS AND ANCIENT GUNS

STRANGE WEAPONS USED AGAINST ANZACS BOMB-THROWERS FROM JAPAN ANNOY TURKS. Wounded 'Australasians, of whom thero are now some 5000 in London hospitals, pay hearty tribute (remarks the London "Daily News") to the diversity of weapons used by the Turk in maintaining this incessant stream of shells upon their holding in Gallipoii, and to the interesting variety of missiles that fall within the Anzac zone. Tbo shells coino from all quarters; tho forts of tho Asiatic side of tho Narrows contribute the large "Jack Johnsons" familiar to our army in Flanders.

From Kilid Bahr, it is believed, come the most old-fashioned shells that have been used in the present war. These go by the name of "footballs" or "pluinpuddings." They aro dispatched from the old-fashioned muzzle-loading guns of large calibre that were used to shell'the ■British Fleet t]iat forced tho passage ofthe Dardanelles a hundred years ago. They axe perfectly round, and each shell has a small ball attached to it by a chain, apparently to ensure convenience in handling. The average "football" weighs about 1501b., and is made of cast iron quite two inches iti thickness. Tho chain attachment causes a curious singing noise as the' shell passes through the air; the sound is like that of tho singing of a very noisy but melodious bird. Theso round shot are easily visible as they come hurtling through the air, -and inspire no dread in tho men of Anzac, whoso ambition is to obtain an unexploded specimen to decorato their dug-out. Curia-Hunters Killed. This mania for curio hunting, cost half a score of valuable lives on at least one occasion, -when a "football" struck the side of a hill and rolled down, apparently harmless, to the bottom. There was a rush of Australians to secure the trophy, when the shell burst, killing and wounding a large number of men. But, as a rule, the "footballs" are regarded with an easy tolerance by tho men of Anzac.

At tho other end of the scale are tho shells thrown by two hidden guns known as "Be'acliy Bill" and "Anafarta Anne." Report has it that both theso guns are hidden deep in the hillside, and are run out on long rails for use, the kick of their recoil driving them back to tho places from which they emerge, and automatically closing doors painted and decorated to resemble the hill-side. Both are very modern weapons of the same type, and the explosion of the shell is the first warning that they are being used. Damage was done tyy "Beachy Bill" to swimming Australasians, though all ho could do was not sufficient to hinder them from going in for an occasional dip. Japanese Bomb-Throivers. Of course, the men of Anzac are capable of effective rotort. They have tho warships at their backs, to givo as good as they get, and more. They have other means of retort as well, and among theso nothing has annoyed tho Turks and spread more dismay in their trenches than the Japaneso bombthrowers. There aro only half a dozen of these at Anzac, "the gift to the Government of. tlie Australian Commonwealth by tho Mikado of Japan. They throw a 71b. bomb with great accuracy through a wonderfully hij*li trajectory, so that it comes down in the trench from directly overhead. The Turks do not wait for the coming of these bombs, which can be seen quite easily both by night and day. They simply clear out of the trench, taking their chance of tho machine-gun firo which invariably supplements the uso of the Japaneso climbing bomb. One Turk who gave himself up as a prisoner_ was evidently so perturbed on arrival in the Australasian lines tbat tho services of an interpreter were procured to find out what was troubling him. Then it was discovered that ho wished to see without any further delay the giant who 1 had thrown into his trench so might a bomb.