HUN TREE FORTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 63, 9 December 1918, Page 8

HUN TREE FORTS

Among all the ingenious devices which show how thoroughly the Germans had thought out contrivances for the winning of the war down to tho minutest detail the tree fort appears particularly interesting. Curiously enough, while "pili-boxes" ha.vo been discussed considerably these tree fort£ have been little mentioned. The, tree fort was a steel cylinder made in two halves which fit perfectly together, the oulside being fashioned in tho exact representation of a tree, broken at the top, and with a shattered branch leaning over towards where our lines used to he when the "tree" was erected. Inside there a.re footholes, ladderwise, to the top, which, of course, was tho sniper's or observer's 1 post. Tho device could be used by either. The broken bough was the rest upon which the sniper can, piace- his rifle. To the base of the tree a narrow sap usually ran from a. German trench. On some of the trees, which gave both armoured defence and concealment, in order to aid in the disguise of the 6niper's or observer's nest there was wire netting set with artificial ivy leaves as an additional screen. It all loo'/.ed very natural, and the passer by, even within a few paces of the "tree," would 1 not~guess if was not real unless be was looking for it. I lived for six days in a trench within four yards of one of these trees before I discovered that it was a fraud upon nature. Perhaps, it is | because they looked so real that existing splendid specimens have been allowed to stand instead of being taken as war trophies. I can give directions to the location of three fine specimens, but very few people of the many camped near them v knew of their existence. Steps should be taken to 6ecure some specimens for inclusion in the 'war museums which after the war will show how the ingenuity of man was misapplied in constructing means for the triumph of might over civilisation.—H.M., in the "Daily ijfail."