WINKLING.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1918, Page 4

WINKLING.

“The Blankshires two patrols up ‘winkling” this morning with very great success,” said the brigadier in bis report to the Major-General who commanded his division. The same new bit of war-time phraseology was passed on in the divisional report to the corps commander. “Winkling” is a term that will come into more general use because of its appositeness. “Winkling” means picking Germans out of their little indi. vidual shell-hole dugouts In tlio manner in which many good people pick periwinkles out of their shells. Nothing could be more neat than a modern “winkling” expedition by a subaltern and a handful of men. The Boche had been so unmercifully shelled of late in France and Flanders that in many loealiteis lie had given up his old plan, of holding a clearly defined trench line. He made trenches only to have them knocked to bits. Therefore in some parts of the oonlry the Hun depends for his first line of defence upon rows of tiny dugouts placed in a roadside bank or even in open fields and meadows. These little dug-outs bold two or three men each and are very cleverly camouflaged . Most of them also hold a machine-gun, some of them several machine-guns.

Since. .Great Britain has provided her army at the front with a plcutitude of guns and shells, the Boclic hi front of the British Army passes bad nights. Harassing fire all night long, from big and little guns, on Hun frontline positions, billets and lines of communication, allow no sleep llicrabouts. The result is, as more than one Roche prisoner lias said, almost, teavfulh of late they “cannot, stay awake tor ever’ In other words, when the British artillery see to it that the Hun rest is broken at night, lie is pretty sure to bo caught napping next day. * * * * * f.ittle expeditions push forward, consisting of more handfuls of men, who wriggle along through the growing crops until they locate and reach the front Hun dug-outs. Often there is one sentry keeping watch while the rest sleep. Many times the whole lot are slumbering sweetly. If someone is on the look-out his attention is engaged front the front while some of the “winkling” party creep around to the rear. The first intimation of their presence in the vicinity conies to the worn-out tired Boche when lie hears a low tone of command behind him. '1 riming lie looks into the barrel of a rifle or pistol and hears a soft-voiced request to drop his weapons and throw up his hands. Resistance means death, sure and . swiift. He and his companions are usually docile enough when confronted with ‘ such a alternative. They are quietly taken hack to the British lines, often without attracting attention from other Hun dug-outs quite near by. In i such cases the “winkling” expedition may be continued in the locality until it has gathered in several groups in that sector.

That such nnmeOtTvres can he executed in broad daylight seems almost beyond belief, but just such instances of gallant individual operations adorn more than one official army report nowadays.

A happy result of a series of "winkling” parties was an advance a few days ago, in column of fours, of a German relief party, right-'up to a line of dug-outs which the Boche thought was occupied by his felows. Rapid machine gun fire at close range from British occupants of tlie former Roche positions left fifty dead Huns on one side of the road on which the relief was marching and all almost equal number on the utherside.