UNDERGROUND GUNS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 35, 11 February 1916, Page 8

UNDERGROUND GUNS.

GERMAN "STARFISH" DEFENCES

A well-known ex-member of the Chamber of Deputies, now serving as a major with the French forces, has given to the Paris correspondent of the Central News some highly interesting details as to why the French offensive in Chamagne, which opened on September 25, and resulted in the taking of the Butte de Tahure and other strong strategic points, has not progressed as quickly as it might have been expected to. It was only when the 6erma,n second line had been pierced that the intricate nature of the •enemy's defences was made evident. At intervals of approximately 500yds behind the second line the Germans have constructed underground strongholds, which cannot be detected from the surface. They are known as "starfish" defences, and their construction is most ingenious.

About 30ft below th e ground is a "dug-out" of generous dimensions, in which are stored machine-guns, rifles, and other weapons. Leading from this underground chamber to the surface are' five or six tunnels, jutting out in different directions, so that their outlets form -half-a-dozen points in a circle, with a diameter of about 100 metres. In each of the' tunnels is laid down a narrow-gauge railway to allow the machine-guns to be speedily brought to the surface. At the mouth of the tunnels are two gun platforms on either side, and the mouth is concealed by being covered ov'e* with earth or' grass, as the case may be. These "starfish" defences are also mined, and can be exploded from any one of the various outlets. On several occasions when the French endeavoured to press home their advantage they found themselves enfiladed by machine-guns raised to the surface by 'troops who had tak up their places in the underground strongholds at the first menace to the second line. When one of the outlets was captu'red, machine-guns would appear at another, whilst, if the' French troops attempted to rush the stronghold' the Germans took refuge in the other passages, and met them as they appeared. In this way it was necessary to capture every outlet, and owino-' to their being' concealed this was ■i "difficult operation, involving heavy loss of life. Moreover, when the enemy saw that the position was untenable thev could blow it up before abandoning the last tunnel. The iniabilitv to determine the position of these" underground defences constituted the most serious obstacle to the French advance in Champagne.