WAR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1917, Page 8

WAR NOTES.

INGENIOUS GERMAN DEVICES. French Headquarters, July 22. Among recent developments in the science of war, both for attack and defence, the following three examples are, perhaps, the most interesting which have been devised by the enemy. The first is concerned with the com position and use of asphyxiating gases and gas shells. In order to exploit to the utmost this branch of offensive warfare three special staffs have been formed of officers picked from the artillery in the field. Thcv travel from one Army Corp3 to another, staying a week or ten days with each, partly to give instruction in the different ways of fighting with gas, and partly to study local conditions afTeetinc its use.

Tiie second innovation is the use of smoke-producing machines for camouflage of batteries the nnnitinn of which has been "spotted" by our airmen. To protect the guns and shells sites are prepared beforehand around the battery, not less than 270 yards from it and about 10 yards apart, and when the need arises tho smoke machines are placed in fiites to windward so that the concealing cloud sweeps over the. guns and hides them from our airmen. The third "device is an ingenious method of establishing communication during an engagement by means of nachrichtengosehosse, or message projectiles, when telephone wires have been cut by heavy bombardment. There are two forms of these message carriers—(l) bombs for communication between the front line and battalion and regimental commanders, fired by grenade guns with a range of 550 to GSO yards; (2) light shells for extending communication back from infantry and artillery commanders to brigade headquarters, fired from Minenwerfer with a range of 1300 yards.