Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 405
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Transcription
[Page 405]
that a hole had been made in the road about a foot in diameter after the car had passed. A close inspection showed that the road had been undermined.
As this was at once reported all heavy traffic was accordingly diverted from this the best looking road to one more cut up.
The next day two more holes had been knocked in the rode by a fast going light Motorcar & one of these showed a hole to have been undermined fully 20 feet in diameter stretching across the road centre.
As this was just opposite where too heavy lorries carrying Air Guns were stationed it was marvellous to think they escaped "going through". These underminings had been done to stop & block heavy artillery but for once luck was on our side, by the discovery of the first small hole in time.
While working in this neighbourhood an opportunity was taken to inspect some of the Huns works & wire entanglements protecting these villages & extending in front of Bapaume itself, and it was brought home to the men what deadly contrivances had been constructed to stop an attack in front of each village.
At least three or four rows of barbed wire had been erected (in most cases) each row being from 10 to 20 feet wide. An intense barrage would have been necessary to cut away this wire if a frontal attack had been intended. It was noticed that instead of these rows of wire being run in a fairly straight or uniform line, the wires would be taken in a deep V shaped indentation towards the protecting Hun trench then on each side of these Vs a "sap" would be run from the trench
[At foot of page: diagram showing the arrangement of German barbed wire defences, rear trench and projecting saps.]
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