The attitude of the opposing armies at this time was not altogether passive. A war of attrition was carried on continuously. This took the form of daily bombardments by the artillery of positions and areas behind the trenches; also the raking of parapets of opposing trenches, and No Man's Land, by machine gun fire at night. Sniping with the rifle had become a fine art, and authenticated cases, wherein a Turk had been knocked over, were mentioned in Orders. One Light Horseman, it was recorded in Corps Orders, had over 200 of the enemy to his credit. This sniping was done from carefully concealed positions (possies), from steel loopholes built into the parapet, or by means of the periscope rifle which latter enabled the user to fire over the sandbags without any exposure of his own body.
Sniping with field guns was also indulged in. In this the enemy had the advantage by reason of being on higher ground and able to overlook most of the Australian sector. Working parties, parties in movement, and individuals who came under observation, were usually treated to a dose of shrapnel fired with excellent aim and timing from 77 millimeter guns of high velocity. The projectile from this gun was usually designated a "whizz-bang" on account of the short space of time which elapsed between the first sound of its approach and that of the explosion of the shell. By some grim humourist it was said that if one could hear the shell coming there was no danger to be feared, but if, on the other hand, the sound was not audible, then there was no need to worry. The burial parties would do all that was necessary.
In fighting between trench and trench, considerable use was made, besides the rifle, of bombs or grenades. These were of varied types, with either concussion or missile effect, and some were thrown by hand whilst others were propelled from mortars or catapults. The Mills grenade had just made its appearance, and was regarded as a special reserve of power in case of an enemy attack. The numbers of these available were small but other types were more plentiful and included the jam tin, cricket ball, time and friction, match head, and hair brush. Some were ignited by mechanical action and others by match or portfire. Portfires were made by wrapping a piece of khaki drill tightly around a thin strip of pine wood. One of these when once lit would burn for hours.
Of Trench Mortars the Apex position possessed two—one a 3.7 inch and the other, smaller, a Garland Howitzer. These threw light bombs a short distance. Their effect was quite local and, except in case of a direct hit on a person, hardly more than moral. One of these mortars was located on either flank of the position. Private F. Congdon was placed in charge of that on the right and Private J. B. Deering that on the left. These soldiers soon learned to use their weapons so effectively that the Turk was discovered, early one morning, to have placed a protective wire-netting screen in front of and over the Blockhouse.
Later on the Battalion made the acquaintance of the Catapult. This machine resembled a large "shanghai" fixed to timber, one end of which rested on the parapet whilst the other—in the trench—was packed in a manner to give the required elevation. A cricket ball or jam tin bomb was placed in the pouch and the rubbers were then strained by means of a crank handle winding up a wire attached to the pouch with a trip hook. When the required tension was obtained one man lit the fuse and retired to cover. The other, the expert, allowing the fuse to burn for a certain time—to suit the range, pulled the string which released the trip. If all went well the bomb sailed over towards the Turk. Sometimes, however, the trip would fail, or the rubbers foul. Then the bomb would make a very short flight and might not even clear the home trench. In consequence of these possibilities, the local area was never overcrowded with inquisitive people and the experts became expert also at taking cover.
AT THE APEX.
Using the Periscope Rifle.
Photo. lent by Mrs. H. Simm.[ToList]
