100 Years Ago
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2016-09-17/register/german-amusements-on-leave-2h0t5692v
German amusements on leave
september 17, 1916
More than once recently I have spoken of the apparent abundance of food which the German troops in this area are now getting and of the luxurious living of the German officers. The Army feels the pinch of the shortage of provisions much less than any other portion of the population. The officers not only live luxuriously in their dug-outs, but, according to the gossip of prisoners, they have an even more riotous time when on leave. Officers, even from the Somme area, get short leave, of four days, very frequently, which is usually spent either in Brussels or in Antwerp; and in the latter especially life is said to be very gay, with dance halls and similar places open until 3 o’clock in the morning. Brussels, it seems, shuts up at midnight, but up to that hour it is also gay. German women - even the wives of officers - are not permitted to go into Belgium. For feminine society both Brussels and Antwerp have to look to ladies of the local Germanophil communities. These, if accounts are true, lead an exciting existence.
An extensive circulating library system is in force, the books being mostly paper-bound volumes thin enough to be slipped into the pocket. They are printed in clear type so as to be easily read in indifferent light, and contain chiefly short stories and the like. The books are packed in boxes of a regulation pattern, much like the wooden boxes that one sees on confectioners’ shelves. These are carried on the field kitchens, and pass through the army, from one company or battery to another. The books bear a stamp on the title-page setting forth that they belong to the Field Library. Men draw one at a time, sign for it, and when it has been read exchange it for another. It is, in fact, an ordinary but very extensive official circulating library system, wherein the process of circulation is not confined to the individual volumes, but the whole library unit circulates from troop to troop. The literature is generally good work by standard authors.
Judging from the “finds” in some of the dug-outs, however, neither the outburst of German nationalism, with its effort to expel the use of all enemy languages, nor the official providing of other literature has succeeded in killing the German officer’s liking for French novels. And, judging from samples, his taste in them is - well - dubious.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2016-09-19/register/more-about-the-tanks-tz7gqp0zs
More about the tanks
september 19, 1916
It is possible today to write more freely about the now notorious tanks. Two days before the present advance I had an opportunity to see a lot of them - a whole herd - before their first experience of real war. It was as incredible as one of Jules Verne’s most fantastic imaginings. I was permitted to go inside one and inspect its vitals and I watched the great things manoeuvre about the field; at each new antic one could do nothing but sit down and laugh. Were they a preposterous joke or a serious contribution to modern warfare? We know now, and the Germans know, that they have proved themselves very serious indeed. One can hardly imagine a spectacle more terrifying than these monsters must have presented when, after a hurricane bombardment, the great shapes came lumbering forward in the grey light of dawn. The enemy emptied their rifles at them, and the things came rolling on. They turned on their machine-guns and the bullets only struck sparks from the great beasts’ awful sides. And still the moving horrors came on until they reached the first German trench. There, they sat complacently astride the trench and swept it in both directions with their machine-guns. Against strong points they were invaluable because they could thrust themselves to close quarters where unprotected infantry could never get. In woods they trampled through the undergrowth and broke down barricades, contemptuous of the machine-guns.
Some few met with mishaps: that was inevitable. Others exceeded expectations. One was reported rolling majestically down the empty main street of Flers long before the place was ours. Others, displaying large signs, “Great German Defeat! Special Extra!” led our men victoriously into Martinpuich.
Of course they are only an experiment but in one short hour they did more military service, killed more enemy in uniform, and had a greater influence on the war than all the Zeppelins have ever done. It may be that before this war is done we, the Germans, and all the Allies alike shall be building other monsters, huger and more horrific, but we have done it first. This diabolical machine is ours and we have used nothing which is not entirely civilized and in accord with every convention that was ever signed.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2016-09-20/register/venetian-treasures-in-danger-vnmqqhkhm
Venetian treasures in danger
september 20, 1916
It will be recalled that, after the ruin of the famous Tiepolo fresco in the Church of the Scalzi in Venice last year, an official statement appeared in the Austro-German papers to the effect that such destruction was perfectly legitimate, since Italy’s patrimony consisted in great measure of works of art, which induced millions of foreigners to spend their money in this country. The character of the recent air raids on Venice does not permit even the most conservative and kindly disposed to doubt Austria’s deliberate intention to act up to this theory.
The only two possible excuses for the bombardment of Venice are the port and the arsenal, situated at the two extremes of the city. All between is the domain of beauty and art. In the last two raids the Austrians have deliberately chosen as targets the most precious of Venice’s priceless treasures. They first aimed at St Mark’s a bomb which fell within 30ft of its portal, and last week they attacked the church of SS Giovanni e Paolo. A bomb penetrated the vaulting of this church and fell in the right aisle near the Valier monument at the opening of a side chapel. The lower part of the monument, being protected by sandbags, was unhurt, but the upper statues were damaged.
In the side chapel the explosion severely injured the famous ceiling - Piazzetta’s “Glory of St Dominic” - which, being painted on canvas firmly nailed to the ceiling by the artist himself, could not be removed when the portable works of art were put in safety. Vivarini’s great window had fortunately been removed, but all the remaining windows were broken. The side chapel where the bomb exploded is 70ft from the Colleoni statue in the square, the most precious of Venice’s patrimony, whose loss would be truly irreparable. The Home for the Aged attached to the church was struck by a second bomb with no loss of life. These raids, lacking all military excuse, continue almost nightly.
The Pope has addressed a letter to the Patriarch of Venice, regretting the damage suffered and thanking Providence that St Mark’s was spared. “Alas, the fatherly solicitude which we have not neglected to interpose to avert such outrages has not met with the desired success. We deplore this new kind of calamity, which we consider one of the most serious consequences of the war.”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/his-majestys-land-navy-zxk2r0qgs
His Majesty’s Land Navy
september 21, 1916
Of the landships, or “Tanks”, one continues to hear amazing stories. They proved of great service, and the men of the crews behaved magnificently. It must under any circumstances be no small test of a man’s qualities to be shut up in a steel box and to thrust one’s self deliberately out ahead of one’s own fighting line, a mark for every enemy within range. It must be considerably worse if anything happens to the machine so that it is compelled to stand still, or is thrown on its side, far out in the enemy’s territory. This happened in more than one case. One “Tank” still lies out there on its side, making a barricade across which our men and the Germans have been bombing each other all day. Another got out of repair and could not be moved. The officer in charge rendered the machine unusable, and then he and his crew got out and came back to help in carrying our wounded under fire. The “Tank” still lies there until we can repair it and get it going again, for the Germans will not get it, though it is in their lines.
Many of the “Tanks” have come back all dotted with the marks of machine-gun and rifle bullets. One whose steering gear got out of order could not turn to right or left, so it trundled straight ahead till it was quite out of touch with our men, then it sat down on an enemy trench and for five hours stood off bombing attacks. Another, after rendering yeoman service at in the operations at High Wood, went on to what it thought was our front trench and then discovered it was a German one. It came back shortly afterwards with 25 German prisoners, who walked beside it like a flock of sheep, covered by its machine-guns.
Certain of the Oversea troops have two of the “Tanks” with them, named “Cordon Rouge” and “Creme de Menthe”, which they would not part with for worlds. They are sitting out there now, like two huge tame pachyderms, ready to push along again when the next move comes. The troops regard them as something between a mascot, Leviathan, and a fairy godmother. They have proved themselves a real and formidable engine of war.
A new Service has been created, His Majesty’s Land Navy; and already the men have shown a gallantry of which many of the sister Services might be proud.