WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS. By general consent the barbed wire entanglement has he roine the standard military obstacle. It was highly developed on thc 11 estern front during the European War 1914-18, the principal de being along the line of simplifying the construction and in the use of artillery fire to open a passage for the artillery troops. In constructing 'low wire entanglements," the ment. Starting at the anchor picket, party B runs out to the first straight wire, one man holding and uncoiling the. wire, the other two taking round turns, each taking the turns on alternate pickets. About six yards behind is party C, a picket party which drives the second row of pickets, one man again mauling. one holding and pacing, one supplying pickets. This party measures the position of each picket from the front row by going to each picket in the front row, pacing one and one-half yards along the line, turning at right angles and pac ing three yards and then planting the picket ; this eliminates cumulative errors. Starting six yards behind C comes party D, which works on the same system as B and puts on the diagonal, keeping behind its own wire. Party F. runs out the first loose wire, starting about 12 yards behind D. One man holds the coil and un winds it. One man places the wire in position on the diagonal. The third man clips the loose wire to the diagonal. Party F comes 13 yards behind E and runs out the second straight wire, Party G drives the third row of pickets, meas uring the position of each from those of the second row. Party H starts six yards behind G and puts on the second diagonal. Party I starts 12 yards behind H and runs the second loose wire. Party K starts 13 yards behind I and completes the bay with the third straight wire. The direction is kept by the men of the left file, who provide themselves with a piece of string or tape, equal in length to the dis tance from the parapet to the front edge of the wire. They go out with party A. One man places himself at the foot of the parapet with one end of the string in his hand. The other runs the string out until it is taut. The man on the parapet keeps the string always perpen dicular to the general line of the parapet. The other man keeps it taut and moves along with party A. Work can be done with parties of two men, but if one is hit the work is disor ganized. If there are fewer parties the same party may have to do two or more parts of the work. Thus, if there are only six parties A will also do G's work. B will do H s, C will do I's, D will do K's. The pickets must be driven far enough in the first instance. If they have to be driven after the wire is on, the wire will be too low. Mauls should be muffled with sandbags nailed on.
pickets with a round turn six inches above the French wire. These strands of barbed wire are pulled as taut as possible and are twisted on the French wire with a staple, peg or pair of wire cutters close to each picket and in several places between the pickets. This barbed wire supports the French wire. The two rows of French wire are about two feet apart and tied together by a diagonal strand of barbed wire running from the tops of the pickets of one row to the tops of the pickets of the other row. In addition a strand of barbed wire is run along the front of the front row of French wire and twisted to it. This is partly to hold up people trying to crawl through and partly to hold the French wire together, should it come loose from the fastenings. This wire is usually called the •apron wire.' After this, more apron wire can be added or loose wires French This consists of a con tinual spiral of plain wire three feet six inches in diameter, each turn of wire being clipped to the turns on both sides in five places. When
closed up it looks very much like a coil of plain wire, hut when pulled out it makes a cylinder of wire mesh. Each small coil pulls out to the length of 20 yards. A big coil con sists of five small coils. The extended coil can be easily crushed down by throwing a weight on the top and must, therefore, be sup ported by pickets and barbed wire. It is easily carried and quickly put up. It is held in place by iron staples five inches long. The number of men required for a party is 26 Two men keep the direction with a string as for low wire and the remaining 24 are divided into parties of three as for low wire. Two or more rows of French wire make an obstacle. Each small cr it is stapled down in five places: that is, at each end, one-fourth, one-half and three-fourths of the way along Where two cods meet the same staple fastens down both coils Pickets five feet long are driven into the centre of the coils in five places as for the staple These pickets should be driven in at least a foot. A may be inserted between the two rows. Where opposing trench lines are very close together. stakes cannot he driven for the usual form of wire entanglement on account of the noise of driving, which would draw fire. If not too close to the enemy, iron rods with a screw end may be used in lieu of stakes; these may be three-fourths inch in diameter with one or two loops in their length to which to fasten the wire. In ordinary ground such rods can be screwed into a firm hold without noise. When the enemy is too close for this. carious forms of portable obstacles in the nature of c heroar de I rise are employed. These are made up at the depots, brought forward through the trenches and tossed out in front by day or by night.
The Thigh wire entanglement' is similar in a general way to the low entanglement, hot is four to six feet in height. it usually consists of three to fis e rows of stakes connected hr I arbell wire. In addition to the horironta' wires ronecting the tops of the stakes, it has diagonal wires running from the :op of each stake to the bottom of all adjacent stakes The side toward the enemy should be compkted an ordinary wire fence. Slight irregularities in height of stakes and arrangement of wires add to the value of the obstacle. Openings for the passage of troops through wire entangle ments are generally about 10 yards wide and are placed so that two belts of wire over lap the openings. The continuity of the ob stacle may be observed by using gates or bar riers that can be quickly opened and closed.
The best place for the openings is at the flanks of the supporting points, points between the wire entanglements around the supporting points and those in the intervals. If these openings must be placed in the intervals on ac count of the terrain, they must be covered by the close fire of sections of trench placed im mediately iii rear. The maintenance of a wire stacle requires constant care. It should be inspected every night, and a few men should be detailed in each company as a permanent wir ing party for the repair and improvement of the obstacle. In addition to barbed wire, a charged electric wire is at some places main tained. The wire is charged in section so that in a case of a ground only the section af fected will be out of service instead of the cadre wire.