HOW GERMANS FIGHT
Every one knows that, at the begin
ning of the present war in Europe, the
Germans were the only nation that
was really ready to tight. Not only
did they have arms and ammunition in
fur greater amounts than had any of
their opponents, ljut they had master
ed in advance some of thfe problems of
modern warfare that the allies have
had to meet and solves on the very
Held of battle. Tills fact is not stated
in disparagement of any of the con
tending armies: Friends and enemy
agree that both allies and Teutons
have shown admirable bravery in the
Held. It is simply a statement of ac
tual conditions—a statement that goes
far towards explaining the striking
effectiveness of the German "drives,”
and that points a telling moral to a
nation facing the question of prepar
edness.
l’erhaps the most striking evidence
of Germany’s preparedness lies in her
adaptation of infantry warfare to
modern conditions. Everyone predict
ed at the beginning of the war that
this struggle would be a duel of artil
lery—that the days of the cavalry
charge and the infantry skimish were
practically over, iiut up to the pres
ent time, Germany’s success has been
as largely contributed to by the effi
ciency of her infantry as by any other
one factor.
How ilo the Germans fight?
To answer that question it is neces
sary to go buck li(ty years. It was
halt a century ago that Count von
Moltke, chief of staff in the Prussian
army, became convinced that the in
creased efficiency of tire arms and ar
tillery demanded a thorough revolu
tion in methods of attack. From the
days of Alexander the Great, who de
pended for his victories on his solid
phalanx of infantry and heavy, rush
ing columns of cavalry, the method
of offensive had been to hurl massed
troops upon some point in the enemy’s
lines. Hut von Moltke saw that the
machine gun and the breech loading
rifle alone constituted a means of de
fense capable of annihilating a force
attacking in mass formation. Since
tlie Prussians had always, from the
time of Frederick the Great, taken
the offensive in battle,—that is, had
been the attacking party,—von Moltke
turned his attention to devising a form
>
of attack that might prove less vulner
able against the new defense.
At first, his new ideas met with
obstinate resistance; for the conserva
tive Germans clung tenaciously to the
old mass formation. Hut two incidents
of (he Franco-Prussian war brought
his colleagues to his way of thinking,
and paved the way for the present
open formation method of attack. One
of the incidents occured at Mars Ha
tour, in 1870, when an attacking Han
overian brigade last half its strength
in a few minutes, before the breech
loading rifles and the shrapnel mortar
of the French. The second took place
at St. Privat, where the Prussian guard
was checked in twenty minutes, with
the loss of six thousand men. After
these disasters, von Molkte had less
trouble in advancing his ideas. He
spent the remaining twenty years of
bis life in developing those formations
and making provisions for that drill
and discipline in attack and defense
which he foresaw would lie made ne
cessary by the ever increasing effici
ency of arms and artillery.
During the twenty five years that
have elapsed since von Moltke’s death,
the members of the German military
staff have devoted themselves, with
out sparing either time or money, to
tile perfection of his plans and to the
devising of new ones. They have lost
no opportunity of utilizing the best
products of modern science and inven
tion in the art of war; they have
adapted themselves to fighting on the
seas and beneath the seas; in the air,
on the earth and underground. But
the employment of the infantry in the
offensive, as it has been worked out
from von Moltke's original suggestion,
has been perhaps the most potent fac
tor in the success of the German
army.
It is interesting to observe how his
ideas have been strengthened and de
veloped. It was early found that while
the open formation was extremely
useful in diminishing loss during the
advance to an attack, the solid line
was necessary, at the precise moment
ol s.-sault, for both its moral and its
pi >i leal effects. Accordingly, the tac
,i ■. 11s worked out a combination of
me old and new movement, which lias
proven vastly effective. Here, briefly,
is how the Germans fight:
Suppose un attack is to be made
ui>oii an enemy holding a fortified po
sition. The Hoops of the offensive
forces have first to cross a section
of country protected by possibly three
or foui rows of barbed wire entangle
ments, knee high. Behind these are
trenches, breastworks, or some natur
al protection such as a bit of wood
land, within which the enemy lies with
his artillery. Before the infantry ad
vances to the attack, the Germans sub
ject the enemy’s position to a heavy
artillery fire. The barbed wire en
tanglements arc blown to pieces by
high explosive shells; then the de
fenses themselves are riddled with
shells and shrapnel. The rear of the
defenses is reached by long-range
guns, which hinder reinforcement and
cut off retreat. If, after the bom
bardment, tlie enemy still holds his
position, as lie may if he has been
properly entrenched, the order is given
for the infantry to charge.
in this infantry charge are display
ed the results of long-continued drill
and thorough discipline. The artil
lery keeps up its cannonade as long
as ii can without danger to the Ger
man troops, who are advancing in
three parallel and widely separated
lines. The men are deployed like
skirmishers, about five yards apart,
and advance on the run. The second
line runs faster than the first, and the
third faster than the second. The re
sult is, that by the time they are upon
the enemy the men are nearly shoul
der to shoulder. The three lines have
merged in one, although while crossing
the zone of fire they were uuite sepa
rated, and so did not furnish a mass
ed target for the enemy. By giving
each line a different but closely cal
culated speed, they have been
brought together for the bayonet
charge, which the oniny may
or may not withstand. These charg
ing lines are fed from column forma
tions in the rear, which, if necessary,
can deploy inlo a second triple line
of attack.
This brief example of a German
charge reveals the secret of many a
German advance. The psychological
effect of the suddenly formed charg
ing line, with its supporting troops, is
overwhelming.—Eagle Magazine.
ELECTION CARDS PRINTED
AT NUGGET OFFICE.
ANCIENT RELICS OF CHURCH
ARRIVES AT JUNEAU
Relics of historic interest that date
hack to more than a third of a cen
tury before the termination of the
Russian occupation of Alaska were
brought to American recently by Rev.
A. P. Kashervaroff when he returned
from the former capital of the terri
tory. They consist of the crowns worn
by brides and grooms at church mar
riage ceremonies of the Orthodox Rus
sian church and a cross worn by an
archimandrite of the church. An
archimandrite of the Russian church
is a priest ranking next to a bishop
cor - spending to an urchibshop of
the Episcopal church of the United
States.
The crowns of the bride and groom
are made of silver, gold and costly
satin, studded with handpaintod min
iatures of sacred Riblie.nl characters
—the one for the groom containing a
miniature of Christ as a central piece.
They also contain settings of precious
stones. They hnve been worn by sev
eral generations of bridal couples in
the cathedral at Sitka.
The cross is made of silver, sus
pended from a long gold neck chain,
and is set for its full six inches of
length with topazes and other pre
cious stones.
Church records establish the fact
that they have been in the cathedral
for at least 78 years and how much
longer no one knows.
Father Kashervaroft brought the
relics to Juneau to have them return
ed to Sitka where they will tie kept in
the cathedral.—Kx.
SOMETHING NEW.
Just arrived on the last boat over
500 of this seasons' latest styles and
patterns, the most beautiful line of
woolens ever armed in Nome. We
invite you to see these samples wheth
er you buy or not. If you wish to
take advantage of this offer order be
fore the 30th of August, in order to
have order arrive on last boat.
We also make alterations, and we
do cleaning, pressing and repairing.
Wc appreciate your patronage. Yours
to please.
NOME TAILORING CO.,
Next door to Segerstorm & Hagen,
Jewelers.
Albert Matson will leave Tuesday
morning for the fishing camp on Pil
grim river. Will leave every Tuesday
and Friday for the camp. Information
can be secured at Streeten’s office.
WR CAN DO IT.
For lirst class work and prompt deliv
ery phone Main 151 and the People's
Laundry will send and get your laundry.
W. J. WILLIAMSON. Prop.
DREAM EtlEATRE
TONIGHT ONLY
World Famous
MARIE DORO in
The Romantic Comedy
THE MORALS OF
MARCUS
5 PARTS 5
MRS. H. BURGH, Pianlai
ADM, 25 cts.
EAGLE HALL
THURSDAY NIGHT
A Chinese Romance.
A LESSON FORM THE FAR EAST.
2 Parts
Ben Wilson and Dorothy Phillips
In the Title Roles.
Sterling Comedy
RAINDROPS & GIRLS.
Drama Of Intriigue
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.
With Murdock MacQuarrie.
I'M V I 'l:SA I. WEEKLY.
Piano, Ollie Bourret.
ADM. 25 cts.
; ♦♦♦ MIMIl414HHWWH
:: BOARD of TRADE ::|
!! Restaurant
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:: and ::j
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:: LUNCH COUNTER j
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;; Hodini & Hilo, Prop. ;;
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■M4HW44H44W44-H44444
I MILO’S CAFE |
Reopens Saturday j:
June 10th,
OPEN DAY AND NIC*TIT.
Next door to PA Cl FTC COLD 1>
STORAGE MARKET. <[
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S.S. VICTORIA
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August 23
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Via Cordova and the Inside Passage.
Alaska S. S. Co.
SAIbfNn liATIS 8l'IUra'T TO CUAN’IIK W ITIKH 'i N‘>! ir|
P. A. Carroll, Agent, Nome
- ■ _— _— -
- • — —
DO IT NOW-NOW IS THE TIME
TO SAVE MONEY
Having purchased the Have .lo.lhnson mercantile business at Tay
lor and will take charge very soon, therefore am now closing out my
entire new sleek of quality groceries, in either large or small quanti- :
ties at reduced prices.
CONRAD FREEDING
Ames Mercantile Building, Front, street.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO’OOOOOOOOCOOOOOO333
ig A line line of BREADS, COOKIES, PASTRIES and COLD O
8 LUNCHES at the |
i ARCTIC BAKERY & COFFEE HOUSE f
ROSE CANDY STORE j
5 Home made candies, chocolates, salted peanuts, peanut can- 2
g dies and Ice Cream. 6
g DROP IN AFTER THE DANCE OR SHOW g
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGOOOCOOD#
STfie &agte
Best lines of Liquors and Cigars
in Nome
HENRY BURGH, PROP.
'■ 1 ■■ ■ — ■"■»»■■■■■ I — ■ - -
; j
\ EVERYTHING j
I STRICTLY
FIRST-CLASS !
Lt£rnrti«vA’.imvti gjj
|| NOME
j« COFFEE HOUSE:!
I: AND BAKERY j:
' > Recommend its clean and whole
< | some bread and pastry of all <[
kinds. ,*
< 1 We cater to family trade. < ’
1 > Orders for entertainments ' ,
’ promptly filled. <[
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j Chas. W. Reed |
i Machinist b Blacksmith
i
• Gasoline Engines, Moists
[toilers. Pipe and Pipe
* Fittings
: No. 5 Front St.
i
•e-e-e-e- ««fi
COMING
The old reliable “Elihu Thomson” left Tacoma on July 25th
hir.d-d with a full cargo of the best and freshest products that the
I ! products. - 'Z/fif
PACIFIC (OLD STORAGE COMPANY
Telephone White 17
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Proprietors <;
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a
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jj Geo, Hall & Albert Hartman, J
j Proprietor*.
PHONE MAIN 112
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' Direct from Bonded Warehouse '
RAINIER DRAUGHT BEER |
, Finest Brands of Wines, Liquors '
and Cigars. t