SHIELDS IN WAR.-4. SUGGESTION. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—In our war with the Boers the one thing at present wanted is some mode of protecting our soldiers in their advance to the attack; and I beg to suggest a resort to the old principle of the Roman testudo,—adapting it to modern conditions. In attacking positions of any kind—trenches,
kopjes, &c.—where a zone of fire has to be crossed, an enor- mous proportion of the present casualties would, I submit, be avoided if the front rank of the attacking column carried shields capable of deflecting and throwing off rifle bullets ; and I think it likely that such shields of well-tempered steel, and not thicker than an ordinary sixpence, borne at an angle of, say, 40° to the ground, would answer this purpose, and would be light enough not to overburden the men carrying them. If heavier, the men in the second rank could take their turn in carrying. The shields should be capable of inter- locking (and unlocking) easily. They should be, I think, 6 ft. high by 3 ft. They should have eyelets at the proper height, for the bearer to look through, in the form of slits of 3 in. or 4 in. long, and so narrow as not to admit a bullet. They might have at one side a loophole, closing automatically, for the second rank to fire through during the advance. But these and many other minor points can be soon adjusted if the principle be adopted. The War Office could have the thing tested in a few days at fifty up to a thousand yards, or more, and at different angles, with different thicknesses of metal, &c., and if found effectual, or even partially so, thousands of them could be turned out in a 'week or two at no great cost, and be sent to the Cape at once. If steel proved too heavy, an alloy of aluminium could be tried. If you oblige me by giving this letter a place in your columns, my suggestion will come under the notice of those whose business it is, and I earnestly hope they may think it worth acting upon.—I am, Sir, &c., A. M. A.
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