Our Despatches from the Front (No. 150).
Page 20
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Interesting Salvage Work with a Tunnelling Co.
IN THE VOSGES., (Continued from page 462.)
When he had taken it all in he turned to his guicle•a.ed innocently remarked, " Now Ieshould _like to see a trench raid," much in the tone and manner he might use when selecting a:new rainproof or umbreka. Tioeveeer, continual inspections may be boring, but they no doubt serve a useful purpose in keeping us up to scratch and on the steeeegai of them we have been able to coax a supfily of paint out of the hard-hearted gentleman who presides over stores and to give the cars a much-needed coat.
Tyre Trouble Prevalent.
With the sudden access of hot weather, tyre trouble has been very prevalent ; our 20 h.p. Austins were sent out originally with pversize tyres, 820 mm. by.135 mm., but out here these cannot be obtained apparently, and el,e have to use 820 mm. by 120 rem. I have never been so convinced of the advantages of the oversize tyre as I am at present. Oversized tyres undoubtedly mean long life and immunity from troeble.
A very considerable number . of • French military ears have twin rear wheels, and this practice seems very satisfactory in every way. One eees staff cars of every make almost with them, also Fiat ambulances, Fiat and Schneider light lorries or " camionettes," and very rarely does one see a twin-tyred vehicle " en panne" with tyres.
Advantages of Twin-tyred Vehicles.
Certainly during the past severe winter these twin-tyred vehicles had the advantage over us and were able to -negotiate 4-without chains roads whieh gave us a very considerable amount of trouble with chains. 1 do not advise fitting twin tyres to any chassis, however, for in our experience it is necessary to have a very strong rear axle. We had one ease where two similar models of a welhknown car, one with single tyre's and the ether with twin tyres, were carrying the same loads over the same roads. For a time all went well the twin-tyred vehicle scored in the matter of freedom from tyre trouble, but ultimately gave trouble with the wheel hetes coming adrift on the axle shafts. Hardly had the car been repaired and put into service again when the same thing occurred a second time. Again it was repaired, and a third time the same trouble was experienced. The twin wheels were replaced by single wheels and since then the car has been working eatisfactorily.
WITH A TUNNELLING CO.
For various reasons mechanical tramport lei the war areas is subject to -mishaps which are seldom or never experienced under ordinary or civil conditions. Horse and rail transport. are, of course, as frequently in similar straits. The main reason for the unusual mishaps is the need for carrying on eegardless of weather or read conditions.
fighting All Sorts of Overturned Ve hicks.
Salvage feats that tax the resources and ingenuity of breakdown crews are undertaken daily, and include righting overturned lorries, road-rollers, or tractors, lifting these • vehicles out of streams, ditches or canals, and making temporary arrangements of axles, wheels, or steering gear so that towing is possible.
A rather interesting piece of improvisation was resorted to some time -ago in order to bring in four lorries and a Ford which had stopped on a deeply flooded stretch of road. The flood, two days after these vehicles entered it, showed signs of deepening-rather than subsiding, so it was-resolved to try and tow them out. A three-ton White lorry VW adapted, as .shoiiin in the accompanying eketches, being converted into a sort of land sub' marine.
The magneto was completely enclosed in a soldered, watertight tin casing with a long tube at the top through which passed the leads to the sparking plugs. The magneto driving shaft entered the waterproof casing through a stuffed gland. The casing had to be made in two parts, which were soldered together after being placed round the magneto, Carburetter Mounted on the Dashboard, The carburetter and induction pipe Were removed, and the former attached by a bracket to the dash, board, the gases being led to the induction port in the cylinder block by a length of rubber hose and a short piece of flanged pipe. An ordinary two-gallon motor-spirit tin carried on the driving seat fed the carburetter by gravity flow.
With these alterations the White lorry successfully negotiated the flood, which had stopped the enenes of the other vehicles, and readied the level indicated, on the sketches. Attachment of the towing rope to each semi-submerged lorry or car in turn caused considerable excitement, bathing suite being worn for the job. The White pulled all the half-drowned lorries and the Ford on to hard, dry road, net a bad performance for a truck" with such a small engine as the threeeton White has