How to construct a "high wire" barbed wire entanglement.

MILITARY TRAINING PAMPHLET
No. 21C, 1942.

CONSTRUCTION DRILL FOR THE HIGH WIRE FENCE.

(For view of completed fence from "Home" side and general arrangement, see Plates II and III, below)

1. The fence will not be constructed in the immediate proximity of the enemy, and the necessity for a minimum of work on the enemy side of the wire can therefore be accepted.

In the context of this page the word "forestry" means timber. 

"Maul" mean large timber hammer for driving timber stakes.

In addition, each member of the working party will carry one windlassing stick and the commander and assistant commander a pair of wire-cutters each.

Each alternate member of the working party will also require either a maul or a sledge hammer, depending on the type of picket to be used. If for reasons of supply it is intended to use alternate angle-iron and forestry pickets, both will be needed.

3. Drill for 100 yards of fence.

(i) Tracing tapes will be laid from the assembly point to the stores dump, from the stores dump to the head of the task, and thence along the trace of the fence.

The laying of tapes should be carried out before wiring is due to begin.

The tape representing the trace of the fence will be laid on the line on which the long pickets of the front-single apron are to be erected.

(ii) All stores will next be carried up and laid out at the dump. The assistant commander and each member of the working party will make seven journeys ; the assistant commander and the first two men on their first journey will carry up the tools, windlassing sticks, and mauls or hammers, as required. The commander will carry a load only on the first journey, and will thereafter direct the dumping of stores.

The stores may be laid out in any convenient method, provided that they can, if necessary, be found in the dark, and that each member of the party knows the method of layout. A suitable layout is shown in Plate 1.

(iii) Wiring, first task-front apron pickets.

The commander takes two anchorage pickets and places one at the head of the task, and the other at the end of the task when it is reached. He is followed by the party in single file.

For this task the party will work in pairs ; five pairs, under the commander, for long pickets, and two pairs, under the assistant commander, for short pickets.

One man in each of the seven pairs will carry either a maul or a sledge hammer, or both, depending on the type or types of pickets to be used. The second member of each of thq first five pairs will carry two long pickets. If alternate angle iron and forestry pickets are to be used, he will carry one of each. The second member of each of the last two pairs will carry four short pickets.

The commander will indicate the positions, at three pace intervals (seven feet six inches) where the long pickets are to be driven. Each man carrying the long pickets will, in turn, lay down his first picket with the point of the picket towards the front and resting on the indicated position. He will then lay down his second picket, in the same way, at the second position and, when joined by the other member of his pair, commence driving.

On completion, each pair will return to their first picket, and drive that.

Meanwhile, the two pairs carrying short pickets will operate similarly, driving their fourth picket first and working back. The position of the pickets will be indicated by the assistant commander, two paces (five feet) in front of, and centrally between, the long pickets. On completion of their four pickets the first pair will drive the picket placed by the commander, at the head of the task.

As all pairs return to the dump after driving their pickets, they will drive any pickets which have been forgotten or left by casualties.

All seven pairs will make further journeys, the first five pairs carrying two long pickets, and the last two carrying four short until all pickets have been driven. The pair which reaches the end of the task, driving short pickets, will drive the picket placed by the commander at the end of the task.

When pairs return to the dump and find that all the pickets of their particular first task have been taken, they will dump mauls or hammers, and immediately start the second task.

(iv) Second task-front apron.

The first pair to start on the second task will be joined by the assistant commander, and the three will take one barbed wire coil from the dump and erect the diagonal wire of the apron, leaving it slack. When this first coil is finished, the third of the party will return to the dump, and will collect a second coil to complete the diagnonal.

Subsequent pairs will take one barbed wire coil and erect the remaining wires in the front fence in the following order, drawing them as taut as possible:-

v) Third task-triple concertina.

(a) On completion of the second task the first eight men (under, the assistant commander), on their return to the dump, will take up one concertina each and carry it to the fence. The concertinas will be laid immediately on the home side of the line of long pickets, successively midway between the third and fourth long pickets eighth and ninth long pickets thirteenth and fourteenth long pickets eighteenth and nineteenth long pickets and so on.

The first five men available, after completing their second task or having carried up a concertina, will move to the first concertina, extend it to 371 ft. (that is to say, extending from the first to the sixth picket), and place it in position against the back of the apron pickets. The sixth man available will, as soon as the concertina is in place, begin to windlass it to the bottom strand of the apron fence, once between each pair of pickets. He will also windlass together the end of adjacent concertinas as he reaches them.

- The next five available will extend and place the second concertina.

Of the remaining three men, the first available will commence to windlass the second concertina as soon as it is placed. The remaining two men will return to the dump. There they will collect 42 staples and, beginning at the head of the task, will staple the concertinas to the ground at seven feet six inches intervals, opposite the " enemy side " long pickets.

The task will then proceed on the same plan, two parties of five extending and placing concertinas, one man with each party windlassing and two men proceeding up the fence fixing the staples. During this stage, the commander should control the allocation of the members of the party, and the extension and placing of concertinas, while the assistant commander controls the windlassing and placing of staples.

(b) As the men complete the first line of concertinas they will proceed, in the same sequence, to erect the second line, with the exception that no windlassing is necessary, except between the ends of adjacent concertinas. Each man of the first eight to finish will carry up, and place, one concertina between the same pickets as for the first line. The working party will then divide into two parties of five extending and placing concertinas, each party assisted by two men placing staples. The latter will also windlass together the ends of the concertinas. Staples will be placed at seven feet six inches intervals midway between those on the first line of concertinas i.e., opposite the " home side " long pickets.

(c) When the second line is in place, the third line of coils will be carried up and laid down between the same pickets as in (a) above. As soon as all eight are in place, extension and erection will begin. Again two parties of five men each will place the concertinas. The two men assisting each party will windlass the third coil to the lower two. They will both work on the home side of the fence. One man of each pair will windlass, once between each pair of pickets, at the 11 enemy " side line of junction between the top and bottom coil, while the other acts similarly on the " home " side. The man working on the " enemy " side line of junction will work slightly in advance of his fellow, in order that he shall not be impeded by the windlassing carried out by the latter,

The leading man will also windlass together the ends of the concertinas.

(vi) Fourth task-pickets of "home" side fence.

On completing the third. task, each man will return to the dump where, as they arrive, the party will form up into pairs organized similarly as for the first task. The commander will carry four short pickets. One of these he will place as an anchorage picket at the head of the " home " side fence six feet behind the line of the long pickets of the "enemy" side fence, and midway between the short end anchorage picket and the first long picket at the head of that fence. He will then place another midway between the two lines of pickets and in line with the two end anchorage pickets.

The remaining two pickets he will place similarly at the finish of the task.

Five pairs will drive the long pickets and two the short. The first pair of the latter, after driving their four pickets will drive the two placed by the commander.

The pair driving the last four short pickets will drive the last two pickets left by the commander before beginning on their four. One member of each pair will carry a maul or sledge hammer, or both.

The task will continue until all pickets are driven.

(vii) Fifth task-top diagonal strand-top horizontal strand and top concertina.

(a) The first two pairs to finish driving pickets will return to the dump, collect one coil of barbed wire, and begin erection of the diagonal strand. One man of the four will work on the enemy " side.

Attachment of the diagonal strand will begin at the short picket at the head of the - home " side single apron fence. Of the three men working on the " home " side, two will carry the barbed wire coil and, the third, after attaching the wire to the end anchorage short picket and subsequently to each long picket, will pass a loop two yards in length over to the man working on the "enemy" side. The latter will take the strain on the standing end of the wire, and will then make fast to the appropriate picket on his side.

He will make fast by laying the bight, which he has been handed, over the top fence wire beyond the picket, away from the start of the task. He will take the bight round the picket, under the apron wires, and under the top fence wire on the side towards the head of the task (Plate III).

He will then windlass the bight to both the standing and running ends of the diagonal strand.

The man on the home side will take the strain on the standing end, but will make fast by the standard method of fixing apron diagonals to angle-iron pickets. The two men carrying the coil will, when the first coil is exhausted, return to the dump to collect the second.

(b) The next two pairs to complete the fourth task will return to the dump, collect one coil of barbed wire and being placing the top longitudinal strand. Two men will carry the coil, one will windlass the strand to the centre of the diagonal strand at alternate points of intersection, while the fourth strains the wire. The strand will first be attached to the centre end anchorage picket, and windlassing will begin at the first point of intersection. The strand will be finally attached to the centre short picket at the end of the task.

(c) The remaining six men, on completion of their fourth task, will return to the dump, and will carry up the remaining eight concertinas, placing them behind the line of the rear long pickets, and between the same pickets as for all previous concertinas, The first two men will make two journeys.

All six will then extend the first concertina to 37½ ft., lift it over the home side pickets, and lay it on top of the longitudinal strand. They will then stand ' one man opposite each of the six pickets covered by the concertina. Nos. 1, 3, and 5 of these six will hold the concertina in position while Nos. 2, 4, and 6 windlass it to the longitudinal strand and the diagonal strand.

This task will be carried out in one windlass embracing all three strands of barbed wire, and will be done on the opposite leg of the diagonal wire to that already windlassed to the longitudinal strand. When NOS. 2, 4, and 6 have completed windlassing, they will hold the concertina while Nos. 1, 3, and 5 do the same, on the strands immediately in front of them.

As the original first four pairs become available, three of the pairs will commence extending, lifting, and windlassing the remaining concertinas, and the two parties of six will continue until the task is completed.

The remaining pair will return to the dump and begin the sixth task.

(viii) Sixth task. Rear apron.

The pair which is not engaged on placing the top concertinas, begin to construct the bottom wire of the rear fence. They will be accompanied by the assistant commander, who will windlass the wire to the bottom concertina on the home side, once between each pair of pickets.

Again, all wiring must be as taut as possible.

Subsequent pairs as they complete the fifth task will return to the dump, and commence wiring the fence in the following order :

First pair - middle fence wire. 

Second pair - top fence wire.

The top, fence wire will be attached immediately below the top diagonal fastening by the standard bottom or middle wire fastening. The windlassing bight will be passed over and round one leg of the diagonal wire before being windlassed to the standing end.

The next three men available will erect the apron diagonal wire, fastening it in the standard way above all the other fastenings on each picket.

The next two will erect the top apron wire.

The next two will erect the middle apron wire.

The remaining man will wait until the first man again becomes available, and the two will then complete the fence by erecting the bottom apron wire.

4. Replacement of casualties.

The commander will decide, in the event of heavy casualties, what wires, if any, are to be omitted. Otherwise the action will be that men automatically carry on the work of casualties, to ensure that the wires go on in the proper order. If the team of any particular task find that the job next in sequence ahead of them has been left undone, they must leave their own work and complete the job ahead. When returning to the start of the task men will look for and replace any casualties.

5. Control.

The commander, aided by the assistant commander, will check the work as it progresses, and make any adjustments that may be necessary as a result of casualties, overcrowding, or other causes. He should control the work as much as possible from the start of the task, and must be found there frequently. He should direct the drawing of stores from the dump, and shall indicate the next task to the men returning there.

6. Time.

The time necessary for the erection of 100 yards of this fence by a well-trained team of two sections is two hours, assuming the stores to have been laid out on the site.

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