| Show t Ft tJ I H DISCLOSE I IRISH METHODS OF WARFARE Reports of Rebel Commanders Command Command- o. o j ers on Engagements Published Pub- Pub K i-K fished by Government K LONDON April 25 InsIde Inside stories o of tho ambushes laid by the Irish republican republican republican re- re publican army to trap and kill squads Pt ot British constables in Ireland are disclosed In the reports from Irish brIgado commanders which have Just been leen given out at the tho headquarters ot of the volunteers in Dublin Most of ot attacks have been b I reported by the the- British but the tho Irish accounts are arenow S now now given for the tho first time Ume P They give the details of desperate fights In which sometimes the little M h commands have boon hn cI- cI i t fi i r c f mated and and at at other lher times meg the Irish Irish I have havo been driven off with severe losses for the tho Irish rebels occasionally run into a no counter trap and rind find themselves themselves them them- selves exposed to the withering blast of ot a These reports show the tho methods employed employed employed em em- i to carry carryon on the guerrilla fighting fighting fight fight- ing the hurried calls to assemble the Irish attackers efforts to surprise the British constables in some isolated spot and tell of the the use of mines to block the passage of ot motor cars so that the attack can be delivered with gr greater ater execution TYPICAL AMBUSH A typical ambush is described In a report of the commander of the East county Clare brigade Thirty-five Thirty men five acting as ag scouts a attacked a po police police police po- po lice lorry containing a district Inspector tor and nine constables at Glenwood Belvoir killing all but four who es es- es Twenty venty of the attackers it is stated were armed with rifles and ten with shotguns They were concealed on one side of ofa a road near a stream As in a previous ambush the commander commander com corn mander reports the main body was divided into three parties The position position tion which was occupied at 7 a. a m. m was not ver very favorable but we counted on the element of surprise and the concentrated fire of fifteen of the rifles and the thA ten shot shotguns in th the first firL J I. I I i 1 t. t 5 f i 1 irI Jf JI tV J 11 J. J t r. r dol volley to make ake u up io for short comings and in this we were successful LONG WAIT REWARDED The They waited It Jt appears until 4 1 o'clock in the afternoon before the lorry came in fn sight When the car came into the center position the report continues it was raked with the fire of the twenty-four twenty guns most of the police were shot off oft and the car came to a a. dead stop Some of the tho police pollee when they got on the road made an attempt to put a fight but the second volley which included aUthe all aU the rifles wiped them out What is termed an exceedingly risky operation as we were half the enemy strength was the attack in County Donegal on a military train from Derry According to the brigade I commanders commander's report the attacking party numbered twenty six Information Information I mation matlon was received at at I night the report says that the special train was to leave Derry at 3 a. a m. m the next morning ATTACK ON TRAIN Little time was left to choose a no position and get settled but the train was late giving us three-quarters three of an hour to get ready We Ve chose a cutting cutting cut cut- ting one side of which was on a level with the carriage windows At the ends of each side we placed bombers and riflemen and between len t wore placed ol t I. I A t Jg TELEGRAM tho remaining riflemen and the others differently armed Two large boulders were placed on the rails and the wire at each side were pulled up to afford a safe sate exit The station building a short distance away was taken possession possession possession pos pos- session of and a green light displayed There were seven carriages on the train rain and it was traveling at a great speed when It struck the stones FORCED TO RETREAT Fire Firo was opened from both sides and and and- bombs were hurled through the windows The fire was from the tilo cab of the engine where a Lewis gun was In position Our riflemen at the tho rear end of the tho train got down on the tho line for enfilading fire but after about ten minutes I was forced to or order order order or- or der a retreat to effect the safe escape of our men Eight bombs were thrown two of which we are certain landed in carriages In the retreat one ono of our two parties parties parties par par- ties was surrounded twice but fought way through on each occasion One of our men Is missing and we bell believe eve he has fallen into the hands of ot the enemy No other casualties were suffered suffered suffered suf suf- on our side and despite their denial we have ev every ry reason to be believe believe believe be- be lieve that at least ten men were either killed or wounded on the enemy side |
