▁by ▁going ▁through , ▁over , ▁or ▁under ▁the ▁wire , ▁and ▁could ▁be ▁done ▁by ▁hand ▁or ▁by ▁using ▁wire - cut ting ▁shell s ▁and ▁mort ars . ▁The ▁object ▁of ▁the ▁w iring ▁parties ▁was ▁to ▁slow ▁down ▁the ▁enemy ’ s ▁attack , ▁while ▁speed ing ▁up ▁their ▁own . ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁workers ▁attempted ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁impossible ▁for ▁the ▁enemy ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁their ▁tren ch , ▁while ▁sab ot aging ▁the ▁enemy ’ s ▁wire ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁benefit . ▁In ▁addition , ▁though ▁the ▁distance ▁between ▁tren ches ▁varied ▁between ▁ 7 ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁yards , ▁workers ▁tried ▁to ▁ere ct ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁def ences ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁from ▁their ▁tren ch ▁as ▁possible , ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁enemy ▁from ▁getting ▁too ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁tren ch , ▁or ▁possibly ▁lo bb ing ▁in ▁gr en ades . ▁ ▁D angers ▁Working ▁with ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁was ▁a ▁nast y ▁job ▁under ▁any ▁circumstances , ▁but ▁when ▁you ▁were ▁handling ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁dark ▁and ▁within ▁a ▁hundred ▁yards ▁of ▁rif les ▁and ▁machine ▁guns ▁that ▁would ▁shoot ▁at ▁the ▁least ▁sound , ▁you ▁were ▁doing ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁n erve - w rack ing ▁bits ▁of ▁work ▁that ▁could ▁possibly ▁be ▁imag ined ... the ▁slight est ▁move ▁might ▁mean ▁death ▁for ▁half ▁your ▁party . ▁ ▁W iring ▁parties ▁faced ▁the ▁constant ▁danger ▁of ▁being ▁noticed ▁by ▁enemy ▁search light s ▁or ▁troops . ▁En emy ▁sent