The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-10-05
TANKS HELPED TAKE THIEPVAL
Wonderful Tales Told of Odd Fight
ing Machines Used by British.


In the lull which has occurred af-
ter the great two days battle, in
which five villages and 5000 prison
ers were taken by the allies, the cor
respondent of the Associated Press
has had the opportunity to CLEAN
many stories from the participants.
These stories were not only of cour-
age and heroism but of a humor and
paradox possible only in such COM
plicated and remorseless warfare.
The most wonderful of all the tales
told was perhaps that of one of the
tanks, or new armored motor cars,
which started for Berlin on it's own
account. This monstrous land ship,
ambling and rambling along, did not
wait on the infantry after the taking
of Gueudecourt, but plodded over
shell holes and across lots looking
for it's prey like some prehistoric
lizard. In course Of time it found
a German trench, but as it engaged
the occupants with it's machine gun
it ran out of gasoline.
Went After the Tank.
When the Germans found this
strange creature stalled, curiosity
and a desire for revenge was a back
er to their courage. They went after
it with the avidity of prehistoric man
stalking a wounded mammoth fast
in one of the alleys of the cave dwell
ers.
According to the accounts given by
the British officers with veracious
solemnity while the tanks machine
gun blazed right and left, some of
the Germans managed to creep along
the trenches under the forelegs and
hind legs of the crouching beast.
Then they swarmed over it looking
for an opening through which to
strike at it's vitals.. They fired their
rifles into joints and bombed it all
over, but to no more avail than burg
lars trying to reach the inside of a
battleship's turret with jimmy. All
the while the tanks machine guns
kept busy at the human targets in
reach while it's crew of chosen dare
devils concluded to stick until they
starved or the Germans found the
proper can opener.
Rescued the Tank.
Finally the British infantry in the
rear seeing the tank in distress re-
fused to wait on any generals orders.
With a cheer they rushed the Ger
mans, and overwhelmed them. When
the crew of the tank heard the laugh
ing and shouting in English they
opened the door and called out: eve
are all right if you will only get us
some more juice so that the old girl
can have a guzzle of her proper
drink and we can take the road
again."
So the infantry formed line in
front of the tank determined to de-
fend her to the last while runner
was hurried back for can of gaso-
line. The gasoline arrived and the
beast, having taken swallow, am
bled back into reserve amidst wild
cheering. It left behind 250 dead
Germans, according to it's comman-
der.
Helped Take Thiepval.
Another tank which did we'll in
this fight assisted in the, taking of
Thiepval. There was once chateau
in Thiepval. The cellar is still there,
rooted by the remains of the dwell
ing, bricks, stone and mortar in
thick shell of pounded debris, which
protected it from penetration by even
nine and twelve-inch high explosives.
Here the Germans waited while the
ruins over their heads we're belabor-
ed vainly by the British artillery.
They had the sense of security of an
early Kansas settler when he went
below and closed his cellar door dur
ing a cyclone. Of course, they had
a machine gun ready to welcome the
British infantry instantly that the
British bombardment stopped. When
that gun began rafting Mr.. Thomas
Atkins took cover and considered
ways and means of silencing it.
Tank Appears.
His meditations were interrupted
by the appearance of tank which,
with elephantile deliberation, lu1n-
bered across trenches and, dipping
it's vertebrated ponderosity in and
out of the shell holes, made quick
finish of the celler and it's occupants.
The taking of Thiepval and the Zol-
low, rodo,,b+ u-bioh 1ioc hotwoan it