The Monroe journal., 1916-12-12
GERMAN ARM0RED AUTO
NEW TERROR FOR FOES
Great Havoc Wrought BY Their Gums
During Rumanian Campaign -
iImor IElperyiOus To Rifle and Ma
chine Fire.

iImor IEperyious 10 Rifle and Ma
chine Fire.
At General Won Falkenhayn's
headquarters in Rumania, Dec. 10
Via LondOn.-One of the most inter-
esting features OF the Rumanian cam
paign from German standpoint has
been the spectacular work OF the new
armOred automobiles evolved soon
after the advent of the British
tank" on the Somme front, out
which the developments in Rumania
have shown TO be vast Improvement
in efficiency over the British ma
chimes.
Even in the brief tests il has had
since the Germans crossed the noun
tains into the Rumanian plains, the
new car has shown itself an efficient
auxiliary TO the cavalry in patrol
work. as il frequently can inlict in
initely more damage than a whole
squadron and is far more difficult to
destroy than the English invention.
It's achievements so far include an
attack on Rumanian infantry in
which 500 men were Killed.
The cars are 25 feet in length
with wheels a foot wide and encased
in solid rubber. They carry a crew
gun operators, the chauffeur and one
substitute and one officer. The guns
can be operated in almost any direc-
ton through narrow Sits. AT one
end under the customary hood, is a
l00-horsepower motor and at the
other end under a similar hood. is
the gasoline tank. Each man in the
crew is an expert mechanic and
chauffeur. so If by any chance a
stray bullet flies through the slit
through which the operator looks in
driving. there are others ready and
competent to take the injured mans
place.
impeIvious TO Rifle Fire.
The automobile engine is both air
and water cooled. The car she'll is
impervious to machine gun and rifle
fire. When no opponent is in sight
the top of the turret can be opened
so that man can get his shoulders
out and make observations. When
the turret is closed, periscopes are
placed in position. which permits a
view of the surrounding landscape
from all angles.
There have been many CID expert
ences with these automobiles in Ru-
mania. On one of the first trips, a
car entered village not yet cap
tured. where the officer and his crew
were taken for Russians. Just as
the crew was being enthusiastically
greeted, three Rumanian locomotive
drivers tried to get their engines
away. but the automobile raced ahead
and received the engines with
whitening fire which forced their
surrender after they had been dis
abled.
On the return to the village the
crew was again greeted by the popu-
laton. but this time with white flags
of surrender
On another occasion an automobile
encountered force of Rumanian in
fantry and opened fire before the
troops could seek shelter. The Ru-
manians fed after 60 seconds of fir
ing from the car, leaving 800 dead
and so wounded
Useful IL Ruman;l.
The great usefulness Of the auto
mobiles has been most apparent in
Rumania, where the character of the
warfare makes il possible 10 Slip be-
hind the opponents lines On a re-
cent exploit OF this kind the COM
mander worked his way to the rear
of q body of Rumanian infantry
which was entrenehed and almost
before the Rumanians were aware
Of the cars presence it had swept the
trenches with machine gun fire and
driven the defenders out in disorder.
None of the German automobiles
of this type used in Rumania has as
yet been disabled or destroyed by OPP
ponents. The bullets thus far en-
countered have hardly dented the
shield of the machine.
The chief advantage of the new
automobile, in contrast with the
British machine, is that It can run
at an average speed of 25 miles an
hour, as contrasted with the snail
like pace Of the Entente cars. Its
speed frequently enables 1t to scout
even ahead of the cavalry and il can
make its way over any road or even
a field.