Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-29
TANK SEEKS
FOE ON BATTLEFIELD
LIKE A GIANT LIZARD
Strange Fighting Machine Am
bIeS Ahead of Infantry and
Runs Out of Gasoline in Ger
man Territory
BY FREDERICK PALMER.
Correspondent of the Associated Press
with the British Army in France.

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE, Sept.
27.-(Midnight.) Via London, Sept. 2S
In the lull which has occurred after the
great two days abttle in which five vii
lagos and 5000 prisoners were taken By
the allies. the correspondent Of the As
ISOLATED Press has had an opportunity
TO CLEAN many stories from the partict-
pants These stories were not only OF
courage and heroism but of humcT
and paradox possible only in such COM
plicated and remorseiess warfares.
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 &C
count This monstrous land. ship, am
bling and rambling along, did not wait
on the infantry after the taking OF
Guedecourt but plodded over shell holes
and across lots looking for its prey like
some prehistoric lizard. In course OF
time 1t found a German trench but as it
engaged the occupants with it's machine
guns IL ran out of gasoline.
When the Germans found this strange
creature, with it's steel hide impenetra
BILE to bullets. stalled, curiosity and de-
sire for revenge was fllip to their
courage. They went after 1t with the
avidity of prehistoric man stalking a
wounded mammoth whose bulk was fast
in one of the alleys of the cave dwellers.
No such game was ever seen on this
western front.
GERMANS SWARM ON 1T.
According to the accounts give by
the British officers with veracious SOL
emnity while the tanks machine guns
blazed right and left some of the Ger
mans 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 its vitals They fired their rifles into
Joints and bombed ii all over, but to
no more avail than burglars trying to
reach the inside of a batu eship turret
with a Jimmy All the while the tanks
machine guns kept busy at the human
targets In reach, while its crew of chosen
daredevils concluded to stick until they
starved or the Germans found the proo-
or can-opener to get them out.
Finally the British infantry in the
rear seeing the tank in distress refused
To wait on any generals orders shat
they should remain at the objective
which they had gained. They were out to
save that impounded tank and with
cheer they rushed the Germans and over
vhelmed them. When the crew heard the
laughing and shouting in English they
opened the door and called out: I'VE
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"
SEND FOR GASOLINE
So the infantry formed a line IN front
of the tank determined to defend her to
the last man while a runner was hur-
ried back for a can of gasoline. The
ga soline arrived and the beast, having
taken a swallow ambled back into re-
serve amidst wild cheering. 1t left be-
hind ESQ dead Germans, according to its
commander.
Another tank which did well in this
fight assisted in the taking of Thiepval.
There was once a chateau in Thiepval.
The cellar is still there, rooted by the
dwelling. bricks, stone and mortar in a
thick shell of pounded debris which pro-
tected it from penetration by even nine
and twelve-inch high explosives
Here the Germans waited, smoking
their mild cigars and drinking soda wa
ter which was brought up through shell
proof underground tunnels while the
ruins over their heads were belabored
vainly by the British artillery. They
had the sense OF security of an early
Karsas settler when lie went below and
closed his cellar door during a cyclone.
OF course they had a machine gun ready
to welcome the British infantry in
stantly that the British bombardment
STOPPED. When that gun began rafting
Mr., Thomas Atkins took cover and con
sidered ways and means of silencing
IL.
Ills meditations were interrupted by
the appearance of a tank which, with
clePhantine elaboration, numbered
Across trenches and, dipping its veTte-
bratcC ponderosity in and out OF the
shell holes. made a QUICK finish os the
cellar and it's occupants.