The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-14
ADVENTURE OF BRITISH FLEET OF TANKS IN FLANDERS FIGHT
 NEW IN MILITARY ANNALS
Perform High links Bate-How One Walked Into stand-
 ina Train Graphically Told By Eye-Witness

assaults.
 The tanks halted at the edge of the wood, and for hours they searcneo out its hidden "pillbox" shelters ana swept them with their guns The Ser mans made no attempt to retahate against the tanks with bombs In former battles they followed this plan, giving the gunners an opportunity for which they had not hoped. and every man venturing near was killed. Bombs have no effect on the thick hide of a tank, and the enemy now realizes this fact. Before his art1l- lery could put the tanks out of ac- tion by direct hits, the. woods were full of dead Germans, and prisoners state that the casualties were very se- were.
 Two tanks which were temporarily ditched near Frezenburg helped to re- take some ground on which the en- emy had regained & momentarS foot ing. Believing that they were help- less the Germans delivered a small counter thrust hoping to capture them but the tanks turned all their guns on the line of muddy grey figures mov- ing heavily across the field. Some Scotsrnen came forward with their bayonets and this combination effec-
  Guns Unshipped
 Some of our casualties were among the tank crews working in the open. Often when a tank stuck fast for a time in enemy country the machine guns were lifted out and planted among the craters. where they had a broader field of fire. On more than one occasion the manholes of a tank eli ocid md hn aaY leaped unhesitatingly into the Ger. man barrage. Some of these gallant crews fought until all were killed o1 wounded.
 The greatest "bag" by one tank that have heard of was sixty Germans collected from a farm near St. Julien and other smaller groups were un earthed from concreted pockets be- tween the villages taken. There is nc doubt that the enemy is still desper.
 ately afraid of the tanks. Despite the training of special batteries anS | instruction of the men in anti-tanl
 drill, they have terror Of these mon sters.
 | The tanks showed in many ways il
 this advance that they have profitet by tie lessons of previous batkies
 They were in perfect touch with ths | !send word from their most advanced positions whenever the assistance O. fa tank was required. Such assistance twas Immediately forthcoming.al al yh < IF Hours in Action
 Many of the crews were confinet
 all day in their, cramped quarters
 one tank was in action for seventee1
 hours, and the crew of another tough,
 from four in the morning until lat,
 in the afternoon, and then went t, a farm close to 8 redoubt still helt ! by the enemy and remained ,ther, 't throughout Tuesday night. The strai1 I of such an experience cannot be req 4 hzed. The crew are packed togethe
 in a small iron box surrounded by in
 tricate machinery. The noise is ofte, l considerable, even when the guns ar
 not firing, while the tension and di, inside when the tank is manoeuvrin, and fighting at the same time are be yond imagination.
 ! They are amusing beasts to watch
 but no men in this great army have ,
 harder time in battle or face deatl in a variety of guises with greater zes and cheerfulness than the crews o
 his Majesty's land ships in Flanders