The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-05-03
SERGEANT RECOUNTS
EXPERIENCES INSIDE
OF BRITISH TANK
Canadian Gives a Graphic De.
scription of the Fighting in
France, as Viewed from the In.
terror of an English Bus

ny NhANNNAAfN NNfhH
London. Maj 3.-The urst account
Of fighting as viewed mom the inside
of a British tank" is contained In q
letter. just released by the censor.
from Sergeant + r.. Divall. q Canadian
who has been attached to onc of the
"tonk'' companies since the big cars
were first sent to the French front
Hc says
The order To- advance n given
steadily the long powerful shapes
move forward IN the gray mists Of
dawn. As the weirdoluoking forms
travel over the front trench the troops
therein rub their eyes In wonder at the
'trang- Cubc-imprcssiOnist coat II
many colors which thc'tanks' are
wearing. Inside the tanks are the
kcen-eyed fighting q strangely
CARRIED, as become their range craft.
while nround the mis- 4 complicated
mass of machinery.
Now We are passing over she'll
holes. three stumps, and mary other
t%riflvs, which I'M the ground Of No
Mans Land The deck uf the tank
rolls and pitches lie a torpedo-boat in
q storm The crew hold on To any
hin within reach to steady ourselves
while we rush down a large she'll
hole. But we come safely through
without scasickness.
Suddenly the gunuery officer gives
the order To action. His voice be-
only Just heard above The nuice u the
whirling machinery. \ few sighting
shots. and we have found the range.
W" succeed In putting ont two ma
chine-Eun "mplaccmcnts. The guns OF
winch have been worrying our infau-
try Tor some time. And now the aC-
tiuu begins in n Hun bullets
are rcbounding from our tough sides
IKE han from u glass roof, while in
side the tanks the whole crew are 1t
various guns. which break forth In a
devastating fire. under which nothing
can live
And now We are on the parapct 81
the fIst Hun trench. just on the out
skirts Of the wood which Is our objcc-
NV and as We 20 humping on t. the
other side We land with a terrific
bump. \ can Of pertol has slipped
from IT, pigounhule and come C~latter-
INK down an to the armurcd deck, with
it, stopper shaken out, and the dan
gcrous spirit running over the floor.
However, We cnfiladcd that trench,
followed up the retrcRting Huns for a
minute on two, cleared out the nearest
du4out. and went ON our way to IN,
next trench.
"By This time the fumes from the
hundreds Of rounds which we hal
fired. with the heat from the engines
and tho waste uctrol u oil hay"
mad, the air quite oppressive n un-
comfortable 60 breathe Now W are
nearing the next cnciay trench. ana
w" hear tho deep rcpor of bursting
bombs above the pattering Of the
storm Of bullets. striking our nrmur
soon We find ourselves ON the ode
ct the Hun trench. This proves IN
10, composed Of she'll holes of an sizes.
just linked together. showing how
severe our previous bombardnient-
had been. The Huns how fight here.
ana We have e warm ten minutes hc-
fore thcy give signs of retreatiup ""
leave them Cor "a minute or two IN or
~ 90 ran a m~nChiuc-gun cmplncc-
mont. which is SIN threatening our
rapidly advancing infantry. We lust
crawl over the rmhankmont, guns aul
an. n b. not necessary to fire "A single
shot
Now II is time Tor as Ia advance to
IN" next ana last position We have
the good fortune to strike = oad which
has escaped serious damage. ana,
making AN speed along this W. maxi
up tu the Huns who have escaped from
IN" last trench. But thcy have had
enough of the all-d, vouriuF monster.
and are ready 10 throw down their
arms and make their w, to our I'M
fIuttv. glad To- he prisoners.
Tho last trench proves to be- the
worst Tor lust as We are crossing a
large hole our bus stops. Two or three
Huns. seeing our difficulty. crawl GU