Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-23

uncomprehending that il was reality
and not dreams, they DULY let great
tanks crush them fat, or furiously
cleaning British bayonets find their
mark.
In trenches ana dugouts blankets and
cots were still warm from sleepers'
sodies. or breakfast tables for officers.
daintily set. stin smoked appetizingly.
\ tangle of personal belongings in line
after line OF dugOuts showed slsepers
i'm the hunks and on the cots had leaped
TO their feet in the first terror OF the
rnoment-and fled to the ghostly dawn
above. without hats. without blOuses.
without guns, almost without their
senses.
Vast stores of choice wines were found
in the officers quarters. Cigars and
cigarettes were packed there profusely.
Many sections of the boosted Hinden-
burg line came into British hands abso-
Iutsiy intact The tanks had smashed
great gaps. Through these the infan-
try poured and spread out. fan-wise be-
hind. taking yaij after yard OF the
''impregRable positions from the rear.
Great Herd OF Fanfs
The correspondents were summoned
TO the line during the night We stood
that memorable morning in the eery
light Just before dawn, in the midst of
great droves Of tanks-all camouiaged
and bedizened-a veritable multitude OF
the things.
They were n great herd of gentle
looking stolid creatures, that seemed 10
browse on the grass-covered battlefield,
sheltered somewhat by trees whose
branches showed no nipping by shells.
The scene was like some abandoned farm
in the Kentucky blue grass region. One
could imagine the tanks either as 90
vine herds or as cluttered up dingy look
ing. neglected farm machinery scattered
about
1t was still Only a few desultory
shells exploded in the distance-the
regular. monotonous every-morning in
terchange- We could not see the inf
mite preparations on all the gigantic
front Column after column. mass after
mass OF men and machines and horses
and paraphernalia had slid through the
oily night shadows and were lined up
at that moment for the greatest of the
war dramas then about to start
The kick on"
OF a sudden the moment came. 1t
was the kick OF" Nothing but the
tense moment when the ball is put into
play so aptly expressed that moment
A little while-and hell broke loose.
II seems almost preposterous that the
Germans. in a great many places on
their lines. did not waken with the first
snOrting OF the tanks as they crunched
great swaths through the Boche wires.
But there were countless instances.
where IL was not until the Behemoths
themselves. their tongues flaming ahead.
their steel bellies flattening the earth,
actually came over-the German trenches
that the Boche came TO life
Your German IS a creature Of habit
He knew IL was customary for artillery
to precede an attack There was no
artillery. Hence there could be no at
tack
No wonder he was dazed. The inferno
of British artillery did not start until
the tanks were well over their first OBJ
Jectjves- Then IL came, a deluge, a
molten flame. it seemed From Lens to
St Quentin, am told today. the British
artillery speeded up to feverish violence.
The multitude Of tanks found it easy
= going. The general in command of the
land leviathans had sent word TO all
his crews
Few Tanks Got Stuck
The tank corps expects every tank
10 do its damndest''-and the tanks did
IL with full damnation to the Boches.
The ground over which they wriggled
was practically flat. There were few
shell holes. Mighty few Of the mon
sters got stuck. A few got knocked
out around Flesquieres later on. when
a heavy German field gun. muzzle de-
pressed fired point blank at a range
OF $50 yards
Behind the tanks trooped the infan-
try taking ii easy. laughing in glee at
the astonished Boches and their fren-
lied cries OF "Komerad!' or disregard
ing staccato machine gun fire that the
more wide awalSe-and courageous-of
the enemy poured in their ranks. There
were several spots where the Hinden-
burg line was captured without a single
casualty among the British attackers.
Cavalry In Action
Here and there behind the tanks and
the infantry, the cavalry swept forward
sometimes later in the fighting actual
~ disregarding the slow-moving tanks
and dashing on to swing their sabers
ard overwhelm the enemy.
They had waited long years, these cav
aIrymen, for a chance at the enemy and
they made the most OF the holiday op-
portunity British infantrymen who ar
rogantIy turned up their noses in other
DAYS at the csvaIrymen. holding that II
was the trench boys who were the real
soldiers. had to revise their opinion to-
day They hadn't seen cavalry II &C
ton before. Nobody else habitat is.
against firmly fixed trench defenses.
The cavalry carved itself a niche in
the wars history by the two days work
just past Today they were stir cary
ing.
Their speed gives them the edge. In
- - - Y - - Ez7zEz