The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-06-09
WAR TANK EXPERT TO ADVISE U. S.

the enemy trench. Only by landing
a shell directly upon a tank can 1t
be put out of commission. Bullets
from German rapid firerS and the i'll
fantry rifles are powerleSs. Hand
Srenades do it no damage.
Exactly how the French get the
tanks to their first line trenches in
preparation for attack is a secret and
for the present nothing on that phase
of the use of them can be published.
| The well-trained mechanicians and
rifemen are ready when 1t is time TO
start and upon the signal the tank
gets into action.
| Artillery preparations precede the
advance of tanks. AS the time ap-
proaches for the start, the barbed wire
ENHANCEMENT directly in front of the
| first-line trench is cut. That is done
under cover OF darkness. Then over
the trench goes the tank and all Is
ready for the invasion of No Mans
Land.
Smelling by the French artillery has
silenced the enemys cannon, and
when the commanding officer decides
that the remaining Germans in the
first line and supporting trenches are
sufficiently demoralized the signal to
advance is given. One can fancy the
picture-a line of monster steel con-
traptions creeping forward.
The "Zanzaning" of the tanks ma
chine guns begins when outposts OF
the German defenders empty the
chambers of their magazine rifles oy
way of alarm and try to retreat from
their observation points just in front
of the barbed wire. Then the tanks
arrive at the barbed wire and by sheer
weight crush it ana roll onward TO
the first line trench.
The caterpillar wheels allow the
tank to straddle the German trench.
1t is halted and a cross fire poured
into the line The emplacementS OF
German machine guns are literally
blasted away by the field pieces that
are mounted in the tanks and the
enemy reserve infantry moved down
by machine gun fire as they crawl
from their communication trenches.
At signal from the commander OF
each tank the French supporting in
fantry rushes forward. If all goes
we'll the ground is cleared of the enc
nv and the "pOilus" reach the trench
with q minimum loss. Then the sec
ond line is taken. The advance con
tinues until the enemy line is all cap
tured, going forward a greater or les:
distance according to the nature o.
the ground Tanks cannot attack bat
teries of artillery, and therefore theiI
work is accomplished when thu
trenches are cleared.
With the advance of the French in
fantry positions there is a RELATIVE
advance of supporting artillery in tn
rear and consequent retreat by tn
, German artillery.
: Manned by Picked Soldiers.
O Tanks are considered as the proI
, erty of the infantry and the poilu
are proud of them. To be assigned
"zanzan"-a bang-banging wa
q chariot-makes the Frenchman haI
! py. If the American army adopt
) such fighting machines the first-clas
o privates will be given the honor c
. becoming mechan1cians and fighter
. within them.
= Exactly in what proportion til
d French use tanks as compared wit
e infantry regiments Is secret, but tn
r constant cry Is for more. They are I
different sizes, according to the grour
Is over which they operate. but the tel
h dency Of late has been to cOnstru
,e them along bigger lines. The armOre
n sides, top and bottom, protect the f1gh
"a ers and the knowledge that their VOL
at Saves the lives Of so many of the
ne fellow countrymen and allies promp
nj them to do their utmost.
n When the tank starts over No Mar
Land those within have as much al
ch munition as can be stored in the col
Mt partments, and also water, ration
rs first-aid packages and gas masl
I'd There is no telling how long they W
be out-hours or days-and the s.
diers have learned that preparedne
os for any emergency is the best thing.
nd Captain Sweeney had such succe
on with the tank he commanded that
MS was put in charge of a battery of 60
es Of them. Later he had 16.