El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-29
TANK RJNBLE5 OVER TRENCHES
AND 5LAUGHTER5 B0CHE TROOPS
MY Most Exciting Experience in a Tank and How We
Got Out of Several Close Corners Is Told by an
Operator; Germans Fight Tanks With Liquid Fire;
In This Case It Is Captured, Turned on Them
BY LANCE CORP. A. ATkINsO

3 The enemy were greatly pleased with
T our misfortune. They came worrying
/ along and opened fire with q special
/ type Of gun designed to deal with
I tanks They threw forward fresh de-
/ tachments Of troops and soon had us
D surrounded.
1t was rather hot
we thought we were booked through
and simply lay there waiting for the
end The enemy pressed closer and
Suddenly came a diversion. Fierce
rifle and machiue-gun fire broke out
behind us. The enemy began 10 give
way We plugged tmem with the last
round OF our ammunition and grad
ually they fell back
On Top OF the Town.
We were now on TOP Of the village.
and made for Il at top speed, pep
pered all the way by bullets ana
shells. We got right up to the trench
running round the village. and were
sOOG across. Behind the village.
fierce rifle fire was heard. We got
a6trlde the trench and kept up q
fierce fire. which had the effect Of
keeping the enemy 20 their duE-outs
until the infantry arrived. Then we
pushed on right into the village, and
found what was left of the main street
occupied by the enemy IN force. They
mad series or cellars strongly hello.
and at every turn we were fired on
by light guns Of the type I have al
ready mentioned
II was desperately warm work
Still we got the upper hand. forcing
the enemy back into their under
ground lairs and keeping them there
until the infantry got up When the
1orkshiremen arrived the Huns tried
TO work their way out again. but
every time they tried. we drove them
back again by our fire and the in
HHH q q
down below 20 clear mp. Batches Of
prisoners were brought up at once.
and these We helped 20 pass down.
A Trap Which Failed.
Tt was our intention TO work round
the rear or the village, with the OBJ .
1ect Of turning strong position on
the ridge The enemy guessed our f.
intention and heavy gun fire was
kept up.
The infantry supports. men OF the I
Sherwood FOresters. fought with .
great dash, meeting attack after at .
tack from greatly superior forces. and 2
finally pushing on towards one OF the 4
principal spurs OF the ridge in the
teeth OF very fierce OPPOSITION.
The enemy at this point had laid .
o trap for our men, having occupied .
some ground where they were sup
and there lay in wait for the adj
vancing SherwoOds. one OF the men
on scouting work, howver. spotted the
enemy move. and gave the alarm.
The main body Of Foresters pushed
on as though they were going to walk
into the trap with both feet Mean
while. our tank and a company Of the
Sherwoods pushed on by another
route and got to a point from which
We were able 20 enfilade the ambush
ing party Of Huns. Never were men
more surprised than were these Huns
on whom We opened fire from that
quarter
Tanks Fine @HOme Run"
They rose up and took to their
heels, but instead OF getting clear
they ran into the main body OF For
esters they had counted on surpris-
ing.
To relieve the pressure on their
mates, more Germans were now
pushed forward. We went along 20
intercept them. but let the bliEhters
get right up. and then opened fire at
point blank range They went down
IN patches
Later on. we got entirely sur
round. and 10 make matters worse,