Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-26
he Believers They Have Come to
Stay, and Will RcvoIu-
tlonize Warfare.
GREAT FACTOR IN VICTORY
Its Wortl, Proved IN Saving or HUI
man Life in Bullct-Swept Fields
Of Francc-HaS Been No Whole
sale Destruction.
by SIR W. TRITON.
Inventor OF the Tank.

were the great factor i'll the victory
which NC just celebrated.
The use that sir Julian Bync has
made OF them is evidence 10 me that
the art OF tank warfare has been dis
covered. For the first time the tanks
have been given chance TO show their
worth. II has taken months TO evolve
the correct tactics.
After the battle OF the Somme. UNI
fortunately the tanks wcro not en-
ployed to the best advantage. They
were too distributed to give effective
results and the terrain in which they
were employed was highly unsuitable.
Tho tanks were never intended for tho
ouaEmircs Of Flanders. The mud on
this part OF tho front is SO deep that a
tank has disappeared under II in a
night.
This is largely an engineers war, but
il is still very difficult to get officials
10 understand that an engineers ad-
vice may be advisable. Too often the
attitude adopted towards him is that
OF an intruder. Tho more the
rineer:nE side OF the war is considered
the less costly in human life We shall
find our progress to the Rhine.
THE TANK HAS COME TO STAY
AND REVOLUTIONIZE WAR
Tho tank should rcvolutionize war as
much as labor-savinE appliances have
-evolutionizcd industry.
Tho tank has not only come TO stay,
hut if may venture on a prophecy,
more and moro it is destined to play a
prominent part in modern war. Not
merely docs ii guarantee that obstacles
holding UP infantry will be swept aside,
but it allows close pursuit OF tho
rctrcatinE enemy. In this sense the
tank is better than cavalry and inf
n:tcly less valuable.
Think what conspicuous and Nul-
ncrable target a man on horscback Is
and compare the days capacity OF
cavalryman with the capacity OF
tank!
DO not believe the stories about tho
Wholesale destruction OF tanks The
percentage OF losses is very small. 1t
is not easy to hit a moving object that
zigzass like ship evadinG subma-
rinc The tank is not afraid of the
antitank gun, and it is much more
likely that It's machine guns will set
tho antitank's crew than that they will
get her.
What is the antitank gum 1t is a
!cld gun naval mounting turned
point blank against the advancing OBJ
icct. 1t must he operated from direct
obscrva ton, and if the gun observer
can sec the tank, SO the tank man can
sec the gun.
ON broad principles. then, say the
tank has nothing to fear from the gun.
The day is sure TO como when there
will be great nccts of tanks on both
NOthiof- iS rtrit In,
that tho equipment Of every modern
army will include masses OF laudships.
Will tank be able TO fight IL tank"
Why not? 4 cruiser fights a cruiser.
Tho deciding clement will he the cali
hcr OF the shell. The tanl; able 10
throw tho heavier arInor piercing shell
will win the day.
We arc by no means at the end OF
tank development, although. as show
inE the mcri. OF the original design,
the tanks used to-day arc practically
Identical with those that swarmcd
over the Gcrnan lines on September -.
1916. The-ch!,r changes made have
been in regard to fittings and in the
direction OF increased comfort for tho
crew.
II pays to use tanks. Every seven
lives that tank saves pays for it's
cost Calculate the number of lives
that & tank has saved in tho present
battle and | make bold to say that
they have paid for their cos, many
times over And in proportion to
our proficiency IN their use will he
their HE saving and battle winning
value. The crews arc splendid fell
!o"S--m men of the sporting brccd-iust
'ho sort VIC want Nothing hut praise
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