The Dolores star., 1917-05-18
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 ill.,
fantry rifles are powerless. Hand
grenades do 1t no damage.
Exactly how the French get the
tanks to their first line trenches in
preparation for attack is secret and
for the present nothing on that phase
or the use of them can be published.
The well-trained mechanicians and
rihemen are ready when it 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. Tipn 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 enemy's 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 by
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 and 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. II all goes
we'll the ground is cleared of the enc
my and the 'poilus" reach the trench
with minimum loss. Then the Sec
Ond line Is taken. The advance con-
tinues until the enemy line Is oil cap
tured, going forward a greater or less
distance according to the nature Of
the ground. Tanks cannot attack bat
teries of artillery. and therefore their
trenches are cleared.
With the advance of the French In
fantry positions there is a relative
advance of supporting artillery in the
rear and a consequent retreat by the
German artillery.
Manned by Picked Soldiers.
Tanks are considered as the prop
erty of the infantry and the poilus
are proud Of them. To be assigned to
"zanzan"-a bang-banging war
chariot-makes the Frenchman hap
py. If the American army adopts
such fighting machines the frst-class
privates will be given the honor of
becoming mechanicians and fighters
within them.
Exactly in what proportion the
French use tanks as compared with
infantry regiments Is q secret, but the
constant cry is for more. They are of
different sizes, according to the ground
over which they operate, but the ten
dency of late has been to construct
them along bigger lines. The armored
sides, top and bottom. protect the fight
ers and the knowledge that their work
saves the lives of SO many of their
fellow countrymen and allies prompts
them to do their utmost.
When the tank starts over No Mans
Land those within have as much am
munition as can be stored in the COM
partments, and also water, ratfons
first-aid packages and gas masks
There is no telling how long they viii
be out-hours or days-and the SOL
diers have learned that preparedness
for any emergency is the best thing,
Captain Sweeney had such success
with the tank he commanded that he.
was put in charge Of a battery Of four
Of them. Later he had 16,
. g a.