The Washington times., 1917-11-22
/" TANKS MUST DO
DAlMNEDEST, SAID
OFFICER; THEY DID

1ohFes lines made q formidableA Oh
stacie. but the attack, led BY the
tanks. penetrated them At many
points.
II myself watched the attack from
point In Havrincourt wood or to
the right. to Bourbon wood on the
left. erowning an sninence which
may be said to dominate cambfai."
says correspondent Here even at
dark one could walk freely IN the
open ground. with nrm grass beneath
his feet At o'clock when the SKY
began to tighten II was possible to
see rolling sxpanse Of srayish dead
grass, the color OF the Western
prairies after a summer drought. IN
the half light OF the dawn we put up
two eoveys Of partridges, while larks
sprang up from under our feet Later,
Wnen the guns were thunderiug, 9
huge hare eoursed on into the ais
tance.
Cain Pr.eeses storm.
while the battle ragged, crows asw
eawing across the sky Indifferent
alike to guns and arsopIanes. s.e-
Throughout the night there had
been occasional shellnre, and soon
after o'clock sudden hurry among
the German guns seemed to show
they were awake. but II died away.
Everything indicated that the
enemy was not expecting anything
extraordinary At this particular point
and certainly not at this particular
moment Il was an audacious thing
to attempt to move all the army
tanks we employed today close 10 the
German lines without discovery, but
apparently II was done,
Last waItins Eervoa..
1T has been a piece Of orEanIzstion
as wonderful as the plan Of attack
itself was original and bold.
The last spell OF waiting before
the moment came was nervous work.
DID Germany know anything1 Were
they alert? Would sudden 'barrafu
tumble upon us. crushing All our
hopes? But the minutes dragged 81.
The sky grew slowly lighter and the
form and color OF the earth began %
define themselves. Dimly visible u
the sky one aeroplane droned Thsh
on the left. . great gun spoke Far
to the right there was q roar and
nicker-then. link By. link. the whole
line broke into q bIaze- The air was
hlled with the sudden tumult OF the
crash and shock OF guns. while ahead
and as far ,aS the eye could see on
either side in the gray half-iight- the s
air was afiame, with the fash Of
guns, shell bursts. and signal rockets
with great fountains OF golden
sparka which unfold smoke barragea
as they fall. Through Il all ran the
quick chatter Of machine guns.
Amid such a noise the tanks could
not be heard. but might move openly
on their great errand. II was how,
ever. as always. impossible 10 see IN
the dim light and rolling smoke either
the tanks or the figures OF the infan-
try. But. above all the murk, glitter.
and chaos one could see red rockets.
German signals Of distress. tossing
skyward. One knew they were call
ing plteously for help TO their guns,
but very little help came Through
out the attack the German artillery
was very feeble.
$50 far as one can learn at present
the enemy opposition was nowhere
serious. hence our casualties are AK
traordinarily light The tanks seem
to have caused heavy losses IN the
front trenches. for our infantry re-
port that In these they found q great
many Germans dead. wherever they
penetrated. both the advanced and
main Hindenburg lines. The survfv-
ing enemy at most points SURRENDERED
with alacrity."