Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05
Lunlbenng Tanks Spread
Terror Among Germans
Great Squadron of Creeping Forts Render Strik-
ing Service in Battle in Flanders.
Capture Many Prisoners.


| aside to deal with this. One shot only IT
fired at the fertilization, and the German.
to a man ran out with hands raised, cry
ing "kamerade!" and gave themselves up.
oners.
Having silenced this fort. the tank cross
ed, the Steenbeek river and proceeded
through the shell-torn main street of St
Julien to the northern side 1t assisted
the infantry to clear the place Of the Ger
man defenders who were concealed in the
buildings and then returned without hav-
ing suffered damage. leaving the British
in possession
The British next day withdrew from St
julien. but continued to shell the place
SO heavily that the Germans could reoc-
cupJ 1t only in part Later the British re-
entered the village under cover Of a heavy
barrage and took up the positions which
they hold today.
Tanks Clear the Way.
Valuable work also was done by the
tanks in sections of woodland back Of the
German defenses. astride the Ypres-Menin
road. The largest of these patches Of for
est had strong redoubt in, front. The
wood WAS filled with machine guns and
afforded opportunity for the massing OF
German troops. The tanks were sent
ahead to clear it out. The redoubt in front
| Of the wood was taken after fierce fight
between the guns Of a tank and those of
the little fort.
Beyond the redoubt the tanks found
themselves under a steady hail of ma :
chine gun bullets. but they lined up
on the edge of the woods and for hours
continued to sweep them with their
guns. until all concealed machine guns
had been searched out and the Ger
mans forced to retire. The tanks then
returned behind the British infantry.
Germans Moved Down.
Two tanks were ditched temporarily
4 boz
counter attack by the Germans. The
enemy. believing the tanks helpless be-
cause they were stuck in the deep mud.
advanced in the hope of regaining the
ground lost and capturing the monster
! machines. The tanks opened fire on
! the advancing line and moved the Ger
| mans dow in large numbers. Scotch
troops finished the repulse with bay
onets.
For the most part the tanks proved
that they were capable of moving over
the most difficult ground. but in few
cases they were stalled at times in
holes. More than once when this hap
pened officers and crew rushed out I'M
der heavy fire. in order to set UP their
machine gun in more advantageous po-
sition. although they would have been
comparatively safe in the tank Some
! of these INTREPID crews fought thus I'M
til the last man was either killed or
wounded. and 1t was due to such acts
as these that many of the tank casual
ties resulted.
Bombs Are Useless.
No bombs were used against the tanks
in Tuesdays fighting. for the Germans
discovered that they might as well bomb
the side of battleship. as one of these
heavily armored forts. Nothing short Of
direct hit by heavy shell could put
tank out Of commission. One tank was
attacked by an airplane. but the airplane
after buzzing about like an angry mos
quito over a rhinoceros, finally sailed
away to seek easier prey.
The cooperation between the tanks and
the infantry was well nigh perfect the
big machines keeping in constant con-
tact with the soldiers The strain on the
crews shut up in the tanks with their guns
is tremendous when the work is protract-
ed. as 1t was Tuesday. One tank was in
constant operation for twenty-four hours
from the time of the attack, and others
were out for many hours