The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-11-22
BRITISH TANKS
CONTINUED From Page ons)

~ In numerous places, and sew
eral hundred were brought in dur
fnq the first few hours of fight
Ing.
Two attempted counter attacks
were smashed by the British In
fantry In the early hours. one in
a tunnel trench near Bullecourt
the other at Havrincourt park,
where one company Of Germans
essayed an advance.
The tanks, this afternoon, fol-
lowed by Infantry, were continu-
ing their journey into enemy ter
ritory.
Prisoners admit ruefully that
the attack was a surprise TO them
and caught many Of them in their
dusouts. The secrecy with which
the British made their prepare
tions was one Of the most stIik-
Inq features Of the offensive,
Guns, tanks and troops were
moved into the Cambrai sector at
night and carefully hidden during
the day.
Up to the actual hour Of the
British attack there were mo-
ments when great stiffness was
reigning over the battle front.
ana Il seemed impossible that
within a short time the line would
be a seethine cauldron. At 6:2u
o'clock a long line Of tanks, dis
tributed over a wide front, started
forward. At the same time the
British infantry on either side OF
the land monitors made threats
at the German line. Within few
seconds the entire enemy front
for distances Of many miles was
flaming with varleeated signals
which called frantically for help
from the German gunners in the
rear. Red, green, white and blue
lights shot up In every direction,
and the rockets showered a myrI-
ad Of stars down through the
qloom Hike a mammoth display Of
fireworks.
The disrnay Of the Germans
was blazed across the sky as
clearly in this unforaettab'e whlrl-
wind of pyrotechnics as though
their higher command had an
nounced it officially. Their guns
came into action. first one, then
half dozen, then scores, but
their fire was weak. They we're
rot prepared for such an eVentu-
atty, or they would have shown
il in their artillery work.
The British guns soon began
to break the silence on their side,
not In the form Of barrage fire,
but in counter-battery work.
Meanwhile the tanks rolled on
over what was virtually virgin
battlefield.
For weeks the process Of con-
centratTne men and guns for this
great attack has been going on,
and so carefully had it pe:n done
that comparatively few officers In
the British army knew what was
Transporting. It was a startling
move on the part Of Field Marsha
Halo to open battle so quickly OF
a quiet part Of the line fa' re-
moved from the cockpit Of Europe
around Ypres. For many months
there had been nothing more than
occasional raids, with now and
then a furry of artillery fire IN the
cambrai sector.
This morning before daybreak
things were moving along at
much the same pace. The Ger
mans had evinced some nervous
ness during the night, and for
a few minutes, about $50 o'clock
in the morning, dropped a harrage
alonq a section where it probably
appeared as though the British
might be planning raid. The
enemy presumably had been look
ina for something in this nature,
but that they did not expect pat
tie was clearly evident.
The correspondent reached
point near the British line a little
after 6 o'clock. At that hour there
was very little artillery work on
either side. Machine guns occa-
slonaIIy broke out with Their s.a2-
cato bark as sentries on one side
or the other thought they saw
head over trench top.
Then came d period Of absolute
stl,Ipess. Suddenly the Iono line
OF British tanks moved forward,
and in moment the variegatcd
signal lights Of the Germans shot
high in the air. 7 The British troops
came out Of their shelters ard with
fixed bavonets and grenades fol-
lowed the tanks swiftly toward the
enemy barriers.
The, ground was firm and COW
cred with leng grass. There were
few big shell holes such as are to
lie seen in Flanders, for compare.