The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-26
THE BRITISH TANKS.
Their Origin and What They Have Ac.
cOmplishcd.

OF one department Of the British gov
ernment can take credit for invent
ing the Tanks--they came into be-
Ing as the result Of long period of
study and co-ordinated effort by
many men acting under three separate
departments. the war office, the ad-
miralty, and the ministry OF NUM-
tions.
In the autumn of 1914 when the
belligerents on the Western front had
settled down TO trench warfare, it
became obvious that some means OF
parrying the danger of well-directed
and well-protected machine gun fire
from the German trenches must be
discovered If the English infantry was
to carry out assaults with success.
One of the first proposals put for
ward was for n machine 100 feet
long, 46 feet high and 80 feet wide,
weighing some 800 tons, propelled by
an 500 horse power engine, and with
driving wheels 40 feet in diameter.
Another early suggestion, and the one
which led most directly to the Tanks,
was made by Colonel Swinton in Oc-
tober, 1914, to build armored cars on
tractor system, an American inven-
ton. Experiments with various
/ fro M lf Il
war office and by a small expert COM
mittoc OF the admiralty under VIM
ston Churchill. then first lord. Through
the medium of the committee of i'm
peral defense the various efforts for
the solution Of the problem were co =
ordinatcd. and certain conditions were
laid down which had to be fulfilled
by the proposed car.
From among the numerous types OF
tractor inspected the most satisfac-
tory was found to be caterpillar
with an endless self-Iaid track, over
which internal driving wheels could
be propelled by the engines.
In February. 1916. the first Tank
was completed and taken down to q
farm near London. Here pits,
trenches and ramparts had been con-
structed. The tests were so satis
FACTORY that an order was given on
the spot for 100 machines. The min
istry Of munitions became responsible
for the speediest possible construction
Of the order. Many improvements
were made during this period of con-
'truction. and the first delivery was
made i'm July, 1915.
The new machines were of two
slightly different types. One was call
cd the male type, and was armed with
,wo Hochkiss Huickfirers and a sub
"idiary machinc-gun armament. These
were designed for dealing at close
quarters with the concrete emplacc-
ments of German machine guns. The
other or female type, was armed only
with machine guns and was more
suitable for dealing with machine
gun personnel and rihemen.
At the end Of July, 1916. the Tanks
and their crews had become SO pro-
tcient that it was possible to ho]6
two exhibition combats over pre-
pared trench system reproducing &
line of German defenses.
At the end of August, fifty Tanks
were loaded at night and sent
France When delivered in France,
the Tanks only travelled at night, and
during the day were covered with 3
huge tarpaulin and strictly guarded.
The first Tanks were all painted in
camouhage style for purposes of con-
cealment. and each Tank had it's own
name, like ship. A whole series Of
them were named after various
drinks, such rs Cafe-au-Iait. Chart
reuse, Chablis, Cognac, Champagne.
Creme-de- -Menthe. Another series
bore names of Scotch clans. Clan
Cameron. Clan Ruthven, Clan Cor
don, Clan McTavish.
The Tanks first went into action
in that portion of the Somme often
sive which began on September IS.
The object was to drive the Germans
out of some high ground running
east and south Of Thiepval. The eff
feet was as eXhilirating on the Brit
ish troops as it was dumbfounding to
the Germans. 1T is recorded that
many of the British infantrymen
were so overcome with laughter at
their ungainly antics that they were
scarcely able to keep up with the pro-
cession. & eiNW
There is no doubt that the element
OF surprise had much to do with the
extraordinary success of the Tanks or