Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-03
TANK ATTACK
IS DESCRIBED
Canadian Sergeant Gives Vivid
Account of Going Over Shell
Holes Into Enemy Line.

1oilOou way Ollie HTSL account
of fghting as viewed from the inside
Of a British tank" is contained in
a letter, just released by the censor
from Sergeant +. E. Divall, a Cana
dian who has been attached to one
OF the tank" companies since the big
cars were first sen to the French
front. He says:
Steadily the long, powerful shapes
move forward In the gray mists of
dawn. AS the weird.looking forms
travel over the front trench the troops
therein rub their eyes in wonder at
the strange cube-impressionist coat Of
many colors which the tanks are
wearing. Inside the tanks are the
garbed, as become their strange craft,
while around them is a complicated
mass of machinery.
Now we are passing over she'll
holes. tree stumps, and many other
%trifies, which fill the ground of No
Mans Land The deck of the tank
rolls and pitches like a torpedo-boat
anything within reach to steady our
selves while We rush down a large
shell hole. But We come safely
through without seasickness.
Suddenly the gunnery officer gives
the order: 10 action His voice is
only just heard above the noise Of
the whirling machinery. A few sight
ing shots, and we have found the
range. We succeed in putting out
two machine-guns emplacements. the
guns of which have been worrying our
infantry for some time. AND now the
action begins in earnest. Hun bull
lets are rebounding from our tough
sides like hail from a glass root, while
inside the tanks the whole crew are
al variOus p,lnS which hreok forth IN
a devastating fire, under which MOTH
ing can live.
And now we are on the parapet of
the first Hun trench. just on the out
skirts Of the wood which Is our 3D.
jective and as we go humping on to
the other side we land with a terrific
bump. A can of petrol has slipped
from its pigeon-hole, and come clat-
tering down on to the armored deck,
with its stopper shaken out, and the
dangerous spirit running ove the
floor. However, We enf1laded that
trench, followed up the %retreating
Huns for a minute or two, cleared out
the nearest dugout. and vent on our
way to h next trench.
by this time the fumes from the
hundreds of rounds which we had
fired, with the heat from the engines
and waste petrol and oil, have made
the air quite oppressive and uncom-
Portable. Now we are nearing the
next enemy trench, and we hear the
deep report of bursting bombs, above
the patterin~ of the storm Of bullets
striking our armor.
Soon we find ourselves on the edge
Of the Hun trench. This proves to be
composed. of shell holes Of all sizes
just linked together. showing how
severe u previous bombardment.
had been. The Huns show fight here
MD VIA h4.ya n v1 ,,,, &c., -
fore they give signs Of ~retreatinE. W.
leave them for a minute or two in or.
der to ram a m~achine-gun emplace.
ment. which is still threatening GU,
rapidly advancin~ infantry. We JUS
crawl owe the embankment, guns ant
all; 1t is not necessary to hre q single
shot.
Now it is time for us to advanc,
to the next and last position. w.
have the good fortune to strike {
road which has escaped serious dam
age. and. making all speed along thi
We make up to the Huns who hav.
escaped from the last trench. Blu
they have had enough of the all-de
vouring monster. n are ready t,
throw down their arms and max,
their way to our infantry. glad to b,
, prisoners.
I THE last trench proves to be tn,
, worst for Just as we are crossing
large hole our bus stops. Two O.
three Huns. seeing our dimculty, craw
, out Of a hole like rabbits, and ar,
brave enough to creep on the bacl
of the tank from behind. But W,
hear them on the armor and the,
were doomed not to get the iron cross
, for we open a small trap-door an,
shoot them with a revolver. OF cours
we had seen them before they reach
ed the tank but as our mechanism
. WA Giving no q 1}ff1A nhon~o 80 -
cupation just then, we did not trou
bile about them.