Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-22
british SWEEP TO WITHIN
THREE MILES OF CAMBRAI

Through these British infantry poured and
spread out fanwise behind, taking yard
atter yard Of the "impregnable positions"
from the rear
HERD OF CAMOUFLAGED TANKS
Inc correspondents we're summoned To
the line during the night. We stood tba,
nemorable morning In Gerry light Just be-
iore dawn, IN the midst of great droves of
s.af camoufaged and bedizened--a
'erltap'e multitude of the things.
They were great herd of gentle looking
sto'id creatures that seemed to browse on
the grass-covered battlefield, sheltered
somewhat by trees whose branches showed
no nipping by shells. The scene was like
some abandoned farm in the Kentucky blue
grass region. One could imagine the tanks
either as bovine herds or as cluttered up.
dingy looking neglected farm machinery
scattered about.
II was still. Only a few desultory shells
exploded In the distance-the regular,
monotonous every morning interchange We
Gould not see the infinite preparations on
all the gigantic front. Column after COL
umn, mass after mass of men and machines
and horses and paraphernalia had slid
through the oily night shadows and were
lined up at that moment for the greatest
of the war dramas then about to start
THEN THE KICK K-oFF"
or sudden the momen. came. 1t was
the Kickoff" Nothing but the tense
moment when the ball is put into play so
aptly expressed that period.
a little while--and hell broke loose.
II seems almost prcposterous that the
Germans In a great many places on their
lines did not awaken with the first snorting
OF the tanks as they crunched great swaths
through the Boche wires. But there were
countless instances where IL was not until
| the behenoths themselves their tongues
| flaming ahead. their steel bellies fattening
the EARTH actually came over the German
! trenches that the Boche came to life Your
| German is creature of habit. He knew
| 1t was customary for artillery to preccde
! an attack. There was no artillery. Hence
| there could be no attack.
No wonder he was dazed. The inferno
| of British artillery did not start until the
| tanks were welf over their first objectives
| Then 1t came, a deluge. "a molten flame. II
| seemed. From Lens to st. Quentin, ] an
| told today, the British artillery speeded vi
to feverish violence.
| The multitude of tanks found il easy
| going. The general in command of tn,
| land leVathans had sent word to all hi,
| crews. THE tank corps expects every tanl
! to do its damnedest'--and the tanks did
The ground over which they wrgglet
was almost fiat There were few shel
| holes, Mighty few of the monsters go
stuck few were knocked out around
| Flesquieres later on when a heavy field gun
muzzle depressed. fired pointbank at
| range of $50 yards
| Behind the tanks trooped the infantry
| taking II easy, laughing in glee at the as
| tonished Boches and their frenzied cries o
"Kamerad" or disregarding staccato ma
| chine-gun fire that the more wide-awake-
| and courageous--of the enemy poured IL
| their ranks There were several spot
where the Hindenburg line was captured
without single casualty among the British
| attackers
! TROOPERS DASH AHEAD
| Here and there behind the tanks and tn
| infantry the cavalry swept forward---some
| times later in the fighting. actually disre
| garding the slow-moving tanks and dash
| ing on to swing their sabers and overwher In
| the enemy. They had waited long years
! these cayalrymen, for chance at tn
| enemy and they made the most of tn
| holiday opportunity. British infantryme
| who arrogantly turned up their noses 1
| other days at the cavalrymen, holding tina
1t was the trench boys who were the rea
| soldiers had to revise their opinion toda
| They hadn't seen cavalry i'm action befor,
! Nobody else had--that Is. against firml
| fixed trench defenses.
| The cavalry carved itself a niche in tn
| wars history by the two days work jus
| past. Today they were still carving
| Their speed gives them the edge.