Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-06
UngainIy War Machines Strike
Terror as They Move Irre-
SiStibIy Against Teutonic Po-
SitionS,
SEVERAL GET STUCK
IN MUDDY GROUND
Practically Impervious Except
to Direct Hits Made by
Heavy Guns Take Many
Prisoners,

British Headquarters N France and
! Belgium, Aug. 5.-(By tne Associated
Press THE great squadron OF
| tanks which went into action at the
British infantry at dawn Tuesday
proved their right to a place among
the modern engines of war. The bat
tie of Flanders furnished the most
comprehensive test of the worth or
these monsters as fighting machines
which has yet been given and they
came throught the ordeal with flying
! colors Notwithstanding the fact that
they were operating under the most
| trying conditions of terrain.
The opening of the conflict saw a
considerable concentration of tanks.
There were more tanks proportional
~ knocked out by direct hit than
in any previous engagement. The to-
| tai of the casualties among the tank
crews however, was remarkably low
and most of these were among men
| who deliberately left Off the cover
of their iron fort and worked In the
| open under machine gun fire.
Germans Fear Tanks
The material damage the tanks did
to the enemy defenses was enormous
and prisoners state that very heavy
Ec4.suais,4 = ptlisted on the Ger
mans.
That the enemy Is extremely afraid
OF the tanks Is without question and
in numerous instances the Germans
surrendered freely on the mere APP
pearance of one of these engines,
which truly are of terror-inspiring
appearance. AT one place eight Ger
man officers surrendered without
question when a tank crawled up and
threatened to open fire and sixty SOL
diers were captured by a single tank
near Saint Julien
There we're accidents which though
regrettable were not without touches
of humor. One tank which was trund-
ling in the dark toward the front
some time before the battle. encoun-
tered railway wagons standing at
crossing. The operator of the tank
did not see the obstacle and the eng1-
ncer of the train could not hear the
approach of the tank because OF the
noise made by his machinery The
tank went through the train as II IL
were made of pasteboard and contin-
ued its numbering, but ruthless way.
leaving one of the railway wagons
much worse for wear.
Spectacular Battle Occurs
Tanks did much fighting in the diff
ficult country about Saint Julien and
Fresenberg and in the territory lying
directly east of Zillebee. At the de-
fenses near Fresenberg a spectacular
battle occurred. These consisted or
two strong redoubts. one of which
was known as the castle. In front OF
them flows the Manebeke and the
surrounding ground was marsh-like
and difficult for heavy bodies to
move across. The attacking tanks
advanced over the stream and sod
den ground under heavy fire from
the machine guns in the redouts, and
the anti-tank guns hidden behind the
Notifications. One tank worked its
way around the castle and opening
fire drove all the defenders into the
other redoubt.
1t then forced it's way to the rear
Of the occupied redoubt and COM
PEELED all the company to flee back
to the castle. where in frenzy of
fear, the Germans took refuge. At
this point other tanks joined In the
fray and after surrounding the castle
delivered concerted assault clear
ing the castle for the second time, as
we'll as all the outlying defenses.
Takes 90 Prisoners
Another tank attacked Saint Julien
with the infnatry. 1t drew the fire OF
a small fort to the west Of the village
and turned aside to deal with this. One
shot only it fired at the fortification
and the Germans to man ran out
with his hands raised crying "kam-
rade." and gave themselves up. This
was a capture totalling sixty prisoners.
Having silenced this fort. the tank
crossed the Steenbcek river and pro-
ceeded through the shell-torn main
street Of St. Julien to the northern
side 1t assisted the infantry to clear
the place of the German defenders
who were concealed in the buildings
and then returned without having
suffered damage, leaving the British
in possession.
The British next day withdrew from
st. julien, but continued Ia shell the
place so heavily that the Germans
could only reoccupy It III part Later
the British re-eutered tha village un-