New-York tribune., 1918-07-01
Blazed the Way and Aided
Infantry Near Villers
Cotterets Forest
To Be Extensively
Used by Americans
1900 Prisoners Taken in
Ravine, Where They
Were Hemmed In
By Wilbur Forrest
(Special Cable TO The Trib,,me)

(Copyrlght. 1918. By Tho Tribune Associatlon)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES,
June 30.-The successive waves of
speedy baby tanks, followed by in
fantry, in swift attack on three
and half mile front between Viii
lers- Cotterets Forest and the Aisne
early Thursday morning have been
the outstanding feature of the fight
ing on the French front since the
enemy's last disastrous Montdidier-
Noyon offensive.
A few of this species Of tanks, the
smallest yet Of these modern war
fare chariots, won swift and glor-
ious reputation as they faced about
and turned on their own tails, help
ing the infantry to round up abo ut
1900 prisoners belonging to five
different German regiments, within
thirty minutes.
Most of the prisoners were taken
in the deep ravine and the contigu-
Gus village of Cutry, both of which
were cut off and surrounded by the
tanks and poilus before the enemy
were able to dash to safety.
When the Germans advanced
toward the forest of Villers- Cot
terets last month, their line was
halted beyond two extremely i'm
portant points from the standpoint
of strategic value. One was the
rocky ravine near Cutry, which was
too near tlle French line and allowed
dangerous enemy troop concentra-
tions in the sheltered lodges, where
they would be immune from artil-
lery fire. The other was high OBJ
servation point to the northward,
overlooking both the French and Ger
man lines, called Three Poplars.
Thus it was necessary for the
French to attack on a line from the
village of Fosse-en-Bas to the village
of St. Pierre Aiglc in order to wipe
out the enemy's advantage.
At sunrise Thursday the front
was extremely quiet. At 5 a. m. six
baby tanks started forward in waves
as the French artillery opened a
heavy cannonade. Infantry waves
followed the tank waves, and within
a few minutes the tanks were at
tacking Cutry, the village and ra-
vine frontally, and on the hanks had
completely enveloped their obiec-
tives, while French African troops
slithered down the hillsides into the
ravine or dashed into the village,
where hundreds Of "kamaraden," be-
wildered by the appearance of the
French troops, put up a stiff fight
for a few moments and then threw
up their hands.
Caves yielded hundreds who had
assembled for some action, proba-
bly, in the immediate future. Cutry
church gave up over 200 more.
Meanwhile more of the baby tanks
and colonials had occupied the line
running from Fosse-en- to the
Three Poplars observatory.
Thus within half an hour all OBJ
jectives had been taken and the
baby tanks, which are of a type
of particular interest to Americans
because their future use by Ameri-
cans is assured, had done all and
more than was expected of them.
The Germans did not recover
from their surprise until afternoon,
when they launched counter attacks
west of st. Pierre Aigle and north
east of Cutry. Though the tanks
had withdrawn, the poilus held and
their line was integrally maintained.
| saw these baby tanks to-day
waddling back through the forest
of Villers- -Cotterets, where their
commander put them through stunts
for The Tribune. They came in,
male" and female" according to
whether they were armed with can
non or machine guns. The latter
are females" 4"
Though all alike, compared with
other tanks they are what a woman
might call "cute" They are so
small that they turn swiftly like a
rabbit on a square yard df ground.
Their motive power is simply we'll
known type of French automobile
engine, operated by chauffeur.
The gunner, who constitutes the
remainder of the crew, is able to
pivot his weapon in any direction.
singing either a stream of bullets
or shells wherever the Boche chooses
to receive them.
One of these little tanks would
be 'pinched" for speeding on Broad
way or Fifth Avenue if the chauf-
feur desired to "1et it out" It was
at top speed that they rollicked
toward the German positions Thurs
day morning, arriving at their des-
tlnatlon before some of the eighteen
4 80 n