New Britain herald., 1918-03-15
ATTACK ON TANKS
 PLANNED IN BERLIN
German Officers Devise Ways to
 Offset New War Engines

French Front Feb. 2 Correspond ence of the Associated Press) Ger man soldiers are, as was announced several months/ ago, experimenting with tanks, but hitherto nothing has been seen of the result of their efforts to copy the war engine invented by the Allies.
 In the meantime it is learned from many sources that serious discom- fture has been caused to the Ger mans whenever the Allies tanks have been employed against them De- tailed instructions have been issued to the troops to the methods by which to meet & tank attack. One of the most recent orders was cap tured in the course of an incursion by Allied troops into the German lines. It reads in substance as follows:
 'TrencheS Of 8 minimum width of 13 to 121a feet and a depth of ten feet, also thick mud, form very seri- ous obstacles to tanks. which, how ever, are easily pablo of crossing ploughed land or breaking through barricades. It is not worth while to construct obstacles, It is preferable to attack the tanks.
 Tanks approaching the front ' before they come into action, even when there is small chance of hitting them. Tfe essential thing is to pre- vent the infantry from following them and in order to do this the enemy in fantry must be made to fear the zone in the vicinity of the tanks.
 The only practical way of attack ing the tanks themselves is to place oar a 9 96u9Yscnf q the battlefield and by direct fire put these war machines out of action Every direct hit on a tank kills seV- cral of it's crew and often sets the tank itself on fire. It must be point ed out that sections of artillery held in reserve behind the front often are unaware of what is proceeding and thus arrive on the scene too late to meet the tanks. In principle, there fore, the cannon should be placed well forward, so that the enemy may not surprise us. The commander of the troops holding the front should be responsible for selecting the posi- tions Of the anti-tank guns. Cannon m ounted on m otor cars are very use- full for this work in districts where the roads arc good.
 As to the infantry. they should i ma ke no breaches in the battleline ex- l cept to permit the undama ged tanks ! to pass through. To de this the in fantry should take shelter. but not retreat, for the idea is to allow the tanks to advance so that they may be put out of action behind our lines. The principal task of the infantry iT to meet and repulse the enemy in fantrv, but a number of detached ! posts should be established behind the 1 lines for the purpose of serving as q defense against the tanks.
 The most eff1ca cious infantry rnis- silc against a tank attack is the ar nor r-piercing bullet. whose effects are greatly feared by the tank crews, as these bullets not only penetrate the armor but afterWard produce a fierce flame which frequently sets fire to the gasoline reservoir.
 The best method of attacking q tank is from it's rear where the armor is lightest and where it is not easy for the crew 10 fire on the at tackers Should a fight against tanks occur in the streets of 8, village the infantry is in a favorable position to attack. as the men take shelter in the ruined houses until the tanks have passed and then open fire at point blank range with rifles and machine guns
 Hand grenades are almost inet- fcctive against tanks but small trench mortars whom they fire at a. low angle sometimes obtain good re- suits.
 'Practical drill in anti-tanIl tactics should be carried out and thus the -anks will lose their terrors for our :-oops,"