New-York tribune., 1918-07-17
German anks Waiver at ~.
Fire of Latest u. s. Gun
Baby 37s Stop Progress of Iron Monsters When Heavier
Shell and Grenades Fail to Halt
Advance of Enemy

WASHINGTON, July 16.-A descr
tion of close fighting on the front, tell
ing of the effectiveness of Americas
latest addition to warfare, the "anti-
tank gum" gives vivid story of pres
ent day fighting
The description is as follows:
Far behind our lines, eight or nine
miles to the rear, the enemy for days
has been hurting gas shells The whole
area back Of us recks with cloudy
poison. Our gunners, gas masked and
trying to keep the masks on the horses,
DO their best to help us and return
the fire. But many of their guns are
dismounted. They are weakening.
Suddenly the artillery preparation
against our own trenches begins. 1t is
hurricane fire. We are overwhelmed d
with steel-a tropic shower of steel
with every drop bursting she'll. Our
fighting equipment is little of twisted
metal. Every few PAGES men are being
torn to pieces. 1t is more than blood
and bone can stand. We are driven
into our dugouts.
Then, suddenly as it commenced, the
barrage is lifted. We hear the thun
der of it pass over our heads, creeping
toward our reserves. We know the
enemy is coming over. We rush out to
meet and stop him-with the machine
guns.
The gray wave advances, men run
1,,~ E. y
from crater to crater. But they are
facing flying wall of lead. Here and
there they begin to drop, always in
some grotesque position. The line
wavers. There is confusion. We hear
hoarse commands. What seem to be
open lanes appear in the enemy ranks
Yet they stiffen and start toward US
again. The fire-sweep of our machine
guns has not lessened. 1t is increas-
ing. SO we are puzzled. Almost in
stantly, though, we understand.
Tanks
Sure enough they are rumbling tow
ard us-great dingy slugs, steel sided
but jewelled with quick spurts OF
flame. We have had no time to strew
explosives in their path. They are pro-
try to fling grenades into their tractor
machinery or loopholes. Our machine
gun bullets spatter harmlessly against
their armor. And they are approach
ing.
But we still have our 37-millimetre
gun-the "baby gun" of the infantry.
Setting Her Up
1t is very light So we took it into
q dugout and kept it safe while the
foes shells crashed upon our trench
Now the eight men of the crew rush
for it. They slip the cleaning shaft
right through the bore and so carry it
up and out. 1t is set up in twinkling
ready for use.
There is a drifting wrack of smoke
and dust over the field. In no time the
little piece, its flash hidden In funnel
like contrivance upon the muzzle, is
splitting its wicked inch-and-a haA
armor-piercing shells into the flock OF
tanks. Their armor doesn't help them
Our shells will penetrate an inch or
more Of solid steel and carry their
deadly charge of TINT clean inside
Carefully aimed, the gun is speeding
twenty-five shells a minute. And it is
so accurate they can be placed wher-
ever the gunner likes, almost to the
fraction of an inch
Already one of their tanks is stopped
caterpillar riband dangling wound;ly
Another receives a shell right between
the eyes, SO to speak. 1t labors a mo-
ment, then spills the remnants of its
crew, who stagger away for their own
lines. The supporting infantry, swept
by our machine guns, breaks and runs.
The attack is repulsed.
That is Uncle Sans "anti-tank" gun,
the smallest piece of artillery supplied
20 our forces, and one of the most
deadly.
But they don't call it an anti-tank
Sersat,o a '"I T+s ar is entlrely .tl a9o