The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-25
IN FLYING TANKS
Germans Planned To Give
Allies a New Surprise.
Arvnorad AirnIaneS Were To
ArmOred Airplanes Were To
Accompany Infantry Men.
WAS MACHINE IMPRACTICABLE
Won Wiegand Says Company
Was Making New TerrOrs.
Long Range Gun Was Planned
Many Months Ago.
BY KARL H. Won wIEGAND.

BY KARL II. Won WIEGAND.
%ev, York. March 25-If the report
that Peronne and Ham have fallen to
the Germans IS true, it is deeply
significant of the situation in which
Haig found himself when he saw he
could not stem the German onslaught
either in the very strong positions
north OF Peronne, which held up the
French more than a year, or on the
high ground rising abruptly within
a ME west of Peronne-
If is apparent from these reports
that Haig was compelled to bend his
line still further to prevent Ger
man turning movement of his eX-
IRENE right win, and a severance of
IN. seam" between the British and
French Any rip in that seam
would open the gravest possibilities
If the bombardment of Paris Is
true, then the Germans have more
than succeeded in their Calais to
Dover" of which l heard SO much in
1915. but never took seriously. or
ficers on the general staff, and men
whorI | knew were lin on the Sc
crets of the Krupps, told me a gun
that will shoot from in front of
Calais to beyond Dover" was being
built In time it became what l re-
earced as one of the several popular
dclusions.'
Made Talk Campaign.
If there is truth in the reports,
then the Germans deliberately plan
ed to have it talked to death in
order to work more securely under
cover of the idea that it was all nom
sense. This, then, must be the much
I; 'ked of Calais to Dover gun.
The Germans were preparing last
year another surprise" for this Of
fer3ive-the flying tanks This is an
all steel triplane, armored so that it
is imperviouS to rifle and machine
gun fire, propelled by two motors de-
veloping 400 to 500 horse power, and
armed with two and three machine
guns.
Germany's answer to the British cater
pillar tank Up to the time / left Ger
many the German military leaders had
40 great faith in the permanent value
of the British tanks at least, they de-
Clared, not sufficient to initiate them.
They considered them too slow, too
great target for massed artillery fire
and too easily stopped by canals and
streams. They regarded them too
unwieldly and too immobile.
To Accompany Infantry.
The Flying tanks were to surpass
them. Their purpose was to accom-
pany infantry attacks by flying very
low and from their height play upon
the enemy in his trenches and shell
craters with the machine guns. AS the
armor protected them against enemy
rifle and machine gun fire at closest
range they could fly to within a few
hundred yards of the ground. Their
movement would be rapid enough tC
make them difficult target for artil-
lery and they would be out Of reach OF
hand grenades.
Men in trenches or in shell craterS
of even lying flat on the ground
would have no protection against
these. Should such a flying tank be
compelled to land behind the enemy's
trenches it was figured its three ma
chine guns would do terrible eXecu-
ton before the flying tank was cap
tured or destroyed.
Big Company Organized.
A company with a capital of mil
lion and a half dollars was organized
by Junker. the maker of the i'm
proved submarine engine and Fokker
the inventor of the Fokker fighting
plane.
The Flying tanks" were to be turn
ed out in large numbers There has
as yet been no mention of them il
dispatches from the front. They may
have proven impra ctical.