Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-19
AIlll ans Operating enlarge Scale
They Played an Important Part in Defeat of Germans at St. Mihiel.

With the American Army on tile Lorraine Front, Sept. 1S.-(By the A. P.)-Squadrons of American manned tanks, operating for the first time on a large scale in the attack on the St. Mihiel salient played an important and dramatic part in the federal de- feat of the Germans.
 Divided into brigades, light, inter- mediate and heavy-the tanks swung out onto the field of battle immedi- ately after the barrage. Before the day had ended they had entered the villages of Nonsard, Flames, La marche and Binney considerably ahead of the infantry.
 Early in the action difficulty was experienced in getting to the front sufficient gasoline, although a great fleet of gasoline tanks had teen pre- pared to carry supplies. The gas tanks were attacked by the enemy or were mired and it was here that the American ingenuity came to the res cue
 Barrels of gasoline were trundled l and rolled over the roadless fields by l daring volunteers to meet the most l pressing needs. Bobsleds, curiously enough, were found more efficient than wagons in carrying supplies, since they | could be dragged over the mud with out being mired and on them hundreds l Of gallons of gasoline were conveyed to the fighting tanks.
 i The advance of the tanks brought out many examples of daring on the part of their crews. One major whose machine was equipped with 37 mil | limeter gun instead of a machine gun | violated his orders and went fal 1 ahead until he was within range ot Nonsard. With one well placed shot
 he knocked two Germans out of z
 church steeple from which they were | firing a machine gun
 A lieutenant, shot through the palm
 of the left hand by an explosive bul.
 let, was sent to a hospital but es-
 capped and walked six miles back tt the field. He appeared at his tanl with the statement that he coulC
 "carry onH with his right hand. Several others were wounded bu remained on duty. No one was killed
 however, even though a German sir inch shell rloughed clear through
 small tank. destroying it but injurini
 but one of the crew. Another tank cap
 tured battery of seventy sevens
 but was so far ahead of the infantr.
 1t could not turn over the guns t
 them.
 The story is told of another tanI
 which went into town with a ser
 geant armed with rifle perched O the turret. This machine capture two batteries of seventy sevens." fly machine guns and many men,
 Tanks were occasionally as much a two miles ahead Of the infantr throwing eonsternation into the Ger mans. Part of the success which at ,, tended their share in the battle un doubtedly was due tothe intensiv training given drivers who are taugh to operate the machines blindfoldet guided only by signals from the gun
 ners This sometimes is, necessar when the drivers are blinded tempor arily by splashes Of mud.
 For several days before the offen sive the tanks which were to take pal
 were manoeuvred in an interior tow
 while the civilians watched them wit
 amazement with no knowledge { what it portended. Some time be z fore the battle the tank crews we, ? given their final instructions on ! hypothetical battlefield mathematical g Ky divided up into debarking point F and supply lepots.