New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12
All Records Smashed in
Tremendous Struggle
Between Airmen
Guns of the Enemy
Crumpled by anks
Germans Seek Refuge From
"lron Cavalry" Behind
Water Barrier

(Srec,al Cable Dlspdfca 10 IhS Ir'oune)
Copyright, lais, by Tho Tribune As~ocistion>
LONDON, Aug. 1l.--Tanks and cav
slrv, which for some time have played
small part in the fighting on the
battlefront, came out OF their obscu-
rity in the present British attack on
the Somme, and have proved them
selves to be Of inestimahle attacking
value while airplanes have added TO
their fighting accomplishments.
In the present campaign the air
fighting has surpassed in magnitude
and Importance of results anything
hitherto attained, but in the latest at
tack all records were smashed, Tho
British announcement Of the destruc-
lion of sixty~hve enemy machines ono
day and sixty-one the next gives
slight impression Of the tremendous
struggle going on in the air Instead
sviatoas now are flying only few hun
dred feet above the battlefield. Ma
chine guns and even rifles are perform
INC the work OF antt~aircraft guns.
Allies Can Afford Losses
The Allies can sacrifice many ma
chimes and still hold their superiority.
Their machines are doing deadly exc
cution with bombs and machine guns,
attacking troops and transports not
only in the line of baths but in tho
depots far behind. The morale OF the
soldier is more affected by aeroplanes
than by artillery. Nothing is moro de-
structivs to the nerves of the fighting
man than swarms Of bombing ma
chimes, which harass the enemy day
and night.
The tank finally has vindicated itself
The Allies have scored heavily against
the enemy in this form of fighting
The military critic of 1.-THE Manchester
Guardian" writes: ~TacticalIy the
most interesting development of tbs
last few weeks has been the employ
ment OF the tank. The Germans arr
behindhand with their tanks, and have
underestImated their value Their ac-
ton in Withdrawing behind the Avre
and the Ancre was partly due to the
desire to place water barrier between
themselves and the tanks, for they
were the chief engines Of the enemy's
undoing at Cambrai, at Scissors on
July Is and in this battle of tbs
Sonma
Tanks ScnrA Machine Guns
"Tha ftzst valne of the tank lies in
lie efficacy against the machine gun,
which is the kernel OF modern defence
In one minor operation recently at
MnrlancCur1, according to French writ
ers, these new tactics were used-
First came line Of tanks, then thu in
fantry, then a second line of tanks to
destroy the machine guns which the
inst line had missed
The tanks second value is that it
represents an artillery OF accompani-
ment, corresponding to the German
light guns which keep up with the in
fantry In rapid advance when the
heavier guns are left behind The
TANK Is at present the most practi-
cable means of sustaining the mo-
mentum of great attack, and may
have much to do with solving the
problem of the strategic break
through The Allies are developing
inc tank In the direction of greater
hghtness and mobility The Germans
are endeavoring TO find match for it,
such as burying mines in quantities
along their front lines"
Next in Importance comes the cav
airy For three years it had little to
&c, and among suggestions made
'oA'ngly IN the long years of posi-
'ional fighting was one that the
horses be killed to feed the armies.
Cavalry Proves Worth
1t Is fact that many cavalrymen
were Impressed into trench fighting,
out at last they have had the oppor-
unity to get into action on consid-
e'ao1s scale There are no glorious
.a@fees and sabrefashing dashes
though the enemy's ranks, but this
branch of the service is doing ex-
tsmeiy useful recommending work
-'' the advancing infantry. Unless the
war becomes much more open the day
- 'ne cavalry will be short, however.
,Ass week it was proved that the
Dl'''sh cavalry was ready and fully
~ 10 the standard of an army which
''ss pnded itself on its horsemen.
i" iniier account of the German
''" OF the Marine battle in Baron
w Ardenne's review in the "Bcrlin-
iaseb'att'' contains these interest
ing figures:
.n9y-two divisions took hard
~ sA'ing July 10 to July %. Of these
ae french provided thirty-eieht. the
, !. four and the Italians two
aooiton, there were two French
'a'fy divisions, who were used onlv
On foot. however.
a.. ~ was reported on July % that
had used seventy divisions be-
ns..e " iahure and Scissors. AS the
asuai divisions are about 10000 strong
a. may estimate that Foch began
m.n Intensive with 100000 to 1900 ,o0C