The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-28


d - tanks walls The monster moved
- and sQuAshed the German gun em-
II n1ooemAnta. The German crews were
e5ehsS killed or captured.
Cat Of the shell hole came running
4 the English soldiers who now became
gnarde for the very men who few
MINUTES before had held them at their
mercy with deadly machine-gun fus'l-
4 1adeA
The tanks are not particular. They
made their promenades in moonlight
~ well as in the fun glare of the
August sun. Nothing pleased the com
nAnders ao much as the success OF
these wonder machines, They saved
the day at Gomecourt northwest Of
Bapaume), arriving half an hour be-
fore the zero hour" as the time for the
opening Of the attack is known in mil
itAry pariance The pilot noticed the
khaki uniforms in the shell hole
splitting Fire and Death.
They threw a band Of steel around
the village. splitting fire and death.
killing hordes Of Germans holding the
place and capturing zoo prisoners
whom the tank crews turned over to
the British infantry.
These prisoners, who belonged 10
saxon division. admitted that surrender
was their only chance IN the face Of
such metallic giants.
They sent a shudder through our
very souls was the way ono captured
German frankly put IL.
A tank subauerp, submitting his re-
ports Of the number OF rounds nrcf by
the turret guns was sort of backward
about admitting that 5000 rounds had
been used on one expedition, Finally.
ecouraged by the commanding officer.
he remarked with enthusiasm which
brought forth wave II mirth
"you see, sir, there were SO many
German trenches. we had to shoot Ito
orally At enc place twenty refused
TO surrender We plugged en- all
Some prisoners told US that surrender
was the only thing left for them 20 d
The kubaltern Who freed his com
rades trapped in the shell Grated re
ported to his com n1and"r with stiff
salute;
CONSTRUCTION removed. sir meaning
the enemy machine gun nests
81 Lead the Infantry.
"a Tanks led the way for the infantry
in every sector Tank officers say
their success Is not SO much reflected
by the exploits OF Individual tanks that
pursued the enemy and captured Ger
man corps officers. as 10y saving life
and linn b. reducing the British infantry
casuaitfes the German bullets fiatten~
ing against the tanks steel rios with
out effect upon the machines They
point cut that enough wachine-Eun FIRE
was directed aEainet the tanks IN Lou
part wood to wi0e out whole division
Of Infantry Yet these terrific flsll-
fsdes did no damage 10 the tank caval-
caAe.
The Germans hurled every possible
81 rjogtve pro1ectile at the British
tanks. with but little result Fer eX-
sample only eight tanks received direct
ms. and only one man IN all these
crews was wounded
Tanks are repaired In abort order
These machines which have proved such
a great sconserver Of human llfe. are
a feature almost entirely neglected ny
the Germans hut they have been used
BY Great Britain with greater skill and
effectiveness than hy any other army
to date
They have come to be known az 20
iirernen ~ the hatt}ehelds'
Terrific strain.
The lot Of the crews les far from
happy The strain is terrific and the
couraE &c displayed by these Br'ttShers
IN tanks has been marvellous. Tho
early DAYS Of this latest drive were
marked nv the hottest spell Of the
year the average temperature = X
more than 90. sometimes exceeding -.
The tanks have had little rest etAce
the opening Of the offensive August
The crews are among the most enthu-
slastic men in any branch Of the SER
vice They love their tanks with an
affection a man hesto"s upon his Ia
yortte horse or dog They have ALT
sorts Of niknamcs for their steeds of
steel,
The Germans frankly confess sur
prise over the achievements Of the
British tanks this summer German re-
speet and fear Of tie tanks Is increas-
ing.
Said a tank suhalterp 20 me today
Passed Up the Cemetery.
Three DAYS before the opening Of
this drive we sighted a notice on n
board on the slopes Of tho Luce valley
denotinE the location Of a feld which
was 10 be used as "A British cemetery
We were TO bury our dead there, YOU
understand.
There is nothing 'ehastlv' about
this It's war Such provision ts made
before every offcreive, the same as Sc
lecting watering places and other pre-
hrninaries before occupying captured
territory.
But II you 70 to that field today.
you'll find just one single grave, ana
across the whole field YOU viii trace
the tracks made by tanks The rels~
tionship Of these tank ruts and the
emptiness Of that 'cemcrery' Is close,
II goes to show how the tanks saved
lives
BY the way, We swept an area very
familiar TO US, During our retreat last
March one of our tanks had mechani-
cal trouble. II wriggled across the rail-
way at Achiet. with the German army
pressing close behind US. The Same
commander and the same crew. drove
the same tank over the Same track.
last week. with the conditions reversed.
This time. instessA Of the Germans
being ON the go the weight OF an ad-
vaneinR British army was in their
wake. The Germans were on the run
and they still are
BOYS BTRTHRICHT
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