Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-08
Continued from Page One

Continued from Fage One
and may hinder his plans FOR imme.
diate operations.
As for the three divisions from
which the Australians and their
American comrades captured 1900
prisoners. nothing more can be heard
from them for some time 10 come,
until they have refitted with new
drafts. Their losses were very heavy.
They were at the mercy of the British
tanks and the infantry which broke
down their defense wherever they
/ fought rather than make signs of sur.
! render.
! The tanks We're astonishing in their
methods of mancuver AND aroused the
. wild enthusiasm of the Australians,
many of whom perhaps had been a
/ little prejudiCed against these land
ships after their first introduction.
/ They advanced in the half light of
! dawn without delay, and moved with
, skill and judgment .to any point where
! the infantry needed their help
The ordinary ranks Of German SOL
diers surrendered help}essly wherever
the tanks Crawled around them with a
sweep Of fire from their flanks. but there
were some machine gun nests where the
German teams used their Weapons with
their usual courage and deadly resou-
ton. II was against them that the
tanks We're supremely useful in saving
he lives of the assauting troops and de-
stroyng these strong points.
In one case they trampled down six
machine guns in action. and elsewhere
one tank ran over three machine guns.
and. seeing a fourth still firing, turned
and made straight for it and crushed II
into the earth with its gunners. At an
other point a tank destroyed the teams
Of five heavy machine guns and took the
weapons inside AS valuable trophies.
The tanks had their most startling
adventure that morning when one of
them steered for n mound OF earth which
the tank pilot shrewdly suspected was
the hiding mace Of machine gun nest,
although all was quiet there. The big
engine moved around the hillock. when,
suddenly. out of a concealed trench on
the other side. forty men ran in panic,
with hands up in token of surrender.
One machine gun nearby opened fire. but
the tank swerved and smashed it under
it, vast weight OF metal.
The Australian soldiers say frankly
that they could not have advanced with
anything like the same ease II it had
not been for this help and their enthu-
siasm is aroused to such a pitch that
in sight. If the tanks are used like this
because they give continual possibilities
of surprise. II Is return TO the old
enthusiasm which greeted the first APP
DearanCe Of the tanks in September
1916, revived after occasional disappoint-
ments, owing to the foul ground of some
of the battlefields.
After their quick success on July
the tanks cruised around the captured
ground. which the Australians were
? making ready for defense against any
counter-attack, and the pilots came ou
of their manholes for a little fresh ali
!, and asked the infantry II there was any
! thing they wanted in the way of help
: There was little more to do just then
: as the field of battle was quiet and thu
: prisoners were being marshaled unde
l escort: but the Australians said Their
was some snipng from wheatheld, ant
they suggested that tank should rou
. out the sharpshooters.
Tank Routs snip-r.
"Right, oh. me-" said one of the pilots
, and maneuvering his ens'ne to ge
afieId of the fire on the spot pointed out
sent some small shells into the wheat
. Instantly a number OF Germans jumped
out and fell under the spray of machine
gun bullets which the tank poured int
the standing crop. one group OF tank
is believed to have captured thirty ma
! chine guns and caused the surrender o
: 200 men.
y When the fighting tanks returned 4
: their assembly place after the battle b!
e far the greater number of them wer
= ready to go into action again, withou
any repairs or respite, after some forty
e eight hours of heavy and exciting work
This success of the Australians mus
I not blind us to the truth OF the genera
n Stu Al ION whi h remains changed b.
e that local victory. The enemy is stil
: holcyng a po rerful army ag inst III
/, British front, with all preparations com
plete for a violent offensive on bi
scale, and, whatever may be the NEAR
ing of his delay, the menace Is still ther
and must not be underestimated. whe
e II comes. unless some mysterious infiu
y ence of which ! know nothing averts
!. from this part Of the front. II win com
! with powers Of evil at any rate approach
= ing those lei loose at each stage Of IN
1. enemy's pttack slaee Marca 81, and ~,