The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-01-03
TANK STRANDED By MANS
DEATH
Sergeant Tells How Bullet, Entering
Poem Hole. Killed His Buddy"

Peep Hole, Killed His "BUddy."
With the American forces in
France.-American fighters in the
French two-man tanks ran into not
work i'm front OF ROmagne in the
American army's advance along the
west bank of the Mouse early IN Oc.
tober, and Sergeant James AVERT o.
birmingham, Ala, with his BUDDY
did their share in giving the Hun MS
due. Avertts buddy was killed IN
the thick Of the fight by bullet that
entered a peep hole in the side OF the
tank and struck him i'm the face.
r. was in the American push In
the Argonne sector. Avertt's tank
wont along with a lot of brother
tanks in line with the American IN
fantrvmen crowding them in the
rear AVERT was the machine gum
or If his tank, while mis- buddy ran
the engine and steered the tank.
At was SO near a number on Ger-
mans encountered in shallow trelcn
that I could see the terror on tneil
faces when my gun began TO let ny
bullets almost in their very laces'
Sergeant AVERT said. Inese Wele
the first Boches I ran into ON ths
drive and certainly let them nave IL
aa fast as my old machine could nre,
ond that was some fast, and l just
KENT going ahead and pounding away
until every last one OF them was
stretched on the ground. ,n
"Passing beyond this hastily aug
trench. i'm the meantime watching hy
throthers' on my right and left ana al
the same time keeping tab on the
doughboys coming up, got slgnt Oh
little hatch of Germans behlnd
hmm i'm the hill along the roadway
IN what had been a roadway Delore
our heavy artillery opened up tna'
morning. These we're machine gun
ners T soon learned, and bullets De
gan TO splash off the tanks Sues
particularly those which STRUCK
glancing blow. ~,
"I ordered my tank buddy al Inc
wheel to keep after those gu1rers II
4 cost ms all four wheels. lie dlo
and we went up after them sort OF
sideways. and I got around ON the
side az the hump, and my brother OF
+he other side was doing the same
and we wiped that bunch OUT ~
iiffv-T believe it was by enhlaolns
fire as the officers call 1T.
Sergeant Evertt explained that Tie
tank men, all of whom were Amerl.
cans. using two-men tanks ln1eh'e g
Nv the French, always watcher one
another closely, or endeaVored to, Liz
idea being to keep hundred yards Oh
81 apart for their mutual protectloh
and Il being important also that they
not get too far ahead of the infantry
"Just beyond the hump was a clum[
nf woods, and we began to pour Dull
let's into that" Sergeant AVERT con-
tinued. land for time there was
some smoke arising above the tree
TONS, so we knew there were Bocnes
IN there. About four Of us opened up
in full force and showered that WOODS
with lead.
"The machine gun answers were
nrettv still for a while, as we went
forward but I just kept peppering
away and talking to my buddy all
the time and telling him what we
we're going to do-clean out tnat
woods. MY brothers on either size
had the same bunch. The doughhO.s
back OF me, too were firing along
with MS. and the Boche in that thlcket
must have thought all hell had broken
loose. because first thing I knew the
firing virtually stopped and l inquired
all the Boches had been killed or had
decided to beat it before we all got
there in force.
Along about this time I noticed
that the tank boys on the right were
swinging around the side OF the clump
off trees. and from the position or
their guns and the speed OF their
tanks ! judged that they were giving
fits to some FritZies running away.
/ then switched so as to run alongside
the thicket, at a distance, and joined
the tank boys going around the end.
"Just about that time there was
volley of machine gun bullets, and
some antitank gun stuff, too, from
hill bit to my left. Suddenly my
tank Just began to tremble or some
thing and then stopped, and shudder-
cd all over. 7 looked down and my
buddy was limp in his seat. One OF
those damned bullets had come ID
through my 'buddy's' peep hole, and
hit him square in the face.
my buddy was dead. His final
clutch on the throttle shut Off the gas
and the old tank stopped, and there
was and the boys went on. That's
about all know about that fight, or
whatever 1t was"
THOSE OPEN-WINDOW CRANKS