Evening journal., 1919-01-25
CONVALESCENT AT
DIX IN TANK charge.
Phila de'phia Corporal Tell !
of Hsirbreadih Escapes
at Front
I65 WHIPPETS
LOST In ARGONNE

CAMP DIX, WRlGHTSTOWN, N. j.
jan 25.-American tank corps men
went into battle on the st. Mlnlel and
Argonne fronts with the understand
ing that there was to be no retreat.
When a squardon Of heavy French
tanks turned back In the former drive
the Yankee drivers Of a fleet Of baby
tanks, or "whlppets," kept on until
they gained their objective, and under
terrific tombardment held the line until
the infantry had consolidated II. The
history Of that charge Of the whip
pets" and Of the even more terrific
fighting later In the Argonne has been
brought to America by Corporal Louis
Curt, OF No. i2ii South Twentieth
street. Philadelphia. who with his
"buddle," Corporal Herbert Nicholson,
Of Hoboken. is In the Lakewood Hos
pital. They are the first wounded sur
viyors OF the American tanks TO reach
this country.
To have one baby-tank he was driving
blown TO pieces by direct hit OF Ger
man she'll and his gunner in the turret
killed, while he escaped with slight
shock. and to repeat this experience
the next day, was Corporal Curtis part
IN the opening OF the Argonne drive.
The tanks helped dlslodge the Huns
from their supposedly impregnable po-
sitlons.
"The boches beat II out Of their
trenches when our tanks got within
mach ne-gun range in the Argonne
.1ght.ng," said Corporal Curt today.
They ran so fast that even when our
infantry put AFTER them in auto trucks
it was almost impossible 10 overtake
them. Prisoners we captured who could
speak English told us the Germans call
ed the tanks president Wilson's
slaughter houses"
Corporal Curt brought home an iron
cross and another decoration taken
from a German offlcer whose platoon
his tank pursued and captured. Ger
man pistols Of heavy cllabre, with
stocks that they could be fred from
the shoulder, and two Of the heavy anti
tank rifles used by the Huns were
among the souvenirs he had to leave
behind.
For fifteen days, armed only with
clubs and a few knives, machine gun
ners Of the "Blue and Gray Division
held front line trenches facing the Ger
mans in the Alsace-Lorraine sector last
summer, according to Private Russell |
Page Of Burlington, who has Just been |
discharged from the convalescent cen
er here after recovery from mustard |
gas burns. The battalion had their ma
shine buns. but these would have been |
useless I'm the hand-to-hand lighting in |
he trenches had the Germans made
aid. The side-arms arrived several |
lays later.
Philadelphia men lay In their trenches
md fumed at delay Of osders that |
would permit them TO go lover the |
.op" when the 3i6th Infantry went into /
lctlon, September 26, on the Verdun
ront, according TO Private George Bur-
yess. Of No. 1852 Drummer street, Phila-
ielphia, at convaleseent center here.
They started with yells and cheers
when orders finally came on the morn
ng Of the 26th," he says. 1T was so
xclting the next two days seem TO
ave passed in a flash" On the 2sth
burgess was wounded In the hip by
Machine gun bullets while his company
vas making a wave attack.
Sixteen officers and 306 men Of the
'welfth Battalion, u. S. Guards, who
ave been on duty at Chester, Pa, have
rrived at Camp Dix for demobiliza-
ion. The Twelfth Battalion, from
Del, is also here for dis
barge. Detachments transferred from
ifferent camps and several detachments
I overseas convalescents are among
he days arrivals.