The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-18
TANK HEROES HERE
WITH WINE CARGO
8O4th Brigade Corps Carries,
However, Only Load of
War Medals.
MEN ON FRENCH LINER
First Troops to Come on Japa-
nese Vessel Reach South
Brooklyn Pier.

The 3o4th brigade OF Heavy Tanks,
perfectly proper soldiers despite their
designation, which literary editors might
call "invidious' and even antl-prohibi-
t'on, arrived yesterday by the Fabre
liner Patria alongside n cargo Of French
wine for the ships use only. the vessel
being French. They had some yarns to
spin to anybody who wanted to hear
them under the French flag and the
vino that goes with 1t.
The soldiers were commanded on the
trip by Col. George Smith Patton, a Reg
ular Army man who went to France in
May, 1917, MS an aid to Gen. Pershing.
He was made a Captain OF n tank bat
TALON. being the first officer so desig-
mated. in November. 1917, and he began
right away to do things. He started a
tank school at Langres, and soon the
doug hboys were manning French
heavies.
His battalion went into the thick of it
IN the Argonne last September and
Capt Patton, as he was then, was
wounded in the left leg. He was plotting
t1e tsnks, on foot In a heavy fog.' His
force was made up OF 142 tanks manned
10y Americans and rs by French. They at
tackled 22 times and II Of their machines
were destroyed by she'll FIRE and their
casualties were AZ per cent. in officers
and 81 in men.
Won Service Cross.
In a previous attack at st. Mihiel only
PIX tanks were knocked out. On another
OCCASION five tanks silenced a German
hats naN 4t,z tt,,-
guished Service Cross when under ma
chine gun and artillery fire he chained
three tanks together and brought them
out Of a shell hole where they had be-
come embodied. Then, with seven in
fantrymen. he got within thirty yards OF
n machine gun nest when he was brought
down.
The 304th has accumulated two medals
Of honor and twenty-one Distinguished
Service Crosses. which Is mighty fine 60
Ing for body of 500 men. Col. Patton
is keen for the heavy tanks, and even the
light ones when 1t is necessary to use
them lie said THE tank is properly
used only In cases OF stubborn resist
ance. They are the natural answer TO
the machine gun, and they have come TO
stay on land just as the airplane has
come to stay in the clouds and below
them
Private Joseph Angelo of Camden, y.
J.. arrived with his commander, whom
he dragged into a shell hole when he was
wounded. staying with him under heavy
FIRE and thus winning the Distinguished
Service Cross. Other recipients OF the
honor. tankcrs and non-tankers, who
arrived by the Patria are Lieut.. Nor
man Pinney of Highland TAlls. n. V.
air fighter. twice shot down aid wounded
three times; Sergeant Noel r. Patton OF
Fayetteville. S. c., who refused to seek
safety when In command of a patrol and
gave aid to two comrades although
wounded In one arm himself Sergeant
John J. McGinty OF Carbondale, Pa.
heavy tanker. who led tank drive at
varennes, capturing several prisoners,
and Major f. E. Brett of Portland, who
disobeyed orders by not holding four
tanks back and thus chased sniperS ont
OF a church tower and finally captured a
town.
Japanese ship Brings Troops.
The first Japanese steamship to bring
American troops from France docked
last evening in South Brooklyn. She is
the AVA Maru and her Asiatic skipper
aud crew treated the doughboys with
fine consideration. In command OF the
.'of troops ABOARD the NesSel was Lieut.
col Bertram VI. Johnson of the Regu-
lars whose home is at Helena, Mon. He
learned by wireless Of the death of his
wife and was taken of the Ava Maru
At Quarantine on special tug SO he
might attend her funeral
James O'Brien, civilian employee OF
the tug Gypsum King. big oceangoer
which has been doing duty at Bordeaux
since last fall. also was taken ashore by
a tug. IT was said by his friends that
- man with whom he had been scuffiing
on the tugs deck went overheard last
NDecember in the harbor of Bordeaux and
was drowned and that court martial
cleared him OF responsibility.
The French authorities asked to have
rim returned and. II was said. he was
taken off the Ava Maru TO be put
aboard a transport that will take him
back TO bordeaux. 1t was said that he
is British subject. having taken out
his first papers only in this country.