INSIDE A "TANK"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2961, 27 December 1916, Page 8

INSIDE A "TANK"

DIARY OF A WEEK'S WORK

"GRIMLY HUMOUROUS" The week's work of a "tank" on the Western front is told in diary form, ill the "Manchester Guardian," by a young Australian soldier who was wounded while serving with ouo of thoso new engines of war: — Monday. Out for first time. Strange sensation. Worse than being in a submarine. At first unable to seo anything, but imaginod a lot. Bullets began to rain like hailstones on a galvanised roof at first, then like a series of hammer blows. Wo passed through it all unscathed. Suddenly wo gave v a terrible lurch. I thought wo were booked through. Look-out said we were astride an enemy trench. "Give them hell" was the order. Wo gave them it. Our guns raked and 1 swept trenches right and left.

Got a peep at frightened Huns. It was grimly humorous. They tried to bolt like scared rabbits, but wero shot down & bunches before getting to their burrows. Machine-guns brought forward. Started vicious rattle on our "hide." Not the least impression was made. Shells began to burst. We moved oil and overtook some more frightened Huns. Cut their ranks to ribbons with our fire. They ran like men possessed. Officer tried to rally them. They avyo-ited! our coming fpr a while. As soon as our guns began to spit at them they were off once more. Infantry rounded them up, and survivors surrendered. Very curious about us. Stood open-mouthed and wide-eyed watching, but weren't much the wiser. Experience was not altogether pleasant at first. "Tank" sickness is as- bad as seasickness until you get used to them. Jolts and "Strumming." Tuesday Off for another cruise. Peppering begun at once. Thought old thing was gouig to be drowned in shower of bullets. Things quieted down quickly. Silly blighters thought they could rush the "tank" like they would a fort. Dashed up from all sides. We fired at them poinl>-blank. Devilish plucky chaps some of them for all their madness. Tho survivors had another try. We spat at them venomously. Jloro of them went down. Tho blessed old tub gave a sudden jerk. God in heaven, thought I, it's good-bye to earth; but it wasn't. Only some Hun dead and wounded we had skidded into. Tho rain of bullets resumed. It was like as if hundreds of rivets were being hammered into'tho hide of the tank. We rushed through. Soon tho music had charms, and we got to like the regular rhythm of it.

Suddenly a jolt, and our hearts jolted in our mouths in sympathy. Nothing doing, in tho mishap line. Only scmo unwonted obstacle. Heavier *'strumming" on our keyboard outside, and more regular. Machine-guns at it now. Straddled on as though 'wo likod it. A tremendous thud. The whole outfit soemed done for. Nearly jumped out of my skin. Looked at each other, and wondered what it was. Still a roof over our heads, thank God. Thought we had got on tho rocky road to Dublin, but it was only another Hun trench. Our "spitting devils" opened fire and swept the trcnoh clear of the enemy right and left. Some Huns tried the rushing j'dodge. Their rushing days are ever. Angry Cermans. - Wednesday. Early start. Roughest voyage yet. Waves of lire seemed to break over us. Tremendous crash. Then another, and several others at intervals. Silence for a time._ Party of Huns came to meet us outside tho village. Very stout old gentleman in front. Thought it was tho Mayor and villago. big-pots to give us a civic wolcome. 1 Mistaken, 'l'bey meant to givo warm reception, but not as wo understood the word, Lot fly with machine-guns. Then tried , silly boarding tactics. Wo laughed. Onr guns answered theirs. Tank Deception Committee dispersed in a cloud of smoke and flame; no trailing clouds of glory. Fat old gentleman only visible member of deputation. Stood i opon-mouthed. Purple with rf;ge. Tr.nk bore down. Old gont started to run. Funnier than a sack-race. Old gent flung himself to earth with many signs of surrender. Thursday. Got into the village, and passed doivn between two irregular rows of wrecked houses. Hundreds of Huns camo rushing up from cellars and from behind ruins to see lis. Somo had eyes star- ■ ing out of head. Looked surprised and even frightened. One blighter made a rush at us with a clubbed riflo. Made a terrible swipe at tho tank. Sn ashed his rifle, and made a nasty noise on our roof. Hurt himself more than he hurt us. Off for a joy-ride after some nice Huns who took to flight as we came up. I''iiday. Early afloat. Usual showers of bullets and a few shells on tho way. G'ot right across a trench. Made the sparks fly. Went along parapet routing out Huns everywhere. Enemy terrified. Tried to run, but couldn't keep it up under our fire. Threw up the sponge, and surendered in batches. One cheeky chap said lie didn't think it was fair to fight with such things. We said that was our affair, and we could stand tho racket Germany cared to make over it. Asked one chap if ho tt ought we should have got permission from the Kaiser before using them. Didn't see the joke. Took about 200 prisoners. Killed and wounded as many. more. Tired out when through. Smashing an Enemy Ambush. Saturday. On the movo before breakfast. Terrible crash first go off. Thought wo had collided with a wandering world. Weathered the storm. Got busy on enemy trenches. Rare good sport. Enemy tried a surprise for infantry— Yorkshiremen—-advancing to attack. We tried a surprise, too, and ours came off first. Huns weren't pltased. Didn't think it was playing tho game according to Potsdam rules. ' We waddled into their ambush for tho attacking troops. Never saw men so frightened. Fled panic-stricken in all directions. Only a few chaps stayed behind and tried to stop us by machine-gun fire. Smashed them to bits, and left-their machine-guns to he picked up by the Yorkshiremen they hoped to surprise. Went snorting after the enemy wherever we could find them. Their losses wero terrible. Later strong detachments tried-to rnako their way back supported by big guns. Lined up across tho road, and gave them hot time. Every time they tried to rush through we ripped their ranks to bits. At last they gave it up. Very, wise of them. j Sunday. Good work of frightening Huns continued. Better day, better deed. Fritz didn't think that. Blighters opened rifle firo on us at 200 yards. It went like water off a duck's back. Fritz couldn't make it out.Kept up tho fire, but got a bit nervy as the blessed old tiling kept waddling up to him. Ladled out death a 6 you might vamp out indifferent music from a hurdy-gurdy. Fritz got fits. No fight left in him. Prisoners scared to death. Some of them acted as though they believed that we used our tanks for making sausages out of prisoners. Wo had a lot of trouble explaining that once they surrendered tlioy wcro safe. Finished an .exciting week. Got plenty of fun, but one wants a good rest after a spoil with a tank.