CRAWLER TANKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 December 1934, Page 8

CRAWLER TANKS

TO HOLD ONE MAN. To enable infantry to advance in face of machine-guns, an armoured box has been invented. It is propelled forward by a tiny motor (writes the Military Correspondent, of the “Daily Telegraph”). This will hold a. light machine-gun-ner lying flat, and will carry him much faster than if ho tried to crawl, and with far less exposure than in the normal advance where he had to run or walk forward upright. Using an “armoured crawler” of this kind deserves serious consideration. It has the advantage of its forerunner of offering an even lower and smaller target. It is only about 7ft. long, less than a yard wide, and stands only kneehigh. It is propelled by a motor of about 4 h.p. While travelling along the road the occupants sit comfortably in’ this “perambulator,” but on reaching the battlefield changes to a prone position with his light machine-gun pointing ahead. The machine has been initially designed for a single man, but. according to report, slightly wider but no higher type to carry two men is under consideration. Ever since the war soldiers have been revolving the problem of how to help the infantry forward. Nine years ago the original one-man tank was designed by Major Martal, and was followed by one designed by Mr Carden, which developed into the CardenLoyd tankette.

LARGE TANKS VULNERABLE. These, in 1928. became infantry ma-chine-gun vehicles, and were often most effectively used for an “in-fight-ing” role. Bui the authorities frowned on this unconventional mode of attack. and the ordinary Carden-Loyd was relegated to being a mere machine-gun carrier, the gun being dismounted for firing. There are disadvantages in employing comparatively large tanks as an infantry-assisting arm. The size of such machines makes them unduly vulnerable, especially if their speed is curtailed. As they are costly they are inevitably few. One battalion of tanks to a division would not go far to meet the needs of 12 infantry battalions. Thus the thought of many practical soldiers has swung back to the original tankette, and they have lamented that the practice of using it as an infantry “in-fighter” was cut short so abruptly. At this ripe moment has come the invention —again by Major (now Lt.Col.) Martal, I unders'tand —-of the man-sized armoured crawler, or “mechanical coffin” as I have heard it humorously called.