BRITAIN’S RACING TANKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1936, Page 14

BRITAIN’S RACING TANKS

BATTLE PRACTICE IN ROOM Some of the secrets of the Tank Corps were revealed to the military Attaches of eight nations who came to Lulworth Cove to-day to see our progress in this department of mechanised warfare, w’rote a military correspondent, in the “Loudon Daily Telegraph,” on May 21.) Some secrets were not disclosed. Our latest tanks were not on view, but the foreign observers saw enough to satisfy themselves that the country which invented the tank is bringing imagination and ingenuity to its development. Spectacular thrills were provided by tho medium tank firing 31b shells and machine-gun bullets at moving targets and registering many hits. It is believed that some foreign tanks shoot only when stationary. British gunners are trained to shoot from a tank moving at 8 to 11 miles an hour at ranges of 700 to 900 yards. “Shoot w’hile you are moving” is the lesson which is taught to every recruit. The modern tank has a range of one mile, at which distance the enemy tank or anti-tank gun ceases to present a target. By moving a lever the gunner at a 311 b. gun, can change from the 31b shell to machine-gun bullets. GAS-MASKED CREW The targets to-day were moving silhouettes of full-sized tanks which rose from the ground at Bindon Hill. They were towed by cables attached to motor engines in dug outs. The targets popped up suddenly and at 900 yards looked like black cows. The tank guns snapped at them and it was easy to see the effect of each shot against the’green of the hillside. I did not see one shot that appeared to be more than- a few inches off the target. We were also shown a tank pellet school which is believed to be the only ono in the world. Here recruits are put inside a machine which reproduces all the conditions of a real tank in action on the battlefield, including the noise, vibration and pitching. I entered the dark room where recruits wear gas masks inside tho replica of a tank into which poison gas fumesf are' supposdd to have penetrated.

There was also the crew control room, where a tanks crew is put through battle action. Tha nations represented to-day were Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Irak, Nepal, Siam, Sweden and the United States. Recent visits have also been made by the Attaches of Germany, Italy and Russia.