U.S. TANKS CRITICISED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 84, 8 March 1945, Page 6

U.S. TANKS CRITICISED

(Rec. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 7. American tank crews who pounded their way from the Roer to the Rhine are proud of their units and their record advances, but when they tain about their tanks it is different, says the British United Press correspondent with an American Third Army armoured unit.

"Tell them at home that our tanks are not worth a drop of water on a hot stove," said Staff-Sergt. Earley, of Minnesota, who commanded the first tank to enter Cologne. "Tell them we want tanks with which to fight, not just drive over the countryside." Staff-Sefgt. Earley was tired of shaking and so were his men. They had lost one half of the tanks assigned to their company in one field. A tank commander, Sergt. Vila, of St. Louis, .said: '-\Ve pushed into this town in our old tank, which the Nazis had been knocking about all through France. It made us feel pretty blue." Corporal Miller, of Kansas City, said: "Wo don't mind fighting, for we want to get the war finished, but it makes us feel pretty bad to have everyone at home writing and talking about us having the best equipment when wo know our tanks lack a lot of being the best." Another tank driver said: "They have got to keep giving us more tanks because the Jerries keep knocking them out. We already have had twice as many replacements as the number of tanks originally assigned to us. That's no good." A correspondent asked an assistant driver why his crew had not named their tank. He* replied : "What good would it do ? We wou'dn't have time to get to the name."