Americans Strongly Critical of Own Tanks

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 58, 9 March 1945, Page 5

Americans Strongly Critical of Own Tanks

LONDON, March 7. American tank crews who pounded their way from the Boer to the Bhine are proud of their units and their record advances, but when they talk about their tanks it is different, says the British United Press’b correspondent with an American Third Army armoured unit. “Tell them at home that our tanks are not worth a drop of water on a not stove,’’ said Staff-Sergeant 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-Sergeant Earley was tired of the shaking and so were bis men. They had lost one half of the tanks assigned to their company in one field. A tank commander, Sergeant Vila, of St. Louis, said: "We pushed into this town in our old tank, which the Naziß had been knocking about all through France. It made us feel pretty blue. ’ ’ Corporal Miller, of Kansas City, said: “We 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 we know our tanks lack a lot of being the best.” Another tank driver said: ‘' They have got to keep giving us more thanks 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 wouldn’t have time to get to the name.” A Washington message states that the new American tank known as the General Pershing mounts a 90-milli-metre gun capable of penetrating at battle range armour thicker than any tank hitherto carried. The tank is not as heavily armoured as German Tigers and Panthers but is speedier and more manoeuvrable.