EVOLUTION OF TANKS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16895, 27 November 1925, Page 7

EVOLUTION OF TANKS.

MR CHURCH ILL EXPLAINS WAR. DEVELOPMENT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received November 27, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 26. Mr Churchill, called as a Crown witness in Bentley’s tanks claim, detailed the history of the armored cat.- during tiie war when he was first Lord of tho Admiralty. He. told how Admiral Sueter raised a squadron which operated most successfully until checked by deep ruts made by Germans. “Wo then faced! the necessity of meeting the new obstacles, and the idea of vehicles capable of crossing broken country gradually took shape in my mind, and in the minds of the officers concerned. 1 summoned 1 Admiral Bacon and asked him if lie could: devise a machine which would cross Frenches. Admiral Bacon was familiar with the tractor caterpillar so I directed him to construct one. Ho furnished his own design, and. 1 instructed him to proceed with Die const met ion, but other developments supervened. Admiral Bacon’s design failed to pass a. rigid! War Office test. Later experiments were made with steam rollers, which were coupled together, but these, were unsuccessful. Although engaged in other grave duties, this matter constantly engaged my mind, and in January, "1915, I wrote the Prime Minister, suggesting that the idea- be de- '• cloned. This was passed 1 on to Lord Kitchener, and! then to the Master Genern.l of Ordnance, but nothing resulted. The difficulties iri the way of manufacture were most serious, and the practical advantages doubtful, so the whole proposal was pigeon-holed. Tn March, 1916. Tennyson jjevneourt reported that there were two designs that could bo made —one with great wheels and another based' on the caterpillar action T tlicrc-unon ordered six of one and twelve of tho other. This order was interrupted bv the. Government s re signal ion when a, move was made to drop the whole thing. Subsequently, Mr Balfour was able !o save the caterpillar machine, which had previoudv been ordered to he destroyed. This machine was identical with the other tanks, and was a prototype- of all tanks used during the war. Mr Churchill raid he did not hear Mr Bentley’s name mentioned in connection with the matte.*, which Ji-iiyl Kitchener would' almost oor-(-linTv hive mentioned io him (Mr Ohnrch'il l ).