LAND IRONCLADS.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 47, 19 June 1917, Page 8

LAND IRONCLADS.

SAVED 25,000 LIVES. Recent cablegrams record the fact that a new and more powerful tank has been used in the latest operations against Mcssincs. It 'will be interesting to recall that it was on September 15th of last year that the mysterious tanks made their first appearance at the battle of the Ancrc. Their construction during the preceding months had been shrouded in the utmost mystery and secrecy, and w'hen they first appeared those who saw them were usually convulsed with laughter at their ungainly appearance and waddling antics. But they “got there,” as the Americans say, and their co-operation with the British forces at that battle contributed largely to the rapid success of the operations and minimised the losses incurred to an extraordinary degree. Mr Philip Gibbs, in his latest book, makes a statement that the use of the tanks has saved the British Army at least 25,000 lives. An official war picture now' being shown in Wellington was taken on September 15th last, and actually shows these ungainly monsters advancing to their deadly work. Whoever secs this film will gain almost as vivid an idea of what real warfare means as if they had been actually on the spot. Needless to say, these films, w'hich are taken by official kinematographers attached as a branch of the French army, are not secured without risk and danger to the operators. Two of them already have lost their lives. In the course of their work they are exposed to practically the same dangers as the men who are carrying rifle and bomb.