WHAT THE TANKS DID.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11479, 6 March 1918, Page 7

WHAT THE TANKS DID.

HEROIC DEEDS THAT MAKE A GREAT CHAPTER IN HISTORY. One tank was in action coutinu ously, driving and lighting for sixty-four hours. It was,four hundred yards ahead of the infantry, when it reached the Gorman trenches, and for an hour and a half after reaching that position it was lashed by machine-gun lire so that one gunner was seriously wounded, and it was difficult to work the port gun owing to splinters, j At half past ton in the morning the tank was hit direct by a field gun shell rfom a battery near Flesquieres, which smasned up some of the machiuervaaud put it out of action. But the Tank pilot and his crew were not put out of action. They got out, of the disabled machine, dismounted their Lewis guns, and brought them into action from an old German communication trench firing on the enemy Who were still holding the village of Flesquieres.

DARING YOUNG OFFICER. Other tanks came up to the attack under fire of a field gun worked, as we know now, by a German major, and the second lieutenant of the disabled Tank directed them to a nest of machiueguus which were holding up our Seaforths. Afterwards he climbed on to the back of lus own Tank so as to get a better field of fire tor his Lewis gun. His crew remained in action iwth him, and when all their guns had become red hot and jammed, and all their ammunition was exhausted, their officer withdrew them about twenty yards further h-ick, where the Scots wore holding their line at the time, and this young pilot of Tanka took over the command of a company of these men, as their captain was killed soon after Ids arrival, and remained with them until relieved by another officer.

That episode reveals the high quality of courage of the young men who take our Tanks into action, but every day for a fortnight has been notable in the history of the Tanks for acts of gallantry and good service. IN HOUR LON WOOD. In the attack on Graincouro village several Tanks were checked _ by the direct tiro of two light field gnus which the enemy brought forward, while the infantry were held up in the face of deadly machinegun fire from tlle streets of Graincourt. Two Tanks worked round the village on each side, stamped out the machine-guns, and captured the field guns that the infantry could advance and take possession of the place. In the attacks on Bourlon Wood the Tanks advanced ahe.ad of the infantry, destroying the enemy's machine-gun emplacements on the outskirts of Bourlon Village, and afterwards, when part of this wood had been lost owing to the enemy’s violent counter-attacks, they went inside the forest, fighting large bodies of German troops who tried to put them out of action by fire and machine-gun fire. Many of the men were killed by the Tanks, who remained in the forest for four hours until darkness closed in upon them. It was a squadron of six Tanks that led the way into Anneux after a cavalry reconnaissance, and, after a long fight with enemy machinegunners hidden in the northern edge of the village, cleared the way for the infantry.

NO ADVANTAGE OF SURPRISE.

Many times during those actions the Tanks pilots and crows had to get out under heavy lire to get their bearings, or to got going after being ditched, and more than one pilot and man went on driving and fighting after they, hud been wounded,’ In the counter-attacks of later days the tanks advanced upon the enemy without any advantage of surprise, and under the fire of field guns laid against them at short range, and in thfese actions the3 r proved their quality as lighting engines and fighting men. They are a little sensitive, these young men, to the comic descriptions we used to give of them when they were first soon, and when our words had no camouflage their real shape and structure. “Look here, ’’ said one of their officers: “don’t go calling the Tanks obscene monsters or ichthysfluri or prehistoric toads. It seems to make a joke of what, after all, is no joke.” And I believe the commander of the Tanks Corps is anxious that it should be shown that in his order of the clay before battle lie did not ask in a literal way that every Tank should do its damnedest—that was a breezy interpretation of his words —but, rather, pointed out more solemnly the greatness and honour of the task that lay ahead of them. Let us take the Tanks seriously, for inside their steel walls are the bodies and souls of men who are going out into battle with no lightheadedness, for it is a grim and deadly business, but with ideals of duty and endeavour which lead them to great and terrible adventures, to enormous fatigues tor it is a grim and deadly business, but with ideals of duty and endeavour which lead them to great and terrible adventures, to enormous fatigues of body ami spirit, and to many ugly places where, unless they have luck, they may be ditched for ever.