GERMAN TANK ATTACKS

Southland Times, Issue 24162, 26 June 1940, Page 5

GERMAN TANK ATTACKS

Officers Familiar With Procedure

BRITISH TACTICS EFFECTIVE

(British Official Wireless) (Received June 25, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 24.

Interesting information on German tank attacks and dive-bombing were given by a British lieutenant and major who recently returned from France. Referring to tanks the lieutenant said that the enemy’s practice was to attack in twos or threes. “We generally found it best to wait until they got within 50 yards before we gave away our position,” he said. “It never took more than two or three shots from an antitank rifle at that range to arrest a tank and every time such of the crew as had not been killed ■ instantaneously were finished off by our light machine-guns as they were trying to escape. We then used to go up to the tank to set it alight. “With an anti-tank gun you can, of course, open fire effectively at a much longer range, but if he has only two or three tanks you can afford to wait till he is quite near you and after you have finished shooting there is no need to go and set alight to what is left.” The officer concluded: “There are lots of us on this job in this country now and after our experience in France we are waiting cheerfully for any tanks the Germans may be able to land.”

The major admitted that the first experience of dive-bombing was frightening. “I very soon got over this fright, because I realized after the first five minutes that although the noise is considerable the effect was practically nothing,” he said. “I am quite convinced that the damage caused by bombs directed against buildings and against personnel is about 75 per cent, fright and possibly 25 per cent, danger. The bombs were nearly always dropped in clutches of three and generally struck the side or foot of a building rather than the roof. No one but a half-wit would dream of staying in the open when bombing is going on, but one was relatively safe if one lay flat down with ones hands on ones ears.” He recounted how one soldier who had thus laid down was quite unhurt by a bomb which dropped only 30 yards away.