MECHANISED ARMY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 21 October 1930, Page 6

MECHANISED ARMY.

BRITAIN’S GREAT ARRAY. DEMONSTRATION AT ALDERSHOT. LONDON, Monday. From a temporary stand, overlooking a wide .stretch of country near Aidershot, a large party of Imperial Conference delegates to-day saw demonstrated the British Army’s vast array of motor vehicles adapted to every war purpose. 11l this military mechanisation it is understood that Britain leads the world, and the Army Council held back nothing, though it forbade photography of the latest things, including the world’s most modern tank. The demonstration was favoured by bright, autumn weather, the attendance including Messrs Brennan, Moloney and Forbes. Amid a swirl of dust, screeching gears, roaring engines, booming guns, and thick smoke-screens, a modern mechanised battle was realistically staged. Orders were given to all arms :by wireless telephone, with every kind of fire from machine-guns to howitzers, motor-propelled. Then followed a march past of every kind of experimental military motor from an armoured Baby Austin carrying a couple of officers to fantastic six and eight-wheeled tractors and tanks of all sizes, which showed-an uncanny capacity for negotiating sandhills and trenches, concluding with the thrill of a handicap race, round on a one-mile course, in which a new “hush-hush” 16-ton tank won com- ‘ fortably from every other type of Avar motor, and seemed to finish at at least 30 miles an hour. An old Avar-time tank had half the course for a start, but was left far behind. _ Finally a neAV type of bridge-build-ing for the neAV type of vehicles Avas shown at Camberley. The party then had luncheon at the Staff College.