DEEDS OF THE "TANKS."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3561, 22 September 1916, Page 5

DEEDS OF THE "TANKS."

SOME AMAZING STORIES

.. LONDON, September 20. Mr Philhp Gibbs. continues his despatch as ■ follows :--•■

"The Guards at Flers fought as they always fight— with superb discipline.They are not the Guards who fought) at Ypres and at Loom, but their sacred traditions remain. Their physical standard has not been "lowered a hair'sbreadth. The Guards had to pass machine-guns, which swept their ranks with enfilade fire, but they gained, ground with a series of charges, which. went through three lines of German, trenches. Heavy fighting followed, but the Guards held the ground against the strongest counter-attacks. "The full narrative of the achievements of the ' tank*? .shows that they rank among, the .most dramatic and gallant records of the war. Ono rumbled to within 400 yards of Coriibles, far in advance of the infan-) try, and t sat there for fivp hours, fighting the enemy aloub, and shooting down German bombing parties until ifc was. severely damaged. "Another one reached Morvnl, but, finding that it lifid left the infantry .behind, went back to inquire. It.' found that German bombers Rad held up our infantry in their trenches. The' 'tank ' backed over the trench, crush-' ing the bombers into the earth before falling into a dcon shell crater and toppling over. It was here for an. hour and a half, and formed a barricade ■■•■, between the British and Germa». bombers. The crew c; O t out, and tried to hoist the 'tank' from the fihell-hoJo under heavy fire. Finally thr skipper , of the survivors abandoned fcho derelict. _' The mon&ter is still uflod as & barricade.

"A third 'tank' so frightened-the enemy that 100 men cam*? out witlx white flags and followed tho monster back to our lines. Tiirec 'tanks' marched into. Fiers, and lolled around the town in a .free and easy manner,' compelling the garrison, who were hitting: in .dug-outs, to .surrender in small and seared groups." '