THE "CREME-DEMENTHE"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2880, 19 September 1916, Page 6

THE "CREME-DE-MENTHE"

I—-1—-•DEADLY "CATERPILLARS" OF THE SOMME • ARMOURED CARS IN THE BATTLE Australian-New, Zealand Gable Association, (Rec. September 18, 7.15 p.m.) London, September 18. Mr. Philip Gibbs -writes: "The British went over tho parapets on Friday exalted and excited by tho smell of victory, laughing ae they ran, because a new toy had inflamed their fancy. They wore enormously cheered and amused by the now weapons, so dully described in the official bulletin as a secret.' These extraordinary armoured motors had been jealously kept for months. 'All. manner of marvellous powers bad been attributed to thom. They were proof against bullets, bombs, and shell- . splinters, taking ditches like kangaroos. The, actual sight of tliem is monstrously comical. They are like enormous toads. But they did gwod work, and seared the Germans dreadfully. Their -utility was proved near Courcelette. Our infantry had been held up at a German rodoubt.in the ruins of a sugar factory, full of machine- - guns—one of those deadly places that previously cost so many lives. Then over the British trenches in the half-' light of dawn, a new monster crawled to the rescue. The troops cheered, and ; even laughed, with the blood- streaming on their faces. This creature, -which . had been, named 'Crkme-de-Menthe,' waddled forward over the old German ■ trenches towards the redoubt. 'Hie :■ enemy was momentarily 6ilent. Then spasms of machine-gun . fire splashed 'Creme-de-Monthe' on the sides, but fell -harmlessly. 'Creme-de-Menthe' advanced. upon the broken wall, and leaned against it. Bricks crashed down, . airl the motor walked into the heart of the factory, and there in the ruins poured out a stream of bullets, - trampled on the machine-gun emplacements, crushed tlie maehine-guns, and • killed the teams. The infantry followed, and occupied the redoubt. At High Wood. "Similai- scenes occurred at High .Wood. Our men for a time had been driven back. Then great was their joy at seeing several 'tanks' advancing through tlie wood on each side. Wounded soldiers relate extraordinary 6tories. They declaro that the tanks broke , down. treos, mounted barricades, and stamped out dug-outs. The Boches, tfraroughly scared, ran about shouting like men demented. During tho attack ■ on Martinpuich, machine-guns held np the infantry on the out-skirts of the village. Two tanks had. already-passed-the British front line in tho darkness, and now orawled 1 across 'No Man's Land,' and nosed the Martinpuich walls, testing their strength. Twenty minutes later the infantry were inside the first trenches- at Martinpuich, the monster still waddling ahead. One hun- ' dred Germans, confronted by another 'tank.' were shouting for mercy. The 'tank led a procession of prisoners to :the British lines. A Wireless Message. "The first news of our success at. Flers was an airman' 6 wireless, message : 'Tank walking -up Flers High Street with British Army cheering behind.' It was an. actual fact. One of the motor monsters was " there, enjoying itself thoroughly, forcing the enemy to keep their heads ■down. They hung out on it a large placard, on which were the words: 'Great Hun Defeat. —Special.' Meanwhile our aeroplanes flew over tlio scared Germans, who were neeing before this monstrous apparition, pouring in a deadly maohine-gun fire."