OUTFLANKING BY TANK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 35, 5 November 1918, Page 8

OUTFLANKING BY TANK

CAPTURING'-A GERMAN BATTERY. :.. '. __\

Slowly and clumsily ;the tank kept doggedly on'towards its objective, which was behind the hill. Anti-tank guns- were busy,' angry machine-gun ■■bullets spat about her; but the nerve of the German igunners • was shaken and their aim was not true. Everything was noise, for .the big attack had begun, and 'both . sides were using every piece of artillery, they, possessed. Now- and' then you would see little crowds-of men swarming out'of a hidden strong; point and scurrying to the-rear; or, soihotimes, holding their hands high above'their heads and faltering forward to meet the oncoming enemy. The bombardment . had been terrific. The moral of the Boche had vanished completely. As- soon as a tank seemed ■-to'.be' making* for" 'any' particular defence work the garrison chose, discretion as the better part'of valour, and incontinently surrendered or ran. The tank went on serenely, as it-were'unconsciously, a solomn, grotesque; terrifying juggernaut, .taking trenches in its stride, and'crumbling walls and trees before it. Sometimes a dead man ,lay in its, path. The tank went on. .".•.; ; ■

' Away somewhere on the right, not very far off, there barked a German battery, trying vainly to stem the steady, merci-less-advance of the infantry that fol-' .lowed the line.of tanks. The-tank section commander, out in front of his three machines, could not see it; but he could form a fairly; good guess as to its position. He 7 made a signal, and the tank edged in to-the right. The shell vapour lay over tho.ground as thickly as a.smoke screen. You could not see a hundred yards in front of you. ..The tank found a strong point in a small chalk pit,. and scuppered it indolently, as one might kick a, piece ofjn-ange peel out- of one's path; - The section commander .could still hear, that battery pounding away,, and. ho knew he was getting • nearer. Then, -fjuito suddenly, it,seemed to Him that the pounding had shifted tr his rear a few moments ho, knew for certain wliat had happened'. •; The tank had outflanked the baK t'ery,'and was working behind'it. Ha gave- another signal, and the uncouth landship swung round.

.Just then tho smoke lifted a little,, 'and he saw tho gunners. Also, they saw the tank; but a moment too late. The mnchinc-guns were stuttering away, .those of tho German gunners who were ,not killed ran wildly Away- from tho terrible thing in the smoke, and another enemy battery was out of action—out of ncfion and in oiir hands, the guns uninjured and the ammunition ready stacked. And our advancing infantry met a doaen Germans'.who shouted •madly of a new English attack from their own headquarters. .'..'.

The'tank swung round again nnd wen on.—"A.L./" in-the "Daily Mail."