THE TANK'S 21st BIRTHDAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 55, 27 November 1937, Page 14

THE TANK'S 21st BIRTHDAY

Cavalry into Robots

Tbe tank as an engine of war recently "came of age," for it was on September 15, 1916, that it smashed the Flers Line ou tbe Somine an.d belped to take High Wood, says a writer in the London Observer. To our own men at tbe front, as well as to tbe Germans, tbe tank came as a surprise, though tbe degree was entirely different. As tbe queer, unlovely shapes waddled tbeir way across, pausing'awbile to sit on the top of barbed wire and trenches, opening fire on aatonisbed and panic-Btricken Germans, the infantry laugbed more tban tbey cbeered. For there was a real page out of Wells or Jules Yerne. Wbo invented tbe tank? It is a question that bas not yet been answered. What is certain is that tbe idea of a "land-skip" was in tlie minds of number of men in the autumn of 1914. It was not until January, 1916, that tbe first , "active service" tank was completed. Production began at Lincoln in great secrecy. Trials followed, witnessed by Army chiefs from the front. Organisation was undertaken^ and the forerunner of ihe Eoyal Tank Corps was known as the Heavy Section of the Ma-chine-Gun Corps. Six companies went to France with fifty tanks, and camped secretly near Abbeville. They were smuggled to near tbe front line on tbe eve of tbe "big

push" of September 15, and tbough tbt initial success was qualified tbe optims ism and faitb of their champions waH justified. Tanks of other sbapes and sizes camt into existence. Wbippets, or ligbfc tanks, did much to save tbe terriblo situation at Villers Bretonneau on April 24, 1918, and by tbe time of tbe Armistice there, were eigbteen batta^ lions of tanks on tbe Western Front Tbe personnel of tbe tanjis formed tbe original Tank Corps, whicb came into existence on July 28, 1917, under tbe command of Lieut.-Gen. Sir Hnigb Ji Elles, now tbe Master General of Ord« nance. To-day tbe tank is an almost urfiversal weapon' of war. British tanks are stationed in companies -tn many parts of tbe Empire. . They bave, of course, rmproved out of all knowledge, and, quite aparfc from tbe Eoyal Tank CorpS, great use is to be made of them in tbe Mobile Division. The final composition and organlsa* tion of this Division will not be deeided until tbe autumn, but for training purposes it comprises tbe 1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades, the Tank Brigades, e proportion of meebanised units of ■other arms, and administrative services. All tbe cavalry regiments in both brigades are to become light tank tsgiments.