FIGHTING TANKS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1931, Page 8

FIGHTING TANKS

POST-WAR DEVELOPMENTS

“NO ENEMY WITHIN 150 M|LES

SAFE.”

DIRECTION-FINDING DEVICE.

A lecture on “The Development and Future of Armoured Fighting Vehicles” was given lecintlv in London b.v Colonel F. A. Pile.

Colonel Pile said it seemed probable that we should arrive at the next war ahead of all other nations, both as regards the quality' ol our armouioo fighting vehicles and the ideas under lying their use. But if we only had a few vehicles they would be used up in a very short time and'all the labour, money and research expended upon them would he (for the most part wasted. Describing the evolution of the tank, he said that the tank of to-day was no longer a short range hut a long range weapon. The British Ifj-ton tank was probably the most efficient in the world. It was .easily the most powerful weapon a soldier had ever been given to handle. it was very fast capable of covering long distances in a very short period and mechanically was rapidly aehieveing complete reliability. No enemy within 150 miles would lie safe from an overwhelming attack from vehicles of this kind. Colonel Pile mentioned that there was now in use a device for direction finding which enabled a tank, after turning to avoid obstacles, to get back almost precisely upon its original target. Tanks, he said, used to be called with some truth, blind monsters.

To-day, of all arms, the tank was least blind. A heavy oil engine had been designed and was in use in an experimental tank. We had readied a stage, he added when it could he said that light and medium tanks and armoured cars were capable of carrying out the roles which the General Staff ccnsidered would he their duty in the next war. These vehicles could, of course, be improved There was no doubt that the tank in the near future would he more comfortable for its crew, gasproof, easily accessible, and easily maintained. Research and experiment on these matters would no doubt lead to considerable modification in the shape oi the tank, but would also lead to very great savings in the cost of manufacture and upkeep. Possibly for the first time in British military’ history’ *tlier Powers were watching us with interest. Many nations would like to oqiup their armies with armoured brigades and tanks, but most otf them were still dependent on man-power, and the cost of building a mechanised army was great. They were, therefore, watching our efforts, small as they must be for financial reasons, with great interest.