GOOD WORK OF A TANK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1666, 25 January 1917, Page 4

GOOD WORK OF A TANK.

f THE ENEMY ROUTED. AN ADVENTUROUS DAY. A non-commissioned ollicer of the Warwickshire Regimen! who has been serving with a ‘‘tank” mi the Somme tells a graphic story of his adventures. “Our ship,” he said, “was dabbed His Majesty’s Tank Binmnybam, because it was chicily manned by Birminyham chaps belonging to a battalion of the Warwick-. Tim first day we were out ii wa- a ha queer, and 1 didn’t think I was going to like it, hut we soon yol n-cd to it, and then rather enjoyed tin* fun of it. The Germans d;dn 1. 1 can tell von.

“We sailed up to I heir (ir- i -in: Iren eh, and started |o drop a Go

complimentary messages from ot.r guns. Then a lot of Ihe llini-- -In,-!.: their heads up over the parapet to see what was the matter. 1 hey ducked mightily quick, and wc .md an easy time for half-an-hnnr or so. Then an ollicer dashed up. !■••!- lowed hy a parly id’ llmis. He came straight towards ns. Evidently

fancied il was an ordinary armour

od ear that could be tackled with

comparative i a.-e, lor hi.- men had a couple of machine-guns, with which they played on a-.

‘“01' eoiir-e, i 1 wa-nT any ,u -( >'■*!• We opened (in* and -v.epi tin* v.’ 1 ■ ■;I• * lot df' Ihe enemy away. The officer •was the lirst in go under. The ren of the men look in their heel- ami left their machine-cun hehiml liiem. After lhal they wouldn't stand up against u>. They ladled whenever we appeared. and we had a rai - e old game wit It them j - i”l 1 1 along the whole line of livnehes.

“Our battalion of the Warwick

was at- Jirst as much surprised athe Hermans at what the tanks could do, bul soon they look it as a joke. The battalion was ordered lo

advance against some trenches from which previous efforts to drive tin,* Toe had failed. We went in support. “The battalion was under heavy tfire all (he time, and must have -u!fered a 101. 1m! they would have .suffered more had il not been (or tiie way the old Birmingham kept down the enemy's lire. As we yot near we simply pumped lead into the enemy riylil and left, and -wept the blessed trench from end to end with as liberal a dose of tire as any

trench ever yot in I hi- war. ‘‘The enemy were off like fright - ened rats, and dashed alony their burrows in terror. We yot alony after them with the Warwickshire bids in onr wake, and we bad the time of onr lives. At one place a company of Hanoverians tried to stand against us. They held up the infantry for a lime with their maeh-ine-yuns, Inn they nearly had tils when they saw n- -ail up. “We didn't waste much time. We simply rained hell on them. I’hey were seared mil of their wits by onr

appearance. Some o) them were 100 frightened to run tor it. and simply (lopped where they were. We laid hold of (hem and got o!i agani.

"We gave lliciii a rough lime. “Then the Warwick hid- kail a cut in, aiul slarlctl routing the enemy alii of their lair-. (•ut* hatch came rushing up ami scurried along tlu 1 parapet. Vi c got mi Id ikeui, ami I'aii'ly made ikem ,-kip. W•• shot them down a- la-1 a- we emikl, am! then we rounded up ike survivors, who were handl'd over In our Warwickshire lad-. The further we went Ike i;Teal it wa- ike panic among the uiemy, e.-peeially when they found that ikey coiilda 1 hur.-t up tlu 1 old Binninghan; hy eluu kuiy bombs a I it.

“Some of them were in a lerrihie rage with ns for daring to use -m-h

il. weapon again.-l them, hut \ e didn’t mind that. They burned up reinforcements, and tried to drive buck the Warwicks at two diherem point-. Widie they were gelling to work we dodged it round and look them on the Hank. i hey got the fright of their lives. They made oil like greased lightning. amUve da.-h----ed after them. \\ e drove them right into 1 he amis of the Warwicks they wanted to attack", though the eomii-

lions were somewhat diliereni to what lhi‘ enemy hoped to liml them The ‘lank-' are line things tor en-

couraging the enemy to waste ! hei

ammunition, They always want to

pot at U-, aml they never gain anything hy it. They might as well butt their heads against -tone wall-, ■{still, if they like it wa don't mind, for it’.- all to the good from outpoint of view."