SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12604, 15 November 1926, Page 7

SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT

UNCANNY GLIMPSES OF WHAT MAY BE EXPECTED IN THE NEXT WAR BRITAIN’S HUSH-HUSH WONDER DOMINION PRIME MINISTERS VIEW DEMONSTRATION AT CAMBERLEY Mention has been made of a Wonderful war machine—a tank—which has been constructed for the British Army. At Camberley a demonstration was given for the ben'efit of the Empire delegates to the Imperial Conference, when it was proved that the mystery machines were a r'eality, and a vague idea was obtained of what a future war would be like.

(Received November 14. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 13. A sea of Flanders mud for realism and 1916 types of war-scarred tanks as anachronisms amid a bewildering array of modern mystery monsters was a scene which the Dominion prime ministers witnessed on the brackencovered hills of Camberley in demonstration of present-day mechanised warfare. Three marquees sheltered the guests from driving rain—the year’s worst day—yet discomfort was forgotten in the wonderment at the uncanny glimpse of what a future war would be like. "Prime Minister’’ contraptions crawled like tortoises while they spat destruction, but the new twenty-mile-an-hour tank with five gun turrets swished and slithered over the practice ground with hideous agility. This is Britain’s hush-hush wonder, and journalists were not permitted a closer approach than twenty yards. In striking contrast were one-man tanks, one minute doing thirty miles per hour on tiny scooter wheels, then with the movement of a lever dropping on to a caterpillar belt to turn in its own length while the driver with the other hand cuts a swathe with machine-gun bullets. This new idea has been adapted to a fearsomelooking light tank whoso four-wheel truck drops like a flash into sockets for the caterpillar drives to whisk it where wheeled vehicles would merely court disaster. The degree of mobility of this type in reaching threatened points made old soldiers remark: "If we only had had a few ef these Passchendale would not have happened.” The parade of progressive types of war machines was impressive enough,

Ibut when the whole majre-up of mischief was let loose to gambol over a twenty-five acre plot, crossing and recrossing all the while and blurting shells from the ground-level to an anti-aircraft angle, it was veritably dumfounding. Afterwards came _ the caterpillar howitzers, long "lizzies” and ordinary field guns vieing with tanks in mobility with men scarcely visible till the firing point was reached. Then in less than a minute guns were unlimbered and roaring salvoes over the marquees. THE FINAL SCENE Finally, at ten miles an hour a tank sped by exhaling a white smoke screen which hid the countryside, while all the mechanical monsters disappeared like magic. It was little wonder everybody seemed constrained to remark: “What an, unspeakably terrible thing the next war will be.” As a piece de resistance the spectators overlooked a V-shaped rift in the hills wherein the tanks almost joyously hopped over great log obstructions and playfully pushed over brick walls and majestic pine trees while behind oame a tractor hauling batteries to drive home the thrust. A fleet of "Mark One” light tanks flashed down the hillside and toppled over growing pine trees as if they were toys out of Noah’s Ark. Four of this type are being shipped shortly to Australia, where they will he used for field training. One visitor suggested that such tanks would pay for themselves in a month clearing bush for new settlers. Accompanying Mr Ooates was Major Jennings, who shortly will be commissioned) partly to instruct the New Zealand artillery on the knowledge gained from to-day’s lessons.