WAR NOTES

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 9 June 1917, Page 3

WAR NOTES

When the British Army first brought into action the heavily-arm-oured trucks or “tanks” on the Somme battlefield during the second half of last year, it was said by many that those mobile land forts were only a novelty and that they would be y of little use against positions protected by even the slightest field artillery. It was pointed out that the initial success scored by the first tanks was due to the element of surprise, and that in the future the tanks would he of little if any value to their users. Particularly the Germans ridiculed the British tanks, although rumour had it at the time of the Roumanian campaign that the armies of von Mackensen and von Falkenhayn were makinggood use of the new Teuton tanks in routing the shattered Roumanians. Whatever may have been the opinion of different military experts with regard to the British tanks, the fact stands that several nations are to-day busily engaged in developing and constructing these mobile land forts for the use of their armies. Several weeks ago an American-made tank was tested before the United States Army officers at Los Angeles. In principle the American tank is similar to the early British tanks, and, like them, makes use of a caterpillar-tread compulsion. The armoured body is fitted with a number of loopholes, several of which are provided with hinged doors. A knife-like prow would indicate that the tank should have no difficulty in cutting its way through the stoutest barbwire entanglements. The French authorities have not been slow to adopt the tank idea. The machine, too, makes use of the caterpillar-tread propulsion. It appears to be armed with quick-firing cannon of at least 3inch calibre and with a number of machine-guns. A novel feature of the latest Frenc htank is the prow-like rail member in front, which serves to crush down or cut barbed-wire entanglements.

SPRING IN THS BALKANS.

Describing the opening of the new campaign in Macedonia for the liberation of the country north and northwest of Monastir, Mr G. Ward Trice states that all the fighting is among mountains, and supply is particularly difficult. There arc passes so steep that only endless strings of pack-horses can bring up supplies. All through the winter Monastir has been, shelled—not so severely as to reduce it to ruins, but regularly enough to prevent its use as a military base. Its constantly developing’population has lived in the collars on rations provided by the allies. For some reason difficult to understand, since the Bulgarians profess to claim Monastir as theirs by right, the enemy lias begun to use gas shells on what is left of the unfortunate population. The allies have been constantly developing their strength. Th e roads have been improved, and in February the Italians coming up from the Adriatic, joined hands with the French advancing through Albania from Fiorina to meet them. A continuous front from the Adriatic to the Aegean was thus made, and the flank of our army at Monastir ■was guarrenteed against trouble from bands of irregulars in enemy pay, -who were roaming about in those mountains Rest, reinforcement, and a general de- i velopmcnt and enlargement of its basis of operations have been the result of the pause which winter enforced upon our. Balkan army.

THE STOKES GUN,

THE MAN WHO MADE IT, Accounts of recent fighting on the British front have referred to the deadly work of our Stokes gun. A “sinister” weapon,” a special correspondent has called it. “It sends up into the air, like a group of lead pencils, a flight of bombs which sail down to their objective with deadly accuracy and a terrific explosive effect,” was his descrip tion of its action. The Times comnspbndent has written of the “corusca»tions of a hail of Stokes bombs. . . most awe-inspiring both in appearance and effect.” At the front the gun has been re- 1 garded for many months with increasing enthusiasm. Officers and men have said that it is by far the most effective phort-range weapon wc possess. A wounded soldier, wrote home; “Tell dad to let Mr. Stokes know that I saw the way his gun blew the Germans to blazes. They coudn’t srick it at any price. All you could hear was; ‘Bring up the Stokes guns and get them in action.’ The boys thought I was mad. for every time a Stokes shell burst .1 kept shouting, ‘Another one from Ockham.’ ”

Mr. William Stokes, the inventor of the gun, lives at Ockham, near Ripley, Surrey. Ho has said that had it not been for Mr. Lloyd George’s foresight his invention might have gone on the scrap-heap. Mr. Stokes is chairman and managing director of Ransomos and Rapier, engineers, Ipswich, with which firm he has been associated since ISB6 Ho is also chairman of the East An<dicau.Munitions Committee and a member.

of the Munitions Invention Department. He was formerly with the Great Western and Hull and Brausley railways. Asked how he came to invent the gun, Air. Stokes, a man of big build with a kind yet strong face, said: "A friend of mine came back from France and told me he was convinced that this war was a battle of wits, and that the side which could produce the most effective death-dealing machines would win. I am a peaceful man, and had never wished to invent, a gun that would do so much as lift an eyebrow, but this idea just came to mo after what my friend said. A good deal of experimenting, chiefly on my own ground at Ockham, ended in the production f tire present gun, the chief characteristics of which, are simplicity, lightness, and quickness in firing. 5 ’