OPERATIONS AT YPRES.

Taihape Daily Times, 27 October 1917, Page 2

OPERATIONS AT YPRES.

GARRISON'S QUICK SURRENDER

The part played by the tanks in a minor operation of the Ypres front is described by a British correspondent at headquarters. Tanks co-operated in the action, he stated, and it was their

co-operation which made our success so absurdly easy —and it is not.asTf it were a mere nondescript bit of open country which we advanced over, for the ground taken, which was north and north-east of St. Julien, included a number of strong points among them being the Mont du Hibou and Tri-angle-Farm, botb of which were particularly formidable obstacles to our advance. At both these places—as well as at the point farther up known as the Cockcroft, which was also taken—the foundations and cellars of ?©]d farms or other clusters of buildings had been converted by the lavish use of ferro-conerc-te i'jito molly Vtrorig' fortresses.

The concrete is sometimes Bft. and upwards thick, and in the best form is strengthened with layers of iron rods of hairpin shape embedded, in tiT.j material. When a supply of rods of tile proper shape was not available the Germans made male of alll »sorts Kit strange makeshifts, like the frames of iron bedsteads, stoves; fenders, -vund similar articles of furniture, gathered among the the local ruins, all welded in the solid mass of one huge thickness of concrete. Though the results are formidable defensive works, they are also traps for their garrisons when our men came along. PRACTICAL TRIAL OF STRENGTH. The operation was practically a trial of strength between our movable landships and the stationary concrete forts, and the latter were hopelessly outmatched. The attack was largely a surprise and before the Germans knew any thing was happening each fort had one or two tanks sitting on its doorsteps. In several cases the mere sight of the monsters looking in at the windows was enough, and the garrison surrendered out of hand. In some cases they ' tried to get out by the back doors and run for it, and our machine gunners had their chance, but invariably this was when the tank called at the front door only. The presence of another tank behind was always enough to command discretion and prompt surrender. One tank got into trouble 200 yards before reaching its objective, so it made itself into a stationary fort also, and opened fire with all its guns when the Germans came pouring out and tried to run. Our infantry coining close behind dealt with them, went on to new conquests, just as marines from a real ship might do, or dismounted cavalry. Another j tf. k got behind its particular fort, and opened fire on the back door, but two shots were enough; the garrison come streaming out to surrender. Two other tanks went to indicated strong points and found them already deserted.

The infantry engaged in the attack had, as the casualties show, an easy job, and their chief business was to take over the; batches of prisoners surrendering to the tanks. In several of the forts the tank crews found the Germans just about to begin breakfast, and our men sat down and ate the meals gratefully. , This is by no means the first wdrk rendered by the tanks in this fighting on the Ypres front, though the ground here, from its nature, and more especially from its present wetness, is singularly ill adapted to the operations of the landships. Among the interesting things found on prisoners recently taken are two snapshot photographs of German dead being taken to the rear by light rail way. There are vbws of three truckloads, in each truck, which is a mere flat car without sides, the bodies are laid crosswasy, side by side, their heads at one edge and the feet protruding over the other. Thus laid side by side about a dozen bodies occupy the length. of a small truck. On two other trucks. which have frame side", they arc lashed together in bundles of four and laid longtiudinally. Tliey are very horrible to look at, being so tightly lashed face io face that the features of one are ground into the face of the other There is, of course, no evidence that the bodies are actully being taken, to corpse factories, but they are ccrtailny being taken somewhere by train, with efficers and men superintending the operation, and way the bodies are tied together is callous and inhuman almost beyond belief.