GERMAN TANKS INFERIOR.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 May 1918, Page 7

GERMAN TANKS INFERIOR.

BRITISH MISTAKES REPEATED. London, May 3. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters says that there is little doubt that the new German tanks are proving a disappointment, developing various defects in actual service. Their ponderous weight makes manoeuvring on bad ground difficult, and they are generally much inferior to ours.

They more resemble the French heavy pattern than ours. They weigh 45 tons, and the highest speed attainable is ten miles an hour, but only for a short time, as the motors become over-heated. The protective qualities are poor, despite the weight. The armouring varies between twothirds of an inch and one and oneeighth inches, and armour-piercing rifle ammunition will perforate the hull anywhere. They are 23ft long, and the little conning-tower in which the driver sits is hinged, being so high that when the tank is entrained for transport it will not clear the bridges. Observation is very poor, as the ground is invisible from the interior for some distance ahead.

The armament consists of one 21m gun, and six heavy machine-guns, mounted on each side and astern, but the gun-ports are vulnerable. The crew consists of one officer and 18 oth. er ranks, so that the interior is packed like a sardine-tin. The Germans seem to be repeating all our initial mistakes, with a few of their own I added.