ARMORED MOTOR-CARS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1916, Page 10

ARMORED MOTOR-CARS.

THRILLING DASH INTO ACTION. "GRIM MACHINES OF DEATH.'! EXPERIENCES OF AN AUSTRALIAN OFFICER. Mr. Robin Cuasen, »f Shepparton, wha two years ago left Australia for a holiday in England, arrived back in Melbourne a few days ago with the rank of an officer in the British Army. He also brought back with him vivid memories of some of the most thrilling incidents that have occurred during tae present war. Mr. Cuasen was present with the British f orces last May during the great and terrible gas attack upon the Allies' frsnt at Ypres. He saw men dying like flic; from the poisonous fumes. He himself '• "gassed," and in bed for four days in consequence, but he had the satisfaction before "going under" of helping to stem tho determined advance of the German host, and incidentally of making quite a respectable "bag" of Bodies on his own account. To account for his prcsenca at Ypres, it must be explained that ,Mr. Cussen offered his services to the War Office i» England immediately on the outbreak of war. For a short time he served as a despatch driver, but after a few weeks of this work he succeeded in obtaining an appointment in the Armored Car Division, which had just been formed at -the instigation of Mr. Winston Churchill. The unit was launched under the wing of the Navy, and, despite the fact that it all along was an arm of the cavalry, it remained under the direction aad control of the Admiralty until last September. It was then transferred to the Army aad re-christened the Motor Machine-gun Section. For over six months Mr. Cussen served on the western -fr«nt in command of a section of these armoured cars, during which period ho lived through a nightmare of carnage and death. He is disinclined to talk of his experiences. In view, however, of the local interest that is being taken in the manufacture of armored cars, he was induced by the Age to give a brief account of their work at the front. Mr Cussen explains that armored cars were originally employed with the cavalry, and did invaluable work ns patrols. Subsequently, hawevcr, it was ascertained that they could be used with equal success in connection with ordinary trench warfare. All the cavalry leaders spoke In the highest terms of their v«. hie, and us a result of representations to the authorities it was decided to increase the number of the machines, and to organise the unit on a definite basis. Mr. Cuasen went to Franeu with one of the first squadron of these armored cars. A squadron consists of twelve cars, and this unit is divided into sections of four cars each. There «re two types of cars —the heavy and the light. "The former is actually an armor-plated motor lorry, and mounts a gun firing explosive sheik. This machine has proved invaluable in locating and destroying maxim gun emplacements, and it might well be named the ''land destroyer." Mr. Cussen, however, found himself in charge of a Bection of four light cars, which carry a quickfirer in place of the gun carried by the heavy car. and are capable of attaining a speed of anything up to forty miles an hour. His unit was attached to the Ist Cavalry Division, and for three months the cars were carrying out the work of scouting patrols, making reconnaissance and exploring country too dangerous for the unprotected mounted man. One of their principal advantages, Mr. Cussen explains, is that thev can go where men could not live except for the protection afforded hv the ar-mor-plate. Each of these light cars carries a crew of three, comprising an officer or non-commissioned officer, the driver and a gunner.

"GASSED" AT YPRES. As an example of their usefulness, Mr. Cnssen described the work which he was able to accomplish with his section during a gas attack upon Ypres. This was in May last year. The Germans let loose dense clouds of poisonous fumes, which they followed up by a genqral attack on the Menin road. The British troops went through an agonising ordeal, and some of them were compelled to fall back. This presented the enemy with an opportunity of outflanking a force still holding its ground ia the trenches, and launching an attack from the rear. The danger of this move was early perceived by the British commanders, and as a counter move it was decided to out a section of armored cars to hold the line of communication. Mr. Cnssen. was in charge of one of these cars, and the ''run" through the enemy's lines was productive of a complete lifetime's thrills. Describing their experiences, Mr. Cuasen remarked: ''We drove up the road, and the first thing we saw were two men parrying what I thought was a stretched. We did not fire on them. Then we got into the thick of it, and.rifles and Maxim guns were pouring lead at us, hut it splashed off the cur like rain. A party of twelve Germans dashed for the cover of a wood as they saw us approaching, and then it was on,- turn. We killed seven of them with our Maxim before they could reach shelter. The enemy managed to put our Maxim gu n loader out of action and. as the petrol tank was shot through, we returned. During the trip we were ah] o to gather much useful information regarding the enemy's dispositions, as a result of which the commanders were able to rush up reinforcements, which saved the position on the right of the Menin road." On another occasion Mr. Cnssen was sent out to ascertain whether the enemy had occupied a certain trench. He had to try and draw their fire, and in this attempt he was so successful that b,e narrowly escaped meeting with disaster. The enemy indulged in some point-blank target practice with the armored car as their objective, and the machine came away with a good many spokes knocked out of the wheels, but, fortunately, the crew escaoed injury. On the return journey they raked the bushes with Maxim fire, and occasioned considerable damage to the Germans. It was discovered the same night, after a successful counter-attack by the British, that the gun crew had accounted for forty Gemiauß, who were found dead behind the bushes.

It was during this action that Lieutenant Cus«en drove a eaptala of the lancers three times through country riddled by the enemy's fire in order to establish communication with outlying trenches. The ear would be driven as near the trenches as possible, when the catitain would dash out and make for safety. The enemy tumbled to the game at the third attempt, and the plucky British officer was nearly "•winged." A miss, however, Is as good as a mile, and the captain lived to receive the distinguished service decoration for his bravery. It is hinted that' Lieutenant Cussen may be decorated, too. but he declines to say anything °fl &{» BWit«.