TANK IN WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1940, Page 9

TANK IN WAR

1 IMPORTANT ATTACKING WEAPON WORK OF ROYAL ARMOURED i CORPS. i One of the most important weapons I of offence in modern warfare is the ‘ tank. It is used chiefly for penetrat- • ing enemy territory, and it is equipped i with machine-guns for attacking in- ’ fantry and two-pounder anti-tank guns • to counter opposing tanks. Tanks are • the charge of the Royal Armoured : Corps, formed by a recent amalgamation of the cavalry and the Royal Tank Corps. The "Royal Armoured Corps has : three roles, two connected with the infantry and the third as an independent armoured division. Light tanks ■ and infantry tanks both play an important part in aiding the infantry. The former are used for reconnaissance, ; and are the “ground eyes’’ of the infantry. They are also called on to offer a measure of protection, and they are manned by a former divisional cavalry regiment. They can be accompanied by carriers, similar to the Bren gun-carrier, which carry four men who can be “dismounted.” Infantry tanks are essentially an offensive weapon. They carry ma-chine-guns—which remain the dominant weapon of the modern battlefield —and they are heavily armoured and capable of standing up to exceptionally heavy fire. In speed they are comparatively slow, so as not to outpace the infantry. Their main purpose is to assist the .nfantry to “get on” to its objective as quickly as possible. In their defensive .■ole they are valuable for counterattacking or dealing with hostile tanks which have penetrated a main position. The closest co-operation is necessarily required with the infantry. The armoured division of the Royal Armoured Corps works independently of the infantry. Their tanks are more lightly armoured and are much faster, and they form the modern counterpart of the old cavalry divisions. Their hitting power, speed, and radius of action are, of course, much greater. They are employed for counter-attack-ing covering the withdrawal of troops, and for exploiting advances. In army terms, when the infantry' has begun a 'break in,” the armoured divisions strive to convert it into a “break through.” I Generally speaking, tanks are not' looked on as “fortresses,” since if they remain stationary' it is only a matter jf time before they-are "neutralised” by artillery. Their deadliest enemies are the anti-tank guns and the antitank mines. In the normal way the most thorough anti-tank barricades can be negotiated after due attention has been paid them by artillery. One of the problems now exercising the minds of both Allied and German General Staffs is the best way of employing tanks in the fortified area of the Western Front. Germany, incidentally, specialised in fast, light tanks built mainly for a war in Eastern Europe. They were successful in Po- ; land, but their performance in the . West has yet to be seen. 1 High stamina is required in men operating tanks, for the physical and mental strain in battle is considerable. < Men also have to be skilled, and their ' normal period of training lasts about nine months. In addition to driving : and maintaining the tanks, the men must be able to use an anti-tank gun and operate wireless. Men in the Royal Armoured Corps are reported to : be an excellent type. Great initiative I is required of officers, who have to think quickly. 1 The majority of British tanks are operated by petrol engines, the same I i type in fact as are used by the London Passenger Transport Board for i London’s buses. Some tanks are I equipped with Diesel engines. i The British "cruising” tank weighs < about 17 tons, and a "heavy” about 25 1 tons. The weight of tanks is limited s by roading and bridging. It is no use building a gigantic tank if there are c no bridges to carry it.