USE OF TANKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1940, Page 4

USE OF TANKS

GREAT WAR EXPERIENCES RECALLED

OPERATIONS IN SOMME AREA. FIRST APPEARANCE OF "LAND IRONCLADS.” An interesting account of personal experiences of the first day that tanks were used in the Great War of 19141918 was given at a well-attended meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club yesterday by Rotarian H. H. Daniell. "Since the knowledge of the use of gunpowder probably the two greatest matters affecting the conduct of warfare were the discovery of machineguns and the invention of the internal combustion engine,” stated Mr. Daniell. Both these inventions were derided at the start, but both finally made good. The machine-gun was the first arrival, and was laughed at because of the frequent breakdowns of the early types. It was not generally known that in the South African War the Boers had quite a number of these guns, but the continuous supply of ammunition was too big a problem for their effective use. This was the position today with machine-guns on aeroplanes, observed Mr. Daniell. In 1914 had the full potentialities of machine-guns been realised then there would have been no retreat from Mons. In a defensive position machine-guns were every bit as much value as artillery. By' 1916 things had developed practically to a stalemate on the Western Front. The internal combustion engine was doing its duty on the sea, more particularly in the U-boats, and to a limited extent in the air. Sometime in 1915 it was resolved to give it a try on land inside what became to be known as tanks.

“I had the honour to belong to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, and in September. 1916 this brigade, as part of the New Zealand Division, moved to the Somme area after strenuous training in Picardy,” stated Mr. Daniell. "We were due to make an attack on September 15, and learned on September 13 that we were to be accompanied by moving forts which were known as tanks. Those who had read Wells’s story of the ‘Land Ironclads’ were much elated, as according to that author all the infantry had to do was to gather in the prisoners that the 'lronclad’ had captured. Even the least optimistic people believed that the tanks would receive much of the shelling and machine-gun fire that would otherwise be reserved for the infantry. Our show was to start at 6.20 a.m.,” stated Mr. Daniell. • "The Wellington and Otago Battalion had to capture the fortifications guarding the village of Flers over a mile away. At 6.15 there was a pause in the artillery preparation, and a peep over the trenches showed practically no sign of the moments that were toward. At 6.20 everything changed. With a deafening scream our barrage opened, deafening in its roar, wonderful for its accuracy. At the same second the leading Wellington and Otago troops moved rapidly forward out of their trenches to be followed at their correct distances by the troops of the Rifle Brigade.” Mr. Daniell gave a graphic description of his experiences, and those of his men, under shell-fire, referring to the various strategies employed. Continuing, he stated: “During one bit of a lull we saw the first tank waddling over the rough going in a valiant endeavour to catch us up. It was like a fat puppy trying to hurry over a ploughed field. At one trench on top cf the ridge the Germans were in force, and held us up, but the tank sat on the trench and got into action. Mr. Daniell gave an account of the taking of the village of Flers, and concluded by stating that the tanks and the “Dinks” had made good.