TANK WARFARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1940, Page 5

TANK WARFARE

NEW METHODS DEVELOPED LIKE NAVAL OR AIR BATTLE. DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY MACHINES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, May 31. A general commanding a French mechanised division which held up the German advance southward from Sedan told a correspondent: “It is a new type of tank warfare and is like a naval or air battle. Our tanks engage the Germans nose to nose, manoeuvring' for a flank attack and firing shells at point-blank range. It’s all over in a few minutes and even tanks cannot last under such close-range fire, and they are destroyed or maimed or try to escape. The son of a well-known French general described how he destroyed 12 German tanks in 12 minutes. “Our heavy tanks went out to meet the Germans, and I separated from the bthers,” he said. “Suddenly 12 enemy tanks came towards me over a hill. The terrain prevented them from manoeuvring to outflank me, so we went ahead and knocked out one after another. Some caught fire and all were destroyed.” After the German mechanised forces had failed to break through the Germans threw two divisions of infantry against one French division, but the attacks repeatedly failed with heavy losses. French officers declared that many of the German infantrymen had only three months’ training. They threw down their arms right and left and they were entirely different material from the crack “Panzer” divisions. VENTURESOME GERMANS Two stories of happenings in this region illustrate the boldness of the Germans and also their obedience to orders. While the French were still holding Rethel a German policeman arrived alone and armed with a white baton and gloves and a Michelin guide. He said, “I nave come to direct the traffic here.”

Another German whom the French took prisoner was a sergeant who arrived at full speed on a motor-cycle, stopped a group of French, soldiers and calmly asked the way to a French town where he had been ordered to go.