TANKS TRIED OUT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1943, Page 4

TANKS TRIED OUT

; IN TRAINING OPERATIONS 5 IN MANAWATU p INFANTRY TAKEN ACROSS ? RIVERS. 1 UNDER SIMULATED SHELLFIRE, t 1 Demonstrating the adaptability of • the tank in modern warfare, squadrons " of General Stuarts ferried troops across - the flooded and swift-flowing Otaki Ri- ’ ver. The river crossing was part of extensive manoeuvres in the southern ' Manawatu district which involve sev- ' eral thousand troops and a large ' amount of mechanised equipment. ' It was the first time' in this part of . the Dominion that tanks have been , used for the transport of infantry. As--3 suming that the opposite bank was t held by the enemy, the New Zealand commander sent forward troops with tanks in support. Roaring, lurching, with madly-churning tracks tearing up mud and gravel, the tanks moved into the river bed and lumbered forward ; under cover of an intense artillery bar2 rage to where the infantry lay con- \ cealed. Fully- equipped men scrambt led up the steel sides, and with turrets . barely showing auove gorse and lupin, - the tanks swept forward toward the f river. Hitting the water with a great splash, - the tanks began a lumbering, diagonal - passage across the 70-yard stream, 2 sinking until only the upper structure i showed above the surface. Amid ex- ? plosives bursting in the water to simu- ) late shell fire the tanks emerged on the r opposite bank, smoke candles were ■ thrown to screen the position, and the ! men leapt to the ground and ran for > cover. L ’ ! TROOPS TAKING PART. Taking part in the exercise were battalions of the Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Wellington-East ' Coast and Manawatu Mounted Rifles, field regiments and anti-tank batteries of New Zealand artillery, field companies of New Zealand Engineers and service companies of the New Zealand A.S.C. The manoeuvres concluded at the end of last week, and. divisional exercises are Jo begin later. In the second stage of the manoeuvres it was assumed that an enemy force had landed north of Otaki River, simultaneously with another Japanese landing further north. The objective of the enemy was to establish a defensive line on the Otaki River thus protecting the southern flank of his force advancing on Palmerston North and at the same time to provide the spearhead for a subsequent advance on. Wellington. The New Zealand forces for this stage of the exercises were concentrated in the Waikanae area and moved north to deal with the threat. The enemy’s first action was to seize and destroy bridges and communications and prepare' for the destruction of the New Zealand forces. ATTACK ON RIVER LINE. An attempt by the New Zealand force to cross the Otaki River at night failed and the commander found it necessary to stage a full-scale battle on February 10. This was preceded by an air reconnaissance and an aerial bombardment, and the infantry, a battalion of the Taranaki Regiment, was ferried across the river by General Stuart tanks. The advance of the tanks com.pelled the enemy, who had, only light armour, to withdraw hastily, and, the infantry of the New Zealand forces moved in and. consolidated their gains. Lurching through the river, with infantrymen clinging to the upper structures of their strange steeds, and turrets pivoting to bring guns to bear on distant targets, the tanks made a spectacular picture of. their dash through the stream. A tubular steel bridge was erected later by engineers, and light, motor transport was able to take up reinforcements and supplies to. the advanced forces. The troops taking part in these manoeuvres were those who. participated in the previous week’s exercises, j with the roles of attackers and defenders reversed. Illustrating the amount of equipment in use, it may be said that all. the motor transport on the move at once would occupy more than 100 miles of ~oad space.