Mk II Male Lusitania - Arras 1917 - Page 3 - BIENVENUE SUR LE FORUM DE MINITRACKS

Citation :

TANK WARFARE
(…) would undoubtedly have collapsed, and Germany would
have been defeated—in April 1917.
But, alas, the light tanks were still in the experi-
mental'stage in English factories, and the war was to
drag on its terrible course for another nineteen months
of bloodshed and destruction.
The Mark II.'s put up some wonderful fights, the most
interesting being the Bank Holiday cruise of the Lusitania,
commanded by Lieutenant Weber.
When zero hour came, this officer was in a state of
great anxiety, for his tank developed trouble in the
secondary gears. The crew grimly set about trying to
repair it, and after a three hours' struggle the good ship
Lusitania was ready to put out to battle. No sooner
had they started than an urgent message came from an
infantry colonel: "A machine gun is holding us up.
Please investigate." The tank crawled slowly towards
the stubborn machine-gun position, .opened out with
6-pounders, and soon silenced its spiteful chatter.
Then the infantry went forward with their new friend,
following so closely that when the tank ploughed through
the wire, and poked its wicked nose over the German
parapet, it could not treat the trench to a dose of
6-pounder medicine for fear of hitting our own troops.
But the remedy was not necessary, for the Germans,
thoroughly scared at the sight of a 6-pounder gun wag-
gling about in threatening fashion over their heads,
threw up their hands and surrendered forthwith.
The Lusitania then steered along the railway, treating
a stronghold known as the Feuchy Redoubt to broadsides
of 6-pounders and Lewis guns. Here the enemy decided
not to wait for the tank's call, and quitting the redoubt,
went to earth in a dug-out near a railway arch.
This only made the Lusitania more determined. It
made for the arch, but was so keen on the chase that the
52

- CRUISE OF THE " LUSITANIA "
commander overshot the mark and ran into our own
barrage. Shells were falling thickly, and in a few minutes
a British shell would probably have put an end to a
British tank, so hastily it turned round and ambled
back again until it came in touch with the advancing
infantry. Then returning once more, it stood patiently
by whilst the bombers ferreted the Germans out of their
burrow.
A high bank came next, but the Lusitania had become
so hot with its exertions that it refused to take the steep
slope.
Lieutenant Weber decided to stop his vessel and give
the engine a chance to cool down. Hardly had he heaved-
to than the crew flopped down to sleep, completely
drowsed by petrol and cordite fumes, tired out with lack
of rest, and enervated by the great heat.
When the engine became cooler, and the sleepers were
aroused, the Lusitania clambered up the slope and,
putting on speed, plunged into battle once more. Passing
the infantry, it battered its way through more barbed
wire and, blazing away with its guns, chased the enemy
from another redoubt and rounded up two troublesome
snipers.
A little later on in the day came another S.O.S. from
the infantry. Once more the Lusitania cruised up to an
enemy trench and swiftly settled accounts with two
machine guns. But by this time the battle-scarred ship
was growing weary, petrol was running low, the magneto
failed to function, and the tank came to its journey's end.
This did not dishearten the crew, for they still fired
away incessantly, causing heavy losses in the German
ranks.
Darkness came and they were still stranded; the engine
could not be coaxed back to life. Against the steel sides
the German bullets pattered like hail. Switching on their
53

TANK WARFARE
small cabin lights the crew strained again and again at
the heavy starting handle, but without result The
Germans redoubled their fire, aiming at the loopholes and
chinks, through which the light gleamed treacherously.
Soon the splash from their bullets became so un-
comfortable that all lights were switched off. It was
9.30 p.m.; for twelve long hours the Lusitania had been
cruising in troubled waters. Its petrol tanks being
almost dry. Lieutenant Weber decided to abandon ship
and return to our lines. But first of all it was necessary
to find out where our lines were. The gallant skipper
did not know if he was entirely surrounded or if the
Germans were only immediately in front of him.
Sergeant Latham volunteered to spy out the land
Earlier in the day this sergeant had shown himself to be
a man of great courage. Barbed wire, becoming en-
tangled in the tracks, had dragged the camouflage net
over the outlet of the exhaust, and in a few seconds the
whole net was blazing fiercely. Without waiting for
orders, Sergeant Latham got out of the tank, climbed on
top under heavy machine-gun fire, and managed to throw
the burning mass overboard.
Now, creeping out of the sponson door, he crawled
warily mto the darkness. Over his head British and
German bullets sped their different ways. He came at
length to a trench and, listening anxiously, heard the
welcome sound of English voices.
Softly he called, waited for a reply, and then clambered
quickly over the parapet. The troops in the trench were
astonished; they had only just taken over, and had not
been informed about the tank out in front. Sergeant
Latham told them to fire high, as the tank crew would be
coming m shortly. If the sergeant had not managed to
give a warning most probably they would have been
mistaken for German raiders and shot dead.
54

AHEAD OF THE BARRAGE
Next day, still keen on getting his landship safely
back, Lieutenant Weber obtained a new magneto and
set out with some of his crew.
On their way they met a battery commander, who
eagerly questioned them about the derelict. Not know-
ing about the Lusitania, he had been heavily shelling that
part of the front, and having made a direct hit on it,
realized too late that it was a tank. He was much
relieved to hear that the crew was not inside.
Thus perished the Lusitania after an exciting and
memorable maiden voyage. The commander and crew
had done their best to avenge the foul torpedoing of their
illustrious namesake,* and for their strenuous and gallant
efforts Lieutenant Weber was awarded the Military Cross,
and Sergeant Latham the Military Medal.
April 9, 1917, is memorable, moreover, for something
even more important than the Lusitania's adventures.
Eleven tanks, operating with the Fifth Army, were due
to attack Bullecourt on nth April, but on 9th April it
was suddenly suggested that the tanks should go over
without a preliminary bombardment. Only when they
reached the German front line would the barrage come
down to protect the advancing troops. This idea of a
surprise attack without a warning bombardment, with
tanks concentrated on a narrow front instead of being
scattered in pairs over a wide front, was the first attempt
to introduce those tactics which afterwards surprised and
overwhelmed the German armies. It is a landmark in
the story of tank warfare.
The attack was fixed for the morning of the loth April,
but on their way to their starting-points the tanks ran
* The giant Cunard liner, Lusitania, was sunk by a German
submarine off the Irish coast on May 7, 1915, with a loss of i,X98
lives, including 124 Americans. This atrocity aroused the horror
of the civilized world.