eadnaughts. Speculation ran rife
as to their purpose. We were soon to see. Next morning as dawn was
breaking, "Stand to!" rang out. Waiting in our gun pits for the next
command, I heard the sound of an engine put-put-ing along the road,
something akin to that of a machine gun, but yet different.

I looked in the direction of the sound and presently there hove in sight
a colossal something of behemoth proportions;--something the like of
which I had never seen or heard of in all my life, and I was stricken
dumb with amazement. A monstrous monstrosity climbed its way without let
or hindrance, up, over, along and across every obstacle in its path.
Presently it reached the top of Pozieres Ridge; every man who could see
had his eyes glued on it. It came down the ridge at about five miles an
hour with two small guns peering out of each side. It was the first
tank! We all thought at first it was an armored car of some kind. Then
it swung off the road, crossing a ditch 8 feet wide and 17 deep and when
we saw it perform this stunt our faculties were for the moment
spellbound, and then we burst into uncontrollable cheering.

From all quarters of the valley soldiers were running to see the
absurdly strange sight; it was as if a general fire alarm had been
sounded, with everybody hastening to the scene of the conflagration.
Passing close by our battery, it paused for a while, and I had the
opportunity of giving it the once-over, and then it waddled on its way
again. In a few minutes two companion land boats made their debut
amongst us; up they went over the ridge, rolling down the German
barbed-wire entanglement as if it were so much thread and forcing huge
gaps for the Infantry to pass through, continuing their way placidly on
through the trenches of the Hun, flattening scores of German soldiers
under their bulk who were too awe-stricken to move.

Our Infantry then took up the beaten path, charging the enemy trenches,
and Fritz was an easy prey that morning.

Inside of half an hour after our tanks reached the lines of Fritz, the
prisoners in gray commenced to stream toward our lines; for a distance
of seven miles the road was jammed with captured Huns. Some of them
passing by our battery spoke to me in English, as good as, if not
better, than my own, and asked me what in hell was the meaning of waging
war in such fashion; they referred to the tank as Landfuerchtenichts. I
told them that was nothing to what was in store for them.