The following letter was written by an infantry officer who took part in the battle of Cambrai, and addressed to a personal friend neither in nor connected with the Tank Corps, who, months later on, showed it to one who was. Not only did this letter come as a pleasant and gratifying surprise to all ranks of the Corps, for it was published as a “Battle Note,”[28] but it shows such an exceptionally clear insight into the value and possibilities of the tanks that, even for this reason alone, it is worth publishing. Who the writer was the Tank Corps never knew, but his sound judgment and kindly appreciation stimulated amongst his readers that high form of personal and collective pride which to soldiers is known as “esprit de corps.” It is on human documents such as these, rather than on orders and instructions, that the moral of an individual or a unit grows strong, and by growing strong places the entire Army one step nearer victory.
“I will first give you the opinion of one of my colonels. In three years of fighting on this front, I have met no battalion commander to equal him in power of leadership, rapidity of decision in an emergency, and personal magnetism. I have met no man who would judge so justly what an infantry soldier _can_ and _cannot_ do.
“He considers the tanks _invaluable_ if properly handled, either for the attack or in defence--but he realises, as I think we all do, that until Cambrai, the tactical knowledge shown in their employment was of the meanest order.
“One other valuable opinion I’ve obtained. We have now with the Battalion a subaltern, a man of about thirty--a very good soldier, a resolute, determined kind of fellow who has seen a good deal of fighting. He commanded a platoon in our --th Battalion in the big tank attack at Cambrai and was in the first wave of the attack throughout. He tells me that the tanks covering the advance of his battalion functioning under ideal weather and ground conditions, were handled with marked skill and enterprise in the capture of the first two objectives covering an advance of about 3,500 yards. The moral effect of the support given by tanks on the attacking infantry is _very great_. He says his men felt the utmost confidence in the tanks and were prepared to follow them anywhere. The effect of the advancing line of tanks on the enemy infantry was extraordinary. They made no attempt whatever to hold their trenches, and either bolted in mad panic or, abandoning their arms, rushed forward with hands uplifted to surrender. As long as the advance of the tanks continued, _i.e._, over the enemy trench system to a depth of from two to three miles, the total casualties incurred by our --th Battalion (attacking in the first wave) were four killed and five wounded, all by shell fire.