Show FRENCH FAILURE 11 ON TANKS TOLD RIOM France March 20 CD- CD Witnesses and defendants at the Riom trial agreed Friday that the French army w went nt to war with the Impression that tanks could not fight as independent units as they again attributed Frances France's lack of I preparedness to the army com com- mand General Marcel who commanded the first army corps which pivoted into Belgium to face the Germans testified Our doctrine was based on the idea that tanks could not fight alone that v t they could not advance advance advance ad ad- vance beyond the visible range of artillery Thus no provision was made to refuel tanks on the battlefield and French tanks sometimes ran out of gasoline and were captured he said Former Premier Edouard Dala- Dala dier one of five men being tried on charges of responsibility for Frances France's defeat interrupted to say Not one French tank had fuel for more than five hours which proves we did not have the idea of prolonged use of tanks beyond the visible range of artillery attorney amplified this saying The fault lay with the conception conception concep concep- tion of tank warfare as formulated formulated formulated formu formu- by the army command |