Show British Ferret ferret Out Axis Arms Secrets Never Caught by Surprise b by y New Nelu Equipment CAIRO EGYPT The The accuracy with which British intelligence experts experts experts ex ex- have anticipated changes in designs of German military equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment long before the innovations appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear on the battlefield has been an important factor in their strategy The British knew all about the new Mark 1 VI tank 18 months before the ton 60 monsters appeared on the front This knowledge enabled Allied Allied Allied Al Al- lied commanders to reallocate their armor and tank anti-tank defenses so that when the test came the tigers achieved only nominal success Of the hundreds of variations of battle equipment introduced by the enemy Allied intelligence officers say none has caught them by sur sur- I prise To get this information they have risked and in some instances lost their lives An example of the lengths to which the British go to new armaments armaments armaments arma arma- ments secrets was provided just inside inside inside in in- side the Egyptian frontier when the first Mark IV tank fell into Allied hands The Germans desperately trying to keep the British from examining examining examining ex ex- it bombed the tank almost every foot of the vay way vay back to Cairo The tank was taken to Suez and placed on the deck of a liner for shipment to England That night the Germans bombed Suez shipping and hit the liner By daylight the ship was listing badly and enveloped in flames Port authorities were convinced the tank could not be saved but a young British officer Maj Davis Evans discovered a 30 ton crane assembled a volunteer crew and surmounted enormous difficulties difficulties difficulties dif dif- in engineering the crane to the ship side and lifting the tank onto a barge It got to shore safely |