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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Tanks -> Taping the route
Post Info TOPIC: Taping the route
jagjetta


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Taping the route
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After reading several accounts of 301st Heavy Tank Bn officers "laying the tape" markings up to the starting line on September 29, 1918, I began to wonder just what this involved.   Was it some sort of cloth tape line laid on the ground or was it on wire posts? How exactly did one "lay the tape?"

 

John



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John A-G.
Hudson, WI USA
James H


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Have a look here, John.  http://www.britishpathe.com/video/ypres-reel-7/query/battle+of+ypres

6min 13sec in. From what I've read, this is pretty authentic (although there's plenty in the clip that isn't).



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jagjetta


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James: That is fantastic! Thank you so much. It appears it is a long strip of white cloth just hand dispersed on the ground.

Very cool video. Thank you.

John

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James H


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You're welcome. That seems to be how it was done. And it's the best film of an unditching beam in operation (although the crew climb on top of the tank to fit it, which the rear cab made unnecessary).



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Rectalgia


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Very informative, thanks James. Tapes were apparently used in all sorts of ways to co-ordinate and direct movement of men and machines - seem to have been very extensively used in the strictly time-tabled and very brief battle of le Hamel for instance, setting out starting points and even platoon-level "avenues of advance" (for want of a better term) IIRC. Used also to temporarily mark clearance lanes through minefields, still used in "demining" operations in abandoned minefields in fact. But first time I have seen WW1 (or any oher) deployment in action.

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