SUPERB GALLANTRY OF BRITISH ADVANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 159, 5 July 1916, Page 5

SUPERB GALLANTRY OF BRITISH ADVANCE.

UNFALTERING CHARGE THROUGH STORM OF SHOT AND SHELL NEW ZEALAND CORRESPONDENT'S STORY OF BATTLE. ENEMY POSITIONS RA2SED BY MARVELLOUS BOMBARDMENT. (Special from Mr-Malcolm Ross, New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) (Received 10.30 ajn.) BRITISH HEADQUARTERS, July 3. For some days now I have been privileged to witness the British offensive against very strong German positions north-west of Amiens. For several hours to-day I watched at close range some of the fiercest fighting a non-combatant could hope to see in this war, and was well within a complete circle of gunfire. About half-past six on Saturday morning the bombardment, which for the best part of the week had been heavy upon the German lines north and south of the Somme, increased to tremendous intensity. For an hour French and British guns drenched the German trenches with shell, the uproar becoming greater during the last quarter of an hour, when the trench mortars joined in. About half-past seven British infantry attacked along the Somme on a twentymile front. At the time of writing we know that the whole German front line has been carried by the British along the portion attacked. I saw the concluding phases of the fight for the woods behind the battered village of Fricourt, which had been absolutely razed by our marvellous initial bombardment, while close at hand on the left at the same time one saw a gallant attack by English troops upon La Boisellc. For superb gallantry I have seen nothing to equal this since the attack on Chunuk Bair. For hours our bombardment of the German trenches and the ruins of La Boiselle made the place a veritable inferno. What was the front German trench had become almost a level road, and our guns must not only have killed and wounded the Germans, but buried them as well. Hillsides that a few days ago were green meadows were now innocent of any blade of grass. They were bare brown earth. A small wood was no longer a wood; it was a veritable rubble heap, our guns having deluged the German area at La Boißelle with heavy high explosives, and added as a finishing touch many rounds of wicked shrapnel. Our infantry, with great gallantry, advanced to the attack. As they debouched from their trench machine guns opened on them, and a German barrage and shrapnel fire followed; but in spite of all this their attack was not stayed. Unfalteringly they made their way amidst a storm of shot and shell from the direction of Fricourt. We saw a whole company of German prisoners brought down by half a dozen Tommies. Others were bringing in prisoners in twos and threes. We actually saw Germans put up their hands in token of surrender, while with amazing sangfroid our men were in places walking about in the open. Stretcher-bearers did noble work with thrilling unconcern for their own safety. When I left the battlefield our position had made a considerable advance, but, having to return to the Anzacs, I did not see the final result. Many German prisoners were captured. The casualties amongst the British troops as yet are not severe. _ Anzac troops, who are not in this portion of the line, carried out during the last few days three successful raids in addition to those mentioned in previous telegrams. In the last raid, which involved some fierce fighting, eighty Germans were killed, while our losses were small.