FRENCH VICTORY IN SOUCHEZ AREA.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6303, 2 October 1915, Page 3

FRENCH VICTORY IN SOUCHEZ AREA.

Desperate Fight in a Wood.

Paris, Oct I Router's correspondent says the Bodies bolted like lures into the wood. He saw French soldiers, who, the charges at Souchez said : Simultaneously with the order to advance we exploded seven mines, completing the destruction of trenches. We dashed in pursuit, hot on their heels. Some of our comrades stayed behind to explore the ravaged trenches and subterranean shelters, twenty feet deep. We threw iv bombs to prevent the occupants attacking us in the rear. Fast as the Germans ran we soon caught up and occupied the second line of trenches in the middle of the wood. Some crossed the Souchez brook and som3 went up the road towards Augre. The enemy brought up strong leserves and our officers recalled us to the first German trenches.

Tn the evening our artillery bombarded the wood. Its aspect was changed as by enchantment aud soon only tree slumps remained. Emerging from the jungle brauches we treated the German shrapnel philosophically because we wore steel helmets.

The next afternoon we re-attacked tho wood, stumbling over the fallen tranches. The German machine guns were most troublesome aud were almost invisible in stcei plated pits. We sheltered iv shell holes. Bombers crept in behind the tree stumps and kept up a rain of bombs aud soon drove out the Germans from the wood, which was ours for good.