RECAPTURE OF BRETONNEUX.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16210, 13 May 1918, Page 8

RECAPTURE OF BRETONNEUX.

DARING NIGHT ATTACK

AUSTRALIANS ENCIRCLE TOAYN

LONDON, May 1

Further news shows that the recapture of 'N il'ers-Bretonnctix was one cf the bravest deeds in the history of the Australians. These troops were recently relieved in this sector in order to rest in reserve. Under the enormous weight of attack in a gas-poisoned atmosphere the British anil French holding tho line were compelled to retiro.The Australians belong to a division in. eluding men from all States. It was a desperate task at a desperate moment, under conditions whicn none but great fighters would havo dared to face.

The Germans wore ill great strength, and they had plenty or winenweners and inaehinc-guus. The whole country stank with gas, but tiie Australians stumbled forward in their gas masks. There was just sufficient moonlight to see tho immediate objects.

It is reported that General Foeh said: "This indeed is a greater event than the loss of Kommel." Foch's view that every iucii of country Ix-fore Amiens must be held at any cost is now ungrudgingly accepted." It is the view of a strong commander, who is prepared to sell territory that is not vital in the north, provided the vital living line of the British and French bo not broken elsewhere.

The British headers were intensely relieved when ,Bretonneux was recaptured. Mr Lloyd George, talking to an Australian, said: "i'our men have clone magnificent things since they entered tho battle, but this is more. It ns superb soldiering." Leaders are not abashed at the prospect of fighting retirements west in tho north, but- the Amiens line must be held. ENEMT LOSSES HEAVY. Tho enemy had attached., great importance to the capture of Bretouueux. Five divisions, with units of a sixth, were identified on a front of four or live miles. The Australian counter was made by two forces converging on two sides of tho village, a third force pushing up behind in order to cloau up. The Australians to the south went with a rush to their ultimate objective, -which was tho original British positions. The northern attackers' task was harder, tho strength of the defence holding them up 000 yards from tho junction with tho southern force. After fighting all night -with an exposed flank, they fell back a short distance, and extemporised and held a defensive position till tho troops on the left, advancing, made contact, when the capture of the whole village was completed. Tho enemy losses were exceedingly heavy, and "it is likely that further numbers lie still on the south side of the village along tho railway line. Those who rcmnin here must eventually all cither bo killed or taken.

There was desperate and savage hand-to-hand fighting, lasting for hours, in the streets of Bretonneux and the roads in tlie vicinity, hut one Australian was better than many Germans at this kind of fighting. GERMANS' LAST STAND. As tho Australians fought their way into the town batches of Germans began to surrender. Then the Australfans forced back the remainder to a narrow strip along the railway line, whoro the en em}', with the advantage of raised embankments, fought defensively for hour after hour, but despite the excellent defensive position the Australians gradually and doggedly closed in, reducing the last enemy nests one by ono. Throughout the morning the enemv tried to push in reinforcements from Warfusee to the help of their hard-pressed Bretonneux garrison. These, efforts only increased his losses, none reaching the. Australian position, all being destroyed by rifle firo as they advanced. Our chief losses were among the troops counter-attacking on the south side, who were compelled to fight for hours with their flank and rear exposed. The casualties nowhere approached the enemy's. Besides the main attack the Germans mado subsidiary attacks on the Australian positions north of the Somme, about Sully. Two successive attacks, preceded by heavy bombardments, were repulsed with bloody losses. The captures include eieH field guns, four minenwerfer, and 21 machine-guns. The prisoners were much discouraged. They spoke bitterly of their hardships. They had had no rations for the last two days, and ate like wolves. BATTLE BETWEEN TANKS. The German tanks did not distinguish themselves. Five of them concentrated upon a single British "female" tank but on the arrival of tho "male" tans the quintetto made off. Two of our light tanks of a small mobile pattern did fearful execution amongst a fresh enemy division, which had not yet entered the battle since arriving from the Russian front. These tanks charged massed troops again and again, looking, on returning, as if they had been wallowing in a vast shambles. The battle took hours of the grimmest fighting, all tho more gruesome because the guns were temporarily silent, as the combatants were inextricably mixed. The Germans finally were driven out. and this important position, dominating Amiens, was restored to British hands. The enemy will certainly return to the assault cn this account, but he is here in a sharp and awkward salient formed by the confluence of tho Somme _ and AvrCj which at present is nothing but a slaughter-house for him. Mr Percival Phillips, correspondent of the "Daily Mail,'" says: The Bretonneux battlefield and streets and roads are covered with corpses. This hackneyed figure of expression is literally true. Australian officers bay that never have they seen the dead strewn so thickly in any battlefield in tho war.

GERMANS COMPLETELY SURPRISED. The battle possessed unusual interest, as Bretonneux is the last important town east of Amiens, its orderly planned streets rendering it peculiarly suitable for street fighting. Its houses included many ornate residences, chateaux, large mills, and a tivo-towered red churcl], surrounded by farms and undulating country. The AVost Yorks, Middlesaxes and East Lancashires defended the town against I the original German attack, which was successful owing to the gas and the morning mist. The counter-attack by the Australians, Berkshires, and_ Northampton was a complete surprise. It fell cn the enemy while he was busy preparing to renew the attack at daybreak. The Australians, quickly getting to work, created terror, the Germans sending up rockets and other signals of distress. After all-night fighting the battle continued in daylight, when the Germans were beaten. The Australians and Berkshires were carrying out a svstematic house-to-house search till middav, when the town was completely clearctf • A message from Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig to Genera] Birdwood asks him "to inform all ranks of the Australian Army Corps that he is fully aware of the gallant conduct and the magnificent achievement of tho Australians. He wished to than? them. The splendid service of the Ist Australian Division in the north had not escaped his notice, and tho com-mander-in-chief desired to include them in this expression of appreciation. The Victorians worked round the northern side of the village, whilst the composites worked from the south. It was a "lorious iunction. The men knew they had caught the garrison in | a solicitor, recently pro-

moted from the ranks, said: "The Ger- 1 man got windy immediately he saw he i was surrounded. The tanks worked i down the village street. It must have < been bad for the crews working in their gas-masks. Many Germans refused to emerge from the cellars, and • therefore it was necessary for bombs i to make a grisly mess of these 1 shelters." Others state that they never saw the boys fight more eagerly. They inflicted ' terrible losses. Daylight revealed the enemy dead thick. The Australians tako their honours modestly, insisting that the Germans did not fight. j SEEMED LIKE GALLIPOLI. | BOLD PLAN SUCCEEDS. I , "LONDON, May 3. J According to tho latest report, the, situation at Villers-Bretonnoux has been restored by a magnificent night 1 movement carried out mainly by Aus-1 , tralian troops. This village stands i ] cn the edge of the highland overlook- j , ing Amiens. Its capture was held by i the Germans to be an important stop ] towards tho capture of Amiens. The i ■ Australian troops were only involved m ( the flank of the heavy attack whereby the Germans occupied Villers-Breton- , neux yesterday. But last night, by r carrying out operations of almost tin- ■ heard-of difficulty a long advance was made from two separate points over 3000 or 4000 yards of unreconnoitred ' country, leaving the enemy machine- , guns in the rear of them to bo dealt with by troops who followed; After- , wards they carried the lines back to a point not far from that from which the Germans drove it in nearly 24 hours before. This operation was car-j ried out in dim moonlight. Some of j the Australians employed had been | marching since the morning, and when some of us heard of it yesterday we | 1 did not dream that it could bo a sue- j cess. The attackers had to leave in j the rear in the dark the town of, Villers-Bretonneux, in and beyond which the Germans had planted themselves with many machine-guns. Even German field-guns are reported to have been placed in position there, i.ot to speak of a German tank, -which is said to have got through during the morning. We do not know yet whether the field-guns and tank are really there, but the German infantry and machineguns were there and in the woods beyond the town. The operation seemed .more like one of the adventurous night attacks of Gallipoli than a scheme soberly attempted on- tho Western front. Yet this magnificent infantry carried out the plan almost to the letter. The ground was entirely new to most of them, and the possibilities of\ loaing their -way and becoming involved 5n most dangerous confusion were great. But the two forces held-on, despite heavy machine-gun fire from the Germans. in a position which was gradually left in tho rear until they converged and neared one another east of the town. The British further south advanced on the flank of the Australians, and reached their old positions. A counterattack this morning drove them in a few hundred yards, but thejr are believed fo bo practically in the same position which they planned to reach. Every half-hour long strings of prisoners, 20, 30. 60. 'or 100 at a time, are coming in from Villers-Breton-neux, whero thero are still more Germans. 'This morning into the Australian position well ahead of the Germans, were brought two German officers from a position in the rear of the Australians. They carried a document intimating to the commander of the British troops that he was surrounded by the sth Grenadier Regiment, who invited him to make his surrender, failing which he would be overwhelmed. This move appears to have been a pure piece of bluff on tho part of tho Germans, who almost certainly realised that they were now caught by our attack. All these Germans appear now to have been taken prisoners. WOUNDED IN LONDON. FLOWERS, KISSES, CHEERS. LONDON, May 4. Many men who were wounded at Vil-lers-Brentonneux are in hospital _ in; London. Hundreds of wjmen and girls gathered at Charing Cross when the | men arrived, and threw flowers into the j ambulances, blowing kisses, and cheer-; ing. The officers are fall of admira- j tion for the men's fighting. j It appears certain that the Anstra-j lians, including a Victorian brigade,; and a composite brigade, were called, on to counter-attack as soon as possible. Some marched tmther; from eleven o'clock in the morning until five in the afternoon. and_ then dug in and attacked at ten without artillery preparation. It was regard-j ed as a forlorn hope. Machine-gun j

bullets pattered like a hailstorm. Vetft* ■ ran officers state that they never saw r' i im.v thins in France equal to it, but the ' darkness prevented good marksman-' t shin, the shot flying overhead. Tlia : men did not know the ground, and trusted entirely to compasses, yet they marched as if on parade. The officetl t had no need to say a - ' i,