VIVID FIGHTING STORIES

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 107, 6 May 1916, Page 13

VIVID FIGHTING STORIES

THE "INTERNATIONAL" TRENCH. (FROM O'Jlt OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 24th March. The International Trench, north of the Yser-Comines Canal, again changed hands on 14th February and 2nd March; the Germans capturing it on the former date and being driven out on the latter. The British have issued no detailed account, and the following semi-official description of the fighting comes from Paris: — " After a violent artillery preparation the Germans managed to capture from our British Allies about 650yds of trench. An immediato counter-attack did not have the desired effect. For a fortnight our Allies' artillery held constantly under . their fire the captured lines and the German trenches in the rear, thus preventing the consolidation of tho ground gained. Great howitzers with brief intermission overwhelmed with shells the high bank situated along the canal called the Bluff, in which the Germans worked incessantly at mining operations. The intensity of the artillery fire increased on 28th and 29th February, and attained its utmost violence on Ist March from noon until 4 p.m. Storms of fire were then delivered, to which the enemy immediately replied with energy, believing that an infantry attack would shortly take place. But the attack did not come,.and the flurried Germans calmed down. "At 4.30 on 2nd March the English infantry suddenly emerged from their trenches. The grenadiers dashed ahead, smothering with bombs the surprised Germans, whose disorder was increased by the fact that the trench parties were just being relieved. In a few minutes the ground lost on 14th February had been recovered, the German line dangerously pushed in, and 254 prisoners, including five officers, captured. Tlie enemy remained the whole morning under this blow without counter-attack-ing, and it was not until midday that they began their reply in the form of an intense bombardment, carried out by fifty-one batteries. Four hours later appeared the wave of the. German assaulting column. Our British Allies prepared to receive it, when they noticed that the Germans took care to hurl their bombs several yards beyond the British trenches and then rushed forward with their hands up. Maybe the German artillerymen noticed their action. Anyhow, a storm of shells burst among the German infantry. The survivors flung themselves to the ground, and as rapidly as they could gained the English lines under the fire of their own batteries. This action was all the more significant because those men, who were all very young, belonged ■to a regiment which until then had fought with great bravery. At the end of the day the British counted in front of.the captured trenches more than 300 German corpses. The British losses were extremely light, and their entire gain was maintained. Thanks to its method and bravery, the British Army had won a fine success." HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. This redoubt, writes the Daily Chronicle's special correspondent at British Headquarters, has been the scene of many fierce conflicts. At about 5.45 p.m. on 2nd March, as the snow-laden sky was deepening into dusk, the German position was suddenly rent by a quick succession of volcanic eruptions, without the slighest preliminary warning. Whilst the thunderous echoes were reverberating down the wind the surrounding ground remained resonant with the avalanche of clods, sandbags, and such ghastly details as one shrinks from oven contemplating. Scarcely had the inferno expired upon the tremulous air when our infantry were straggling—it can be scarcely he otherwise described—across the smoking and evil-smelling honeycomb.. It was not very long before a counter-attack developed. As our preparations had contemplated this, the blending crash of crumps, whizz-bangs, pip squeaks, and rifle grenades speedily drew a still more deep-throated response. Throughout the whole night the struggle waxed and waned, but our men' never once gave ground. Go fierce had been the bombardment that the lips of the freshly formed craters were in many spots "blown level with the surrounding surface. Deeds of personal prowess and gallantry havo conferred a new lustre upon the ill-omened name of this spot. In the emphatic daclaraJacn of a. distin.' j Suished, officer ia t_zi_»j& &s principal

features of this gallant exploit, !' The men have been simply wonderful." Many instances are recorded in which German grenades were snatched up and hurled back at their senders.

DUKE LEADS MOTOR-CAR DASH,

The armoured cars action at Solium on 14th March under the Duke of Westminster was a very dashing affair. Aeroplane reconnaissance discovered early in the morning that the camp at Birwar was empty. The British War Office tells us that orders were at once given to push forward in pursuit "with reasonable boldness." The going was bad for the first eight miles. "After that, however, the cars then struck the Dernaroad, and the pace was increased, reaching nearly 40 miles an hour. The cars passed some hundreds of Bedouins flying westward, many of them being armed, but no notice was taken of them. The main camp was seen about a mile south of | the road, 25 miles west of Solium. Direction was immediately changed, and all but two of the cars advanced in line. These latter went about two miles further along the road before turning south, acting on a preconcerted plan. As the cars approached, one gun and two machine guns came into action. These were smartly handled by the enemy, but the whole gun teams were shot down while the cars were 400 yards away. The cars then- dashed into the camp. The hostile forces scattered in every direction, and the pursuit was carried on. After about ten miles there was danger of the petrol supply giving out. It. was found when the cars were again concentrated that all the enemy artillery had fallen into our hands. This amounted to three guns and nine machine guns, with 24 spare barrels, and some 40 revolvers and a large quantity of ammunition. Ninety-one prisoners, who formed part of shipwrecked crews who had landed on the Cyrenaiea coast and had been seized by the Senussi, were rescued. A very skilful little campaign has thus been brought to a successful conclusion by this action. In three weeks General Peyton's force has captured the hostile commander and kilted or captured quite 50 per cent, of the Turkish subordinate commanders, has driven the scattered remnant of his force far beyond the Egyptian border, and has taken all his artillery and machinegun's. During the operation the force has advanced 150 miles. The work of the infantry was rendered supremely arduous by lack of water, but all difficulties were met and overcome with splendid spirit. The previous report of ' Nnri's death has proved to be untrue. He was seen disappearing from the field of action on 14th March. . '* YEOMEN'S'FINE CHARGE. A stirring account of the brilliant charge of the Dorset Yeomanry against the Senussi at the Battle of Agagieh on 26th February is to hand. An officer who took part in. 'the fight sends home a letter in which he first describes how the Dorset Yeomanry were detached from the main body of the British forces in order to outflank the Senussi and cut off their retreat, and then he goes on: "Dismounting on a little ridge overlooking a valley, we could see all the Senussi retiring in long, straggling lines of men and camels. With two machineguns we gave them rapid fire, but they were between 1200 and 2000 yards off, and it was very difficult to observe the effect or to get the correct range, as the sun was- hot, and there was a lot of heat shimmer. Moving on again, we came into dismounted action at long range against a ridge held by the enemy with a considerable force and four machine-guns. "Then came the climax of the whole thing. Lieutenant-Colonel Souter got us on to our horses, and, advancing first in line of squadron columns and then iu line, we charged with drawn swords right across a wide, open valley against a ridge in front about a mile and a-half off. It was really a great show as tho Maxims on the ridge ploughed up the sand at our feet, and I really thought we were in for it, but the gunners must have got flurried or raised their sights, or something, as suddenly the lire seemed to lift and whistled over our heads. We charged with a yell over the crest of the little hill, and suddenly saw beyond us a wido valley full of the enemy running like mad. In less time than it _ takes to write we were among them sticking and slashing, and tho men went at it like furies. Most of our casualties happened then. Middleton (2nd Lieut.) got his man fair and square and then went down, shot through the body by a Senussi regular, who did not live to re- | peat the deed. Our casualties were heavy, but we have given the Senussi a real blow which will, I hope, shorten or end the show. Colonel . Souter led us I magnificently till his horse was shot."