MO FIGHTING

Evening Star, Issue 17957, 2 May 1922, Page 6

MO FIGHTING

THE RECENT WARFARE. • HEAVY DEATH ROLL. ('"APTURE OF FORBSTVnRG. L'ui'tlu>:- details of live recent, strike on. the Rami arc contained in South African newspapers just to hand. As indicating the heavy nature of the lighting which took place. ru official estimate issued on March IB of ilia disunities among the Union defence lorc.s, including South African police and special police, gave the killed as 21, died of wounds 24, wounded 251, sick 25, injured 2, and missing 5. A message from Johannesburg on tho same elate said:—--The struggle of tho revowas short ami .bitter. 'Hie reconstruction will bo a long and difficult task, am! one to which every man and woman in the country will have to give their heat efforts, irrespective of class or party. In regard to time, the duration of the different phases of the events of tho past two and a-half months are summarised as follows up to tho declaration of the strike being off as from to-day:—Seventy-six days of the, coal strike, 67 days of the gold strike, 11 days of general strike, 7 days of revolution. One of the; most sensational incidents of the military operations rendered necessary by the strike was the taking of Fordsbnrg, where, a strong party of rebels had installed themselves. A member of the Government forces thus describes tho engagement:—Wo had news of the ultimatum which had been given to tho revolutionaries at Forclaburg to surrender by 11 a.m. or to submit to the consequences of attack by tho concentrated forces of the Government. We also knew that all women and children, and also men “well disposed toward tho Government,” had been given the opportunity, by means of pamphlets dropped from aeroplanes, to evacuate the danger zone, and were camped at Langhiagte. We anxiously waited for tho Fateful .hour to approach. Ground signals for the aeroplanes were laid down, and the mounted men moved into position ready for the, advance. We were joined hero by tho 2nd Contingent from Potehefstroom. Down in the valley the school children from the Langhiagte School were playing around the school building ami watching in awesome wonder I lie strange- movements all around them. It was indeed a contrast between peace ami war. THE FIGHT BEGINS. Precisely at 11 o'clock the first boom of the artillery was hoard, ami wo knew that the light was ahead, ami Unit tho desperate men entrenched in Fordshurg were going to light to a finish, or at least were not in a mood for .surrender at that moment. Tho mounted men moved off, and we saw them winding away in long procession among the dumps ami the plantations of the mines. Along the ridge above other forces were already on tho aiert, ami then tho burgher units began to work down toward the objective. - Tho men were keen as mustard, all being imbued with Hie desire to “have a go" at tho revolutionaries who ha-d brought black death and red ruin to South Africa. A fine right IK- nigged men of the veldt prorented as (hey marched away, giving the biggest surprise to the Reds, who had been ted jo believe that Hie commandoes would not conic to the assistance of tho Government in Hie hour of need. When the dismounted men under Commandant (Irimbcek got down to business they did magnificent work, fighting their way through the snipers and other unknown dangers until they wore well up to the forts of tho rebels. The mounted men, too, showed up '.splendidly, shot at as lliev were from the enemy who were seen in the trees and other points of vantage. FIRST FRUITS OF VICTORY. Nothing could daunt tho gallantry of tho town and veld dwellers of the. western districts. The. first fruits of tho victory were recorded by Colonel Dudley's force, who reported shortly after 2 o’clock that ton men had come out of the Market Buildings with their hands up. This cheered the attackers, especially as, about tho same time. Commandant Grimbeek was able to report that lie had also secured a number of prisoners. It transpired subsequently that the first surrender.? were from a fort subsidiary to the main defence. Heavy sniping from the front met our men. but they held on. Captain Thompson had keen hit, Lieutenant Blignaut had been bowled over with a bad wound, and there wore other casualties on our side. An attempt was made to bring in Lieutenant Biignant, who lay in tho street; but tho dastardly brutes behind the sandbags put a volley in the Red Cross men, and bis immediate rescue was impossible. REIGN OF TERROR ENDS. It was not Inna ore it was generally known that tho Trades Hall had surrendered and the police released. It was the end of a reign of terror and brutality, and "it cams as a great relief to all engaged in the operations. Colonel God ley reported some 200 odd prisoner?, Colonel Meyer sent in about 70, and Commandant Grimbeek about the same, so that the (lay's haul was-close on 400, About 5..10 it was officially reported that/ the militaiy had handed over the occupu- I tion of Fordshurg and (Mayfair to the police, ! and the work of the day was at an end for tie- tired itimy of attackers. Sniping continued long after, and efforts were made to locate Hie would-be murderers, with the result, that some further captures were made. SCENE OF DESOLATION. The market buildings at Fordshurg, which were the stronghold of the local section of J Hie Red army, pit-cnied a scene of desolation. d'fd.ruclion, and confusion after tho light, wrote, a correspondent on March 14. The •■mn-ra! Mato of Um [dace is chaotic. Chairs have been smashed to matchwood, windows are broken, (lie roof is perforated by reason of the shrapnel showers which fell through it, while the lloors are littered with all sorts of refuse us well as articles of weai in:; apparel and empty bot tles. One portion of tho building, which was used as a bioscope hall, 'is in a deplorable •Mate of disorder, ( bails, bonis, and pieces of foodstuff's are strewn about tho floor, while under tho cinema stage are old beds and mattresses. On one side of the hall is a dispensing taolu, and were several article ; of medical stores, which had evidently been looted from chemists’ shops in tho neigiiliorliood of the fortress. Hero was a profuse array of antiseptics, field dressings, etc. ; and, judging by the bloodstained 'appearance of tho particular spot, it would appear that- the, hull was utilised as a dressing station. , BOMBS AND DETONATORS. On the same door was a well-equipped kitchen, which it was evident had served as/ tho commissariat as well. Bags of flour, tinned food, preserves, cheese, etc., were in abundance, and so far ns rations wero concerned the Reds were not in want, A small room on a top story, where tho ”be careful ” warning frequently rang out from the sentry on duty, contained a big store of bombs and detonators. The apartment was in an appalling state of disorder, and not far from tho door was a largo pool of blood, out of which, it was stated, one of the leading figures of the revolution had been removed dead. With tho, first entry of tho troops into this part of the premises it was discovered that bombs and detonators wero skilfully concealed under small pieces of paper cloth, these living arranged as a trap for tho unwary. On several staircases and in the hall wore barbed wire entanglements, which proved a formidable barrier for the attacking infantry J^gpfote*