THE BRITISH DRIVE

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3293, 16 July 1917, Page 2

THE BRITISH DRIVE

HOW IT WAS HELD UP AT

NIEUPORT

DETAILS OF A TERRIBLE FIGHT

IB* FLEOTKIC TELEOBArU—OOPYBIOnT.j l__6tralian-iS.Z. Cable -uwociation.j

London, July 13. Mr. Philip Gibbs telegraphs in regard to the heroic battle amongst the dunes at Nieuport:— The King's Royal Rifles and Northamptons made their last stand behind the Yser Canal. The bombardment early in the morning of the 10th was unexpected by the British, who only a short timo before had taken over the sector. The men were luxuriating in a position on the seashore. Some were in bathing when the attack opened from trenches, tunnels, concrete emplacements and breastworks between the cqast and Lombartzyde. The enemy began by putting a barrage down on the front line from many batteries of large howitzers. After an hour there was a pause. Then the wall of shells crossed the canal aud churned the sands for another hour. The alternation of steel between the front and support line continued during an interval of a quarter of an hour. ! Tho officers went down tho line telling the men they must fight to the death. The bridges were broken behind and there was no way of escape. It was impossible to get messages to the rear and practically impossible to' leave the dugouts and reconnoitre the situation. Eight aeroplanes overhead, fiyiug low, poured machine-gun firo on the Britisli. After twelve hours all the German batteries poured shells for three-quarters of an hour -without a pause. Then the first three waves of marines advanced with bombing parties, and heavily outnumbered tbe few scattered groups of tbe King's, Royal Rifles and Northamptons. They came on in crescent formation for an hotSr, trying to work around the flank of the King's Rifles and the other to --out.flank the Northamptons' A party of German machine-gunners crept along a line of sound mounds and, advancing at low tide, enfiladed the support lines. Another party attacked a tunnel which was tlie headquarters of tho King's Rifles. Two platoons of the King's Rifles fought almost to the last man, a- little group of five behind a sand-bank finally remaining. Meanwhile, the Northamptous were lighting des-icratelv. They sent a message to the Britishers at Lombartzyde to form a barrier to prevent the cnemv from coming through. The Northamptons had no chance of escape. The machine-guns were put out of- action and buried in the sand.

One gunner got a gun into action, but it became jammed. With a curse the wounded gunner flung it into the Yser. and jumping ,in himself, swam back towards the British lines. Another tried to drag him back to the canal with the hope of swimming back with him. ".Don't mind me," said the gunner, "smash my gun • get back there!". There was no time to discuss the matter, so the gun. was smashed. The Avounded man left was a sergeant in the Northamptons, who swam back and saw the end of a little group of officers who were surrbtmded by marine bombers. They fought to the last with revolvers. Meanwhile, on the banks of the canal Britishers too weak to swim and dripping with blood were trying to get back to the British lines. Some gallant fellow on the" Nieuport side swam with a rope, under 'heavy fire, and fixed it so that the surviving Northamptons would be able to drag themselves across. There were only a few of them, but enough to reconstruct the tragic tale.

The enemy did not reach the canal bank but dug themselves in 300 yards away.

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING

The Uuited Press Headquarters' correspondent telegraphs: Nothing in the war surpassed tlie iury of the lighting on the sand dunes. The British were taken at tremendous disadvantage, but fought to the last man, scarcely any survivors coming out unwounded. These escaped by swimming the Yser. The German bombardment began at 6 o'clock in the morning upon the front line, then lifted, deluging tho -support trenches and reservo positions all day. It reached its highest intensity at 3 in the afternoon. Droves of German aeroplanes came over, flying low,- ma-chine-gunning and directing tho artillery. Already the British had sucrcd severely. The remainder stuck to their posts, awaiting an attack. The battlefield became a maelstrom of smoke steel and flying sand. Tbe Germans barraged the front lines till the evening while.the marines charged. Hardly a British machine-gun was workable, being blocked with sand. Then ensued the bloodiest hand-to-hand battle with revolvers, bayonets and clubbed rifles, until practically none survived of the English lads. Tho reserves counter-attacked southward of Lombartzydc, retaking a section of trenches.

THE HAIG REPORT

ACTIVITIES' OF AVIATORS

London, July 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports: AYe drove off enemy parties westward of Queant aud carried out successful bombing operations against railway stations, hutments, and aerodromes; '

There was unceasing aerial activity on both sides all day long on Thursday. ~

The fighting was the severest since the commencement of the war and resulted greatly in our'favour.

There were continuous engagements between large formations. ; We brought down' 31 German machines. Nine of ours are missing. The enemy attacks on positions southward of Lombartzydc were repulsed. Various enemy raids were unsuccessful.