HAND TO HAND FIGHTING

Grey River Argus, 30 October 1916, Page 3

HAND TO HAND FIGHTING

A BVTTEIt EPISODE.

(Reed. October 29. Nt 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 28. Perevval Gibbon, the "Daily Mail s correspondent states: The hand-to-hand fighting in the gun-pits of the hazy trenches on Thursday was one of the liitterest episodes of the Sommc action. The attack was undertaken in. weather conditions which only tragic' heroism made possible for an advance. The British units went to the trenches the previous night i.i 4 soaking rain, ami there was seven degrees uf frost before the morning broke. Later on ll» rain melted the frost, aud the »ouVry wa s smothered', with a loalhsome^yellow paste. A barargo ad : vanced ahead of the attackers, and they were only half-way out of their quagmire of the trench when, they saw a German officer calling the defenders to mouiit the parapets, and •while our men floundered in the mud every German was firing a rifle. Wo took the German position by crawling and tumbling forward somehow, until the trench was captured. The dc. fenders were Bavarians who captured Vana in face of the magnificent French defence, and who had proved ■worthy foes, but who were no match for tlic British bayonets. The dead Germans now lie thick on the ground. But -for the miserable weather the British would have been before a great trench system similar to that guarding Lctransloy. ;