SPRAYED BRITISH WITH BLAZING OIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 285, 2 December 1915, Page 2

SPRAYED BRITISH WITH BLAZING OIL.

31O;-T SAVAGIO

MU.ANS -P/A! PLOY!■;.!>

Tho C;L!i:utiiH!:s in their n•.>■,«• pr-siii:*:^ ]i;-,vc- had two sliiV night Mtm-Us iUir-

ing the. past week, which they easily defeated with few casualties (writes v Canadian correspondent).. Officers who iiave been in the famous Hohenzollern Redoubt fighting tell me that it was the most tremendous hand-to-hand battle in history. The redoubt is an advanced oval-shaped work of steel and concrete, about 80 yards (ong. It has to the eastward a long :;ap cali.vi the "Big "Willie, which was tsil-uvn in the first assault and held firmly since, though, at some places the em-iiiy trenches are less than a dozen yards away. To the westward thc;\> is the "Little Willie," which up to >'indiiy had not boen completely eaioirod, although the Germans were sandwiched between our troops. The redoubt, according to the offiver I talked with, is commanded by reserve works of the Germans made along the slag piles. These appear, now, to have been pounded to pieces by the terrific British artillery fire. Although the battle has been wonderful, the officer says there is no question about the bravery of the garrison of the redoubt, most of whom vvero killed, though they employed the moat .savage scientific means yet used to prevent capture. Our.men were fighting for two days in an inferno of chlorine gas jets, 'which couldn't be located, star shells, and flaming oil jets, worked at great pressure by engines in the front. In the opinion of wounded officers, the British will be able to hold the Hohenzollern fort, the capture of which has been a severe blow to German pride, as it was the acme <jf German field works, and had been visited and named by the Kaiser only a few months ago. On other parts of the British line during the last two days there have been tremendous counterattacks with fresh German troops, but practically everywhere they have been hurled back. '