INDIAN FRONTIER FIGHTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 16

INDIAN FRONTIER FIGHTING.

THE TIRAH CAMPAIGN.

The first action in the Tirah campaign has been fought, and the enemy, numbering 6000, utterly defeated. Oa the morniug of October 18, Major-general Sir Power Paltner, commanding tha line of communications ; Brigadierg.?ueral Wcatrnacott, and Brigadier-gonsral Kempster, with their brigades, tho first and second of the second division, attacked Mareeksuk above the Chagru Kotal. The frontal attack was led by Gsneral Weslmicotfc, with tbe 3rd Gurkha?, supported by the King's Own Scottish Borderers, with the Northamptonshire Regiinanfc in reserve. The; attacked the heights commanding tbe Kotal on the left, wbich were very strongly held by a body of at least 6000 of the enimy. The attack was made under cover of fire of No. 9 Mountain Bittery, X.A , and No. 5 Bombay Mountain Bat tery. The ground was very steep, but tho flanking movements by General Kerapater'a brigade were carried out in excellent style and time. The enemy Itib the position just as the 3rd Gurkhas had reached tho foot of the crest within 200 yards of their sungars. The Ist Battalion 3rd Gurkhas advanced from position to position without the plighte-tt hesitation. They were led in splendid stylo by Captain V. A. Ocmsby and Captain Champ*iii, of General Kemp»ter'« Brigade.

About 3.30 iv the afternoon, after the retreating defenders of Darg<u had completely disappeared, sl large Ora-kzai-Afridi force, which bad assembled at. Khangarbur, on the Khanki Eiver, on 'bearing the firing, marched with, great rapidity, up the lateral valleys to the scene of operations,' and fell on our force," General Kempster'o column receiving the bcuhb ot the attack. Very severe, fighting occurred, but both native and British troops behaved splendidly and drove off- the entoi/, inO'ctiog heavy loss upon them, despite . the 1 difficult nature of the ground to be worked over. The. British casualties were : — Officers killed — Major Jennings-Bramly, Gordon Highlanders ; wounded — Lieutenant Pears. Scottish Uifles, temporarily attached to tho Gordons. British rank and file : — Killed— Oue private of the Borderers ; wounded — 16 privates of the Gordons and four priva'tfs, Borderers. Nativa ranks : — Killed — Private, 3rd Gurkhas, and three privates, 15th Sikhs ; wounded — 14 Gurkhas aud 13 Sikhs. Three dhoolie bearers were also wounded. The defences of several villages on the way were destroyed, aud the rear guard returned to camp at nearly midnight, after being under arms from early morning.

HOW THE GURKHAS FOUGHT.

Gimeral Westmacott fouud a sheer ascent of 2500 it. Tho Gurkhas were sent up as the first line after the brigade had been joined by the Northampton and No. 9 Bittery from Gnlistan. The Borderers were in the second line, and the Northampton^ in the third. The advance was up a steep, almost impracticable hillside, and the enemy on the summit opened heavy fire, but their first fire was lessened by the return .fire of Nos. 5 and 9 Mountain Batteries. After crossing a foot pathway, with a cheer drop of 1000 ft, a clear 300 j ards was found without cover before the summit could be reached. The Gurkhas fixed bayonets and proceeded to rqsh the position as far as the ground conditions would allow. . The Borderers meantime, who were under .heavy fire, covered with collected volleys. The enemy evacuated as the Gurkhas breasted the summit , and.jjrom the evidence of blood and corpses the tribesmen had lost heavily. The Gurkhas continued to pursue, while the Borderei's toak the position on the sumnut.and,village, At 12 o'clock general Westmacott reached the summit.

A GALLANT CHARGE

General YeatnaMi-Bifrgs's division moved cub, with Brigadier-general Kempster's brigade leading, to proceed as far as possible towards Kharappa. On arrival at Chagru Kotal they fouud the enemy in force, occupying Dargai Sir Ridge, the place of Monday's action (18th October), and also a large gathering on the heights of the succeeeding rangp, phowing white standards. At Dargai village the black standards of the Orakzii Kumber Khela were shown. General Kempster was directed to turn his position, and the three mountain batteries of the division were massed on Chagru Kotal to cover him. The 2nd Gurkha?, Dorset, and Derbys were detached to force the position by the same route as General Westmacott took ou Monday, the Gordons remaining on the knoll beneath to cover with long range volleys. The 3rd Sikhs acted as eecerb to the guns, with General Westmacott in reserve. The Gurkhas pushed on, and when they reachsd the foot of the zigzag path, where Major Jennings-Bramly was killed on the 18th October, the enemy opened fire on them. The massed batteries at once answered, aud the enemy withdrew behind their entrenchments. The Gurkhas crept up, firing company volleys, and covered the advance, and the Dorsets then, with three companies of Gurkhas, dashed for the foot of the main position, which, being a sheer cliff, gave cover. A zone of fire, with absolutely no cover for 150 yarr's, had to be crossed, and the "Gurkhas lost several before supporting them. The officer commanding found 7000 enemy threatening bis left flank. While he watched the flank the Dorsets attempted to support the advanced companies of the main assault, but the eaemy, completely hidden in the sungars on the cliff crest with the range marked down, received the head of each rush with so stubborn a fire that the movement was frustrated . Sd well entrenched were the enemy that the admirable practice by the bat-

teries did not dislodge them. Matters begxn to look serious at 12 30, when the pass was still urrturned, and the left threatened. General Kempo B tor then went to the front taking up the Gordons and the 3rd Sikhs. The infantry was massed in a dip of the spur before the fatal 200 yards, and the sun gleaming on 2000 naked bayonets waiting to make the rush was a grand spectacle. General Kempstcr helioed for three minutes, concentrated artillery (Ire before the advance, and at the signal 18 goes played upon the strongholds. ■ Then the leading company of the Gordons, led bjr the officers, broke over tho cover, and dashed into the open. Half of the ' leading company melted away, and the dust of the raining bullets almost bid the advance, bub magnificently they struggled on, and won tha cover of the Gurkhas. Tha next company followed, and then mixed regiments streamed to tbe attack. Under cover of the cliff they formed and caught their breath. Then steadily advancing they wound up to the Kotal summit?. The enemy, seeing them once through the fatal zone, retired rapidly bafore them, and by 3 o'clock the position* was completely turned. SOME EXTRA DB TAILS. A Pioneer telegram, dated Karappa, 22nd October, says : •• Ah 9 40, tha enemy opened five from the ridge, and at 10 a m. our guns opened fire, firing from Samsna Suk, at 3300 yards. They had the exact range, and their (•holla were bursting- jiut'over the crest. The enemy's fire was 'ov^r one" narrow zone, and Lieutenant Ding-well, of the Gordons, was nib on the revolver,' kuockivg him' down,' 'and then on the pouch, exploding the cartridges in ib, A third bullet went through bis coat, and-twica hit him on the knee — all within 50 yards. Major; Donovau, of tho Gordons, was also hit twice on the helmet, and Lieu-tenant Lamonfc was killed; at d Major M'Bean dangerously woundad. Aft 10 30 a.m. the infantry opened fire, and a few minutes later tbe 1-2 ad Gurkhas reached tha top of thn crest between Mama Khan and Dargai Ridge. Bsyond this the enemy's fire was most deadly, and a further advance till the artillery firo had greater effect was impossible Ab 11 45 a portion of the Gurkhas made a ru<h forward and lost nine men, and *t 12.40 the regiment turned westward to hold off a threatened fiiuk attaclr. Major ' Judge was killed and Captain Robinson mortally wounded at thi« juncture. Ab 2.15 the Donets attempted to advance. Lieutenant Hewitt led the section forward, and alone escaped being killed. All hhe mm were shot. At 230 every avaiUble qua opened fire on the ridge, and the Gordons were ordered up from Mum Khan, and told to try a rush after the guns had fired three minutes. Tbe Gordons' advaaoe was • magnificently effected with the pices playing, and their advance enabled tho men of other regiments to rush on, and at 3 p.m. the Gordons were at the foot of the cliff ready to advance up tbe path into the enemy's position."

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The following despatches are from lata San Francisco newspaper* : —

Simla, October 20.— Official advices from Fork Lockharfc s*y that after the fighting oql Mond&v last between the British troop? andeo General Yeatman Biggs and the, insurgent, tribesmen from Chsgra, op the Sana'ana. Range* the British fore« raturned to *net the tribesmen, greatly reinforced, repccusied( in force the heights wesL of Chagra. Accordiag ' to advices from Forfc Lo'ckhart,' tlietribeamaij having occupied Dorgai ridge, which com-; mauded Chargu, General Yeatman Bigg 3 «ent^ c. sccoud division thi'a moruing to dislodge them. Tha positioa was a very BfcroDg one, on the summit} of a precipitoua hill, reached only by a single path, along which the attacking force, consisting of tha Ghoorka Regulars and tha Dorsetshire Regiment, was obliged to climb in, Indian file, three batteries meanwhile shelling, the saugars. General Biggs's division adj vanced at daybreak by way of Chagru Kattl, with Brigadier-general KempateiJ'a brigade j leading. It; was ncady 10 o'clock when the enemy began a long-range fire. Three mountain batteries massed on Chagru Kn-tal replied, v while the Gordon Highlanders poshed through to support the first lino, firing volleys at louff range. The tribesmen reserved their fire untilthe Guoorkas reached the zigzag path under * perpendicular cliff where Major Jennings Bromley w*s killed on Monday in the fightinS between Bigg3's brigade and insurgent tribesmen from r Ghagier on the Samana runge._ Then British companies crossed the fire zone" off here at* a rush, sustaining heavy losses, while the remainder deployed to the left to intercept a flxnk attack threatened by some 7000 of the enemy from that direction. The Dorsetshire Regiment attempted to support the Ghoorka?, but were kept back by the enemy, who remained cx>l and reserved their fire untiltho British were well exposed. At 1 p.m. matters Looked serious, as the gun-fire, though: oi<Jed by a mountain battery frem Foct Gulistan; Jiad failed to dislodge the enemy. Gonerat Kempater thereupon went forward .in, per-; son, moving- up the ' Gorden Highlanders ' and the Third Sikh Regiment into fightiDg line. A systematic assault, was then organised, and 2000 msn wifch-fixed bayonetsstcod waiting for the order to advance.) Thn c minutes ' before the wor,d . of . command was given General Kesapster . tele-i graphed back instructions to the company to concentrate their fire. Bighteen pieces of artillery responded, and uuder cover of this fire tbe leading company of the Highlanders, amid perfect silence, rushed into the lice zone. H*lf the men droppsd, but the remainder pushed ! gallantly 03 uutil they reached cover, where the Ghoorkas and the rest of the force streamed after them, and the tribesmen, seeing that most I of the troops had passed the fire zone, fled up the hill an,d collected under cover of the cliffs. The Highlanders and mixed regiments, siter pausing a moment to take breath, again ad- , vanced to the assao.lt, and in 20 minutea tha position was won. The ridge was stormed at 3 o'clock. From noon until that hoar the tribesmen, sheltered in saugais, stood -a heavy bombardment, beating their drums, waving their standards, shouting deGance, and maintaining a hot fire on the advancing infantry. Captain Arnold, of the Dorsetshire Regiment, Lieutenant Bingwall, of the Gordon Highlanders, and Lientenant White, of the Sikhs, are amongst the British officers ssverely wounded in addition to those whose naaaes have already been cabled. Despatches from Kharappa say thatib is impossible to praise too highly tha conduct of the Gordon Highlanders at the storming of tha Dargfti Ridge, when Brigadier-general Xempatec realised fcbab the British gun-fire, aided by the mountain battery from Fort Gulistan, could nob dislodge the enemy, and "went forward in I person to move the Gordon Highlanders and the Third Sikhs into' fighting line for a systematic assault. Colonel Mathiaa," commander of the Gordon Highlanders addressed his men in this stirring appeal ;— "Men of the Gordon Highlanders, oar general says that the position must _ be taken at. all I costs. The Gordon Highlanders will take it." I The men gave a ringing cheer, and when tha ! advance sounded they bounded after their leader, the officers at tho head. When they cante down the slope after the successful charge tbav were spontaneously cheered by all the

other regiments. The Ghoorkas also behaved magnificently throughout the engagement. Captain Robinson, of the* Ghoorkas, acted with. the greatest gallantry. He led his men across the fire zone to cover. Finding the force there insufficient, he returned alone over the death trap. He was mortally wounded v. bile leading the second rush to support the first contingent. Many acts of heroism are repotted. Of the rank and file, the total casualties were 134. The Gordon Highlanders lost 29 in the rush through the line of fire.