ATTACK ON LONGUEVAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3254, 26 July 1916, Page 18

ATTACK ON LONGUEVAL.

LONDON, July 21. The Daily Mail’s correspondent in

France writes: “The German attack on Longueval was shrewdly conceived, and, had it proved successful, would have endangered the front where the French, and British meet. “ The enemy pretend that only one Ger man brigade was engaged, but French experts estimate that there were six divisions <sn a two and a-half mile front. Despite these tremendous odds and the exceptional German fury, the British magnificently withstood the attack.” July 22. Mr Philip Gibbs writes in the Daily Chronicle: “The present stage of advance is causing us very hard fighting for important positions on high ground, which must be gained and held before new progress can be made over the open country. The enemy are gathering reserves and flinging them against us to check our onward movement at all costs. They have

apparently brought new batteries of the heaviest description, because their fire is increasing. German prisoners reveal the fact that grave anxiety is reigning behind the German lines, where they do not minimise the greatness of our menace, and are straining every nerve to formidably resist it. On Thursday the enemy lost many men and valuable ground against both the Frdnch and British.

“ Early on Thursday morning, after a long bombardment, we attacked between Belville high woods and westward ol those positions. The enemy were in great strength and maintained a strong defence, but suffered severely, and were forced to retreat in disorder. Upon the Somme parts of the line some Scottish soldiers had a bad time. They lay under a crossfire from great British and German shells and field batteries. We were firing 12in and 15in guns, which, roaring through the air, exploded, and the vast earth was shaking at the crashes.

The attack was made before dawn on the rising ground towards the high road, which used to go across from the high wood to Belville Wood. Now there is no road. Our bombardment has torn the earth into a series of deep craters. The Germans had a line of dugouts here, built in great haste. Since July 1 our troops were working round the high wood, and in the centre they met. Advancng through the w r ood itself, over fallen trees, and the bodies of German dead, they determined to get on and hold, on during the day. They organised the strong points captured on the western side and all the southern part of the position situated at Longueval. Belville Wood, north-east of that village, has been very full of trouble for us since our Highland regiments took them on July 14. Nevertheless, the Highlanders held on’"with dogged endurance for nearly a week and frustrated the enemy's efforts to recover the old ground. “ Gallantly the Highlanders fought and wonderfully. Their first dash on Longueval was one of the finest exploits of the war. They were led by their pipers into the thick of the battle. One regiment advanced to the tune of ‘The Campbells Are Coming ’ then the pipes screamed the charge. It is moot awdul music to those who have the Highlanders against them. With fixed bayonets they stormed the German trenches, where many were concealed with machine gun emplacements in dugouts so strong that no shell could smash them; but the Highlanders, flinging themselves in tw r o and threes into the vaults 1 where the enemy were packed, were scornful of all danger. The Germans defended themselves with the most stubborn courage. “ The Highlanders dug trenches across the village. The enemy ‘ barraged ’ the village with progressive lines of heavy shells, yard by yard, but stopped short of where some ranks of Highlanders were lying down in fours. The casualties w-ere heavy among their officers and men, but the Highlanders held on.”

TERRITORIALS’ FINE RECORD. LONDON, July 21

Mr Philip Gibbs writes; In our offen-' sive the Territorials proved great soldiers, both in attack and resistance. The Queen’s Westminsters, the Quean Victoria’s Rifles, the London Rifle Brigade, the Rangers, and the London Scottish, advancing at Gommecourt, reached the German lines and captured a network of trenches with amazing speed. The enemy put in a “ barrage ” fire of high exp!osives> through which no Jiving thing could pass. The Londoners were caught in a death-trap, their escape being cut off. The “barrage” fire smashed our communication trenches, preventing any supports from reaching the men in the captured salient. Their comrades desperately attempted to send them ammunition. One party of 60, with hand gren ados, set out, but only three returned. The enemy organised a series of counterattacks, and some enemy parties ap preached the Londoners from a northern position, whence the enemy enfiladed them. The London Scottish, on the right, were holding a redoubt and building barricades, but ammunition grew scarce, and their supply of bombs was almost exhausted. Tire Londoners, however, gathered some German bombs, "but their position became uglier.

The men never lost heart, and an officer rallied sis good men, and ordered the others to retreat with the wounded and take their chance across “No Man's Land,” while he put up a last fight. He stuck to. the barricade until all but two were killed. He was the last to leave.

Gradually the Londoners withdrew under a great shell fire. Many wounded remained on the field, suffering great anguish for days. One officer, wounded in the leg, crawled about the -field for 12 hours before being rescued.

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS * REPULSED. AVIATORS’ WORK. PARIS, July 21. A/ communique states that the enemy late on Wednesday counter-attacked south of Soyecourt. The battalion which led the assault was caught in our curtain fire from mitrailleuses, and fell back in disorder with very heavy losses. The night was calm on both sides of the Somme. We repulsed with the bayonet a strong party of enemy raiders in the Chaulnes region. Our air squadrons the stations of Conflans, Mars la Tour, Brieulles, and Ham Junction with large projectiles. The fact that the Germans bombarded the

open towns of Baccarat and Luneville has been noted for reprisals.

FORMIDABLE ENEMY POSITIONS, PARIS, July 21.

The French operations south of Estrees were necessary to protect the right flank of the previous attacking front, which was constantly under strong German artillery fire, the special object of the Germans’ defence being to protect the bridgeheads at Eterpigny and Brue. The German positions between Estrees and Chaulnes and between Chaulnes and Roye are most formidable, the ground having been trans*. formed into veritable labyrinths.

PROGRESS NEAR FLEURY. ’ _ PARIS, July 23. A communique states: We progressed in the Fleury district.’ A communique states : Several minor German raids were repulsed at various points. Our air squadron thrice bombarded the Metz-Sablons station, and great damage was observed. RECENT FRENCH CAPTURES LONDON,'JuIy 22. The positions captured on the Vermandville/s line were of great strength. The French colonial battalions atttacked at some points so impetuously that they overran three lines of trenches without loss. Elsewhere they were less fortunate. The Soyecourfi labyrinth and Starwood were carried by assault. The village was surrounded on three sides,” and two whole •enemy companies were defending a re; doubt near Vermandvillers Farm. The colonials captured also a company belonging to a regiment brought from Verdun. Among the prisoners was an extraordinary jumble of Wurtemburgers, Saxons, Badeners, Bavarians, and Prussians, mostly between the ages of 17 and -20.

REALLY BRILLIANT WORK.

LONDON, July 21.

General Haig’s report shows that the British new position seriously "Threatens the German third line. Fouraux Wood is the highest ground on the sector. The ridge commands the German position, beyond where the country is less broken and less wooded. Latest accounts show that the French attacks yesterday were extraordinarily successful. Picked troops'were chosen to attack the German positions from the Hardecourt height to the river opposite Bandies. The attackers left the trenches at dawn, and by 9 had completed the task, which the staffs expected would occupy them for the entire day. A Ger r man counter-attack left the French masters of all the captured positions.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. AMSTERDAM, July 22. A German communique states: Yesterday a British attack from the Elies region by two strong divisions was repulsed. We counted 2000 bodies in front of our lines. An enemy’s str'ong attack by over 200,000 men on both banks of the Somme failed. The enemy captured only three kilometres of our front lines south of Hardecourt.

A German communique asserts that the Allies have abandoned tijieir great uniform attacks on the Somme after their defeat on the previous day. The communique claims that the Germans captured many prisoners when they cleared the British out near Foureaux Wood. THE PRUSSIAN GUARDS.. AMSTERDAM, July 21. The Kaiser, addressing the Prussian Guards in April on their transfer from the eastern front to the Cliampagne sector, said; “ The foe there is tougher, more resisting, more adroit, more versatile. He is defending his native soil with the resistance of despair; but it must he broken; He has prepared his soup, and now must snp it. I look-to you to see to it.” It is notable that all these regiments suffered heavily in the recent fighting.