LONG-DISTANCE EXPLOIT BY CANADIAN CAVALRY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14448, 7 November 1917, Page 3

LONG-DISTANCE EXPLOIT BY CANADIAN CAVALRY.

Correspondents' Headquarters, France, August 20. Twenty -seven decorations have been awarded* the Canadian Cavalry Brigade l/for what is described as "the most suci'cessful long-distance raid" yet carried lout on the British 'front. Royal Canadian Dragoons, Strathcona Horse, and Fort Garrys all supplied parties. for the | raid. Well over one hundred men went j out on that early morning raid. Thirty - I five prisoners were taken, with one [officer equal to our rank of colonel. It is estimated' that quite two hundred Huns, were killed by our "artillery firt and the bombing of dug-outs as well as m hand-to-hand encounters ■ m ■ the German line.

The raid was timed for early morning, and punctually to the hour the threp parties went out under a heavy artillery I barrage concentrated on th© central position. Several long tubes filled with a terrific explosive called ammonal were carried ahead of the parties. Oh the Western front they have been affectionately nicknamed "Bangalore torpedoes" by the troops. These, men were, as soon as the barrage divided into two lines, instructed to blow up any Wire that remained. When the signal came back that the tubes were placed, two parties went over from different directions .of the signal from the colonel, who sat m an advanced position and directed operations by a. telephone wire, they rushed the trenches, taking the Hun by comolete'surprise. Thirty-six dug-outs were "bombed and set on fire.

The wire-blowing party found they had one long ammonal tunbe to spare, and this they stuck down the largest dug-out and exploded. The garrison of the first line was quickly captured or killed, and the Canadians made their way along the trenches, which they destroyed completely. Inside the Germa,n wire two other parties of the Fort Gnrrys successfully blocked each end to' prevent the enemy from enfilading the raiders.

About twenty of the raiders were slightly wounded and one officer on his way back, almost m our line, was hit m the head by a stray bullet and killed. Every one of our wounded were safely brought "home" before the Germans recovered their surprise.