SATURDAY'S FIGHTING.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14130, 5 July 1916, Page 5

SATURDAY'S FIGHTING.

A CONNECTED ACCOUNT

CAPTURE OF VILLAGES

j THRILLING DEEDS BY FAMOUS I REGIMENTS.

(Received July 4, 5.5 p;m.) London, July.3. Mr Philip Gibbs, the "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent, says it is now possible to give a clear account of the battle. Fricourt was partly surrounded on Saturday, and was taken by assault. On Sunday there was a German counter-attack. The prisoners tramped back in batches, weary and worn.

The attack at Montauban was our best success on Saturday. The troops, mainly Lancashire lads, supported by men from the Home Counties, advanced in splendid order straight for their objective. They swept over the Gerir.an trenches and took many prisoners without great loss. Their officers were anxious about the brisk field, which the Germans had filled with machine guns. The original intention was to pass it without an attempt to capture it, but it was found to have been utterly destroyed by the bombardment and was seized with comparative ease.

The men swept' on to the ruined village of Montauban, despite a spasmodic machine gun fire from the

broken houses. Many Germans who were hiding in dug-outs and cellars came into the open and surrendered. Others were so cowed that they fell on their knees and piteously begged for mercy. The counter-attack came in close order, rank after rank advancing over their dead and wounded comrades. Only a few entered our trenches, and those were killed.

! Some of the Gordon Highlanders suf- | fered heavily in the taking of Mametz. : They were advancing in the open with i sloped arms, because, there was not a ■ rifle shot from the broken trenches, Swhen suddenly a machine gun fired 5 point blank .and caught the Gordons ' in the face. ' . . 1

CABLE"'' NEWS.

[ Press Association —Cop tri ght . 1

The men, at the double, dashed forward amid a hail of bullets. Many dropped, but Mamctz was taken with the bayonet and held.

Despite the enormous bombardix ent, some of the machine gun entrenchments were so strongly built, with steel girders and concrete covers, that they defied the high explosives. Inside were Germans still defiant, vho worked machine guns' until they were bombed to death, refusing to siurender or escape. . The hardest fighting was at Commecourt, where the German salient was most difficult to assault owing to its formidable defences.. Our progress hero was small.

Our attacks were more fortixnate at Anthiule, Ovillers and La Boiselle, where we gained ground at great loss to the enemy and many casualties-to

ourselves

The advance from La Boiselle to Contalinaison was a memorable business The Britishers' engaged were hard, tough dare-devils. They went forward cheering, Tyneside pipers-playing. The Tynesiders passed on with fixed bayonets at tlio parade step, and took the first line of trenches, which were blown into a dust heap.

They rushed to the second line, where some of the defenders were still alive and were bombed out.

Then they dashed to the third line, which was still held by machine guns.

The German bombardment then became intense, and high explosives, shrapnel and trench mortars ploughed the ground.

The Royal Scots charged with the bayonet at a body of Germans, other battalions capturing batches who had no stomach for the fight.

The Dorsets, Manchester, Borderers and the Highland" Light Infantry had hard fighting in the neighbourhood of Anthiule. They easily captured the front line, hut were engaged in battle with bombs by a large body of Germans, whose resistance was finally broken with the bayonet.

The struggle at Thiepval was particularly fierce. The first of the British went through the village without clearing the dug-oiyts, and the enemy came out and machine gunned the British rear.

Other battalions at Thiepval had a terrible ordeal in clearing the dugouts, which were thirty feet below the ground, and having trap doors leading to still lower chambers. They w Tere elaborately furnished, and ■nell stocked with wine and beer.

Meanwhile big fighting was proceeding at Fricourt, where the north countrymen had a great ordeal of fire. The German garrison maintained the stoutest resistance, and held out until Sunday morning, although practically sxirrounded. Finally one body of troops fought its way to the north of Fricourt and another to the south side, getting the village as in a pair of tongs. The Germans came up with their hands up.

Countless incidents demonstrate that the fever of victorious fighting has brought enthusiasm to white heat in all

ranks,