HARD FIGHTING FOR THE BRITISH.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14145, 24 July 1916, Page 5

HARD FIGHTING FOR THE BRITISH.

ENEMY FLINGING IN LARGE

RESERVES

SCOTTISH HEROISM AT DEL-

VILLE

and N.Z. Cable Association.)

/T> • tT i no r - ■•-v (Received July 23, 5.0 p.m.) , London, July 22. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: The present stage of the advance is causing us very hard fighting for important positions on the high ground which mus be gained and held before new progress is possible over open country. ' The! euemy are gathering reserves' and' flinging them against us to check our onward movement at all costs. They have apparently brought up new batteries of the heaviest artillery, because their fire is increasing.

German prisoners reveal the grave J anxiety reigning behind the German' lines, where they do not minimise the ' greatness of our menace, and are straining every nerve to formidably irpH ;o+ ;+ res3 st ]t' On Thursday they lost many men

and valuable ground against both the French and the English. Early on Thursday morning, after a long bombardment, we attacked between Delville and High Woods, and westward of those positions. The enemy were in great strength, and maintained a strong defence. They suffered severely, being.forced to retreat in disorder upon some parts of the line.

_ Some Scottish soldiers had a bad time as they lay under a cross fire of great British and German shells from field batteries. We were firing twelve and fifteen inch shells, which went roaring through the air and exploded with vast earth-shaking crashes.

The attack was made before dawn on rising ground towards the high road which used to go across from High Wood to Delville Wood. Now there are no roads. Our bombardment has torn the earth into a series of deep craters. The Germans had to live in the dugouts here, built in great haste since July Ist. Our troops working round High Wood and in the centre met, advancing on the wood itself over fallen trees and the bodies of German dead, determined to get a hold on it during the day. They organised at strong points and captured the western side and all the southern part of the position iir which are situated Longueval and Delville. The woods on the northeast of that village have been very full of trouble for us ever since our Highland regiments took them on July 34th. Nevertheless, the Highlanders held on with dogged endurance for nearly « week, avd frustrated the enemy's efforts to recover the old

ground

The gallantry of the Highlanders was wonderful. Their first dash at Longueval was one of the finest exploits of the war. They were led by the pipers into the thick of the battle. One regiment advanced to the tune of "The Campbell's are coming." Then "The Campbells are coming." Then awful music to those who have the Highlanders against them.

With fixed bayonets they stormed the German trenches, where there were many machine gun emplacements. The dug-outs were so strong that no shell could smash them, but the Highlanders, flinging themselves in two's and three's, vaulted in where the enenerny were placed, scornful of all dan-

The Germans defended the position with 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 where some ranks of the Highlanders were lying down in fours. The casualties were heavy among officers and men, bitt the Highlanders held In.

The "Daily Telegraph's" Rotterdam correspondent Teports that within three weeks 340,000 Germans have been sent to .the West front, of whom 100^00 are fresh reserves, and the balance soldiers recovered from slight wounds. The German General Staff hold every other consideration subsidiary to holding the France and Flanders line, and are prepared to sacrifice not a little territory at certain points on the Eastern front if necessary and withdraw troops for the West front.