SURPRISE ATTACK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12393, 10 August 1918, Page 9

SURPRISE ATTACK.

WEATHER FAVOURS ALLIES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, (Received August 10, noon.) LONDON, August 0. Mr Pereival Phillips writes:—Thanks n. llio almost' ceaseless Allied artillery, 'no enemy, Dir tlio most part, lias been unable to develop any formidable system ol defence, such as tre bad to overcome on the Homme in Mb and 'in I'landers in 1018. The consciousness of nis weakness was probably responsible or the recent withdrawals. The pro- . iminary bombardment consisted of three minutes of whilrwind lire on tlio Lout position. Then 1h t > hold guns and trench mortars began to lengthen out the creeping barrage, whilst tlio heavies continued to pound away at ■ c )'ots likely (o prove troublesome. A hundred tanks advanced with th 0 inlaiiiry waves, many crossing the Ave "uli gratilyiug ease. A largo number o Jow-llyjng aeroplanes participated l '.'G'.A hght broadened sufficiently, wedding a terrible bail of bombs. The macmne-'nin fire was so haay when the advance began that the gun flashes ° ton ?uyLsi| 9o fifty "yards disft uas just the weather for a- sutimse advance, which was uniformly vniud everywhere, except at Morbmceurt where the enemy’s positions were "ell fortified. The lighting there was continuous throughout the morning. UeJow the Somme men literally vanished into the log of war- It is difficult to piece together anything like a connected narrative, because" the fightinc lol.s away over a wide sweep of couiw tvy and becomes impossible to follow, hut prisoners are coming in in shoals, the trim condition of maiiv of them indicating that they have been overrun surrendering without a fight. „° no Keneral, referring to the"capture or guns, laughingly said it would fake days to count them. The swift surpnse of a drive on such a length of trout and of such a depth gave the enemy no time to got hi s batteries aua.L °r, even to destroy them. The m many places overran our artillery .s support, but this did not matter, because, in the first place, they bad advanced beyond where auv Dorman guns were posted, and secondly .'ce.uiso we find plenty of German gnus lo swing round and serve. Our own atteiies advanced with wonderful smartness. One instance was that a whole hold brigade got beyond the original front line and were in action twenty minutes after. Vie, were successful in getting two companies of Tanks across the "Luce liner, under rover of darkness, and they did invaluable work; in clearing what ;t was feared might prove a dilhcnlt situation, owing to the stronnBorman positions in Dodo AVood and the neighbouring high ground. Such casualties an the Tanks suffered were inflicted by gunfire from the south bank of the Homme. \Vo therefore, directed a converging attacking against UoisGressni.ro and Lhipilly, securing larm> hauls of prisoners and field-guns at both plnc.s. Our men speak of the wonderful efcclivcikws ol our barrage. The enemy machine-gun lire was less intense than "as anticipated, doubtless owing to the smothering of obse-rvaion bv the mist he prisoners are a good type of ,soL tier, .nit they are depressed at the nows of the Marne defeat.