GALLANT TERRITORIALS

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13269, 26 August 1916, Page 5

GALLANT TERRITORIALS

FIERCE FIGHT AT THIEPYAL. GERMANS FHiHT TO THE DEATH. (Australian ami N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON. August 24. The following despatch from Mr Philip Gibbs, 4he war correspondent, has been published:—"The successful advance that has been made south of the Leipzic Redoubt was due mainly to the gallant work of the Territorials in attacking the maze of trenches on Friday. They carried them by assault, and linked up with the redoubt itself, thus getting a closer grip on the throat of the Thiepval garrison. It was A Grim Piece of Work quickly done, and there were few casualties. A large group of Germans who tried to escape plunged straight into the heavy fire of our guns and disappeared. Our bombardment caught the enemy during the relief, and thus there was a double garrison in the trench. An ex-waiter in the Savoy Hotel, in London, who was amongst the prisoners taken, declared that he was thoroughly sick of the war. He said he had just come from Verdun, which he declared was heaven compared with the Picardy batlefield. One of the most thrilling episodes of the attack occurred when the Warwickshire Regiment was blocked by a stream of machinegun fire. The men lay down and held on until our guns got to work. Suddenly the deadly fire ceased, and the white .flag appeared. Then-242 Ger-' mans emerged from their bomb-proof hiding places and surrendered. ■ At' other points the Germans defended themselves io the death* They came from dug-outs in swarms., The great I bombing conflict ended only when The last German was Dead. Meanwhile, in the centre, the English, Scots, and Australians were fighting for the German Switch line beyond Bazentin le Petit. On Tuesday the Australians gained a little more ground, pushing out the line north-east of the Mouquet Farm. The enemy's counter-

position gives a vantage-point from whence we can observe the enemy's movements down the slope, and rake him, and it gives us a direct observation point for gunfire. One of the immediate effects of our men occupying the Pozieres ridge was seen yesterday, when the artillery registered 23 direct hits on the enemy's batteries. Our gunners punished the enemy frightfully, sweeping the ground above Thiepval, Courcelette, and Martinpuich."