GALLANT BRITISH ATTACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3566, 28 September 1916, Page 5

GALLANT BRITISH ATTACK.

STUBBORN" Bit WIRY SLCCIPI)"-

I? A JUS, Sept; 27

. At the c "nmonceni it oi the o lilo on: Monday iho Btit^J irlacLois mi-.s ed 500 yu> as oo^ oaa IVi -> .urn tJi<? cre#t boyojid Gir> 'i\ o^oilookin^ GueudecourL and i-.e^bocufs, n, the \ i] ley. and th< n came a bead in the liix towards tLn mui^li, vboio Jio ButiOi massed ab Li ivo ard Bodlcanx 'Wood-, throateninq; M<nal and Comblcs 'iho French gfii'icrd a u Ijo Pi'ez faim find tho-suburl>-. oi Kanoourt i;hich ilsu ovorlookod ( v>j ililes Kip mi " lot'o 1 oi: low hiill-

The German icsistancc was, ovny whoro determined, but the most dosporato fighting occurred at Lesboeivfs, M'orval, and Fregicourt. Tho British stilus at Bouleaux Wood had already inadc tho Movval R-oad useless, so thai, tho. road running through Fregicourt to Sailly i'ormoct the onl^-avemie for tho Gorman retreat after Lesboeui's was taken.

The Germans counter-attacked again

attacks in the -.■neighbourhood of Morval and Les Bceufs, with .^-v. ;-e r-noray losses.

We stormed the fort-ilioil village of aud again, but in the end wore forced to fall back on Si:illy. On seeing the Gei-ma-nsi running, the British, regardless'Of'.their own shell barrage, stormed tlyough the northern part of the village and well out beyond it. . .. • .

The defenders of Morval wore covered by a height called the "old telegraph hill,'' where the enemy had. erected a number of batteries with, machine gun ports and an extensive sj'Stem of wired trenches. This was "a tough morsel. '

The Briiieii rushed a formidable line of trenches, then ■ the '.veil-fortified sunken road, but it was three hours before tho western part was taken. Tho southern side of Morval' was-exposed to ah enfilading fire from Combles, increasing tho British ■'difficulties.

finally a mass attack at 5 o'clock shattered tho German resistance, and by 6 o'clock tho remnants of the defenders were fleeing round and albnjr the Sailly Road. ' ' • . '

Meanwhile the French, with less sensational incidents, iiad advanced east of Combles, though with equally fierce fighting. The Germans early ■ realised the hopelessness of the struggle, and while the French were attacking Ran- ■ court they hurriedly re-moved some of the many guns which.''were- defending ■Combles. ■ '„ ■■■ V; ■■:■'

The French met a most desperate resistance at &' farm between*'the Fregicourt -Itoad : and th c .'aiaiii • fead -.: to; Bapaume, which was strongly fortified with guns and machine guns. French artillery for days had vainly sought 'to demolish the defences of the farm. Once the infantry got inside, but they were forced back. Finally it became a matter of bayonets against a.'"'hail of lead from machine guns. Tho bayonets won, and by 4.30 in the afternoon on Monday tho German's were flung be--yoTid the Fregicourt Roa<l.

There was fighting in itho .sr.lnirbs of Combles all lught long, except in tbo narrow ravMio miming to \ho northeastward, v.-h;oh was everywhere under the fire of the Allied guns.

Combles was completely racirclod, and General For!) and Sir Douglas Rnig determined not to delay its capture.

• Rogardloss of the eonr.roto subterranean .shelters covering bombers, machine gun emplacements, o.nd an extraordinary tangle of barbed wire,* the British attacked the w<^st of the town, while the Frr:«.-h soizod tho comet^ry on the ea'^t. 6y nightfall the ivhole of Combles was capi,im.'d. the railway din-.ling the sei-iions falling io the British and tho French attacks.

Many of the garrison, on attempting k> escape, strayed into "Oin British rinos, and oihsr.^ were killed by the Allied hai rago.s Tho capture! oyns and ot'ocr booty havo not yet bcf-n counted.