STORMING OF LOOS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2581, 1 October 1915, Page 7

STORMING OF LOOS

GRAPHIC STORY OF BRITISH ATTACK KITCHENER'S i'BOYS" IN THE THICK OF IT A TREMENDOUS ORDEAL By TelesraDli—Press Association—Copyright (Reo. September 30, 9.45 p.m.) London, Septcm&er 29. Mr. Phillip Gibbs, the "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent in France, in a dispatch from the British headquarters, writes: "It ia now possiblo to give a clear story of the fighting. When our brigades disappeared into the smoke on Saturday they wore only able to send back brief messages about the soverity of the ordeal and tho greatness of tho success. Details are now available to prove that,the stroke was one of tho greatest of tho British achievements in this war. Many battalions of the new British army. were engaged, and acted splendidly. Tho boys were Tecently landed, and their first tremendous nbrvo test was in listening to tho iriienso bombardment, on Friday night. These new recruits were associated with the battle-scarred veterans, and leapt out of their trenches with a wild hurrah on Saturday morning. , , '"The attack on Loos, three miles and a half to tho eastward, reached tho first of the German trenches with slight casualties. They found that two lilies or tho enemy's'entanglements had disappeared under our bombardment. The third line was not cut. It was of the strongest wire, with great barbs—tho--. first formidable obstacle. They charged, shouting hoarsely, and encountered an enormous number of machine-guns, which were pouring out streams of lead from every part of the village. Ma-chme-guns were posted at the windows of houses, and in trenches which had ' been dug across the streets. Tlie Ge»mans crowded tho cellars, firing through apertures opening on tho street.

"Furtive Machine-guns. "There were hundreds of little sieges,-, where were small parties ,of Germans with machine-guns iu garrets, defending houses with the courage of despair, not yielding until the last man had been killed. One attack was hampered by machine-gun's, which were posted on top of mine cranes to a height of three-hun-dred feet. Another liundred machineguns were posted 111 a cemetery in the south-western suburbs. "Having tasted battle and bayoneted the Germans in two lines of trenches, the British, reckless of their lines, attacked the third lino'obstacles despeiatcly. They stood up under the' deadr I.V fire of the machine-guns, and forced their way 'through tile entanglements. One of the extraordinary, incidents "iA this grim scene was witnessed bv a company of' 1 Highlanders. Oliarging through the smoke-laden mists they encountered an unusually ,tall . German, stone dead, with a bullet in his brain, his face blackened with battle grime, : standing mysteriously erect He was not propped up, and the sight was so startling'and uncanny that the Highlanders, parted on either side, as though they had seen a spectre. On th.e crest of the tide, our soliiiers poured tlirough V the breach they had made and swarmed' forward for three-quarters of a mile, •and entered Loos."' ' "Undoubtedly the Germans were-sur-prised, and rapidly demoralised by tho sweeping strength of -the attack, and surrendered wholesale. A midget .Highlander appeared in . tho doorway, shot down three Germans, and the 'remaining thirty cried for mercy. In • some places tho resistance was orolonged, the rapid fire from the cellars causing heavy losses to the besiegers. Tho cellars are now full of dead, as tho result of bombing, parties flinging grenades from the head of the stairways'. "Tho Colonel of one of the first battalions to enter Loos established a. signal-station at- a convenient house. This soon was the target for tho German guns. Suspecting treachery, we searched the cellars, and found three Germans; later, we discovered an officer-in a deeper cellar, telephoning and direct- . ing the gunfire.: ] Tnis incident reveals the highest form of courage. A lucky shot would have meant the German's death, as well. as the British. , That German officer died bravely—a- supreme sacrifice. On to Hill 70. "Our battalions, -having ■' fought through Loos, struggled ahead towards"" Hill 70, a mile distant, on the rising ground, from where'tho Germans swept tho road with machine-guns and shrapnel. An incessant storm of iiro from the windows of cottages in Saint. Au-. guste, raked our approach. ' "Tho first of the British reached Hill 70 at 10 o]clock, and clung all day long, with heroic endurance. Fresh troops relieved them at 11 in the 'evening, carrying on the strugglo till Sunday, when the position was organised. • "Our advance continued with varying success.. Tho attack on Saturday northward towards Hulluch was another triumph for Kitchener's Army, who formed a good proportion of the troops engaged. The struggle hero was fierce. Wo advanced under a terrible firo after the first assault, which was. carried out swiftly. Then our machineguns were brought forward .rapidly in considerable numbers, and inflicted heavy losses, the *bayonets finishing the work. Hulluch Stormed. "Tho British stormed 1 forward for thrco miles, and reached the outskirts of.'Hulluch, which was bristling'! with, machine-guns. During the fiercest hand-to-hand fighting the Germans yielded ground wherever wo. engaged them closely, but the British were repeatedly swept back by tho tempest of bullets. This continued for two whole days. _ "Mud-caked lads, resting in the rear after tramping through the shambles of tho battlefields, looked proud and exultant, becauso they had led the great assault and broke the Germans' 'line in one of the hardest encounters ' ever' fought."-

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES NEW ZEALANDERS REPORTED. . By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright I Syrinoy, September 30. The S-ltli list of Dardanelles casual- ' ties includes tho names of tlie followin? New Zeaianders:—Corporal J.' A. Bracpy (apparently tho second Privates R. Wills (in hospital at Heliopolis), and R. M'Gregor. 111, Privates D L. Matlicson (in hospital at London), Driver J. B. Brown (in hospital at Alexandria). The following previously reported wounded, are now in hospital at London: Lance-Corporal 0. J. Campion, Corporal L. 11. C. lliggs, Private V. Dimoclc.

WHEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—CoiiyHqht London, Soptomber 29. Wheat.—The American visible supply of' wheat oast of tho Rockies is estimated at 29,559,000 bushels. ' Chicago December options, 93jc ,t<962 c; May option, 96J to 98Jo. ; ;

SYDNEY WOOL SALES. Sydney, September 29. Tho wool sales are more active, and there is a hardening tendency in the market for good wools, particularly ciossbreds, which are 10 to 15 per cent, jvbova a fotfiyght ago,