STORMING OF CRAMERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 22 May 1916, Page 5

STORMING OF CRAMERS

VIVID ACCOUNT ASSAULT BY LANCASHIRES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Ree. May 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, May 10. N Mr. Philip Gibbs, the war correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle," gives a vivid account of the storming of th« Vimy craters, cabled, on May 17. TUieso were the scene of the desperate assiiults at La Folie Farm (between Neuville St. Vaast and Vimy), in 1915, when Lord French just failed to capture the saddle dominating the plain. The loss of every yard hero is important, because it gives a wider field to German observation. The new held machine guns fire and the assault were so successful that they gained even more than the 250 yards claimed in the official dispatch; H was really 360 yards. ; The Lancashires' prime objective was a series of craters forming a formidable outpost manned with machine guns. For a fortnight we drove elaborate mine galleries, and put in huge charges of explosives. One group of mines was exploded under the -craters. There was a ter. rific roar, burying the machine guns. Then there was a second wild upheaval. Immediately two lieutenants sprang out of tho trenches. The Lancashires followed with working parties, carrying sandhags and entrenching tools. , The Germans were in utter confusion. Tho explosions killed and mangled many. Tho cheers of the attackers and the flood of scarlet light from tho flares flung skywards, which mingled t with the green rockets which tho Germans sent up as signals of distress, added to the horror. But it was too lato to stop the attackers. Tho lieutenants were killed and non-coms, tool; over command. Two hours later the whole chain of craters were held.

The screams of the buried and mutilated Germans ivere so terrible that they affected the British to such an extent that in the heat of the fight the British cried, "Wo will cease fire if you will, in order to lot you recover your wounded." Tha cry was repeated, the British waiting in eilcnce. The Germans answered with a 6hnwer of bombs,

Fighting of a. most bitter nature continued all night, the imprisoned Germans continuing to. scream for help. By daybreak the had properly dug themselves in', and communication trenches had been established. There havo boon most serious counter-attacks eincc, and the Germans rccaptured at least one crater, but wo secured an important apex, which wc are determined to hold. »