INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2816, 6 July 1916, Page 5

INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE

■ MR. PHILIP JJIBBSTS DISPATCH HEROIC SIDELIGHTS (Rec. July 5, 8.25 p.m.) London, July i. Mr. Philip Gibbs, writing to tha "Daily Cliroaiolo," says:—"We are slow, ly anil steadily gaining ground. Oui progress since Saturday is seen in the. elevation of our shell fire. The German guns are also retiring in order to escape capture or direct hits, proving that wo aro pressing tho enemy hard. Ho has been unable to bring up his supports to secure his defence." Describing a visit to u portion of the battlefield, the writer says:—"The great bombardment of shrapnel was still raging at I'ricpurt. Tho enemy was shelling the captured places, while our guns were putting a heavy barrage upon our positions, and our batteries were firing singlo rounds of salvos in tho direction of Contalmaison, all concentrating upon tho enemy's lines I'ricourt, ilamotz Wood, and La Boiselle. Tho shells l'row tho henvy guns were screaming overhead, and the field batteries were (iring rapidly and continuously. Our guns had the mastery. The infantry had something behind them, and it wasn't all ilesh and blood against great engines, as in tho earlier days of tho war. Tho enemy roplied chiefly about La Boiselle, and though his fire was nothing like our bombardment, it was heavy enough to increase .-.tho cost we had to pay for our progress. Wo oould see our men moving up in a quiet ana leisurely way, the shells winning and rending. tho air above the heads of those who were occupied in layiug telephones over the newly-captured ground. IJp at La Boisello tho shelling was still intense, but our troops already surrounded part of tho position, and after the concentration of our fire they advanced and captured about 250 of ttu)

enemy who had stayed in their dug-outs while our shells smashed the ground. A Human Touch. "A German doctor, a giant man of groat heart, attended their wounds until tho bombardment was such that noiic could live there. Ho carried the wounded to the dug-outs, and stayed there, expecting death. 'Wj-en the English soldiers came, lie said: "My friends, I surrender," and afterwards helped to attend our wounded. He did good work under his and our gunfire. Wo found another German who,, although wounded in nine places, still maintained a deadly machine-gun fire." STi'. Gibbs also visited Fricourt. . He eays: "Fricourt was just a heap—a frightful ruin. Every yard was Jittered with war's aftermath. Many of the prisoners we took expressed the joy they felt at having escaped out of our terrible gunfire, while their officers acknowledged the new power of our artillery and tho courage of our men. A German doctor said: 'We are killing each other to no purpose. It is a war against religion and civilisation, and I can see no end to it. Germany, England, and Franco aro strong, and it will bo impossible for one side to crush the other.' The Inferno at Gommccourt. "Tho action on tho Gommeconrt salient shows that it was one of tho most heroic in British history. Tho enemy had concentrated a great mass of guna here in the belief that our mam attack would extend from Lille to Royo, and as soon as our men left tho trenches tho enemy barraged their front and supporting trenches with a most infernal fire Wo advanced through this barrage as if on parade. In spite of heavy losses, wo made our way over tho five hundred yards of No Mail's Land to tho enemy's front line. The Germans also_behaved witli great courage. Tlioy carried thei»' macliine-guins right through our barrage until they met our men. in the open, ami swept them with their fire, so that largo numbers fell. Tho German attaok failed, but it serve<l to draw on the enemy's reserves, and was a glorious aot of self-sacrifico."