BATTLE INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2826, 18 July 1916, Page 5

BATTLE INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

LANCE AND SABRE AT WORK BRITISH CAVALRY IN ACTION ("Tho Times.") (Kcc. July 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 16. The "Tiiuos's" correspondent at Headquarters, describing Friday's battle, eays: "Tho most dramatic incident wafi the cavalry action by companies of the Dragoon Guards and Dcccan Horse. They crossed the trenches and made their way to the neighbourhood of a high wood covering.,, tho left? of our ndvanco on Longueval.- Thev camo under ma* chine-gun fire, but their casualties were immaterial. The enemy was sniping aj them from a cornfield.

x "Tho oavalry went through tho fields joyfully, one troop with lanes and, the other with sabro. When tho horses came on the Germans, many threw themselves down and shrieked for mercy, and desperately clutched at tho horses' lejs as they passed. Lanco and saJjro v did their work cleanly- and thoroughly, and 3 with the exception of thirty-lour prisoners, no Germans were alive when that little job was finished. Tho cavalry sent back their' horses and dug trcnchcs for the infantry -to take over."- -.

CORNERING THE HUNS AT OVILLERS Australian-New Zealand Cablo Association. London, July 16! The determination of the Germans, who clung to the collars and brickheaps_' at Ovillors, contributed to their undoing. They wero completely cornered. Two Bavarian regiments desperately 1 defended Ovillers with only a narrow passage to tho north-east to cnablo them to cscape. Tho encircling movement o£ tho British started between La Boisello and Contalmaison. The British troops -swarmed across three lines of. trenches, and were booh astride tho Albert-Bapaumo high road. Another column to the northward of Contalmaison made a fine dash, and. oncountered and dxovo tack • fractions of the Prussian Guard. The British, advancing in the centra from between Mametz Wood and Montauban, occupied Bazentin-le-GTand, and next captured a troublesome redoubt northwards of tho. village. Then, further west, they stormed two othor field works, taking prisoner 400 men, and capturing much material. A Pomeranian brigade offered a stiff fight at Bazentin-le-Pctit. Tho British twice traversed a wooded approach to the. vilago, nnd twice were compelled to withdraw. Tho third assault was successful, and 1500 Gorman corpse 3 wore found .ni tho shambles. A whole company, was captured trying to reach Pozleres, but tho ■ main Lody escaped. In the final defence of Trones Wood tho Prussian, infantry wero dashingly overcome. 1 THROUGH TRONES WOOD MAROONED BY A BARRAGE. (Rec." July 17, G p.m.) London, Jnly IG. ' Mr. Phillip Gibbssays: "The'', Germans dropped high' explosives through'-tho naked trees of Trones Wood, opening up groat crater's.-. Our men used them as pits of refuge. The wounded would crawl backwards into a shell-hole, and the unwoiinded crawled forward in the tome way, keoping tlioir bombs ready. Thus wo 'captured the wood. ."A queer miraclo happened. A 'number of dirty-looking English boys crawled out of the holes ahead of the advance, and shouted: 1 'llullo, lads!" They wore threo hundred of the West Kcnts, 1 with ono officer, wlio had been isolated "by a barrage of fire." HEROIC FIGHT AT BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT ANOTHER BLOW TO THE KAISER'S i , GUARDS. (Rec. July 17, 9.35 p.m.) v Paris, July 17. Fifteen hundred German dead bore witness to the heroic struggle at Bazen-tin-Le Petit. 'Tho English were irresistible, and the Germans, realising onco more that they were beaten, ordered up what was left of the Prussian Guards, but tho British inflicted cruel loss on tho Kaiser's picked troops. 'Tho British routed tho Germans and took Longueval in twenty-five minutes, while the South Afrioans took Belvillo Wood.

"WONDERFUL, APPALLING BELT' OF FLAME" (Rec. July 17, 10.30 p.m.) London, July 17.' 'I'ho "Daily Nolvs" correspondent writes: "Our bombardment, which proceded the capture of Longueval and Bazentin, was tho most stupendous I havo yet seon. A wonderful appalling belt of flame fringed the great arc of tho horizon. The noiso was torrific. Ear over to the left, and also in tho region of Ovillors and La Boisello it was like a volcano in violent eruption. Tho British offensive thus far has been over ground steep, nor always perceptibly up-hill, however—and if w« can enthrono ourselves on (lie high •ground between Highwood. and Martinpuicli wo can dominate the enemy's positions."

operate witS tho infantry and cavalry, besides doing special wort as tho 'eves o£ tho artillery.'"

RUSSIANS ON THE FRENCH FRONT TKEItt BAPTISM OP FIRE. Australian-New Zealand Oable Association. (Rec. July 17, 6 p.m.) • Paris, July 16. • Our Russian Allies on the Western front received their baptism of fire on Saturday. After the French artillery preparations the Russian' companies entered the German trenches and secured prisoners.

GRIM DUELS TO THE DEATH

(United Service.) (Rec. July 17, G. 35 p.m.) London, July IG. Mr. Beach Thomas, .tho w'ar correspondent, describing tho fighting in Tspnes Wood, says: "Duels wero fought ill" which both combatants died—they lay together, each pierced by tho other's weapon; snipers fell clattering from tho trees, or lay hung across tho branches. '"Our . airmen's evolutions surpass all records. It has' becomo their habit to swoop dowu within two or thrco huudred yards and empty thoir guns into tho enemy's infantry. Tho airmen Bow co-