BATTLE INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2828, 20 July 1916, Page 5

BATTLE INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

THE CAPTURE OF OVILLERS WHAT THE KAISER SAW By Tclogranh-Press Association-Copyright (United Service.) (Kec. July 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 18. Tho Paris "Petit Journal" says that the Kaiser witnessed the' British capture of Ovillcrs, in which his Guards Battalion contested overy yard, compelling the British to besiege the ruins of every 'house. THE FIGHT FOB OVILLERS FRIGHTFUL' HAVOC BY THE GUNS, (l'ec. July 19, 8.45 p.m.) , London, July 19. Tho "Daily Chronicle's" Paris correspondent describes the grand fight for Ovillers: "After a furious bombardment tho British Brigade advanced from three sides. The defenders, with conspicuous valour, engaged in a desperate hand-to-hand struggle among the broken walls and cellars. Many of them had tasted no food for two days. Everywhere were corpses lying unburied. The bombardment wrecked two strong iield-works which barred tho entry to the village by tho Bapaumo road.. Our troops found hero a frightful barricado of eight hundred German corpses.

"Out of an entire brigade of tho Imperial Guard, 120 survived, many of them suffering; agonies from hunger and thirst. Somo died from poisoning after drinking from a filthy pond. Others went mad, fighting each other. Our men formed up and presented arms to tho sorry remnant of Prussia's proudest troops as they marched to the rear."