FRITZ ON THE RUN

Levin Daily Chronicle, 22 October 1918, Page 1

FRITZ ON THE RUN

CHASED BY CAVAti'.iV, TANKS, AND 'PLANES.

A graphic narrative of the lighting i„ the middle of August was obtamcd from a young Glasgow soldier of to Tanks Corps, who drove one of the tanks which went farthest into the Ger man linos in the new Sommc buttle. "Our tanks," he stated, "were of Ihe light of whippet type, a ' lJ elled fast. The way was difficult bc-t-.iuse of the low-lying mist. The German guns opened on us with great fury ■just then, shells bursting in front of us, at the side and behind, wlioro t 111 fnntry were moving in our wake, sing" ing cheerily all the time. Singing ceased after a few shells had burst among the men, but was resumed as we swept forward. '' We swept forward at our top speed, for the mist was rising, and day was breaking everywhere. In front of us were a number of huts, .and at the end of these a better looking building of the villia type, wired and netted to make it bomb-proof. It was the brigade headquarters. From an open window appeared the head of an. elderly man in a nightcap. He was shouting something in German. Our infantry were entering the building from all sides, and on the stairs they found many officers in different degrees of dress and undress. It was the brigade stall', and the old man was the brigadier. Tliey were too surprised for words. A MAD HELTEIi-SKELTER. "The alarm had been given everywhere now, and across the landscape we could see the hurrying figures of German officers and men. Into these flying groups we fired as fast as we and hundreds were shot down. ■ Hie infantry were keeping up w*ith us very well, but by now began to slacken down the pace, and the cavalry appeared 011 the scene later. Near to us were men of the Scots Greys and the Inniskilling Dragoons. Tlicy were charging into the retreating enemy from three different points. "The Germans were- casting aside packs, rifles, and everything likely to hamper their movements. Suddenly a party of the Greys appeared at the end of the main road.b'y which the enemy were retreating. Tlicy were coming across country, ancVliad succeeded in heading of the enemy. Overhead were British aeroplanes. The Germans saw the new danger in time, and turned frantically from the road to escape the sabres of the Scots. Into the fields to the right and loft the Germans plunged Over them the British airmen soared for a while, and then bombs began to drop in rapid succession. Terrified Germans were killed and mu-.i-.ied at evo~x turn. The survivors headed back and were by our tanks. 0 bey were shot i!.v.vn by the score. »ind ju.i ' panic seized the survivors. One German battalion commander was among his men, clad only in pyjamas, He was trying to rally the men, but they .showed 110 respect for his authority in the absence of the uniform so respected by the German soldier. They disregarded his orders and ran past our tank which was firing into them all the time. We knocked tlieni out as fast as we could,but we had 110 time to stop, for our job was to press 011 in support of the cavalry and airmen, while the infantry gathered up what was left. "By the afternoon we had reached a point nearly nine miles &'om the start of our offensive, and had the satisfaction bf being told that we had gon • further than any other tuiit taking part in the. light. BETWEEN TWO FIRES. "The Germans were still on the run, panic being general, and what added to it was the fact that other Gorman troops were being hurried up by every road to be thrown into battle. Instead of getting into battle these units were netting among the retreating Huns, and adding to the general panic. Some of the Germans trying to get into the lighting line to retrieve the disaster that hiul overtaken their anus lost, patience with their own comrades and heavy fire was opened on them from different points, driving them back in confusion towards us. Here again the cavalry came into action, and the Scots Greys had a magnificent charge. "Our attention was attracted by commotion in the rear, and more Germans appeared. They were flying from the second German lines to our right and left. They had been driven of," the main road, and were seeking safety 011 our lines under the mistaken notion that, they .v-:-rc not likely to ! e molested by British troops. Some of our tanks turned about and poured thousands of rounds of machine gun bullets into these Huns, taking torrible toll of them in lives and sending them reeling back towards our infantry lines behind. "Our battle-line was now established on a front of about two miles wide nearly nine miles from the original point of departure, and the enemy were attempting to develop counter-attacks 011 both flanks, but our tanks were active more than ever, and were keeping up a fierce cross-fire, which was picking off the enemy by the score. The Scots cavalrymen were attacking once more, and after desperate lighting they succeeded in clearing the whole line, starting the Germans 011 the run once again, and keeping them 011 the move in spite of repeated attempts to rush our new positions."