ENGINEERS' ESCAPE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 19 October 1917, Page 4

ENGINEERS' ESCAPE.

DASH FROII HUNS ACROSS NO MAN'S LAND.

How a party of Royal Engineers who were matle prisoners escaped isT related by Reuter. The German infantry attacked at Honneeourt. Following upon a very intense bombardment," which almost obliterated the front trench, three parties of picked storm . troops cauie over and got into the destroyed works on a front of about 100 yds. The strength of these parties averaged between 30 and 40 apiece, and they were well equipped with bombs. Our machine gunners and trench mortar crews, however, got on to them as they advanced, and many corpses are still lying out in No Man's Laud. The Germans maue their way along a communication trench until they came upon a working party of the Royal Engineers, who were employed. in finishing a dugout. The sappers fought sturdily, but were much outnumbered, and as further resistance would have meant being bombed out of existence, they surrendered. The raiders, apparently" satisfied with their haul, then began to retire. But our mortars and machine guns coutiuued to pour a fierce fire upon the Hun;, and. taking advantage of the contusion caused by this, the Engineers, as by, common agreement, made a dash back when well' On their way across No Han's Land, and although the Germans pitched one or ' two bombs after them, they had not the stomach to pursue them, and so they made good their escape. Our artillery, which began 'to retaliate as soon a.s the bombardment opened, .did great execution both to the euemv defences and to the attacking troops.