INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

Nelson Evening Mail, 22 September 1916, Page 5

INCIDENTS ON THE SOMME

MR PHILIP GIBBS'S NARRATIVE. and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Sept. 20. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: The Guards at Flers fought as they always fight, with superb discipline. They are not the Guards who fought at Yprcs and Loos, but the sacred tradition remains, and the physical standard has' not been lowered by a hair's ibreadth. The' Guards had to pass machine guns, which swept the ranks with an enfilading fire . They gained ground by a series of charges which went straight through the three lines .of German trenches. Heavy fighting followed, but the Guards held 'their ground against the strongest counter-attacks. The full narrative of the achievements of the "tanks" shows that they are among the most dramatic and gallant records of the war. One ambled to within: 400 yards of Combles, far in advance of the infantry, and sat for five hours fighting the enemy alone, shooting down German bombing parties until it was severely damaged. Another reached Morval, and finding that it had left the infantry '"behind, went 'back to inquire. It found that German bombers had held up the infantry in trenches. The "tank" bucked over the trench, crushing the bombers into the earthy before falling into a into the earth before toppling over. Here for an hour and a half it formed a barricade between the British and German bombers. The crew got out and tried to hoist the tank from the shell hole under, a heavy fire. Finally the skipper and survivors abandoned the derelict, the monster being still used as a barricade. A third tank so frightened the enemv that a hundred came out with white flags and followed the monster back to our lines. Three "tanks" marched into Flers and lolloped around the town in- a free and easy manner, compelling the garrison hiding in dugouts to surrender in small and scared groups. ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. i Australian and N.Z. Cable Association ' LONDON, Sept. 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports heavy rain. There--is considerable hostile artillery action southward of the Ancre.