THIEFVAL A MERE BOWL OF SEETHING FUMES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 209, 15 September 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

THIEFVAL A MERE BOWL OF SEETHING FUMES.

IL'vil's Cauldron.

AWFUL BOMBARDMENT. The battle still rages with unabated fury along the whole front. At some places the struggle is of the most desperate character. One of these points : s Thiepval, where it has been tierce beyond description (writes a special correspondent <if the "'Daly News" :n an early report.) As far as can lie gathered at present cur men at the first onset swept through the little town of Thiepval, driving the enemy whom they met oefore them. It appears that n very large number of Germans had concealed themselves in dug-outs, where they had machine-guns and even, it is said, nrnenwerfor. and they endeavoured to hold the place when our artillery i.penod on it the most intense concentration of fire it is possihle to conceive. High explosives and lyddite simply poured into the little town, whita the air above was Ihck with exploding shrapnel, and the trench mortars ;ilay,\l incessantly, the projectiles of tho last-named be ng clearly visible in tli.i air. travelling as they do at a low velocity. In the sunshine each mortar aIioII in its slow fall gleamed .<nnd the smoke like a great fiery spark—much as n large brass plate might look -r tossed up into the sunshine. SCENE OF PURE HORROR. The plao was a veritable devil's cauldron, a mere howl of soothing fumes—black and green and white. Xotlrng is yet known of what the issue was, but it seemed ineivdible that anything, fr'ind or foe, could live there through the half an hour —from about 3.-1.1 to 4.1.1 —during which the struggle was at its fiercest. To us looking on it was a s'ght of pure horror.