TERRIBLE BOMBARDMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 155, 4 July 1916, Page 5

TERRIBLE BOMBARDMENT.

VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE.

REMARKABLE INFANTRY ADVANCE.

Received 6 p.m., July 3. LONDON, July 3

Describing the battle front from a v;ew point near Albert, a cori’esponaent says: The whole sky was ablaze. Peasants twenty miles to the rear, in awe-stricken groups, watched the clisplay; which resembled brilliant summer lightning.

A French officer who experienced the worst phases of the Verdun battle, declares that he has seen nothing to surpass the all day and ail right vomiting by British artillery of millions of sheila.

The great day of battle broke with sunshine. The guns gathered for a Inal effort before the British lions were loosed on their prey. Soldiex-s watching the pandemonium, said: "f pity the peer devils who are catching this lot." Great clouds of thick black smoke carried by a light southwesterly breeze driited to the German trenches. The accuracy of the

I’re was unsurpassed. The correspondent had opportunity to note the extreme usefulness of the new British trench mortars, fh ing 25 rounds per minute, and trustworthy for destruction of entanglements and obstacles. The quiescence of the Germans was becoming remarkable, and we surmised that they were lying low. They occasionally scattered shrapnel over our lines, but they did not resent the immense flights of our aeroplanes. Non-combatants were not permitted to witness the British charge. The correspondent was reliably informed that the men leapt out of the trenches with vigour and earnestness worthy of the best traditions. "Fed up" ct the trenches, they welcomed a fight m close quarters. The Germans realised that they were up against it, and they fought grimly inch by inch. The capture of the first line was a walkover, but the British encountered difficulties in the deeper trenches. Only indomitable pluck and perseverance enabled them to triumph over the superhuman obstacles. Counterattacks occurred everywhere except at Serre, where the enemy suddenly made a desperate offensive. We fell back a little. We pushed through Thiepval ear- I lv on Saturday. The Germans, hidden j in deep dug-outs, suddenly emerged ! in the streets, and furious fighting with all sorts of weapons followed. The Germans rained an inferno of shells, the British artillery replying. This resulted in a big "strafe.” Watching the incessant bursting of projectiles, it is difficult to understand how anything human could sur \i\& The toll of blood was fairlv heavy f hut not excessive considering the magnitude of the operations. Happily a large portion were slightly wounded.