GALLANT ADVANCE BY LANCASHIRES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 156, 5 July 1916, Page 5

GALLANT ADVANCE BY LANCASHIRES.

Received 5-5 p.m., Julp 4. LONDON. July 3

Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: If: is now pi ssible to form a clear idea of the battle. Fricourt was partly surrounde 1 on Saturday and taken by assault on Sunday. The Germans counterattack prisoners tramped back in batches weary and worn. The at-

aok on .Mont Auban was our best success on Saturday. The troops—mainly Lancashire lads supported by n.en from the Homo counties —ad- ■ anCed in splendid order straight at their objective. They swept over the Gorman trenches and prisonered many without great loss. Their oflici rs were anxious about a brickfield, which the Germans had filled with

aachin e-guns and min ewe levs. The original intention was to pass the field without an attempt to capture t, but it was found to have been utterly destroyed by the bombaro.nent, and was seized with compare live ease. The troops then swept on the ruined village of Mont An ban ’■espite spasmodic machine-gun fire from broken houses. Many German' - Abo were hiding in dug-outs and cellars came out into the open and "rrendered. Others were so cowed that they fell on their knees and piteously begged for mercy. The counter-attack came, in close jider, rank after rank advancing aer their dead and wounded eomades. Only a few entered ou r .lenches, and these were killed