“BRING THE TANKS."

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 201, 30 September 1916, Page 5

“BRING THE TANKS."

HOW THEIPVAL WAS TAKEN

A THRILLING STORY. WARM TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIANS. LONDON, Sept. 28. Mr Philip Gibbs, who witnessed the capture of Thiepval, pays a tribute to the invaluable help of the Australians’ work at at Mouquet Farm in compelling the ultimate surrender of the Thiepval garrison. The British loss was amazingly light considering the long and stubborn fighting and the gallantry and desperation wherewith the garrison defended themselves. Twenty-four i hours’ continuous bombardment preceded the assault. When it ended there wore only thirty-four black and broken tree trunks and a mass of reddish brickwork which was once Thiepval Chateau, Not a German was alive above ground, but many were hidden in a long series of vaults and tunnels. The Germans also made many exits where they could pop up with rifles and machine guns. The British right wing advanced from Mouquet, but the left had a harder time. A battalion leading the assault, dashed on the Chateau. From cellars beneath came savage machine gun fire. The Britishers were also raked by enfilade fire from machine guns. For a long time it was impossible to get near the Chateau, but the cry was raised: “Bring the tanks.” The very idea was a fin e tonic for the attackers. Soon a tank lumbered along, lurching over shell craters and momentarily sitting on broken parapets, then waddling forward towards the infantry. When it opened fire it resembled a dragon with indigestion. It got over the enemy’s trench, trudged down the whole length, sweeping it with fire. Soon th e German machine guns were silenced. The Britishers, cheering and shouting, accepted this as surrender. Unfortunately the mysterious anatomy of the tank got out of order, and the Britishers had to face the nest of the machine guns alone. They bad to dive into dark entries and burrow fon Germans. The search often resulted in a hand-to-hand fight wherein .Britishers and Germans strove to throt, tie each other in the darkness. Many deep dug-outs were blown in at the entrance, and the Germans were forced to come out at the other side. Our men smoked out others. It was like hunting. One party of sixteen Germans . 'treacherously turned upon an .escort of two Englishmen and wounded them. They had no mercy from the Englishmen who came up a moment later.