ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 October 1918, Page 7

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

' VAST UNDERGROUND CANAL. ! LONDON October 3. 1 Writing on Tuesday, Mr Gilmour ' says: The Australians and Americans | lost no time in investigating the capI tured underground canal, which all considered one of the chief obstacles in the Hindenburg (Line. They found the place in utter darkness. Electric torches disclosed long lines of floating barges. There was every sign that the Germans were recently living there Large numbers of Americans, whose duty it was to guard the southern end promptly adopted houseboat life and made themselves comfortable. Adventurous spirits declared that they | walked through the entire length of 6000 yards. This would be a risky thing to do because the Germans are believed to have burrowed in all directions, making the canal tunnel the main corridor from which radiate numberless shafts passages and dug. outs. Our line at present embraces two-thirds of the tunnel. Proof was afforded during the Australian advance that some Germans remain in certain places in the vast underground habitations. As we push on, their position becomes perilous unless tunnels exist leading far back into the German lines. Referring to the desperate resist- \ ance round Joncourt Mr Gilmer says. Evidently the Germans on this part of the front have been made to realise that they have their backs to the wall and that the Hindenburg Line must be held. They have already sent in two | reinforcing divisions and are making ( the most of their artillery, but our men feel that the enemy does not possess guns or troops in numbers or capacity to stop them. The Americans are highly pleased with their success. They tell amusing stories of the surrenders of Gerraan-Americans, who as Ameri- > cans, approached the German trenches and greetced them with a pronounced Yankee accent. One shouted “I’m from Charlestown. I have been waiting for you since 1915” Many of them had already put on their packs in readiness to surrender. Writing on Wednesday Mr Gilmour says: The penetration of the Hin doubling Line is being steadily com pleted. The Americans, who firsl reached the Riqueval entrance of the undorgrown canal found it ablaze witl ■electric light like a vast fairyland grotto. The Germans left packs and personal belongings on the ffloors and shelves of barges. In the - cook-house fourteen corpses were found. Apparently they were cooks who had been killed by an exploding shell. Five wounded Germans were discovered on a barge. They stated that they had not been tended for four days. The wdiole tunnel iyid its extensive ramifications have not yet been explored.