HILL 60.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 272, 27 April 1915, Page 5

HILL 60.

FURTHER DETAILS OF CAFLTJRE. AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE. TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER. London, April 25, The eye-witness at headquarters states that seven mines were fired simultaneously on Hill GO on the 17th, and the trenches, paTapets, and sand-bags disappeared. Tlie ground was torn and huge craters assumed strange shapes. Nothing was left of the occupants, and tdie enemy's line was an extraordinary scene. In the neighboring trenches many Germans were surprised in their shirt sleeVes without ecjuipment, stunned and bewildered by the explosion. Tliw wvf subjected to a rain of hand ganps. A panic followed, the Germans Smßg, shouting, and falling- over one another In the fight for the exits. Some, terrorstricken, bayoneted their comrades who were in front of them. The British bay.onet charge burst-through the maze oi trorclies, poured into the craters and pressed on till hauled up by the barricades, which were defended by bombthrowers. The first line of trenches was captured in a few minutes and then the, real struggle began. The Germans quickly recovered from their surprise, and the whole of our position was soon obscured byi the smoke from bursting shells. Meanwhile our batteries supported the attack with terrific artillery fire far into the night, whilst our men were throwing up parapets, rendering the position defensible. The Germans threw hand grenades over the barricades and also into the crater, to tlie sides of which the British were clinging and endeavornig to obtain a foothold.

The fighting continued throughout the night and culminated early on the 18th. There were two German massed attacks, which were beaten, off. Though the hillside was piled with German corpses the enemy continued the pressure during the whole of Sunday until we were gradually driven off the northern edge. Reinforcements arrived at six in the evening and we swept t'.ie Germans from tie edge.