FURIOUS FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1916, Page 10

FURIOUS FIGHTING.

HUNS' lIJCAViICST LOSS. > 'J'KRKIFH: iiA YONFT WoilK. il ' - a TUr.COs' AND y,OI."AVK,S. J llr ' U ' Mo - vl r in ' witin<; to Om London Daily Mail from 'l'siri- on .March 10 11,0 Iwaviw y»c Herman km* nra t.ie iiiure ma<rnili;-ent.ly thoy seem to lie l- about their victories. Nrtt since Hie i- Baltic, of Verdun, the bloodiest of this y war, began have the German losses been 'a fv, t T ri i )I ° as ,hlrin « ycstonla.v's lighting. Whole brigades which went into action ngainst Domain,out and Vaux village and \ <UlX.l'ort were. ),nictieallv wiped out'of '« CX,Ste, 7: «"> '»«'<* tho Herman units ! i»Kiiged lost two-thirds of their strength. . enemy sull'ered heavily, as nlwivs „m 1 und-to-lumd lighting—th (: French inr lantrynian is marvellous with the bavoI»'f, and (lie Zouaves, Turcos and Keiict KUlesc who figured prominently in yes- " '""''.Vs engagements were like demons 11 , loose they drove their bayonets •s home to tho hilt with their fearful overe arm plunging stroke. r„likc the Britlf m !, t,U ; Kre,,Ch '"'"""toymen, who usually thrust upwards when using cold i steel, the French African troops rilj - t'leir ndes above their heads and at the . ; ra,l ' V ! " id. the whole weight of * whieh' ""r ,t I ' k,w " wi "' « thrust ■ wliHh semis tile bayonet thro,Hi the I ' Ihe 'Ci'inaiis suffered even more erueltli T t !V" »'T h artilli,r - v ilml ulachi ™ -! ,l "'- lln cdnosday the encmv actually gained a footing for less than an _ hour in the streets of Vaux, Jjut, as [ telegraphed yesterday, they could not withstand the cyclonic rush' with which the French counter-attacked, and when the latter paused for breath the Herman (lead and dying lay in heaps where thev bad fallen. Another fruitless Herman attack was led against the trenches lining (fill! :i()7. on which stands the Vans Fort. There the Hermans met, with ''Ven less success, for thev never reached the trenches, but. were mown down almost to a man, sustaining what the French coinmunii|iic -always niber in its terms -describes as "enorniou> losses.'' ' i-:viv\vir\i-:ss's xakativf. ; A stair lieutenant, who has just returned from Verdun and is < in hospital gives nic a vivid eve-witness account of the battle from Fcbruarv 20 1 until the moment when the French *etook Fort nouaum,int. TTesaid: - "I should estimate the strength of . the forces on the centre at- 1 tack at, three army corps (1'20,00D men). The first point to be carried was Beaumont. Our men were hopelessly outnumbered by more than ten to one, but they fought with savage courage. During those, feverish days I saw countless deeds of heroism. ' One remains particularly prominent, in my mind. The Herman -hells wrecked a telephone post where 1 was stationed, a huge piece of a six-incher laying upon the face of my operator in a hideous, gaping wound. I 'old him to quit, his post ill a hurry and go to the field ambulance to be treated. The blood was then running down his face to the ground, blinding and choking liiin. ■••Why should T desert my post,?' lie asked. 'But vour eves alv full ot , Mon<l you can't >re," was my rep]v. ■'•! don't, need to see to' telephone.' be answered, and lie stuck to" the post though I gave him formal orders to leave. Half an hour later, however, another shell came along and killed him. THJ-: KVAfVATIi "When our positions at Hcaumont became untenable, we began the evacuation. It was a terrible job. When the men were told a retirement, was necessary, they refused to believe it. I had to use strong words to get them away, and it was touch and go that, the men did not start lighting their ser- , gcants who passed the command along to them. The French soldier never has the slightest fear of Hermans, no matter bow many there may be against him. AH he asks is for a chance to get to grips with them. The Hermans, there is no doubt I speak as an impartial observer now, and not, as a French officer are much inferior as lighting , stock to the French. ,: I remember the words of one of my -ergeants when 1 told him the retreat was necessary, as the Hermans were coming ri mini our Hank. 'How ninny J are they'.'' be asked. 'Five times as many as we are,' was the reply. 'Ts that nilV the sergeant, said: "well, we ouuht to stop and light them here.' "From Beaumont I was sent to Douamnont. The first attack there was made b\- a regiment of Bavarians. They were followed by two regiments, then came an army corps (40,001)"). and on their heels two army corps. It was only by this huge effort and at terrible cost to themselves—they left 40,000 killed and wounded on the slope of the plateau that the Brandenbiirgers were able to tight their way foot bv foot by sheer weight of numbers |o the ruins of Don- ( auniout Fort. Our men when formed up on the -reverse side of the slope wept with rage at the that, the Hermans held the plateau, and crowded round their ollicci's praying to be allowed to make a counter-attack. . lIIiKToNS v. BKAXDKHRPIiHKKS. "Our Stall' decided thai the moment had conic to bold the Hermans, and » they entrusted the honor of the counter offensive to the 'lron Division' (the sturdy inhabitants of Brittany), which (ill then had been in reserve. This famous corps fixed bayonets amid ringing cheers, which redoubled in intensity and became a veritable thunder as the fieneral ran'" to the bead with his drawn sword to indicate the way. Then the bugles sounded the inspiring note of the charge. The men went forward at top speed, cheering furiously all the time. The lire from the Hermans which made many cruel lanes in their ranks, did not slacken their ardor for an instant. They were irresistible. The officers gave no orders. There was no need for them. It was a case of each man lighting for himself. The Iron Division l 18,000 i had pitted against them six divisions of the best lighters left ill Herman v. but the Prussians were no match for them. Many soldiers broke their bayonets and fought, on as if with clubs. "I saw one tine fellow over lift tall; he had got a Herman olliecr's heavy sword in his baud. and. holding it like a cutlass, was mowing men down before him. Four times lie went down with a bullet wound, and four times I saw him scramble to his feet and begin again. Another man hail half his chin shot away, and was a terrible sight, but he knelt oil a heap of Herman corpses and fired bis rifle as fast he could, locking oil' the Hermans at 2D yards. "Throughout the fight the Herman guns were unable to tire, as all along , the line of the plateau the French and (ierman troops were locked in a grip Many men who had lost their

rifles ami bayonets fought i\u-. Cennans with halted h;tli(N. "I'inallv the »n\u way. {he plateau was ours Our men soul up an immense i-heer as the Imiit line 11n'liit'il iiji in what was left of our nil! treiu-hes. AI. Iha t moment J jjot the wound which ended the battle oi Verdun for me."