WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

FIGHTING AT GINCHY, A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION, BRILLIANT WORK OF IRISH BRIGADE. Received Sept. 12, 5.5 p.m. London. Sept. 11. Mr. Philip Gibbs, describing the Irish Brigade's capture of Ginchy, said the attack began at 5 o'.'lock iii the afternoon. Tlie Irish charged, cheering and shouting. They rushed in four waves, in open order, and at fifty yards intervals. The left flank reached the first halting place at the village GOO yards distant in eight tninutes-almost a record. The right flank was rhecked by three ma-chine-guns. Many fell, while the German marksmen also sniped the officers. The position was very serious, unless the machine-gunners could be killed. The troops inside the right Hank then executed a brilliant piece of tactics. Tboy swung round and attacked tlie ma-chine-guns by an encircling movement. The German gun teams were obliged to bolt three hundred yards with their weapons to other trenches.. where they resumed firing until knocked out by the Irish trench mortars. The right wing then joined the left, and both advanced throughout the village, in the centre whereof, amidst dugouts and tunnels, stood an old farm, wherein again machine-guns were working. The Irish brought up mortars and, after a brief storm with high explosives, silenced the machine-guns. All kinds of places in the northern half of the village hid snipers, the riflemen being specially concealed ifl tunnelled concreted chambers, equipped with •loopholes. The ground being level, the reckless Irish swept over the place searching out their enemies. The grimest hand-to-hand fighting followed in shell craters and dug-outs. The Bavarian defenders, who had newly arrived at tlie firing line, were bravo and determined, and they fought savagely with bombs, rifles, and even bayonets.

The whole tiling was over quickly. The Dublins, leading the charge, were soon through tlie village, which was one of .menace, which might have led to disaster. But the quick wit and the fighting genius of the Irish Brigade scored an astounding success, capturing the enemy front of nine hundred yards to a depth of nearly a mile, wliicih now leaves the enemy with an exposed flank. A young sapper officer quickly realised the situation, and took command of a' body of men, dug a defence on the flank and organised strong posts against any counter-attack. The Brigade's achievement was splendid, remembering that no supporting troops- were on either flank. The men who weTe ordered to remain in the village almost wept with rage. Here is a practical instance of the Irish lighting spirit. Three servants of the Brigade Staff temporarily deserted, and left this note on their master's table: "As I could not be at Guillemont, I am going to Ginehy, so please excuse." London, September 11. A German communique says:—We repulsed the English attacks on the Poz-ieres-Le Sara high road and in the Ginchy-Combles sector. Fighting for the possession of Ginehy continues. We lost some advanced trenches near Longueval and the L<»uze Wood. The French attack on Belloy and Vermandovillcrs failed. We recaptured a few houses in Berny,

GERMAN TRENCHES!

ENTERED ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. BRUTAL GERMAN TRICK. London, September 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We repulsed two more counter-attacks at Ginchy and drove off several small detachments of infantry at Mouquet Farm and Poziercs. We entered the German trenches at several places between Neuville St. Vaast and the La Bassee Canal. A French communique states:—We stopped five attacks accompanied by liquid flame jets between Berny to southward of Chaulnes. Ten of our aeroplanes with sixty bombs successfully attacked important military depots southward of Bruges. An air squadron dropped 104 bombs on munition stores northward of Sommepy producing violent explosions. Petrograd, September 11. Russian prisoners in German uniforms are marched it the rear of the FrancoGerman front for the purpose of deceiving French air scouts. They are frequently bombed, owing to their being mistaken for Germans.

A HISTORIC FEAST. IN A VERDUN SUBTERRANEAN CHAMBER. MR. LLOYD GEORGE PRESENT. ' Received Sept. 12, 11.10 p.m. Paris, Sept. 12. Mr. Lloyd George was a guest at the historic dinner, tiie invitation to which was given by General Dubois and the officers of the Verdun garrison. It was held in a subterranean chamber in the centre of the citadel. Mr. Lloyd George said Verdun would ever evoke imperishable memory. They had not only saved I ranee, but the cause of the whole of humanity. AIRMEN DROP PROCLAMATIONS. Times Service. Received Sept 12, 5.5 p.m. London., Sept. 11. A Belgian communique reports that airmen on Wednesday flew 187 miles in three hours in the darkness, dropping proclamations. Another on Thursday flew over Antwerp and observed excited crowds in th? pulslie «ouara»