BLOOD-STAINED SUNDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1916, Page 6

BLOOD-STAINED SUNDAY.

[ tANZACS AT MOUQUET. I FIERCE FIGHTS UNDERGROUND. PRUSSIAN GUARD BROKEN. London, September G. The Times' correspondent at British Headquarters on the Western front writes:— "Sunday was a day of savage fighting and of great Allied successes.' A considerable part of the glory 'belongs to the French for their triumphant' success. Our gains were less dazzling, but still were of the most important nature. We struck right and left of Guillemont ami Mouquet Farm. The majority of the prisoners were men of the ' Prussian Guard. The whole of this corps is now believed to be at the Somme front. The results of the strife further prove the splendid fighting qualities of the British troops, including the English, the Scottish and the Australians. "tlic last-named were at Mouquet Farm.

FOE'S POWERFUL -DEFENCES. _ ''The Australians faced the Ist Prussian Guard Reserve Regiment, and there was fierce fighting, the whole 'of the surroundings being covered with trenches, posts and dug-outs, all forming a complete fortress. The Anzacs attacked in the darkness of very early morning, after a whirlpool bombardment, and despite an immediate and heavy enemy barrage fire from machine guns' in every shell-hole they went magnificently on with the stubborn, bloody struggle in the half-light. Many prisoners were taken. A large batch emerged from two specially deep dug-outs, which the Australians had entered ami were exploring. A much larger minrher of Germans appeared at the other entrance, and called on the Anzacs to surrender. 'Surrender, be damned,' replied the latter. Surrender yourselves,' A savage bombing encounter followed in the bowels of the "earth; but when reinforcements arrived the Germans flung up their hands. MANY PRISONERS, MORE KILLED. "The Australians pushed on. far beyond the farm, and along the high ground easterly, where the fighting continues. They took a very considerable number of the Prussian Guard prisoners, and killed ft lerj}- xqu*j greater number. ■"

"Meanwhile, frontal attacks on each side of the River Ancre distracted the Germans. These were the most formidable positions on the West front. The slopes and edges of the Thiepval Plateau were honeycombed with strongholds, whilst huge caves sheltered whole battalions of the foe, and the English troops were held up by strong positions and by overwhelming forces appearing from the underground warrens. FURIOUS GRENADE BATTLES. ''The operation, .urair.-; Guillemont commenced at :■>■ '. c. swept through the town at th. ,-.= i rush. We encountered more German Guards at Ginchy, where furious bombing battles raged. The whole of the fighting took place on a torn and jumbled earth, a wilderness of ridge and pit, across jagged and confused German trenches, all covered oy the fire of the machine-gains. The atmosphere was thick with dust, and the fumes from the shells, and the indescribable and awful clamor of the guns. ''The 'Prussian Guardsmen say that the Kaiser promised the troops that the war would end before the winter."