HUNS SWEAR TO DIE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1917, Page 7

HUNS SWEAR TO DIE.

EPISODE OF COMBI.ES FIGHTIXC. .SURHK.NDKR TO THE FKEXCff. "Yes, 1 have been obliged to surrender, but von will find in the village another i.ompany determined to die rather than see the French enter Combles." Tlio speaker was a Cerinan officer, and tiie incident is related by a military "eye-witness." After the capture on the night of September 25 of the advanced line at Combles, says the writer, the general impression was that tho Germans were becoming there more and more ill at ease. Success was coming, but a formal prohibition was issued by the command against entering file place before the right moment had "come. We were waiting until the fruit was ripe. At midnight on. the 25th information was received by the first line units that a tjerman olVieer who was a prisoner had declared that Cornbhs would be evacuated during the night by a low-lying road which had remained free.

The time to act lied arrived. Immediately measure; were taken. The colonel of the 110 th Regiment received orders to continue to threaten the village which the "3rd Regiment, would try to enter from the south-west Out of regard for the fatigue of the regiment it was not given an active role; but the 110 th Infantry wished to have the honor. At 1 o'clock on the morning of the 2i;tii the colonel of the 110 th "addressed a message to his troops. He reminded them that it was costlv to approach Combles, but lie said: "You will not leave to others your share of glory. We are as near the place as they. Vv'e will go.'' Patrols belonging to the two companies dashed forward from the south-east, while detachments oil tiie left of the 110 th Regiment entered from the south-west sinuiltaneou-dv with the "3rd Regiment. They had to meet the British who were advancing from the north. A London regiment was co-operating with the Trench, and the pa-, wor.l was "London.' 1 Patrols entered Coinbles, followed by the two companies, They captured the cemetery with a rush anil' took the station, All the Hermans left alive, frightened at seeing themselves attacked in the rear, immediately si:r-

rendered. Indeed, some dctnshment-. ca the left wing of the 110 th Regiment it.countered a violent resistance from ma-chine-gun fire, which caused losses, but as f.oon as I,he situation was known a machine-gun detachment of the loth was ordered to advance westward with the object of firing from behind into the (lermans who resisted. When the company which had sworn to die nerceivcd it was caught isolated in the rear it surrejiderd, and (10 prisoners were taken by the two battalions. The remii'mder were killed on the snot in their flight.

i'Ms manoeuvre was so quickly rxe- [ nucil that the British had hardly time to debouch in order to enter the village. Tiie French and British nvt mi a pla--It.ii north of tluv village, and the Allies congratulated one another on the common victory. Briefly, the village which the Franco-British successfully restored to us was occupied by French on the morning of September 2(1. A company of the 110 th. advanced still further and captured a battery protected by a casement east of Rancour road, pursued the flying Germans, and occupied the chapel of Combles, and a communication trench.