ROUT OF THE GUARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1917, Page 5

ROUT OF THE GUARDS.

(AUSTRALIANS' PINE CHARGE. ! FAILURE OF BOLD RAID. \ London, April 17. . 6 largest and one of the boldest raids yet known in this war ws attempted by the Germans yesterday morning against the Australian troops opposite them. TJio Third Guard Division wns specially brought up and squeezed into\the German front near Queant, and then the troops of two Guard divisions and another "division besides attacked. Men from 10 different battalions are. amongst the prisoners in Australian hands. This force tame suddenly out against the advanced posts of the Australians with instructions to cut them out, <push through to the guns, seize tho village of Noraiil, and hold it for 24 hours till the guns 'had been destroyed tiy special parties, and till they had ransacked headquarters for papers, when they were to withdraw.

This largo picked force, by sheer weight, surrounded several advanced posts, and though driven off elsewhere, broke through the village of Lagnicourt, and reached some of the more advanced field-guns. The gun crews dismantled these guns in order to prevent their immediate use by tho Germans. Tho Germans were in process ol' placing charges under some of the guns when the local commanders, without waiting for orders, counter-attacked.

The Australian infantry—mostly from Queensland and New South Wales—advanced magnificently, sweeping the Guardsmen before them. By 8 o'clock the Germans were retreating by hundreds, utterly broken, the Australians enjoying such shooting as they have never before had againßt tho Germans. The supporting troops were standing up watching the fight, as if it were a football match. In the (height of the retreat two Australians ran out from the rest to collect 70 prisonersi These two never thought to take their rifles with them, and the only iweapon they had was a book. One .platoon of Germans marched in fours- with their haiids up. By the middle of the morning all our guns had not only been recaptured, «ltt with the exception of five all were firing on the Germans, who had retreated as best they could through the gaps in their own wire entanglements, while our great guns laid down on them such a barrage as ha? seldom 'before 'been seen.