IN THE GREAT ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1918, Page 6

IN THE GREAT ATTACK.

* AUSTRALIANS' SHARES, BRITISH CAVALRY ACTION. London, August 9. The Australians at dawn tliis morning launched the greatest afctaak they liuve ever made- When our barrage fell, the infantry attacked through a mist with tanks' ,and very few of the Germans found , their front support lines. Some points appear to have been held more strongly than others, but over the greater part of the front line, which the fiVxniaiis held very thinly, the garrison must have run. Some battalions went half a mile before they found their first Germans Then the machine-guns began, and they found the German machinegunners very frequently. After the attack had been going on for about three hours, the mist thinned, and the infantry and tanks began to pass through the valleys, where there were larger German guns. Some >f these still fired at the tante, which ire re coming across the wheat-covered ridges at them. The erews of German guns were, in nif>?t cases, captured almost entire. We saw about 20 of these guns. Prom a few of there th« Germans had taken the breech-locks, but the others had the sights <yid breech-locks complete. In every case we saw ammunition still standing beside the guns, though in one case the German officer had time to'burn the cordite charges.

One Australian division sent to seek out the land with its assaulting troops had some of its trench-mortar men with it in ordir that they might he able to handle the German guns ff any were captured. At one place these men found a German battery with ammunition complete. Imt the sights of the guns had -been hurriedly taken away. The Australian mortar men turned-these guns round and fired them at their extreme range towards the Germans on the roads and at other targets. Shortlv after 8 o'clock the Australian division found a German resiment, which had iust been relieved fron? the line It surrendered almost complete. A mile further on another German regiment was holding a villaga, but the Australian centre went right on, meeting with little opposition. Here they came on German units who were resting m support in the reserve ar«iw, nnd they generally surrendered immediately. CAVALRY BREAKS THROUGH. The soiled of heavy fighting came from tie Canadian-French front all'day- Before midday the Australians, who were about nine miles from their startingpoint, made a gap sufficient for the cavalry to pass The British cavalry went oat also with armoVid motor-cars. The cavalry and cars got through just in time to make some splendid captures at this point. On a broad-eauge railway here there was standing a German engine with several trucks and steam up, It was just moving off At the far end of this train was seen a tremendous object, which was at once realised to be a great German railway gun. ft- is uncertain whether the cavalry or the cars stopped this train. Anyway, they managed to overtake it and put a number of shots through the engine and ea.ptured a German Din railway gun, the crew, train, and ammunition complete. By the time I saw this the Australian Engineers already had an engine-driver m her, and steam up, and the train moving along the rails. Just beyond this, within a couple of miles, were seen two more trains. One of these was still burning when we saw itARMORED CARS DO GOOD WORK. It is said that when the armored cars and the cavalry reached this point they found the Germans bringing up a train full of reinforcements in order to hold the line, and another was just leaving The cavalry came in presently with the«e men as prisoners. One of the trains was eanught up by an armored car, which fired on it, and, attracted our aeroplanes, and thoy bombed and burned it Some armored ears passed a gullv full of Germans. Two of them sped "into Framerville. Here they found a German transport standing in a street, waggons all harnessed up, and the men ready to start. The cars completely settled the whole of this transport with machineguns. Then they came on four junior German staff officers in a motor-car. These were either shot or captured. They found two German steamwaggons in the «ad. They finished theso and left them blocking the road. Two other cars hastened on and found a village full of German troops having lunch. The cars.raced down the street, ahooting into the houses and killing number of troops. Everywhere the ears went they saw fugitives making back, but nowhere did they meet with any formed body of German troops. Finally, some of the cars went down the main road towards Peronne, Here a solitary German gun was firing, and it" was turned on them direct. It shot off one wheel. Another car was also disabled on this road- The cars then turned round and captured .1 number of Germans, who dragged the disabled oar back to our lines. Our infantry came on some German transport waggons with horses already in. Thes • were sent back with wounded prisoners. We &nvt a German waggon with two horses not far from the German front line. Both Horses were dead. Behind the wacgon' was a German trench mortar, which they were evidently attempting to get away when the horses were killed. Our losses in all this havV been ridiculously small.

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES LIGHT. One battalion, which we found at tho farthest points oF advance, had only three casualties. It is not known what the exact, figures for the rest of the divisions are, but they fire little more than those of an ordinary day in many parts of the line. The Germans seldom fought their ma-chine-guns with determination. Nearly all ran or surrendered at owe. The troops are now looking out over country where tliev can see Quite clo.u'lv the old familiar line of trees toj -vSg t.lw Perorne Road. Thev are in .tivm»ndous spirits. A sjreat deal of German material has been found: so much of it, indeed, tlmt it is unnecessary for lis to get up ; many supplies.