AUSTRALIANS' FEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1918, Page 6

AUSTRALIANS' FEAT.

WHOLE ARMY ASTONISHED. FRITZ IN GREAT CONFUSION. London, Sept. 2. Mr Beach Thomas (Daily Mail correspondent) says that the feat by which the Australians captured Mount St. Quentin astonished the remainder of the army almost as much as the enemy, | The first intimation, that something incredible had happened was the early morning spectacle of a large group of Germans, including a- battalion commander, marching in the direction of the Australian rear. The impossible had happened—a thing beyond the enemy's worst fears. Following hot on the retreat of the enemy, the Australians secretly slipped across the river at night, throwing an elastic wedge of troops north of Mount St. Quentin. At 5 o'clock a mixed barrage of field guns and howitzers, with heavy longrangers behind, smashed the acres of wire and trenches on the slope. The remainder of the Australians followed in broad daylight, and working almost individually, smashed the elaborate network of trendies. ' THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES Once there, the platoon leaders had the time of their lives. By little rushes, with quickness and cunning, they took what trenches they wanted and cut off the remainder By 8 o : cloek two battalions had taken 1000 prisoners, and had won the mount, which was considered so nearly impregnable during the first battle of the Somme that a special gun of the biggest calibre was specially manufactured to deal with it alone. When Mr Thomas traversed the hill in 1017 it took him half an hour to get through. The wire of the mount then seemed to him absolutely unstormahle, yet the Australians captured it within an hour, with a total loss of twentyfive casualties. The mount stands head and shoulders above Peronne. II practically is Peronno, but the Australians, not content with making the t«wn untenable, swung castward across the Peronne-Bapaume road, cutting off all retreat for the garrison. THE DEADLY DIGGER. The evening Standard, referring to the capture of Mount St. Quentin and Peronne. says that, according tn competent military authorities, the Australians, man for man, have the greatest killing capacity amongst the Allied troops.