BATTLE OF PERONNE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1918, Page 7

BATTLE OF PERONNE.

FIELD STKEWN WITH DEAD. 'I WILD PICTURESQUE EIGHT. London, Sept. ?'.' The New South Wales attack on the Peronne forts was a wild <and picturesque battle, writes Mr. Keith Murdoch, Australian correspondent.-, ;Wc,ha<l only half of Peronne on Sunday night, four | cleverly placed enemy machine-gun.posts, sweeping the streets and;preventing our completion of the ■ capture*. • The main trouble was the high fort called St Denia which is really the old citadel of one of the strongest ancient French fortress es, with deep ramparts, flooded moats, a wide glacis, and a commanding position. These New South Wales troops came at it frequently through the city streets. Again again the waves had to scatter, seeking shell-holes for shelter until some macliine-gim was knocked out by the artillery, or the Lewis guns were brought to bear upon a difficult spot. As usual, the German gunners threw up their hands when we got within revolver fire distance. Fifty machine-guns were captured here. The whole of the Australian force was much impressed by the stiffness and gallantry of this fight. The 3000 yds advance from Mont St. Qucntin through Hout Allaine's by th# Queenslanders and West Australians was also marked by Woody fighting. The Germans were thick, and far outnumbered us, yet tbey could not hold up our dauntless and skilled men. They kicked off from the summit of Mont St. Quentin, which was deeply strewn with enemy dead, and pushed through the old German trench system where the French were held up in the Somme battle. It, •.vas largely bombing, rifle grenade, and Stoker mortar work, and required four hours' incessant slogging, with many bitter hand-to-hand encounters.

A fresh German division, ready to attack, which was encountered near Aizocourt, was severely handled, and gavo up some 250 prisoners. Germans officers were observed shooting men in the back for refusing to remain at their posts. A gallant Sydney officer in the capture of Peronne shot 11 Germans with his revolver.

The capture of Mont St Quentin involved seven hours' continuous straining and fighting by New South Wales formations, with bombs, going all the time along the old French trench systems. The Germans, including the Prussian Guards are standing up better now to the Australians, but we have not yet failed to gain our objectives. Wc are capturing more dumps and guns, together with varied assortments of fashionable officers' kits and hundreds of new uniforms, designed for the most swagger troops. All this shows how the battle of August 8 shattered the precious German designs, and compelled him to come to the reluctant decision that the Allies were still able to kick hard. It consoles the men for much hard fighting that such lasting results are being achieved. There is no doubt that the enemy's propaganda, discrediting the allied armies, and deriding Foch's reserves, had a curious and unexpected effect on 'his army, causing it to take tilings far too easily, neglecting even to wire his positions.