TUNNEL GIVES UP THOUSAND GERMANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1918, Page 2

TUNNEL GIVES UP THOUSAND GERMANS.

ONE OF THE FINEST FEATS IN

ANNALS OF WAR.

With the British Army on the St. Qucntin Sector, October 4.—Among the. British divisions which have made deep gaps in this sector in the recent fighting is the Cth, commanded by a majorgeneral, who was a private in the South African war. It -was this division which iii-itt crossed the Hindenburg line at St. Quentin Canal, north of Bc'ilonglise last Sunday.

The entire division attacked from a point of 0000 yards «-cst of the canal and virtually annihilated all the Germans holding the- first Hindenburg line there. Then, being unable to sea t'.venty feet because ox the dense fog, these soldiers followed the explosions of their barrage to the canal banks, whore, andcr the leadership of the major-general, already the -winner of tho Victoria Cross, they plunged into the water.

Tho opposite hank was lined ivith German machine-gun.-;. Some of., the British >voro lifebelts removed for the occasion from the 'leave" boats plying between England and i'rance, while others plunged boldly in and swam acroEß through a perfect hail of bullets. Some went hand-over-hand- across life lines. Only one man was drowned i:\ the whole operation.

UP SLIPPERY JANKS.

Once en the other Lank the men of tbia North Midlands division immediately plunged into tho fight, iought their way up the slippery canal basks, went over the enemy parapets and- finished off hundreds in every section with bayonets and rifles and pistols fired at point blank. The terrified Germans just a little bit further back saw the performance and ran for their lives. During the operations of a single day this division by its dash and quick fighting took 4200 prisoners, seventy cannon, more than 1000 machine-guns and great quantities of war material. The total casualty list of the division was only 800. This is regarded by the British army as the greatest feat ever performed by a British division. In addition to the difficulties already related, the. ground over which the men attacked east of the canal lay between two hills, on either side of which the Germans had their field guns. The smoke barrage and the terrific bombardment from the British cannon kept the Germans fairly quiet until the canal had been crossed, but then many batteries began filing down on the advancing Englishmen. In many instances the enemy guns were charged by groups of Englishmen and finished oil' in hand-to-hand lighting-

CHARGED THE GUNS.

One battery of three 77's on the top of a hill was especially obnoxious and part of a company charged right into the mouths of tho guns with the Germans firing at the Englishmen pointblank willi open sights. Luckily iliey sent the shells over the heads of the attackers. The Englishmen filially reached the guns, when they turned Lo lire on six tanks which were advancing, and every German gunner vas bayonetted to death. Even to-day one of these German gunners is lying across his guncarriage with his head on the breechlock lever and a bayonet v.'ound through his throat. During tho canal forcing an English corporal discovered the Germans had not blown up a waggon bridge over the canal, so he got a handful of men first and finished off the enemy's ma-chine-guii post on this side of the bridge. Theu, all alone, be dashed across it, although there were probably a'dozen machine guns pointed at him from the other bank, and jumped into a hole in the ground where three German pioneers were awaiting the order to throw the switch and blow up the bridgo with demolition charges. The corporal bayoneted two of the men and accepted the surrender of the third, who offered to show him where the charges were. The corporal cut the wires leading to the explosives under tho bridge, and the bridge was of immense value to his comrades afterwards.

Tho .Englishmen bagged nearly a thousand prisoners at'one place during this engagement.

BOTTLED THE TUNNEL.

After they, crossed the canal one party Wixn sent to one end of ll.e Bellengliso tunnel and another to the other end. There were signs immediately that the tunnel was full of men. Therefore a captured German howitzer >vas brought up to one of the tunnel's mouth and a shot ./as sent screaming through it. Immediately, terror-stricken Germans began literally to pour from the tunnel with their hands up, yelling "Kamerad!"

One shot from their own howitzer was enough completely to change the plans of these Germans, ,vho very apparently ~- e re hiding, hoping that the EnglisJimen would par.s on and enable them to come out and attack from the rear, as others of their comrades did in the case of Americans who reached advanced positions in the neighborhood of Gouy. The tunnel later was found to be Uttered with machine guns, rifles ammunition, and .".11 the equipment, of the thousand men who abandoned it in their terror.