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Show Germans Keep Them in Deep Dugouts Until En- emy Approaches, Then Bring Them Out Into Trenches and Open Fire. By PHILIP GIBBS. (Special Cable by Arrangement with London Daily Telegraph and International Newe Srvic.) PRESS CAMP, BRITISH HEADQUARTERS HEAD-QUARTERS IN FRANCE, July 3.The attack on Montau-bon Montau-bon was one of the best successes suc-cesses of the British on Sat-urday. Sat-urday. The men engaged were mainly main-ly the Lancashire troops, supported by the men of Surrey, Kent and Essex, Es-sex, Bedford and Norfolk. The advance in splendid order, straight for their objective, swept over the German trenches and captured cap-tured large numbers of prisoners, without great loss to themselves. The commanding officers were anxious anx-ious about the Germans' strong point called the "brickfield," which had been full of machhie guns and mine throwers, and the ' original intention was to pass this without a direct attempt at-tempt to take it. But the position was found to be utterly destroyed by the bombardment, and the party detached de-tached to take it did so with comparative com-parative ease. The remainder went on to the ruined village of Montaubon, and, in spite of the spasmodic machine-gun fire from the broken houses, carried it In one great flood of invasion. Nerves Shattered by Bombardment. Large numbers of Germans had taken cover in the dugouts and cellars, but as soon as our men entered en-tered they came into the open and surrendered. Many of them were so cowed by the great bombardment and waves of men that swept into their strongholds that they fell to their knees and begged piteously for mercy, which was granted. The loss of Montaubon was serious to the Germans. They prepared for a counter-attack, which they launched at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning at a strength of two regiments. The British, Brit-ish, expecting this, had organized their defense. The Germans came in close order, very bravely, rank after rank advancing over their dead and wounded comrades. But they were caught by our machine gun and rifle fire and mowed down. Only a few were - able to enter the British trenches, and these died. Montaubon remains . In British hands, and so far the Germans have not attempted further counter-attacks. Mametz Full of German Wounded. Mametz is full of German dead and wounded, who are being found in the cellars and taken to British hospitals. It was in the taking of Mametz that the Gordon Highlanders suffered heavily. With 4he English troops they advanced ad-vanced across the open with sloped arms. There was very little shell fire, and not a rifle shot came from the Germans' broken trenches. "Suddenly," says one of their officers, offi-cers, "their machine guns opened fire upon us point blank and caught us in the face. "I shouted to my "men to advance at the double. We ran forward through a perfect stream of shattering bullets. bul-lets. Many of my poor boys dropped and then I fell and knew nothing more for a while, but afterward I heard that we had taken Mametz and still held it. "My Gordons were fine, but we had bad luck." It was the German machine guns that were most trying to the British. In spite of the enormous British bombardment there remained here and there, even In a front line trench, a machine gun deployment so strongly built of steel girders with concrete covering that it defied big explosives, and Inside were men who were de-' de-' fiant e also. An officer of the Northumberland fustllers paid a high tribute to them. "They are wonderful men," he said, "and they work the machines until they are bombed to death. In the trenches near I-Ticourt they stayed on when all other men either had been killed or wounded and would neither surrender nor escape." The advance past La Bolsselle to Contalmaison was splendid and memorable. The men who took part were tough fellows who fear neitner (Continued on Pago Four.) in m ii B i;i CHARGE (Continued from Pae One.) man. davil nor ensiiis of war. They v.ti'i fonvur-.i !;.".-! ::ig. Tilt nuns wi-re thjinhig Jn k Johnsons John-sons over, hut d i J not Im :.(. ma.-n damage, and the r:.eu jeor- I at ti.cui. Btit the Germans wt-re o." blading o ir irw-n from La UoisiTie, and r;oin the hi i;b ground iher bu'Vis i-am" in siiowis so that when thry hit at the shoulder they came out at the waist. They swept th'- "No Man's l'.nd" like a scythe, but the iritis'.: troops passed on steadily witii fixed bayonets bay-onets at parade step an 1 not turning their hraris us their comiades dropped rleht and left. They took tue first line of Uerman tranches, widen we: o thrown into dust ln-aps wdh the bodies of the men w'ho had held them. Soldiers Dash to Third Line. In th second line there were men still II via? h rid still resolute enough to defend themselves. They were bombed out of th'.s position and our men went on to the third line still under the ma-ddne gun tire. Beyond La lioiselle the fire became verv "intense. - Hih explosives, shrapnel shrap-nel and trench mortar" plowed up the ground. The Royal Si-ots charged with bayonets into the body of the Germans and other battalions advanced ad-vanced at the double and cuptui'L-d batches of men who had no more stomach to 1'lKht. In the neighborhood of Autheill fighting was dona by the Dorsets and Manchesters. With the Highland light infantry and borderers they hud an easv time over the front line, but when the second was reached they had lo engaso in battle with bombs a large body of Germans. This re-sisla re-sisla nee was broken down and when there was a show of bavorets thfi Germans surrendered. They were haggard and had suffered, like most of those made prisoners by the British, Brit-ish, from hunger and thirst, as the bombardment had cut off their supplies sup-plies and had broken their water pipes. Where Someone Blundered. Further north again there was a severe se-vere struggle for the possession of . Thiepval, which was once in British hands, but is now again held by the Germans. The British first attacked and went through the village and passed beyond to a further objective without staying to clear out the dugouts dug-outs where the Germans were hiding or to search for V 11 the machine gun emplacements. The Germans came out of their hiding places and played their machine guns upon the British troops who had gone forward. Some battalions working on the left of ' Thiepval had a very severe ordeal. One wounded soldier told me that thev seized the first system of trenches in the face of the German machine gam fire and captured the men who remained alive in the dugouts. dug-outs. They are deep dugouts, going thirty feet below the ground, and in some eases had trap doors leading to the lower chambers, so that the bombardment bom-bardment had not touched them. Many were elaborately furnished and were well stocked with wine and beer. A great deal of correspondence was found. It was when the Brilisb advanced upon Thiepval woods that they had ( their hardest hours, for the fire of ( the Germans was heavy and they bad to pass through an Intense fire. Meanwhile, fighting was" in progress at Frleourt and the north country men experienced a great ordeal of fire. Thev had done magnificently and Frieourt is in British hands. Describes Battle for Frieourt. Mass.cs of men of many British regiments have advanced on both sides of the village, endeavoring to get possession of the shelter in the Lozenge wood and the high ground north of the village. Large numbers of Germans have been killed and wounded, but the German garrison at Frieourt maintained a stout resistance and vesterday morning our attack did not succeed In taking this stronghold, strong-hold, although it was nearly surrounded. sur-rounded. Heroic acts were done by the British soldiers. One boy. 18 years old, was so good a captain, although a pri- vate soldier, that when the officers of his platoon had fallen he rallied the men and led them forward. "Come on, lads," he cried, "we'll get them out." j A pipe major of the Royal Scots 1 led his battalion forward to an old Scottish tune and. turning the attack, at-tack, stood out alone in the "No Man's Land," playing until he fell wounded. Karly Sunday morning a fine flanking flank-ing attack was made on Frieourt by the men who had held on to the ground during the night and occupied occu-pied a trench which was' taken after the explosion of two big mines. The attack then closed in, one body of .troops working around to the north and another fighting their way around the south side in order to get the village within a pair of tongs. The operation succeeded. The village vil-lage was taken, but the fighting still went on to gain possession of the high ridge above. A Whole company of German soldiers came across the open space with their hands up. Other nin struggled singly over the shell-beaten ground to surrender. But the Germans Ger-mans put up a very heavy barrage and shrapnel fire and used high explosives ex-plosives when our men tried to advance ad-vance along the ridge, and from the upper end of Avncourt wood there came the incessant clatter of machine ma-chine gun fire. As far as I can learn, the position of the British tonight is good. |