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Show mm ATTACK ON METEREN REPELLED Scots and Australians Inflict In-flict Terrible Punishment Upon the Invaders. i- - By PHILIP GIBBS. (New York Times-Chicago Tribune Cable, Copyright.) WAR CORRESPONDENTS' HEADQUARTERS, HEAD-QUARTERS, July 26. A fairly strong attack, at-tack, futile in its result, was made by Germans against some of our Scottish troops this morning southwest of Meteren. The enemy's object was to take a bit of road going west through our position. Six companies, two of six regiments of the German Twelfth division, were ordered to carry out this attempt. That division is made up of Silesians from Breslau, lately come into line by Meteren to relieve re-lieve the Eighty-first reserve division, which, as' I have told several times lately, has been almost destroyed by two Australian Aus-tralian and Scottish troops. The attack began this morning after a heavy bombardment of the Scottish position po-sition and the six companies then advanced ad-vanced in a resolute way, hoping to have an easy walkover, after the work of their guns, but they were raked with fire from the start and they never reached the road which was their goal. Made Some Progress. On our right they made some progress and for a time the reports that came through from the Scots left the situation obscure, so that it seemed as though the enemy had gained part of our line, but later this was cleared up and the grim defense of the Scottish infantry repelled re-pelled tho assault and drove back the enemy with Severe losses. His only gain was one small outpost. He took a similar post the night before last and held it only until the Australians boxed it in with shell fire and then cleared it out with grenades. Reduced to Skeletons. If the Twelfth German division have anything any-thing like the same history as their predecessors pre-decessors in this part of the line they wiil soon be very miserable men, for the Australians and Scots have combined in J making the enemy positions horribly uncomfortable un-comfortable and inflicting daily losses which reduced the divisions there to mere skeletons. Xot only the liighty-f irst reserves, re-serves, but the Thirteenth reserves and 207th German divisions hereabouts were worn down by the constant harassing of our men until only weak remnants of their companies were left in the line. A company of. the Second battalion of the Thirteenth division went into line ninety strong a.nd came out ttwenty-five to thirty. After our attack on Merris very few men of the Second division get back and of the fifth company only fourteen. Companies of the Thirteenth battalion were just as weak when the Australians got through with them. "The high command com-mand means to leave us in line." said a German officer we captured a few weeks ago, "until one field kitchen is enough to feed us all." If is of course the deliberate policy of Prince Rupprecht and his army generals to make these wrecked divisions hold out in line until they can hardly stacger up to the outposts so that behind the line be may keep intact his fresh reserves lor (Continued on Page Thirteen.) GERMAN ATTACK Oil METERED REPELLED (Continued from Pago One.) another great assault, From that point of view it is perhaps sound policy, but it is cruel on the men left bo long- under shell fire. In this sector of the line as at Hebuterne and Aveluy and other parts our gunners give no peace to the German troops. All round about Meteren they harass and scourge the enemy's position day and night. They map out ingenious programs of harassing fire so that one day they smash down all the bridges which the Germans built over the canal and then another day put shells down on his tracks and cross roads, and the next concentrate on . his ammunition dumps and then harry the machine gun posts and assembly places and lines of reliefs. Keeps Nerves on Edge. It ckuses incessant wastage in the enemy ranks, keeps their nerves on edge and knocks out their fighting spirit. It is organized brutality which is the art of war and inevitable in the winning of the war. It is what the Germans did to us in the days of 1914 and 1915 and part of 1916 when they had great gun power and we had very little and could not answer back. Gradually, after monstrous ef- ; forts of the enemy to smash us to pieces i from the opening of his gns offensive '. on March 21, we are regaining the power j of the intiative and it is now the Ger- ; mans who have to withstand surprise attacks. at-tacks. They were mightily surprised by Foch's counter-offensive, believing he was still without reserves to put his own theories to practice and on smalt scales they were utterly surprised by the attack a few days ago at Moreuil and Montdidier. Tanks Play a Part. Our tanks played a part in causing the surprise, in co-operation with the French infantry. The French general tn command com-mand called on onr tank headquarters and explained his idea. He is a believer in tanks, and said if he could have the services of a score or so he could capture cap-ture some important ground held by the enemy as a stepping stone to Amiens, and round up many prisoners. Our tanks were ready for the adventure, and they were placed under the French command. They made their way behind the French lines and took cover until the moment of attack. Then they advanced with the bluecoats, who were mightily amused by these comrades in arms, marvel ing at i their method of maneuvers and full of enthusiasm for the gallantry of their , crews. The German lin'S were stormed,' and the tanks and French infantry penetrated pene-trated ttie enemy positions and assaulted the Genii an machine gun pots. strong points and wire del en hps, cutting off groups of men who surrendered -juickly . and overwhelming those who held out in defense. As modern juggernauts they crushed the bodies of men who tried to . bar their way, and when some of them i got hit by gunfire and were brought to ! a standstill, the crews opened their steel i doors, dragged out their machine guns and foueht from the trips of the tanks, using them as strong point. Some Were Hit. Some of them were hit by gu'ns across the River Avro, but the rasuatti'-s of the tank pilot s and crews were light, and their co-operation stirrr-d the French infantry to the highest enthusiasm. "When they came back out nf the fid it they were hung around with French flag's like chariots of victory. This admiration is mutual, for our men are loud in praise of the French troops who fought with them, and s.iy they never have seen het-tr-r thintr? than the quickness and .skill ajid courage of attack shown by tli-se comrades. Amorg the prisoners brought home between Mail):--, the 1 thine va iley and Sauvilliers were fm:r battalion commanders, com-manders, who w-re startled and depressed at this sudden turn of fortune's tvhed. |