World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
are making life hideous for the German soldiers in those places, and in
the villages farther back in the direction of Douai, and along the road
which he is using for his transport. In the village of Bailleul down
there are a number of batteries which the enemy has vainly endeavoured
to withdraw. We are smothering them with shell-fire, and he will find it
difficult to get them away, though he can ill afford the loss of more
guns. The enemy has been in great trouble to move his guns away rapidly
enough owing to the dearth of transport horses. Even before the battle
of Arras began the German batteries had to borrow horses from each other
because there were not enough for all, and some of his guns have been
abandoned because of that lack. He cannot claim that he has left us only
broken and useless guns.
When the Scottish and South African troops of the 9th Division made the
great attack on Monday last the South-Africans were led forward by their
colonels, and took the first German line without a single casualty.
Afterwards they fought against wicked machine-gun fire, but, sweeping
all before them, and gathering in hundreds of prisoners, they seized a
number of guns, including several 5·9 howitzers. A vast amount of
ammunition lay about in dumps, and our men turned the guns about, and
are using them against the enemy. To South-Africans who fought in
Delville Wood--I have told the story of this tragic epic in the battle
of the Somme--this is a triumph that pays back a little for old memories
under German gun-fire. Their revenge is sweet and frightful, and they
call the captured guns, those monstrous five-point-nines, their
trench-mortar battery.
During this fighting our airmen have flown with extraordinary valour,
and have done great work. They flew in snow-storms, as I saw them and
marvelled, on the east side of Arras, and circled round for hours taking
photographs of the enemy's positions and spotting his batteries so
accurately, in spite of weather which half blinded them, that the German
gunners who are now our prisoners say that they were terrorized by being
made targets for our fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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