Epic fighting

French heroism and dash

Thrilling details in official report

South Wales Argus war special Paris, Wednesday – The following is the continuation of the official Note issued this evening entitled ‘Our successes of May 9 is the sector Currency – Nauville.’

The previous portion referred to the investment of Currency on three sides and the story proceeds: Our artillery fire had demolished a large wart of these accessory defences but a certain number of machine guns had escaped destruction and the enemy was still holding his ground.

In its first rush our infantry reached the outskirts but the advance was checked by a flanking fire. It resumed the attack immediately, starting from the trenches at 10 o’clock. It held at 11.15 the whole of La Targette having taken 350 prisoners several 77 guns and and a very large number of machine guns.

With Targette in its possession it was master of the four crossroads to Arras, Bethune, Mont Eloi and St Neuville. The ground was rapidly organised by our hero engineers and the advance continued to Nauville.

This village which formed a point in our lieu was according to the expression used by an officer ‘a veritable nest of machine guns and trench mortars’. Yet it was assaulted without hesitation and about 3 in the afternoon we were attacking the church. Every house was loop-holed, every cellar had been transformed into a covered trench, and from these a deadly fire was poured against our men but house by house half of the village fell into our hands, and we held the conquered ground against every counter attack.

It was an epic fight amid ruins and smoke. Every minute the number of our prisoners increased. We saw them issue from their holes, repulsive in their filth, stupefied by our bombardment, staggered by our dash. Every moment columns of them were being directed to the outlet from the village and thence conducted by our cavalry to the rear, to the great joy of the inhabitants.

Meanwhile, farther to the North an attack which started from a more distant point was making a still more important leap forward.

It had no villages to storm on its way but when it debouched from the Berthonval Wood it was confronted, first of all, by a mass of bastions and trenches which our troops called ‘The White works’ because hollowed out in the chalk soil it crowned the ridge in a whitish labrinthe; in the second place by the defensive of the Arras-Bethune road: and finally by the entrenchment slopes of the cliff dominating by more than 100ft the plain of Berthonval.

The attack like that further south was launched at 10 o’ clock and at 11.30 our troops, having covered more than four kilometres under fire were in action on the height. What this attack was like can only be comprehended by those who saw it develop, and words failed them to describe it. Two regiments at 10 o’ clock emerged in front of the trenches at Berthonval. A particular heavy artillery fire opened the road for them.

The wire entanglements were destroyed but many many shelters with their machine guns were still intact.

The line advanced, however, leaping forward, bowing down before the storm of shot, momentarily disappearing and the re-appearing until it had passed the trenches where the enemy still held firm and continued fire. It was like a wave surging forward.

Our men, with a prodigious contempt or their enemy did not stop before these trenches which they outflanked or enclosed, sometimes seeking to drag forth from their underground fairs whole sections of Germans.

As they crossed the trenches they plunged their bayonets into those of the enemy who sought to bar their way and continued the rush forward. The White works were now far behind them.