THE CAPTURE OF MONCHY.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 86, 13 April 1917, Page 5

THE CAPTURE OF MONCHY.

EYE-WITNESS'S THRILLING

DESCRIPTION

GHASTLY

EVIDENCE OF

BRITISH FIRE

CAVALRY CHARGE THE

BROKEN ENEMY

. (Renter's Telegrams.) (Received April 13, 0.50 a.m.) _ , LONDON, April 12. An eye-witness gives a^ thrilling description of the capture of Monchy, the key to the position between the rivers Scarpe and Sensee, standing on the edge of a plateau one hundred feet above the surrounding country. The correspondent says that there was ghastly evidence of' the British "bombardments. Maeinne-gun posts of reinforced concrete two feet thick were destroyed by a single t-hell, and trenches smashed into shapeless ditches. The Germans tore up rails to I make barricades, and used farm carts, | ploughs, and brick heaps as cover, ! but all precautions, were useless. I Targets a yard wide were hit from ! four miles. Dead Germans were I everywhere. To facilitate the ..defence |of Monchy the Germans , planted a series of : machine-gun batteries. around the ■ outhouses and in the wood and chateau to the north. ■; i Sunken roads radiated in all dir_ec- ■ tions, which were full of snipers and : machine-gunners. The capture of : Fampoux, however, covered the flank of ■ the attackers, while the enveloping ' movement developed. Heavy .snowstorms enabled a iarge force- to ;advahce between the" Scarpe and the- Douai road without the enemy realising the significance of the movement. Meanwhile th.c artillery crossed the Scarpe near.Roeux and advanced on Monchy. • , By dark the British bombing parties were on the fringe of the village. The troops were so tired by thirty-six hours of continuous fighting that they quickly dug in and slept throughout the night m shallow trenches, despite* the''snowstorm, but ready to re-attack. At dawn they charged the hill, cheering^ . Monchy was captured in twenty minutes, .the remnants of the garrison collapsing when at close quarters. The infantry for the first time hf)d the satisfaction of seeing the cavalry charge their broken foes, driving them terrorstricken ovef the fields. The steady reduction of the German strongholds behind the breached line proceeded so rapidly that the Lancers and Dragoons were able to drive ahead en masses The 'tanks proved of great service in clearing the machine-gun pockets and driving the Germans in,to the open. of Lewis gunners, pushing on, hastened the surrender of the survivors, who had been without food or sleep since Monday. They were wet and chilled to the bone.