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<p>a9755011.html</p><p>Australians' Greatest Effort</p><p>Ten Miles' Advance Villages and Guns Captured by C.W. Bean</p><p>War Correspondents' headquarteres, Fance, August 9th.</p><p>The Australians at dawn this mornign were launched in the greatest attack they have ever made; while many other British troops are engaged, and the French are atacking to the South. Witht eh infantry, as the Battle of Hamel, goes a large force of tanks.</p><p>It is possible now to state that some days ago the Australians gave up a portion of the line between the Ancre and the Somme, which they handed over to British troops. Shortly afterwards the Germans drove a very powerful attack against the trenches recently captured by the Australians before Morlancourt Very heavy fighting followed, in which the Germans at first managed to geta fairly deep foothold in our trenches, but yesterday morning they were thrown out of the greater part of these by a British counter-attack. This German thrust coming immediately before the launchign of an attack which is much the biggest launced by the Brtitish this year, caused a great anxiety, not unlike that which attended the battle of Polygon Wood last year, when, the day before the batle, the Germans, by dint of a tremendous barrage, drove in a portion of the front from where the attack was to be launched by the British. This time the British counter-0attack, however, had more or less re-establsihed the front line before our atack strted.</p><p>The great assault which has just been launched is directed against the flank on the Germans in the Montdidier salient, where the Australians have been biting in durign the last three months. While this battle cannot break the German army it can break the German offensive. The prayers of the world will go with the Allies in this formidable enterprise. It must be a bitter fight, but our troops are entering it with every hope of success.</p><p><strong>Favourable Weather at Last</strong></p><p>Later. It is nearly an hour since the great barrage descended from the sky like a regiment of thunderstorms. Yet the dense mist whcih rises from the Somme hides the whole battlefield. For once the weather has favoured the British from first to last. During several days of preparation, incessant summer rain prevented aeroplanes from seeingteh hurried movements and acumulation of supplies, which cnnot be entirely hidden. Yesterday, when our movements were pratically complete, out cam the sun and dried the roads and warmed the spirits of the men.</p><p>Last night the enemy shelling was heavier than usual, especially against the British north of the Somme. The Germans clearly expected some attack, within the next few days, astride of the Somme River. Just before dawn the German guns, which have been quiet for an hour or two, broke out into what was clearly a counter preparation in case we were attacking north of hte Somme. This continued for five minutes. A quarter of an hour later firing broke out again further south, astride the river. For ten minutes this fire was fairly heavy. Then down came our great barrage. We could not see thirty yards for the mist. The flashes of the guns gflared out in the fog over half the sky. But we knew the same mist hid our infantry and tanks from teh Germans, as we could scarecely have prayed to hide them. The German barage was swallowed up in an instant.</p><p>Int he last hour I have not heard fifteen German shells, and not one can be heard now. We know there can only be one reason, either the German guns have been taken or they are taking them back as fast as they can.</p><p>Later: 6.45am. The mist is still heavy over the Somme valley. Aeroplanes pass from time to time. We could hear the German firing his machine-gun from the air. Teh barrage has already half died away as the battle lengthens. Numbers of prisoners have begun to arrive.</p><p><strong>Advance of Ten Miles</strong></p><p>By the end of the first day of the great attack the Australian infantry had advanced ten miles into the country which was yesterday mornign in erman hands, on a front of about nine miles. Six thousand five hundred German prisoners habe been definitely counted; 104 guns and many machine-guns and trench mortars. The infantry actually reachd dthis line by a little after mid-day, and were looking out of over a wide heath just on our side of the old Somme battlefield. The story of this great assault, so far as the Australain share in it is concerned, is as follows:-</p><p>When our barrage fell, the infantry attacked through the mist with tanks. Very few Germans were found in their front support lines. Some points appear to have been held more strongly, but over the greater part of the front line, which the Germans held very tinly, the garrison must have run. Some battalions went half a mile before they found their first Germans. Then machine-guns began and they found the German gunners fighting their guns till infantry and tanks were upon them.</p><p>After the attack had been going on for about three hours, the mist gradully thinned, and the infantry and tanks began to pass through valleys where there were still german guns. Some of thee still fire at tanks which were coming across the wheat-covered ridges at them. The crews in most cases capture dthe guns almost entire. We saw about twenty of these guns. From a few the Germans had taken the breechblocks, but others had their sights and breechblocks complete. In every case we saw ammunition still standing beside the guns, though in one case the German officer had had time to burn the cordite charges.</p><p>One Australian division sent out with the assualting troops some of its trench mortar men, in order that they might be able to handle the German guns if any were captured. At one place these found a German battery with its ammunion (sic.) complete, but the sights had been hurriedly taken from the guns. The Australian trench mortar men turned these guns round and fired them at their extreme range towards German roads and other targets.</p><p>Shortly after eight an Australian division found a German regiment which had just been relieved from the line. It surrendered almost complete. A mile further on, another German regiment was holding a village. The Australian centre and right went on, meeting with little opposition. Here they came on German units resting in support reserve areas, who generally surrendered immediately.</p><p>Some fighting on the Canadian front, which Australians joined in, swept past the village. the sound sof heavy firing came from the Canadian and French front all day. Before mid-day the Australians, who were about nine miles from their starting place, made a gap sufficient for cavalry to pass. British cavalry went out and also armoured motor-cars. The cavalry and cars got through just in time to make some splendid captures at this point.</p><p><strong>Railway Guyn Captured. </strong></p><p>On a broad-gauge railway here, there was standing a German engine with several trucks, and steam up, just moving off. At the far end of this tdrain was seen a tremendous object, which was at once realised to be a great German railway-gun. It is uncertain whether cavalry or cars stopped this train; but anyway, they managed to ovdertaken it and put a number of shots through the engine, and captured the German 9-inch railway-gun with the train of ammunition complete.</p><p>By the time I saw this gun the Australian engineers already had an engine-driver in her and steam up, and the train moving along the rails. Just beyond this, within a couple of miles, were seen two more trains. One of these was still burning when we saw it. It is said that when the armoured cars and cavalry reached this point they found the Germans bringing up one train full of reinforcements in order hurriedly to hold the line, and another just leaving. The cavalry came in presently with these men prisoners. One of these trains was caught up by an armoured car, which fired on it, an ad attracted our aeroplanes, which bombed and burnt it.</p><p>The armoured cars passed a gully full of Germans, whom they left, and then hurried on into German territory. Two of them sped into Framerville. Here they found a German transport standing in the street with waggons (sic) all harnessed up and</p><p> </p><p> </p>