The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-11-18
Eyewitness Describes Great
Battle Won by the Allies.
HAND GRENADES WERE USED
British Had Great Difficulty In Dis
lodging the Heroic Germans, Who
Offered Most Stubborn Resistance.
German Directed Fire From House
Occupied by British Colonel.

II am now able to write straight
and clear story, with many interesting
details, of the fighting in France and
Belgium" says special correspondent
OF the London Daily Chronicle. For
some time IL was impossible to obtain
anything like a connected narrative.
as divisions, brigades and battalions
disappeared into the smoke and could
only send back brief messages to tell
how the day was gcing. how severe
was the ordeal and how great was the
success. Now, however. after the first
rush Is over. there is time to tell the
story OF one OF the greatest achieve
ments gained by British troops in this
war
The first two trenches were carried
with rush at the point of the bayonet,
large number Of Germans being kill
ed. But the uncut wire made the first
check and was a formidable obstacle
But our men, reckless of their lives, at
tacked 1t desperately. They stood up
under deadly fire OF machine guns
and forced their way through the en-
tanglement
Dead Man Erect In Their Path.
"One of the most extraordinary incl
dents among the grim scenes which
took place In the smoke and mist oc-
CURED when company of 'kilties. ad-
vancing at the charge, came face to
face with very tall German. who. al
though stone dead, with a bullet
through his brain and with his face
blackened with the CRIME of battle,
stood erect in their path. wedged in
some strange way in a low trench. 1t
was so startling and uncanny that,
with one accord. the wave of men part
ed and swept each side of him, as
though some obscene specter barred
the way.
Rank after rank streamed up, and
at last the great tide of men poured
through and swarmed forward 10 the
village. and then. three-quarters OF a
mile farther on. as they ran shouting
hoarsely. they were faced by the fire
from an enormous number of machine
guns, and from every part of the vii
lage there came the steady rattle OF
these weapons. pouring out streams OF
lead. There were machine guns In the
windows of many houses and on top
of the tower bridge"-tall mine
cranes which rose 300 feet from the
center of the village-and In the mar
row trenches dug across the streets.
In the cemetery to the southwest of the
town which our men had passed there
were no less than 100 machine guns.
so 1t was in itself fortification OF
great strength.
Ono Briton Captures Thirty Germans.
Here and there small parties OF
these German troops defended them
selves with the courage of despair and
would not yield until they were killed
TO the last man. Others were cunning
rather than courageous In their meth
DDS of fighting. A great mass of them
were undoubtedly surprised and de-
moralized by the rapidity and sweep
Ing strength of our attack, and 1t was
by the wholesale surrenders that we
took so large q number OF prisoners.
Men OF this class. after the first re-
sistance at rifle range or with ma
chine guns, seemed to have no fight
In them at all In one house entered
by a little killed signaler thirty Ger
mans, including an officer. surrendered
to him after he had shot down three
who tried to kill him.
In one cellar an amazing incident
happened which reveals the highest
form OF courage and self sacrifice that
cannot be denied our enemy. The colo
mel of battalion which will receive a
high place In the history for this days
work came into Loos after his men had
already gone from hill 20. With sig
na.ers and other men he established
quarters. according to a previous ar
touched by shell fire.
AT this time there was little she'll
ing. as the artillery officers on either
side were afraid OF killing their own
men, and the house seemed fairly safe
for the purpose OF temporary signal
station. But the colonel noticed with
surprise shortly after his arrival that
heavy shells began to fall very close.
and the German guns were obviously
aiming directly for this particular build
Ing. He ordered that the cellars be
searched. and three Germans were
found. But 1t was only after he had
been In the house forty minutes. In a
deeper cellar which had not been seen
before. that the discovery was made OF
n German officer who was actually tele
phoning to his own battalion and d.
recting their fire. Suspecting that the
colonel and his companions were i'm
portant officers directing the general
operations. he had caused the shells to
fall upon the house. knowing that a
lucky shot would mean his own death
as well as theirs. In any case. he was
certain to die, and he died bravely.
having made this supreme sacrifice OF