Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-10-16
Terrific Fighting at Point oil
Bayonet Succeeded BY Work
With Hand GrenadeS

Philip Gibbs, special correspondent
Of the Denver Post. writing from Brt
ish headquarters IN northern France.
under date CI September 30. tells the
following graphic story OF the British
charge On the village OF LOos)
Now, after the first rush Is over
there Is time TO tell the story OF one
Of the greatest achievements gained
by British troops in this war.
Third Line Of Entanglements
There were many battalions OF new
army men among those who led the
attack, including some Scottish regi-
ments who had full share in the
horrors OF the first assaults Many
were recruits in Kttcheners army who
had hardly arrived in Flanders, but
they were not the less keen because
OF that
These splendid boys listened
through the night OF Friday to the
intense bOmbardment which preceded
the assault and which in Itself vas i
tremendous test On the nerves. But
at $50 a. m. Saturday. when the COM
pany. officers gave the word. tina pat
talions leaped out Of their trenches
and ran forward TO the enemy's lines
with a wild hurrah.
Third Line Of EntnaoIements
Cheeks Furious Charge.
I. Their point, OF attack was the vii
hge OF Loos. three and a half miles
away. They reached the enemy's tiers
.ef trenches without suffering many
casualties and found the first line of
,barbed wire effectively broken down
by the bombardment, but the third
Dine was uncut. 1t was of exception
ally strong wire with long barbs.
Il The first trenches were carried at
the point Of the bayonet. large num-
Der Of Germans being killed. but the
uncut wires which caused the first
check proved a formidable obstacle.
Ats O'Clock those who had not fall
en- reached the outskirts OF Loos. For
nearly two hours there was street
fighting of a terrible character In
which many battalionsi we're mixed up
and many officers were killed or
wounded.
The battle was made up Of the In
dividual eombats OF small groups fight
ing from house to house and separate
though the town had been severely
damaged by shell. IRE and the church
was IN ruins, no fire had broken out.
Gernsns Battle Desperately -.
In Ruins Of. Village. .A~ -.
The shells, Of houses still stood.
They were crammed with German
troops, who used the cellars as
trenches, from, which. to fire upon our
men through apertures in the: street
and who also. fred through windows
and doorways and from behind the
shelter OF walls. Some had machiue |
guns in the garrets, w.. .,... II
: Here and there small parties Of Ger
mans defended themselves. with the
ccurage Of desperation and would not
others used cunning rather than |
COURAGEOUS methods OF lighting The
great mass OF them were undoubtedly.
surprised and dennoraIized by the ra-
pidity and sweeping strength Of our
attack and, by their wholesale sur |
renders we took large numbers oil |
prisoners. Men of this class, after
the first resistance at rifle or machine |
gun range, seemed to have no fight in |
them at all.
Hand Grenades Pack Cellar Full
Of Dead.
Yet resistance was prolonged in
some parts of the village. There
were many cellars from which the /
rapid fire caused heavy losses to the
besiegers. They were silenced by /
bombing parties who flung hand gren'
AIDES into the subterranean forts from
the heads of3stairways., Loos cellars
are still full of dead. 80. Ia, ,
In one of the cellars an amazing in
cident happened which revealed the
highest form of courage and self-sac.
rfiice in our enemy The colonel of a
British battalion. which Will be given |
a high place in history for this days /
.s