Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-11-19
IRISH HAVE FOUGHT
WITH ALL H0N0RS
Sixteenth Division JuStifies
Its Existence by Fight
ing to the Last.
MORALE OF MEN HIGH
Under a Hail of Steel They
Stood Their Ground;
True Englishmen.

i L 'tt LII SllNllIIlNIl.
Correspondence of The Associated Press
LONDON, Nov. 3-The following
letter, circulated by authority of the
war office. constitutes an interesting
review of the work of the Sixteenth
Urish) division. The letter, which
was written by a MAJOR of the Six
teenth division, addressed to the edi-
tors of the London newspapers, is
quoted in part as follows:
The Sixteenth division, established
two years ago in response to the ap-
peal of the Irish Nationalist leaders,
has well justified its existence and
has a record of service of which
lrishmen are proud. Composed of
hattalions of all the well-known Irish
regiment, the division left for France
in December, 1915, under command
of Major General Hickie.
"The division was employed in
holding portions of the line and in
completing training till March %.
ON March 26 the division took over
as "A whole the J.Oos and Hulluch sec
tors and held them without break
or rest of any kind: The division
was opposed by Ravarian divisions
good fighting men who had never
fighting. and whose morale was high.
our trenches were battle-built and
hattle-sited, the result of the british
advance in September, 1915. The
German trenches were those of their
second line which had held up that
advance at the end of the battle
They had been most carefully and
tacticly sited and prepared with great
labor. The wire was very thick and
strong Every disadvantage of ground
and position lay with us In spite of
this and of several strong hostile at
tacks the division never lost a trench.
Twice only during these six months
did the Bavarians gain an entry into
our trenches, on both occasions they
were driven out with losses.
stood Ground.
"The division withstood on April
81 and 29 two very severe attacks in
which the enemy used poison gas in
it's most concentrated form. On the
latter of these two occasions the di-
vision suffered heavy casualties, but
Providence was on our side, for the
wind suddenly changing the gas blew
back over the German trenches
where the Bavarians had already
massed for attack. Taken by sur
prise, they left their front line and
ran back across the open under the
heavy and well-directed fire of our
artillery. In one battalion of the
3avarian infantry regiment the
losses from their own gas and from
our fire on that day were stated to
be by deserter over eight hundred
and the diary of prisoner OF another
battalion captured on the Somme in
September states that his regiment
also had about five hundred gaSsed
cases, large number of whom died.
tl.t tod 70 GAN
eral severe bombardments during the
months of May and June. 1t was of
common occurrence for the enemy to
send over from two thousand to five
| thousand 5-point-9 shells in day. the
division carried out many raids. the
greater number of which were sue
cessful. A good number OF Germans
killed, some prisoners taken and con-
siderable damage done to the hostile
lines. The main result of these raids
was to increase the moral superiority
OF our men. From December in the
L.oos sector the division had consider
able casualties In officers and men,
the result of constant trench warfare.
ORDERS were received for the di-
vision to proceed to the Somme. They
were relieved that night and marched
back for two days in pouring rain TO
the railway stations in the rear. Ar
rived at their destination. they
marched up in the rain to the camps
in the rear of the battle area. on
September l one brigade moved for-
ward to relieve worn-out troops OF
another division and the brigade
took part in the assault on guile
mont Two battalions of a brigade
lent for similar purpose to the di-
vision on the corps right were used
in the attack on the Combles
trenches and in the advance through
Leuzy Wood On the afternoon OF
September the assault against
Ginchy and the hostile trenches east
Of Guillemont took place. The losses
sustained between the first and tenth
of September were In proportion TO
the extent and gallantry of the work
done.
Fought In SOmme.
During the IL days which the di-
vision was engaged on the Somme
they shared largely in the capture of
Guillemont and took Ginchy-two
strbngholds which had defied the ef-
forts of our troops for some consider
able time and they repelled several
counterattacks of more or less
severity. The losses inflicted on the
enemy in prisoners. killed and
wounded were considerab ble-slx hun
dred prisoners being taken at Guille-
mont alone. The spirit, courage and
| determination of the men and dis
played by all ranks during the opera
tions was beyond all praise.
"On the night of September Z, after
the capture and consolidation OF
Ginchy. the relief of the division
| commenced. 1t was complete on the
eleventh instant and the di-
vision went into back area. on
the twentieth orders were received
for ii to take over q new line. This