Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-11-23
Tars, Appearing on Front
for First Time, Fight
With Great Nalor.
HELPED OUT AT ANCRE
Troops Surround Redoubt;
Order "On Deck and -
step Lively"

Copyright 1915. by The Associated Prcss) }
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
FRANCE, Nov. 22.-(Via London,
Nov. 23, 1880 "a. m.)--British naval
troops are fighting for the first time
on the western front A naval diVi-
sion took part in the preaching of the
original German main line north Of
the Ancrc November 13 ana the cap
turing Of Bcaucourt the following
morning after - hours Of continuous
fighting.
The advance Of n portion OF the
naval troops was temporarily held up
10y strong German rcdUubt joining
the first ana second rows of trenches
and containing many machine guns,
the fire from which prevented the
hattalions on the LETT Immediately
south OF the quarrics of Beaumont
llamcl from scouting the entire army
position
But the b!ucjackets back of the
Ancre pushed thru to the outskirts OF
Bcaucourt within an hour. where they
remained all day under a heavy ma
chine gun and snIper's fire At night
fall the position of the division was
somewhat confused, but battalioE or
ficer with contingent, although
wounded II hours before( determined
to storm the village at dawn with
what composite naval troops could bc
assembled in the darkness and among
the CratcrS and temporary shelters of
the ground newly won.
This officer has had an adventurous
career, being "a successful gun runner
in Mexico and having also fought ON
Gallipoli with great distinction, gain
ing the DISTINGUISHED service order.
lie managed to concentrate strik-
ing force during the night with which
he dashed into Bcaucourt at dawn,
bombing and bayonoting the Ger
mans. For ten minutes the Germans
fought and then surrendered enmasse
to the officer, who had received three
additional wounds during the cap
ture of the vlalgc
The redoubt which held up the left
of the naval troops resisted thruout
the day of the thirteenth and until
dawn OF the fourteenth, tho 1T was
unable to drive back the bluejackets
holding the line around it, Then
many of the men advancing in No
Mans Land at dawn halted two hun
drcd yards distant. The machine
gunners in the redoubt saw some of
a tanks crew emerging thru the
hatchway with a gun, which the men
were mounting In "A crater beside the
tank. The Germans hoisted dirty
handkerchief on Il long pole as sig
nal of surrender.
The naval troops surrounded the
redoubt and ordered the occupants of
the dugouts to "COmc on deck ana
step lively" over four hundred men
came tumbling up the ladder stair
ways from network Of underground
positions Tho bluejackets took
total of nearly two thousand pris-
unors i'm two days fighting north of
the Ancrc.
The Germans were the first TO
utilize naval troops on the western
front, putting n division south of the
Ancre in a vain effort to take the
Schwahen redoubt on October 10.
The British naval units bear the
names of eX-sailors and wear khaki
with naval caps and badges. They
have quartermasters instead of ser
geants and otherwise follow naval
routine, keeping watches by bells in
villages where they are billeted and
referring to technical operations in
the field in the language of the sea.