The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-26
BRITISH WIN ALL
DAY BATTLE
Continued from page -

rushing infantry. A number of iron
monitors led the advance to Bourbon
wood Friday with British planes
circling over the enemy at a height
Of from thirty to fifty feet and carry
ing on a vigorous warfare with their
machine guns and bombs. II was
hard fighting but the advance was
continued successfully until the
northeast corner of the wood was
reached where the tanks were held up
by a strong force Of the enemy.
British airmen, who had been fight
ing close to the ground, deliberately
charged down on the enemy infantry
with machine guns pumping a steady
stream of bullets into the German
ranks. The battle was short and
decisive. The airpIanes wheeled and
rewheeled over the heads of the
Germans and maintained such an in
tensiVe fire that the defenders were
forced to retire from the position
after suffering considerable losses.
The tanks then pushed on, the con-
quest Of the wood being completed
and an entering wedge having been
driven into the village.
Almost Immediately the Germans
delivered a heavy counter attack on
the troops who had penetrated the
hamlet and after a stiff engagement
forced them to withdraw again to the
edge OF the wood. Saturday morn
ing the British renewed the attack
on the village.
Battle In the Open.
Itwas a battle in which the British
troops gloried. for it took them back
to the days of other wars when men
struggled in the open. The trying
period OF fighting behind sandbag
parapets was temporarily past and
they were at close grips with the
enemy, where they could employ the
bayonet which they know so well
how to use. The Germans had rush
ed up reinforcements which they had
obtained by raking every available
point on their line.
During the morning, the enemy
advanced in strength from the north
and threw themselves against the
British line at the edge of the wood.
A sanguinary struggle followed and
the British, unable to Withstand the
fury Of the German attack without
too great q loss of life, Withdrew
slightly and the Germans gained a
footing in the northern edge of the
forest. But the British were not to
forward again. This time dismounted
advanced with the in
fantry and between them they drove
the enemy back and re-established
themselves on the old line.
Little by little the Germans were
forced to give ground at the north
west edge of the wood about Bourbon
village until the British infantry
reached the bloodstained streets of
the hamlet once more. Dusk settled
down about the contending forces;
but they still continued to shoot, and
thrust at one another in the gather
ing darkness.
No more grim tragedy has been
enacted since the war began than
was staged among the ruins Of Bour-
lon village last night. Its finish
found the shattered German forces
outside the village boundary but still
full OF determination. Several times
through the night they reformed and
swept forward against the village,
but each time were hurled back with
heavy losses.
The village OF Fontaine Notre
Dame, between Bourbon wood and
Cambria, was still in German hands
today. This shattered hamlet how
ever, was giving the British no cause
for worry and at the latest reports
they were ignoring it and continuing
to push ahead on the northwest side.
Airplanes Very Active.
The work Of British airplanes dur
ing the present offensive forms a
graphic chapter in itself. Despite the
vile weather which compelled them
to operate within a few feet of the
ground they kept steadily at their
task and rendered invaluable assist
ance both in reconnaissance and Of
fensive operations
There have been almost continual
battles between German infantry antF
British airmen flying as low as thirty
feet above the ground. Never before
has this kind of warfare been carried
out on such a large scale. Pilots
have attacked infantry and gun
crews unfortunately wherever they
encountered them and have inflicted
heavy casualties on the enemy with
bombs and machine guns.
The nature Of the fighting can be
seen from the experience Of a British
pilot whose machine was literally
shot to pieces by rifle and machine
gun fire and who finally crashed
down behind his own lines with ten
bullet holes through his clothing, al
though he himself was unhurt. An
other young airman yesterday pre-
sented himself at headquarters after
having been shot down for the third
time within two days. He was de-
lighted over his experience and i'm
applied for another ma
chine 50 that he might 60 out again
One aviator attacked column or