Our right wing directed on Peronne now took up the
running. On Friday Conbles and Clery were taken, and the Somme was crossed both to the west and to the south of Peronne. The Austra- lians, who had pushed up the river valley to the gates of the town, now executed a most brilliant feat. At dawn on Saturday they suddenly attacked Mont St. Quentin, Peronne's natural bulwark, from three sides. The Germans, who had fortified the hill afresh and held it in force, expected attack from the west and south. But when an Australian flanking party fell upon them from the north, where by all the rules the Australians had no right to be, the astonished garrison surrendered. Over 1,000 prisoners were taken ; the Australian casualties, it is said, were under fifty. The enemy, angered by this loss, counter-attacked repeatedly through- out the day, but he could not check the Australians. On Sunday they finished their task by storming Peronne itself. English troops to the left of the Australians cleared the Bapaume-Peronne road between Saturday and Monday, when the occupation of Allaines gave us a secure footing east of the Canal du' Nord and.the river
Tortille, which some had thought the enemy would use as a new line of defence.
