NEW ZEALANDERS ADVANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3561, 22 September 1916, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDERS ADVANCE.

September 16. The Now Zeala-ndcrsj who have tho honour of being in the new phase of the Sommc advance, fought hard aud successfully all yesterday, capturing several linos of German trenches and pushing on right behind Flers village, which they assisted an English division in taking* and holding during the /tight. Leaving their assembly trench in tho early morning stages, tho Aucklanders won't over the parapet and took the i;rst weakly-held German trenches intheir stride. Then, pushing on behind iv creeping barrage, thoy went on gallantly through -the Gorman shrapnel,, high explosive, ' and machine-gun fire, and captured the Switch trench. Some Gorman;; came running towards them, holding up their hands and calling "Kamorad"," and others fled downhill. Some used the white flag, protending to surrender, and then shot. Needless to say, few of thc«e had tho luck to be taken prisoners. This trench taken, tho Rifle Brigade passed over it and they advanced dose behind a further i weeping barrage The leading waves assailed and took a trench 1000 yard? bovond Switch trench. Hero one of 1 tho armoured land-crushers did good work. In one pla.ee it charged through I the uncut German wire.

Entering Flers

All this time the Rifle Brigade was moving steadily onward, and the leading waves found two lines of trendies and a long communication trench. These trenches they also took. One armoured car charged slowly right into

the village in front of the cheering infantry, a seen 3 unparalleled in • the. war.

We got beyond this objective, but as there were .some gaps in tho lino our men had to be brought back a short distance. They dug jn. A threatened Gorman counter-attack war, beaten back by our artillery, while others were prevented, largely by tho .same means. All night tlio Brigade bravely held on, and oven occupied a bit of ground beyond our own area on tho right. At the ■ moment of writing our.j?upports, which have come up, are taking part in the further advance. The chances of further success seem satisfactory.