THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 9

THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.

NEW ZEALAXDERS' GItEAT WORK. TRIBUTES FROM ALL QUARTERS.

(press association* telegram.) WELLINGTON, August 24. Tho following extract from a letter from Major-General Sir Andrew Russell was read by the Minister of Defcnco in the House of Representatives this afternoon : —

"Messines ridge, on that part which the New Zealandcrs had to attack, is a fairly steep ridge on which the German was very comfortably entrenched, with an excellent observation of everything that was going on in our lines below him. Ho was, in fact, on the rim of a saucer, whilo we were at the bottom. Consequently all our preparations in the way of improving our communication and constructing assembly trenches had to be dono at night. Naturally work at night is never so expeditious or so easy as by day, and for four or five weeks prior to the attack practically every man in the division had to spend tfio nights working, getting what sleep he could during the day. This in itself was a severe tax on the men's endurance, and I was very glad to find at tho end that there wore a few days to sparo in which to rest tho men and give them a chance to pull themselves together for the big effort.

WEIGHT OF METAL TELLS. "The whole scheme of attack had been a matter of very careful thought, and involved a vast amount of staff work for those who were responsible for the plans. The fact is that_ with the enormous concentration of artillery, lifo on the slopes in front of us had become practically impossible. •'The battle, in a few words, was won through tho weight of metal thrown on to the enemy's positions, and the mettle of the men who advanced to attack them. Everything went like clockwork. Tho weather was in our favour, as a thunderstorm cleared tho air and cooled it during the night of tho assembly, while clouds, which still hung about tho sky, prevented any observation on the part of tho enemy. Consequently the assembly of our troops was carried out with hardly any loss, and you can realise what anxious moments, or rather hours, one passed when, assembled several thousand meii_ within a few hundred yards of the position, one waited for the actual moment to advance.

THE GERMANS BAFFLED. "Had the Germans been able to discover our movements and shelled our assombly trenches> no doubt we should have gone through with tho attack, but under very difficult conditions. As it was, the men got over tho parapets with hardly any losses, and so excellent was the counter bat-teiy-work that the enomy's barrage, when it fell, was too thin to break, up the attack. The actual positions wero carried at very slight expense. ; Our losses began to mount up after wo reached our different objectives. We wero withdrawn very shortly afterwards from tho sector on which we attacked, and were put in rather lower down the line, where our friends from Australia mado their start. Wo have since considerably extended our gains by small operations without any great difficulty> and are now in process of consolidating and improving the defence of what we gained. TROOPS' FINE SPIRIT. "Tho men were extraordinarily confident of success, and tiiis no doubt helped tnem a lot. 'liie battle was naif won beioro it was begun, and I cannot speak too highly of the spirit displayed by everyone. Every day, when I see what the men have put up with in the way of danger and hardships, it astonishes me with what cheerfulness and fortitude they have put up with tho very trying conditions they have met. "We have again received congratulations on all hands for the work done by tho division, and I honestly think tiiey are well deserved. I am glad to say that tho health of the men and their spirits are as good as when I last wrote to you. The reinforcements are as good as ever, and thero is not a division m Franco but would welcome them into its ranks. I send you these few lines to assure you that so far_ as I can judge all is well with tho division."

GENERAL JOHNSTON'S ACCOUNT. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S PRAISE. Extracts from a letter received by Sir James Allen from the late Brig.adier General Johnston, dated June 14th, 1917, state: — "The division did well and maintained its high reputation. As far as tho artillery was concerned, I need only quote from a memo sent us the day after the Rattle: 'The Army Commander directs me to congratulate all ranks of artillery of tho 2nd Anzac iJivision on the success gained to-day. He wishes to thank them for the excellent work they have dono during the past week, and to add that the success gained to-day, with comparatively little loss, is entirely due to the hard work aud good shooting of the artillery.' "In addition, Sir Douglas Haig came to. see us. He patted me on the back and said, 'Thank all your fellows for the splendid work they have done.' ARTILLERY'S GREAT WORK. "Everything went off without a hitch. The barrage was good, and the wire was all cut away, presenting no difficulties to the infantry, while the trenches and strong points were all smashed in. I went over the battlefield next morning, and was much pleased to see how wo had done our work, for although for weeks ahead one is busy locating and destroying some wire points, and any possible obstacle, still you cannot see things as you do afterwards. On our front you couldn't detect the German front and support lines, they were so smashed in, and only here and there could J* ou strands of wire. THE TANKS OVERRATED. "I haven't been able to hear of a single place whero the infantry, were held up. . 'You will read much about mines and tanks, but we had only one mine and our tanks wore not mush good. They couldn't easily cross the country on account of the shell holes, and three of them were knocked nut by srunfire. I am afraid they hardly justify their cost. "Tlie infantry and artillery won tho fight, and nothing else had much to do with it. DIFFICULTIES OF COMMANDERS. '"These battles are a great strain on °ne, as once tho infantry gain their final objective and begin to consolidate, the Hun shells them severely, with tho result that all our communications get cut, and our forward observation officers who go up with the infantry cannot communicate with us. ou can imagine one controlling some 200 guns from a central place. As soon as tho infantry captured Messines and got beJpnd it, we couldn't see them. The Hun counter-attacks, but if telt>-

phono wires are cut, as they nearly always are, by his shelling, there i s no quick means of communication by ■which our field observation officers can tell us exactly where to shoot. We have to shoot by map. The barrages are sometimes most complicated, as the new line is very seldom straight, and yet you must cover it all the way. One mistake, and you may wipe out a lot of your own men. AFTER THE BATTLE. '""When I walked over the battlefield, shells were still falling. Of course you know the artillery fire never ceases day or for days, and a battle only means a barrage thrown in as an extra. The country was all ploughed up by shells. Hardly a square yard was left intact. Dead men were lying all over the place, and the Huns wcro being extracted from their dug-outs. Our tanks wero lying about where they had been struck or ha<3 been shot out, and exhausted soldiers were resting. In one place I saw one of cur men and a German lying side by side, having apparently killed each other. Germans were being taken to the rear to he put in cages. They mostly looked well fed and of good ]ihysique, notwithstanding what the war correspondents say. GENERAL RUSSELL'S RECKLESSNESS.

"General Russell, our G.0.C., is rockless to a degree. Up by Messines, flio day after the battle, which means only a cessation of maxim fire, and not of artillery, an officer came running to mo and said, 'The G.0.C., Ist Infantry Brigade has been killed.' This was true. Ho was walking with Russell, the latter's A.p.C., and Pridham, of tho Royal Engineers, -when a shell burst near tliem and killed Brown, wounding Beetham, the A.D.C., at the same time. On Sunday last, when Russell was looking ove r a parapet at the end of a wiro distant about 100 yards or less, a sniper had a shot at him, putting a. bullet through his steel helmet, and bruising his head—a pretty close call. However. I think he wil] bo better in future. I have had five officers killed, one, curiously enough, by lightning. Ho was a very excellent fellow who came away with the Main Body, Brummor by name, a voterinary officer. The same flash paralysed seven men. Brown is a great loss. Bravo as a lion he never said much, but did a great deal."