ELEVENTH INFANTRY IN THE FIELD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2724, 20 March 1916, Page 6

ELEVENTH INFANTRY IN THE FIELD

• s BACK TO TRENTHAM NIGHT ©PERATIONS AT MANGAROA The 11th Infantry Reinforcements, in charge of Lieut.-Colonel Macdonald, after marching over the Rimutaka Hill and bivouacking for tho night at Kaitoke, engaged in the usual night operations and attack, at daybreak at Ma- ■ ngaroa on Friday night. The opera- • tions were made, more realistic and i'mi pressive by the inclusion in the at- , tacking force of the 11th Artillery, with i guns. Tho bivouac at Kaitoke proved a wet one, rain falling during the night. But the troops wore equal to the occasion, and managed to spend a comfortable night. In the morning, after breakfasting',, they were on the march again by 8 o'clock, and arrived at Maidstone Park, Upper Butt, where they had lunch. At 2 p.m. the eight companies marched out to their respective destinations, which had been determined in planning the night operations. Disposition of Forces. Bach company formed an outpost line. G and- H Companies established theirs to the north of Emerald Hill, H Company guarding the approach from Akatarawa, and G Company the road from Kaitoke. .. E and F Companies were posted on tho hills overlooking the Mangaroa Valley, E Company's duty k&s to guard the railway tunnel, and F Company the Mangaroa station ;oad. A,-B, C, and D Companies represented the enemy, who was to attack. They marched to Wallacevillo township, where each company formed an outpost line, and tho force, was joined by the 11th Artillery. When these dispositions had been made, tho Chief of General Staff, Colonel Gibbon, inspected each position. At 4 o'clock on Saturday morning, when it was still d'ark, tho Wallacevillc force moved off, their object being to attack at daybreak the Mangaroa Heights, held by E and F Companies. Tho Artillery took up a position a little south of uhe May Morn camp site. Of the infantry, C and, D Companies deployed ; in. readiness to attack at the bridge near Mangaroa station, and A and B Companies at the tunnel. All the movements were executed in the dark; ■. Artillery Opens Fire. .The attack was' timed to take place at a quarter-past five. Punctually to the minute, the Artillery opened., fire with blank cartridge,'the heavy reports breaking the stillness with startling effect, while the spurts of flame from tho gun's muzzles added realism to tho attack. At the same time the infantry moved forward to attack, under cover of the Artillery fire. Presently the hoarse roar of the I guns was matched by the rolling, crackling sound of rapid rifle fire, as tho defenders aibove the tunnel and the bridge opened firo._ The attacking force of infantry replied, and the valley rang to thctVOTMr of guns and rifles. All this timt«;?)bth forces of attackers were advancing, ■ with • the river between them and the position held by E and F Companies.;. .The stream was deep, and run-

niiig fast, ibiit'iio man hesitatedl Four hundred soldiers dashed in—-some ■ went

waist deep—and gained the lower slopes. E and E Companies were soon hard pressed. But G and H Oompanioi., acting under special- instructions, were marching from Emerald : Hill to-.their aid. ,'F Company, holding-to their position gallantly, were hardest pressed, and it was to their aid "the rcinforceI ments hurried, their entry into tho fighting line adding greatly to tho ardour of the fight. Shortly afterwards tho order fo'ceaso fire was given, and at 6 o'clock the battle .was over. Wet Weather Defied. In spite of having two wet nights in the open, the spirit of the troops was excellent, and they appeared to enjoy the work intensely. It is considered that in these operations the officers learnt many useful tactical and administrative lessons, profiting by any slight mistake as much as by successfully-ex-ecuted work. Immediately after the attack tho Artillery' returned to Trentham camp. The infantry breakfasted in the. field, and afterwards marched to Trentham, being mot at Upper Hutt by the camp hand. The eight companies, about 1600 men in all, looked well, and despite the fact that they wore heavy overcoats, and had had threo days of strenuous marching and, operations, fhey sang all the way from Upper Hutt to the camp.