NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2885, 25 September 1916, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION

!■'-■' _4 ■— 7/.7. BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS ".; i(Special from the New Zealand Official -/;'; 7W#r Correspondent, Captain Mal- .;■': colnm Ross.) '..'.... . . ' September 18. . Having gained our objectivo on the : . - loth, the New Zealand artillery wero •';■-• able to send for their teams, limber 7' up, and rush' their guns to new- posi-' ■' : tions behind what had been our front 7." Hino. This for them was the supremo moment. -For the first - 'time in tho . ""••par they experienced the glorious sensation of fulfilling the true functions 7 7 "Tof field artillery. Their shooting had ./'■:.-'iboen' splendid. The switch trench, :.■■. which tho infantry had oaptured so brilliantly, was in many places oblit- ;■•': jerated. Many Gormans must' havo (been killed and even buried by our •7.7 jshelling.. Tho wiro entanglements had) "Aeon well-cut all along -the line. This /:: \ iWas all the more creditable because tho 7 'switch trench could not he seen, and ..-.-: /.the gunners were firing by map. V' After the first day-'s long advance a ■ 7 German threatened counter-attack was (prevented by_ „■ our artillery, which "[promptly switched, oh to the _ ground ■ ' ', -raoross which tho enemy was likely to 7~ Later, another counter-attack ■.'.'""■pyas dispersed by our infantry firing ' 7 tend-rushing forward with bayonets. 7/7 ZChe Germans turned and ran. We now 7 «iad not only our allotted linos, but also 7- jportion ofa line farther on the right. ■■■::■•■ The corps" commander thanked the .'..'SNew Zealanders for the sporting and ../timely action. 77 > ; Following up their success on the 7. sloth, the New Zealanders on the .. .ftecond day again pushed gallantly en, rand captured and held other German !//jjpositions. This attack fell to the \7 7 lErst- Brigade, which fought'with'the .- -earne dash and determination as the ■others. Onr troops were ready to push >'still further, but the general situa- . ■ ■'• ; V[ition in the immediate'vioinity did not /"permit this. Our losses, though severe, .'!''"'"'.ilwere not so'heavy as might nave been ."expected, considering the : extent of lithe' ground won.. We ..penetrated the ,7 ('German linos to a depth of about three /■-. thousand yards. -•-•'' .' \, Tlie Commander-in-Chief (Sir Douglas Haig) .telegraphed congratulations, '.'-'■ -'tand thanked the Now Zealanders for ■their successful attacks, adding that n'they showed a fine fighting spirit and : '.'7lfldniirable energy and'daßh; 7 -,-■■ Several army and corps commanders ■■■-:'.'. < v elso wired their congratulations upon .;'/the brilliant achievements of the New •Zealanders 1 . " •._;•; {SPLENDID DASH -•AGAINST THE FLOWER OF THE - ■ GERMAN ARMY. ' ■-••'. September .-22. - During the fighting on our left, nien r -' tioned in the list telegram, an enemy , \ trench was "entered in silence,' under "' cover of darkness, without much difficulty. Wo their found our left was "thinly held by Scottish troops, «;ho had •to fall back. This allowed tho Germans to attack fiercely. *,Bomb figbt- . ing was very bitter, awl tho trenches ■ '-were soon littered with, tho dead-on • jboth sides. -.After being driven back -' jtwice, the Canterburys finally succeod--7' -vied.in capturing the trench, just before . '*' 'dawn. Fighting was strenuous all '-...■. .through the night.. By aggressive tne- ' Vtion we .cleared the x enemy right off the' ■position, and at onco proceeded to con- '■'• 'solidato. .\ • ' ■ . j ■■■..".- One captain particularly distinguish- ' ed himself, showing splendid courage • and energy, < He continually rallied '.- -the tired and discouraged men and led ' them personally, ''..'.. The Army Commander promptly, wir- . Ed his congratulations, and stated tho .troops deservedi every credit for their ■ gallantry aud porsoveranco. 'Tho .Qorps Commander in another message .stated that tho repeated attacks by the .'••■■■'. Canterbury's, .renowod and delivered with such energy and determination, ■ spbke highly of the fine fighting qualities of all ranks. Ho particularly d'ecsired"to express to the colonel in com- .-. mand-- his appreciation of,: and- sound ' conception of, the plan, and to -the -■■■. captain who led tho men his admiration pf his gallant conduct and cour--iEeous leading. ' ""■' The New Zealanders cpntinuo fighting with dash and! bravery in the • • Somme battle. Tho > Oommander-in- ' ~,. Chief telegraphed his appreciation and , ■• 'congratulations. The Corps Commander on the right also forwarded con- •, .'gratulations, specially referring to the • assistance rendered his cause during '7 .the last few days. , • Not only do we holdl our lino, but .. w'eV have also protected positions; ou . 'the right and left outsido of our area. ■'..'■" Last night there, was fierce fighting on .'pur left. The Canterbury Battalions "ilroTe the enemy from their trench. {The enemy, counter-attacked furiously, .'but suffered/heavy..losses. We .count--1 -cd'Bso of their dead, and took twenty.;..;twd prisoners. '- '~•■■ During the last forty-eight hourii our artillery have dono magnificent ';■ ..work, In tho darkness, through mud,' .'• Tain, and heavy shelling, ■ they shifted • ■ .their batteries forward into action ■■'■'/ over- ground full of craters, and by -7 midday yesterday almost all the gun's ••wore in position, and had registered.- . <The, batteries wero shelling beautifully, ■ tho shells bursting in a row ou thd enemy lines. '■■■.'"'. The medical services are second to ■ none. The stretcher-bearers, who were : first out, havo done hcroio work. At ■.; one stage - the ambulance. transport <aven left the wagons and horses under a guard/took spare stretchers off tho wagons • and mado their way to tho •battalion aid ,post, from whence they assisted in conveying the Rifle Brigade, wounded under shell fire, and over difficult roads,/ to tho field dressing station. The D.M.S. Army and the D.D.M.S. Corps express great satisfaction, stating that the organisai ; tion and .evacuation was splendid, of -••' : all casualites. Tho oloaring stations had reported that the treatment of wounded received through the New Zealand Medical Corps was superior to anything previously seen, and not a singlo case got through without 'antitetanic- : serum treatment. Other branches of our-forco are doing excellent work. Tho transport have overcome extraordinary difficulties. " N The Engineers and Pioneers, under adverse weather and sboll fire, aro ren-. '', tiering valuable services. The canteen /<is--established well forward, hut above •' and beyond all this, one's greatest adi- miration must be for the splendid heroism and dash'of the infantry. They went unflinchingly through all tho terror of modern battle, with an absolute contempt for the flower of the Gorman army, and gained tho furthest points in tho enemy's lines.