NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3179, 1 September 1917, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

SOUTH ISLAND TROOPS IN THE j ATTACK J' _.•. : . : .V.. .'.•'.,!. ... .-,..'■'■ " i PRISONERS AND MACHINE- j .GUNS CAPTURED , ..'. .-. '.. •: -.'.'.' ." . .... '... ... e . (From Malcolm Ross, 'Correspondent with the' New Zealand Forces. in.the' Field). j "'"" '-.''' ; Northern "France, June 20. , ;..'-. .This is the story of' the. troops who | •.attacked on the left in the Battle of lies- I Bines. They did their work- cleanly and j ■■Hell, taking alb their "objectives in time. ■ ' /Three shells that fell in their midst . '. .early in the night, : whilethe men cf ■ a \ - . 'Canterbury Battalion wero having their. , . .'.tea, caused' 24 ■ casualties, but in l».e < assembly trench they had no losses. , . /About four- minutes; before the lime, our | . machine-guns opened, and had the eftect , ' . of causing some of the nearer troops to ( . 'rush up to the trenches, before tho mo- ( . ' mont of attack. Apparently a watch had been wrongly set, or someone had mis- ( ' 'taken' the 1 time'. . However, no great harm , ■was done,' and, when'our creeping and ( ' stationary barrages opened out in lull , Wast, with the heavier guns firing farther afield," the men worked quickly across No , ' ' Man's Land, hiigging the barrage till it ' ' "lifted." Then they took their part-"of ': the trench with little.'resistance. Still . hugging the. barrage, they again-.moved | forward and captured the first position. ' ' The troops destined for the second line, ' justTn front of the town, then passed ; through; capturing on the way a strong ■ point and taking seventeen prisoners with "' 'three machine-guns: As-soon as tho bar'"'iage lifted the - second objective was . ' nished'and oaptured according to time- , table. In one place it was found that ' the enemy had put.new wire in front or .• this line. The enemy did not retaliate • to any great'extent with.his artillery on this 'sector till 6 a.m. He then-com- ' menced to shell from the southeast, en- . "' ' Blading the position with ftve-point-ni nes ' B nd four-point-twos. He. shelled continuauslyuntil B.p.m. on the following day. . • Our men, however, stuck it out bravely, , though suffering casualties, they con- . folidated' the trench, making good tra-c-erses. and wiring it up. .Only one "tank"'was seen. It was.comiug straignt ■ it a Battalion Headquarters, and was stopped only just in time to Prevent its ; pushing in the dug-out. The men had plenty of rations that night m spite of .-■ Jhe. enemy's .shelling. On the following ■ -night, "rum and Clean socks for tho ■' ■'■ men " This and a fair night s sleep .made-.them cheerful and keen. he wounded were quickly.evacuatedand the ." .'.'dead, were'buried in groups by the chap- ' : lain, who succeeded in getting map refer- . /...ehecs of all graves. ' ■■■ ■ ■ : '." More Canterbury wen followed, and'captured and occupied- the part-of the village alloHed to troop also captured and consolidated portion of the"system of trenches on the lett ot ' '" "the town, and took a strong point known r ' as Swayne's Farm.- They experienced no. '•'enemy shell fire, for .some way,, and no "■" heavy fire until the trench on the left of the town was taken. In spite of the • dust- nnd the darkness the advancing ' troops maintained their direction in fane "■ style.' . ..... The First Opposition. ' The first serious opposition, met with ' Vas from two machine-guns that opened ' ' from shell-holes after the leading troops had passed on. These.were rushed and the crews killed. . Then two ot our platoons rushed their machine-guns up close to the barrage, and were closely followed by one company and two platoons of another company. ' Such was the>onrush of our men that the enemy had little opportunity of getting his • machine-guns into action for any time Five were attacked while getting into ; ■'• action' or immediately afterwards, and ', ' the'remainder were captured.before they • .'could fire a shot. Some snipers were quickly overcome, and a feeble attempt at bombing by the-enemy was nipped, in ; the bud ' A considerable number ot "the enemy were killed, and about 200 "'prisoners were captured in .the" village. , 'The eheiny ■ was in some" force" in trenches ''" 'at the cemetery 'at the back .of; the vil- • -;lage,'and'here our advancing troops were ■'momentarily held up, but supports .rein- ■ "forced the attackers, and the place was lushed. The enomy, seeing it was all np with them, turned and ran, but seve- ' j-al were killed and fifty taken prisoner. In a trench on the left of the town sever! .Germans were killed and fifty taken prisoner. ... These troops dug in on & line under heavy shell fire. On the left of the Canterburys, Otago, and Southland men took the first objective up to time-table, with little opposition. Emplacements sheltering machineguns that-had just begun to.open.fire ■were luckily smashed by our artillery, and two other machine-guns were captured by the Sout'hlanders before- tho Germans could get them into action. An . Otago company also captured two ma-chine-guns in an emplacement in a German support trench and two others in ■the Hospice-a strong point from which trouble might have been expected. Supports now came up, and advanced towards the second objective, as they flia so getting in touch with the troops on - their left. .These troops also took their, sector of the objective to time. Other troops, in conformity with the troops on our left, took a sector of trendies farther to the left, without opposition, ex- -. cept from .one . strong - point where a ' »»ae'hine'-gun opened on th»m . from an ■.• emplacement,.till:ono'of the tanks turn,cd on it and- crushed through the em- ' placement walls.. A great deal of the success of .these;, as' of the other, New ■- ■ Zealand -troops that took part in the operations, was attributable. to the very careful- training undertaken in a district far behind the front'. Some ot them had,- in the battle, to move diagonally across no Man's Land to their first ■objective at an angle of about 45 degrees, . and then change direction to reach their second objective. .Owing'to the" scnu-. darkness, the. smoke from tho great mine, bursts,'and the smoke; and dust from our barrage, .'the objectives were • completely hidden, but the troops ..were eo familiar with the lie of the land that they were able to hit exactly the flanks - of their objectives, and .to take them . "without for oho minute delaying the •• :ndvance of the troops in the rear, ■ (Altogether it was .a very remarkable performance. - ■ Heroic Deeds. All the men fought with gameness and ' determination; One of tho Tunners in the Otagos, although wounded, continued to carry messages through an intense enerhv barrage from- his company to bat-, talibn headquarters. Though, wounded ' a" second time, he returned to his company with an' important dispatch. Ho Temairied on duty until ordered to tho dressing- station by his company com""T Canterbury corporal rushed .through a part of the barrage, and, assisted by ; i a private, captured in a dug-out two machine-guns and thirty prisoners, before - thet'could get their gun into action. A Canterbury sergeant-after .the second - line had beyi taken, was. sent forward with his platoon to consolidate on a line •'two'hundred yards in- advance. His ' platoon commander vas severely wounded? and the sergeant- then took command and ably led- it to the position to be consolidated. • He disnl *Mj™* .»>«"- ery under a severe M' n * n n u spt a splendid example to his men. D, ring fe whole of the sixty, hours tha his company occupied its position ho did excellent work. ■• . _:'„„i. A private in the Canterburys singe handed, attacked a machine-gun t at "vas holding up Ihe advance. .He shot. ' two of "the gun's crew, and . then. closed with" a. thirf, whom he. overpowered. '. of the crew the;,.«,rren.dered,: A sergeant in- the**mo wnU when his officer was wounded. « forward with ten men, and W «*R the first man to. enter fe* . he and his men captured fo™ puns and between sixty and seventy Germans. In the capture of the final objective just beyond tho, v llago his bravery was equally conspicuous. An other Canterbury "man, who went in to '~- action as his company commandoi s observer, entered an enemy dug-out anil. bTOUght out eighteen, prisoners. If™ in the day ho stalked and bombed an ' .Hethon led apary against a machine-gun that was bcin„ fi?ed from a dressing .station, captuicu 'the gun, and- kUlediall the .crew save " one On two other occasions during tlie •morning he led a. patrol with, conyder-

able dash, and'returned with important information. . In the same unit there was a captain commanding tho leading company of the battalion, which was ordered to capture and clean up the left side of the town. He led his company with. the greatest gallantry under heavy 6hell-firc. He moved calmly through the village, supervising tho work and encouraging his men: He assisted in tlie capture of two machine-guns, and throughout tho whole operation showed ah ahsolnto disregard for his own safety. A lieutenant, who had previously done fine work in charge ot special patrols, led his platoon with splendid bravery until he fell severely wounded. Another lieutenant, when Ins senior officers -were wounded, took com-, mand of the company, which had severe casualties,-reorganised it, and led it through Messines, capturing on tho waytwo machine-guns. He then supervised the organisation to the east of Messines under very heavy shell-fire. A private, single-handed, tackled three Germans who were bringing a' machine-gun mto action out of a trench. He bayouelrd tho crew and captured tho gun. He continued fighting bravely until nextday, when he fell severely wounded. A, private rushed through part of our own barrage and assisted the corporal already mentioned in the taking of the dug-out, with two machine-guns and thirty prisoners. -. The Southlanders also frequently distinguished themselves in the fighting. 1 have heard the story of a corporal who, seeing some of .the enemy in a trenoii to the right of the position wluou Ins company occupied, rushed into me trench "and demanded their surrender. A«- thev declined to surrender he promptly cleared the" trench with ms bayonet. Then, when both his pmioon ofroer and sergeant were .wounded, no assumed command, and earned on in a cheerful and-gallant manner. The sergeant of the same unit assumed command when his platoon officer was wounded. Later, when, acting as com-pany-*ergeant-nmjor, ho was .severely wounded, but would not allow himself tobe moved until he had handed n«er all papers and records to the next senior sergeant. There was a lieutenant who was wounded through the hand by a piece of a shrapnel shell during the .advance. This happened /oon after he had lett the assembly trench, just More dawn. Noticing that the commander of the adjoining platoon was severely wounded, 'he. although suffering great pain from his own wound, went forwxrd with tho two platoons... He Temained with the men .of ■■ these-two platoons on the captured'line supervising the,, consolidation until 3 p.m. that day-nearly twelve hours after he was wounded. By that time- he was suffering such pain tnat he had to be-sent down to the Regimental Aid Post. During practically all the time ho was in coiumnnd of the two platoons they wero subjected to heavy shell fire. On the left of these Southlanders, owing to the nature of the operations necessitating a refused flank, there was, as the morning progressed, a- somewnat. complicated situation to be cleared up. Some Otago men were detailed to form to a flank after crossing the first objective for the purpose of captunnjf portion of other German trenches farther forward. The captain in charge of this operation carried out his advance in fine style in spite of hostile machine-gun fire from his left front. Ho then setabout consolidating the position. A little later, finding that the company en his right had only one junior officer remaining unhit, he at ones took charge of the two companies, and rapidly reorganised the consolidation of the whole section of the lino. During the whole time the position was being heavily shelled, but.it was bravely held, and made quite secure. A private in the Otagos, while advancing with his mates to the capture of the town, noticed that a trench in front was being held bv an enemy machine-sun. He immediately charged forward to put tho gun ont of action. With the gun were six Germane. IW of these he bavoneted. The sixth he brought out along with the gun. By his brave action hn undoubtedly prevented many casualties' on his side, and probably also the holding-up 'of the advance in that quarter for some time. ,

To the Farthest Objective. Troops "among whom were some who fought on the Suez Canal and on Gallipoli' ,were 'allotted the task of going, forward'to the. New Zealanders' farthest objective, beyond the village of Messines. They had to establish and. consolidate a line from which troops were to be sent out to a position still further forward—a position that was to bo the jumping-off place for the Australians, who had to out to the, farthest objective. , . " During the assembly, and on previous nights, the enemy bombarded with highexplosive and with gas and tear shells. The poison gas made you sick; the other gas made you weep. The high explosive, if men were anywhere near it, killed and wounded. Intermingled with all three, as the dav wore on, wns some slirapnel. Against this the only protection was tho steel helmet, .-.ml if the "swidfot the shrapnel was near, even tlie "tin™ helmet might fail to stop it alto- ° Moving in small columns, -Auckland and Wellington men advanced at 3.50 a.m. Close upon the heels of the troops of the leading waves, through whom they passed, thev went forward, avoiding Messines. 8y'5.25 a.m. they had : captured all their objectives, and were, engaged in consolidating them. On the way the Aucklanders captured two "mm. guns, and either killed or captured the greater number of the gun-crews, in spite ot an attempt by the enemy to get away with the guns, in spite also of covering tire ■from a machine-gun, which, 111 its turn, also, was captured. The Wellingtons on the north-east of Messines had some sharp fighting. Three machine-guns and 27 prisoners were taken here at a point known as Blauwen Molen. On the left the enemy were firing from shell holes. Eesistance was also met with from I'annv's Farm, on the extreme lett ot our part of the forward line, but was goon subdued, and three Stokes mortar attached to the Wellingtons dealt with a machine-gun in Swaynes Farm and another at tho junction of two trenches. These Wellingtons captured / machineguns, 5 officers, and, 222 other ranks 111 the lighting-a goodly bag. A continuous trench was gradually constructed una completed on the fo lowing day. _ More incklands moved toward,, their objective-which was a switch from the other line-at 8.40 a.m., behind a barrage that advanced as posts were tetab--1 lied. One of the post, to retire a ttle at one stage owing to shelhng o . our.own guns, but the lino was eslablishcd and held. w™™ Wl Rv 940 a.m., when the barrage hart eoafed two unite of Aucklanders were pushing out patrols to reconno. re fartl er 0:1, which was the objective of the Australian troops that were K« hro. g us. Messages sent back -did not. rone 1 Hrigade Headquarters owing to tl 0 cutting Of the telephone line and to the runners being killed bv onenjr. she 11-fire Then came a period of what might be termed "alarums and excursions. Short! after.l o'clock in the afternoon the enemy were seen by two Anckland officers to be massing for a comvcrattack. They were advancing in about ten" lines from tho region of the faithest objective towards our whole divisional front. The move was also seen through telescopes from a distant hill. A" »™'- lcry barrage was turned on and the attempted counter-attack mjlted away. Shortly "after 3 p.m. the Australia troops came through for the a.tack U front, and for a considerable time tho forward position was uncertain. At haltpast eight in the evening there was an alarm of another counter-attack, and some of the other troops came back, but nothing very much came of it, though there was some rather heavy shelling.