ON THE WARPATH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 229, 15 June 1918, Page 8

ON THE WARPATH

NEW ZEALAND HAIDERS AT WORK

COOL DARING AND RESOURCE i 0

(Special Dispatch from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent, Captain Malcolm Eoss),

June 11. Though recently tho New- Zealanders have not been in severe fighting it will have l>een noticed that thev have been Retting a good many immediate awards, lhis is largely tho result of their daring and initiative in successfully raiding the enemy lines, even in broad "daylight, fcome of our units have made- a speciality of this work, outwitting, killing, and capturing enemy troops time- after time, and getting oft themselves with barely a scratch.

An Otago Redoubtable,

The fame- of an Olago man, who goes out with a, pal or two when the spirit moves him and im-;\'i:il>ly conies back ■■ir.li somn prisoners, has spri-ad even to thi) adjoining divisions, "if the general wants a prisoner he can have- one any time for the asking," was a recent remark of his. Frequently such raids are planned by tho n.c.o.'s and men thornselves, and the battalion commanders and brigadiers know'little or nothing of them till they arc over. The men produce the goods in the ehape of anything up to half a dozen very much surprised Boches. Some daring New Zealanders go out at night, mark down an enemy post, and on the following day creep 'up an old labyrinth of communication trenches or across No Man's land, .armed with revolvers and bombs. The Boches,' taken by surprise, ae a rule surrender, and if there are any.who refuse to come in they are promptly dealt with by means of bomb or bullet. Some Incidents. The other'day some of our men camo upon one of these enemy outposts, and quickly had it at their mercy. One German, who was writing a letter or reading a paper in the trench, knew nothing of tho raid till a stalwart New Zealander jumped from the parapet on to his chest. At two o'clock one afternoon two of our n.c.o.'s crept up within ten yards of an, enemy post, and then, hearing a movement, jumped through the wire and captured two prisoners. On returning they weve heavily bombed by the enemy, with the result that the Germans killed one of their own men and wounded one of ours in the arm. With the exception of the dead German the party reached our lines in. safety. On One Sunny Morning. The -last ol these raids was carried out on a beauUiul suniry, morning by two n.u.o.'s and iour niun. Xniy worked down by a heuge till they got a lull vwiY of an enemy post, 'iiiey saw three men shoulder lugu above the trencn. The .Now iicalanuers Uieii moved uown another, trencn, kaving two men on watcii while the dtlier jour worked down beside Uib hedge, crossed over tlie enemy's Hire, ami jumped right into tiio post. Two Gerniuiu were immediately captured, YV'iUrin a /uriuer iiituen yarua three bivouac yielded live more prisoners. The raiders; with then , bag, man niada .their wuy tack auroas country to the starting-point, and tlitnc-e along the. southern side oi thei hedge aud so into their own lines without a casualty. Tins method of capturing a Boche wuaout a preliminary bombardment saves a lot oi money as well as casualties to us. War Honours. The following awards have been made:' D.C.M.—tjc-rsjeaiit i'. ifGregor, Oiago. Military Cross.—Second Lieutenant Al. Macdonald, ltiiles. Military Aledal.-Biflomen i'\ P. Drury and W. Jl. Edwaids, Billes; Sergeant U. A. White, Bombardier K. 1). I'attie, Corporal Macuamara, i'ield Artillery; Sergeunt A. Bwaiuson, Otago.