THURSDAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 290, 27 August 1918, Page 6

THURSDAY

August 22. The progress of the battle to-day was slow, and the New Zealanders could not advance further owing to tho troops on the right having been held tip. The troops on our left were counter-attacked, but these English troops not only beat off the attack, but captured two hundred Germans. Yesterday tho Hides, who were holding the front at the Andre, and a defensive" flank as woll, to join up with tho troops on the right, were worried by a strong machine-gun position five hundred yards outside their own boundary. Presently the German, gunners began to shell their own machine-gun position. The New Zealanders, who had been all tho tiuia watching for the opportunity, now dashed across in front of tho troops on their right, and quickly put the Gcima.n post out of action. About half the garrison was killed by two German shells that fell on the position, and tho other half was quickly dealt with by the Now Zealanders, who returned triumphantly to

their own lines bearing the. two German nuiciiiue-gtins on i/lieir shoulders. S'oino of tneso gallant ieliows also helped the troops on the right to capture an enemy position that was delaying the advance. Sumo amusing incidents occurred during tho lighting in the fog jesterday. iOur light trench mortars had actually advanced far enough to bo able to capture prisoners. They proudly sent a message to Brigade Headquarters announcing: "We have cap- , tured prisoners and sent them down to the wire cage." To make quite sure that thoy would bo duly credited with these Germans, they naively added the fact that they had taken the precaution to get a receipt for them. Another unusual incident was tho oapturo of six prisoners by an artillery forward observing officer.

Among the captured documents was one giving details of the patches and badges of the units in the New Zealand Division. The document also contained a complimentary reference to tho lighting qualities of the New Zealand Division. It did not say that thoy wero cannibals, but said that they took few prisoners. This testimonial cams from our former friends, the fourth Bavarians. The description was not strictly accurate, for tnat very afternoon two hundred and fifty Germans found themselves inside the wire cages. One of our battalions, venose casualties for a whole day were only thirteen, three of whom remained on duty, captured eighty-one men and one officer. Practically all of these were sturdy fighting men, well equipped. All tiio prisoners were most kindly treated by mir men, and tho wounded wero attended to, as our own. When some of them came'into the. dressing stations and found good bread and butler and tea, with sugar and milk, even orunges laid neatly on the tables for the wounded, their amazement was great. When they themselves were invited to partake of those luxuries as if they were British wounded, they were still more astonished., Probably if these facts, for which 1 can vouch, were dropped as news behind the German lines and in the villages in tho war zone, tho New Zealandors would tako still moro prisoners. Tho German statement was, of course, designed solely to get the men to figbt to • a finish, aud not surrender. Yesterday, when our men were advancing in tbo thick fog on tho eastern outskirts of Puisieux, they spotted a German officer making .. strenuous efforts to get bis men to keep down with tho evident object of attacking our men as soon as they had gono past wjth their own barrage. _. This failed, for our men turned on this nest of Germans, and in a very brief time tno subsequent proceedings interested them no more. To-day is blazing liot. The roads are in clouds of dust, and each gun, when'ever it firos, raises a cloud of'dust with its muzzle blast. Officers who have mticli walking or riding to do have discarded their timiics, and even in -various Headquarters dug-outs staff officers may be seen working with their shirtsleeves rolled up, reminding one of tho GalHpoli days. FRIDAY August 23. The battle was resumed this morning along the whole corps', front, and probably beyond. From a very early hour the incessant thunder of the artillery has been beating on tho air. In clear moonlight, the 'planes began their work soon after midnight. Tho weather continues fine and hot. Tho New Zealaiiders are still engaged.