NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 294, 31 August 1918, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE BATTLE

THE FIGHT FOR BAPAUME STUBBORN RESISTANCE OF THE ENEMY (Special Dispatch from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) August 20. Troops from all parts of New Zealand have now been in the great battlo. raging along the British front, and all have acquitted themselves well. In tho attack on Grevillers yesterday tho Otago and Waikato men were on tho left. The Auckland troops went right through tho village, while yet other Auckland and Wellington troops were on the right. The enemy fought at the start with rifles and machine-guns. One company moving along a hedge at lirst met with no resistance, hut at tho end of tho hedge six machine-guns from a. wood on the right opened on them. Several or the enemy, sheltering in dug-outs, were captured. For a time a hot fire was poured on the advancing New Zeilanders, and they had to take to what shelter they could hastily find. Opportunely a tank came up, and the German machine-gunners, who knew too well tho habits of these thick-skin-ned monsters, took to their heels, tho Aucklanders and others shooting at them as tho.y ran.

Wonderful Spirit of the Men. Then our men managed to get across the ridge. They were, however, still held up by maclune-guns ahead. Ssveral men wont forward to endeavour to locate these guns, but without success, and further casualties were suffered by a German trench-mortar barrage. Ihe Germans also aimed at the tanks with their anti-tank guns and shells, and from-tlie.se inflicted further casualties anion" the infantry; but our men held gallant!v on. One man's head was blown clean off.. Some of the tanks were damaged, but our men still held the lino they had gained. An Aucklander, who was in this fight, told me the' spirit of the men and their cheerfulness was really wonderful. Yesterday afternoon we were holding a line from Loiipart Wood past Grevillers, both of which we had taken, to the east and north outskirts of Biefvillers, which was also in our hands. To the-east was Bapaume, about two thousand yards away, and north of it the little village of Favreuil. From both of these places we were concentrated at 1 o'clock this afternoon under cover of the artillery and heavy machine-gun fire, winch drove back our posts about live hundred yards. For the rest of the day our line remained unchanged, and the night was fairly o.uiet. Abreast of Bapaumo. Tho ; Wellington troops, last night in patrol encounters south of Loupart Wood captured six machine-guns and twenty-three prisoners. It was decided to renew' the attack this morning with an artillery barrage. During the night the attacking troops formed up on their assembly lines, and at 5 o'clock a heavy barrage' from our artillery burst upon ground held by the enemy in front of our troops, who advanced and captured A vesnes"Bapaume, a villago on the outskirts of Bapaume, and tho ridge on tho left as far as'the commemorative monument on the Bapaume-Arras road. This brought our troops within a thousand vards and well abreast of Bapaume. When they-had. reached the monument tliev wero held up by heavy machine; guii fire from a narrow curving strip ot wood iust south of the monument, and from the westoutskirts of Favreuil Village, and were unable to proceed further. The enemy was now fighting deierminedlv,, and it was- evident that lie meant to hang on as long as possible m the hope, perhaps, of staving off the capture of Bapaume itself. Meantime an English division on our left, had taken Sapignies, further north; on the Arrns-Bapauine road, and we were in touch with these troops.

Wounded Quito Cheerful. Our left battalion suffered rather heavy casualties, but on the remainder of the front cur casualties wore ,sma!l and mainlv from machine-gun fire. On our right flank North Island troops conformed to the advance of the English Division on our right. They wero merely marking time, and had no fighting to speak "of. I saw some of tho wounded who had been in this fight— Otago and Canterbury men. They were quite cheerful. One had a broken leg, another, with a nasty wound on the chcak, was yet able to get solace from his pipe. A third, asked wlia*; his wound was like, replied, "Oh, just a bit of a shell in the back and a bullet wound. Tres bieii the Whizbang. I might get a Blighty out of it. Anyhow, I've chased enough Huns to last mo for a couple of months." Enemy Fought Every Yard, Several Southerners who were in the thick of the fight admitted that the enemy fought well this morning. "They fought every yard of the way," said one. "There was no 'hands up' about it this morning. Certainly nearly all the prisoners I saw were a healthy-looking lot. There wero a great number ot wounded Germans. One saw them being carried in by our and their own stretcher-bearers and infantry, while German stretcher-bearers also were carrying in our wounded. We must have got between three and four hundred prisoners. The majority of them, seemed to be only too glad to be done with the war. To-day there was hot sunshine, and the traffic poured along the'country roads in clouds of dust, sometimes as thick as a London log. To-night there is a thunder-storm. •

Enemy Blows Up Ammunition Dumps. Away in the direction of Longneva! the enemy was blowing up his ammunition dumps. Great columns of smoke rose from behind the crest of the ridge a thousand feet in the air. Six dumps went up one after another. From an airman who came down with a bullet through his petrol tank we gathered that the enemy transport going back*along the roads was in a state of congestion and disorganisation. It was being constantly harassed by our long-range guns and aircraft. His method, of staying our advance also gives proof of disorganisation, as units are being pushed in here and there irrespective of their regiments. Tomorrow the New ZealandcTs should be able to walk into Bapaume, and a strategic success will have been accomplished. How far beyond the attack will go it is impossible to say, but there may still be some surprises in store for the enemy.

Village of Favreuil Captured. August 26. Heavy, rain in the night turned-tho dusty roads into rivers of mud,_ and in the darkness the transport with tho English troops had a hard time, hut triumphed over the difficulties. The New Zealanders attacked again last evening with English troops, and the village of Favreuil fell to the New Zealanders pushing on the right. This brings our men well beyond the Ba-paume-Arras road. German machinegunners are still in Bapanmc, but tho town cannot last much longer. 'Last night .captured a naval staff surgeon, who,was visiting the regimental staff surgeon, also tho latter and a battalion medical officer. Tho latter is quite a good fellow, and is now working cheerfully with our medical service. Operations Completely Successful. ■ August 26, 6 p.m. .The weather has cleared and the battle is proceeding under satisfactory

conditions for us. The Not: Zealand operations last night were completely successful. English troops, advancing on our left, took tho northern part of Favreuil, the South Islanders going through the southern part. The latter also took Monument Wood, and then pushed on to the Bapaume-Beuguatro road. Progress towards Bapaume was difficult, owing to the heavy machinegun lire. The Bavarian troops opposita us fought tenaciously.:. The North Island brigade on the right were holding a line and did not have any serious fighting. This morning the Rifles, who had come up, pushed out patrols to keep touch with the enemy. Our troops also cleared up the Bapaume railway siding. For the main operation there was a heavy bombardment from our artillery. Good Haul of Prisoners and Material. Since tho battle.began wo have captured between four .and five thousand prisoners. In the territory from which tho enemy has been driven ( nuich ammunition and material has ,peen left behind, but not many giuis. We have, however, captured some guns. _ One of our batteries turned some o.fjiu. guns round, and for a considerable part of tho day have been firing the enemy's 'own-.ammunition on his position and tho retreating troops. Yesterday the enemy shelled heavily Grevillers and other positions we had taken. He also fired gas shells, but owing to our dispositions all this shelling had but little effect. To-day his stores on the Ba-paume-Albert-Poroniie line are burning. Numerous fires can be seen behind his lines. Dead men and horses lie along the roads at Mira'umont and Irles, and his dug-outs, to which he set fire at Mirauiuout, are still smouldering. Identifications show that his units ara jumbled up and. that there is much disorganisation. Late in the afternoon we watched a flight of eighteen 'planes going over-to add to this in the region of Bapaume. . A naval division has been in action against us; • A battalion medico] officer whom wo captured Ijas been taksn into one of our medical messes, and is doing good work attending to the wounded German prisoners. The Bavarian division that fought so well is one that was relieved at Ypres inJuly. As I write our guns are bombarding for a further advance by the Rifles.

Bapaume a Hard Nut to Crack. .August 27. _ Fierce fighting continues m the vicinity of Bapaume, which is proving one of the toughest nuts to crack on all this front. In a commanding position, and admirably suited for defenco, with its dugouts and cellars, it enables I the enemy to make a,stubborn defence. Both tho ruined town and its environs arc crammed with machine-guns, that spit furiously at our advancing troops. From the first, there lias been no attempt to take the town-by frontal attack. The enemy is employing some of his best troops in its defence and has advanced positions, strongly defended by infantry and machine-guns. An Enemy Counter-attack. At six o'clock last evening one battalion of the Rifle Brigade continued to attack from a position south of Favreuil towards the Bapaume-Cam-brai Road. Our men advanced gallantly behind an artillery harrage, but be- 1 fore they had gone far they came up against a perfect hail of raacliine-gun ■bullets. No troops could stand up against such a furious fire, and they had to fall back to'their former positions. ' Nevertheless, the battalion took heavy toll of the enemy during his ; counter-attack which was delivered by the Sixteenth Bavarian Regiment, who are sturdy fighters, The enemy knows only too well the value of tlio position he holds in and about Bapaume, and apparently he moans to hold it to the last extremity. An Attack by Other Troops. To-day tiicro has been strong ma-cliine-gun' resistance from beyond Bapaume, but the New Zcalanders have not for the present continued their attack. At 11 a.m., however, wo watched from Grovillers an attack towards Lignythilloy, south of Bapaume, by other troops. Our guns, well forward, were pouring in a terrific fire, and ono continuous line of smoke arose from tho bursting shells. While, this attack was proceeding the enemy angrily replied with his guns, and limbers dashed past us under shell-fire at a hand gallop along the road to Grcvillers. This afternoon there was a bombardment by the heavies on the trenches and position held by the enemy in front of tho New Zealanders.

Valuable Work by tho Field Engineers. Water in all this country is scarce, but a good supply has been found, and tho New Zealand Field Engineers are doing magnificent work erecting troughs and pumping plant, and-,mak-ing roads to relieve the congestion. Tliis work they voluntarily undertook, not only for our own troops, but for others as well. Thousands of animals are watered daily, and motor tanks carry supplies forward and to the j rear. Our ammunition, and supply columns continue at their best, while our medical services have attended to and cleared our ■ own and other wounded with remarkable celerity. A Captured Cerman Army Order. Our tunnellors are working in a manner that should make their friends, tho 'West Coast miners, proud of them. .Men from the entrenching group are also doing good work with pick and shovel behind tho lines. In forward areas, where but a very few days ago were enemy guns, camps have sprung up in a most marvellous manner, and there are streams of traffic along the roads that have been hurriedly nionded, after being battered by the shell-firo from both our own and the enemy guns. Every day thousands of tons of ammunition are fired from tho guns of onr corps front. We have captured a secret order issued to the army regarding the serious food shortage in Germany.' The troops are urgod to make every effort to save food, and horses, when killed, are to bo promptly bled and disembowelled, and the carcasses taken to a named depot.