THRILLING FIGHT IN A FOREST

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 7

THRILLING FIGHT IN A FOREST

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT

IE QUESNOY

A DAY OUT WITH OTAGO AND CANTERBURY '(Special Dispatch from the Official War Correspondent.)

Were it not for the picturesque setting' in which the Hide Brigade secured tho surrender, of the Le Quesnoy garrison— a combination of modern and olden time tactics—the lighting that went on beyond the beleaguered town between the enemy and the Otago and Canterbury Jlattalions would stand out in bold.relief. It has been settled-in tho British Press that the 'Ken- Zealnnders were, compelled ro draw back from the first attempt to storm the town by frontal attack. This Waa not the case." No such attempt was either contemplated or made. The plan was to secure the capitulation of the garrison by means of surrounding move-ments-and hold it thus while, 'other troops went, on to their objectives far ahead, The plan worked out exactly as it had been arranged and the enemy in and about the forest of Atormal never dreaming that our troops would push on wliilo such a strong position remained unoonquered, was taken by surprise ana severely punished. It was to tho Otago and Canterbury Battalions that, the lot fell io make'tile furthest and most difficult push forward. The barrage enmo down at ">.30 a.m., and remained till b. to enable the Canterbiirys, who were on ,tf» left and had further to. go, to come up. The barrago jumped twice, and then stopped, and the battalions went on without it, following the patrols with Lewi* guns in front. One of the Otagos first difficulties was some denso scrub twelve to fifteen feet high, where they expected a clearing, Just beyond a creek where six roads liiet was ■ a forester's house, and tho'German positions there were very strongly 'held by machine-gunners, and snipers. On one of the roads a solitary German was sauntering as if to surrender. Ho appeared to be wounded. This was merely a ruse to get our men to expose themselves.". Twelve who w.ent forward to take prisoners were met with n I'usifade of machine-gun bullets,-but only two were killed and four wounded. Our men ate confident that some of the Germans were in Trench .civilian clothes, and that 'one was wearing a.woman's \skirt. Unfortunatelv-'none of these were caught, for th'ev would have deserved the short iehriff'they undoubtedly wouhi have got. 'After''stiff fighting our men worked round the" forester's house, which they found occupied by an old couple, who were absolutely dazed with the fighting. By this .time it was 11.30 a.m., and an'" hour' was spent in organising ,to advance' along the roads through the forest in the direction of tho Sambrc. The'wood was very thick,, so companies weru pushed up * with, screens in front, and gained their objective' on the transverse road ahead. There was still five thousand yards of forest 'through which "our men had to fight their way,' and their right flank was i exposed. •' As there was a danger from eounror-nttnek one company was pushed" right out of the wood on tho right flank past La Haute Hue, and on to Peril Davay. when other oe'mpanies went straight through the wood. The Fight in tho Forest. It was desperate fighting all the way,but picturesquely thrilling. Tho company'commanders were wildly eiithiisiiuscic with the magnificent elan with which their men wont' forward, fighting from tree to tree and driving tho Boche'before them. As soon as our men got into the Mood tho Germans opened up on them with ■niachlnc-guiiv and everyone-,says it was, itv truly inspiring sight from the military pointof view to see how quickly tho New ZenJiinders, who "were ."worming" their way in'extended nhd advanced fighting from tree to tree. With rifle and Lewis gun they killed and wounded the Bodies as {|toy were driven forward before this onslaught. As their battalion commander phrased, it,, it. was the most 'rapid advance in open fighting he' had ever, experienced." A walk through the wood shows that the enemy had heavy casualties, for many of his dead still lie- there. Our,'men on tho other hand, made such good'iise of cover that their'casualties' were far lighter than might have been expected. '~ They drove such of the enelny as were not killed or 'badly wounded -right through the forest, and emerging upon the other-side upon' a road-and a-line of ,cottages, met with -further-Resistance. The fighting' was for a tiillo severe, and the New Zealanders were handicapped by the presence of civilians coining up i'rorii (heir cellars to see what was afoot. Tho Germans took full advantage of the presence -of theso - inhabitants, hoping that our men would hot fire.- Some New Zenlanders, however, worked round the cottages, and tho Bodies were'caught in their own trap. They hoisted the white flag, and under it. forty-five surrendered. By this time our -mon,were wildly enthusiastic. They igot into the cottage's and dashed across the. road, and three hundred .yards ahead formed a flank line, which they held. They were quite equal to going on and reaching, the Sambrc, but hero they, had tostny. There, has been no more splendid advance in all the record of these gallant Otagos. The dav was an awful one for fighting—wet and wintry. In the thick'-undergrowth of the wood the men quickly'-became drenched to tho. skin, and remained so all day. Darkness, found..them.' oh the edge of the forest in most depressing- surroundings, but they, were. cheerful in tho realisation of a great day's work. They hod broken.the enemy on his. las; line t.Ms side of the Sambre. '' .Welcomed by,the Villagers. In the hamlet of diavay the Diggers got a warm reception lrom the Prench, and were kissc.d and embraced, and "rented to hot cott'ec. Into one happy coterie marched- in.ii -German soldier'with his riflo slung bn Ins shoulder. He-had conic out of tne wood, and was surprised to liuu the. village already m our rands. U'o was promptly ..pounced upon and disarmed, to tho.jiiige delight of the cottagers. It was half ah hour, after midnight before theso Otagos were relieved, and they, had a long tramp ot nearly.ten miles back to billets. Wet .and mud-splashed, tired almost to the limit of human endurance, but still with unbroken spirit, they inarched back to repose well earned.. They had boon gassed and shelled too, but the shelling they evaded by waiting, and their box respirators .vcre sufficient protection against the gas. Their -commander had a narrow escape from a'shell, which burst so (dose as to smash the doorway .befund which ho was standing. Me had us third horse in this war killed by tnat.shell. He himself had no consciousness o. the ■shell-burst until be found some of his men rushing (o nick him up. All who were in the house at once •wont into the cellar, and had not been there ten seconds when another 4.2 iaiuled right in the doorway, -mashing il; into pieces -All that day the second Otagos were following up in support, and consequently had less lighting. Of (ho ,v or ! c ot the Canterbury men I must write in a later message. .