Late War News

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 July 1916, Page 3

Late War News

(Received This Day 8.45 a.m.) ANZACS IN ACTION. (Times Service.; -Loiiuon, J iuy 2'J. ahe L»aUy omonicie nas a message U'oiu riniip (jiuu.s, uait'U p Sunuay, u inch lufunua mat tlicre wits licavy ligtiung 111 tut' early ikhiis ui morning uii tin: Uue from i'ozieres to a/cmviilo v\ooa, alia southwardis oi iiones \\ uixl, in tire airuclion oJ. Guuit'uiont. -Many battalions took part in tut atsto'iiult. ihcy belong to the nsli, Scottish, Auatrauan and .New Zealand regiments, and iougnt with courage equal to that wilich ail the troops have snown throughout the three weeks' battle. The Anzacs were cliose:i to attack i'ozieras, with the Jiiuglish boys working up tne other side. J'or several days and mglits the Anzaifc liad been in the neighbourhood under ceaseless aheU Hre. There was a distance of 500 yards between the Annac's line and the front enemy trench. The German network across Baupaume road ran diagonally through Poziarefc village. Thi6 was an enormous distance to go over in the darkness and under high explosives, shrapnel and machine gun fire. The An-■/.atj-b lay crouched behind the earthworks bracing their spirits for the sprint. I'or two hours every gun in the British batteries was hred a<s hard as the gunners could get shells into i the breech. U was midnight when i the Anzacs went forward with the I other troops, the only light being the signal of the frightened Germans. The enemy, aware that the attackers wero coming, immediately opened the fiercest barrage of shrapnel. The first German trench was lightly held, the only defenders being machinegunnel's. Some grenadiers flung bombs and the Anzacs hxed bayonets, but the Germane did not wait for the steel. Some retreated to the second line; others flung up their hands.

Tiie German second line wius a. light railway. This was strongly heiu by many machine guns, in deep dug outs, but the Anzacs came in a wave, and while some lemuuiod in the first line as consolidating parties, others went straight towards the niaxjhine-guns. German riflemen, and not even the machine-gunners, could keep back this tide of keen, ardent men (these hat-chet-faced, clean-shaven lads who brought a new type of manhood into France), without such heavy casualr ties as might be expected. The An-za-cs took the hues, and then two other lines of trenches in front, and leaving some of their number went on and carried their objective by an irresistible rush. They drove straight along Baupaume road, which cuts the village in half; then they called a halt and established a defensive position after this astonishing assault. The enemy still holds the north-west side of Poziercs with machine-guns conceaied in the ruins of houses and special emplacements, but the German position is unhappy, owing to the Territorial hoys, who came up to the Anzacs' left. The Territorials were brought forward rapidly, under heavy fire, and by the time the Anzacs gained the lower village the English were above the village outflanking its one objective, which must be gainedi before Pozieres can be completely surrounded. This old wrifidmiltl (is limmedria.teTy north of the village, midway between the Anzacs and English. This made a strong fort, guarded by sandbags and earthworks, whence tlve German mo chine-gunners maintain a dangerous fire. The Anzacs deserve all possible, praise.