THE MEN WHO WON.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 May 1917, Page 3

THE MEN WHO WON.

, Stiflfest Fight Since Beaumont. (From Fi’son Young.) With the British Army in the Field, Feb 19 The movements on the Ancre, between Hrandccmt and Miraumont, devalhped on Saturday morning in'o the largest operation and et lfest fight that have occurred since the takirgof Baaumout-Hamel in November. The frontage covered was close on two milrs, the left being to the north-wesi of Baillescourt Farm on the nrrth bank of the river and the right at a point almost due south of Petit Miraumont. The line here twists about considerably but the general direction of the attack was norih-east. The ob--3 >otive en the right was a round hill commanding Miraumont, Petit Miraumont, and-P)8. For continnation of news see fourth par*

The at-'ack was launched at 4.30 am. Oa the lef-fc, north of the river, there was no oppo-ition, the preliminary bombardment, which had oootianed for some days, having rendered the position untenable by the enemy. A line of posts, wb : ch were the m »in objeotve on the oentrp, were also ;e------cureu witbou* much chfficuhy. On the rigb‘, however, the advice was fiercely contested. The troops* engaged ware men fiom she south of E gland, and wber, having secured tie r first obj-o ii'e—the poiticnat ibes.utbern base of the hilt—hey went cn to attain th 9 summit, they realised tint they were in for a stiff fight. By 7 oMjnk, however, they were there, and even a little way down the northern air e. But the Germans realised too well the importance of the position to 'us to let it go without making every effort to retain jt. At sunrise they launched a heavy counter attack, and after some very severe fighting onr mm were obliged to withdraw to the first position they had won, thesoufch*rn ba*e of the hill. ENEMY ATTACK IN MIST. The weather was against them, the thaw had definitely set in, the ground was greasy, and at daybreak the country was shrouded in a thick m at which enabled the enemy to get round and attack onr right flank. The mist also seriously handicapped the artillery support by making observation impossible. So far the net result of the fight has been an advance of, roughly, five hundred yards over a two-mile front, a shortening and straightening of our line, and, last, but not feast, the capture of about 600 Prussian prisoners, 3 machine guns, and 3 minenwerfers. The Gferman prisoners admit vefry heavy casualties from our art<llery fire.

The operation may be said to be still in 'progress, farther slight improvements in oar line having takea placa yesterday and to-day.

The other day I wrote of the splendid work, of the gunners, that great orchestra of destruction whose symphonies continue day and n : ght and which plays in each harmonious anonymity that it is bard to pick out the part of any single performer. Bat ir this bade there occurred an fnjident we'l worthy or special roco d. The day before the attack an artillery officer made his way out to a point where he could observe the state of thß German wire, and found that in one important plaoe it was not being destroyed by our artillery bombardment.

I The weather was too thick for aeroplane observation, so he crawled out with a telephone and line and lay in a ghell-bole in front of the German lines, and there remained surrounded by baieting shells controlling and directing the fire of his bftt'ery. As a result of this magnificent act of cool, ness and courage the attacking party found the wire entanglements gone when thoy advanced on Saturday morning. I give this instance not b-cause it is unique but because it is typioal.