THE RECENT FIGHTING.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1917, Page 2

THE RECENT FIGHTING.

NEW ZEALANDERS AT LA BASSE VJLLE.

'• (Special from tlie New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) 8 AUGUST 2. During the recent operations the New Zealanders attacked and captured La Basse© Yille. The houses had suffered severely in the Massineo ,l battle bombardment, but still afforded ** good shelter to the enemy. Slightly ' | farther north, outside Warneton, was j u series of hedges and tree clumps in ■ | which he was able to snipe our obser- ) vation posts. 1 | Alter the bombardment the New i I Zealanders advanced against the village and, taking the enemy by sur- • prise, killed or captured several found j in the dug-outs and shell-holes. ■ • Once roused the remaining £<vrrison fought stubbornly in the village, but I were killed almost to a man. Only 1* t fourteen prisoners were brought back. 11 ! Owing to wire and other obstacles the ‘‘mopping-up” wate not completeu i until nearly daylight, which revealed 1 the position of our troops, screened | by trees and scattered buildings. ; I The enemy quickly developed a counter-attack, and recovered mosfy of , 1 the ground taken. J ’ Owing to the low visibility our • “5.0.5.” was not seen in time, and , 1 we lost u few prisoners and some billed and wounded. Our men, surI rounded by greatly superior numbers, 1 retired, fighting gnllantly, through the village and so back to , comparative safety through their own lines. Durf ing the fighting from first to last they inflicted much heavier casualties on | the enemy. ■ I Though the Germans recaptured the l village, their success was short-lived, ‘ for subsequently, under cover of another barrage, the New Zealanders renewed the attack on a slightly wider front with entirely successful results. I This time the enemy were ready in La Bassee Ville, and severe fighting, some of hand-to-hand, ensued. The Gormans suffered casualties even more severe than in the first fighting. 1 Dawn found our men securely established in the village, and the position was quickly linked up with the . line to tho north. By this time the enemy battalion in front of us appeared to have had enough of the fighting, and an effective barrage helped to make the potation secure and stave off a counter-attack. Signals went up more than onoe, but no oounter-attack succeeded in reaching the village in strength. One party of forty, Germans endeavoured to work along the River bank, but a trench mortar officer hurriedly collected some half dozen men near him and attacked and routed the enemy. Report hae it that 14 Germans were killed and several wounded and others beat a hasty retreat.