WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1918, Page 4

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

MINOR EXTENT?PRISES. CAPTURE OF POSSE OXO I, WOOD (Special from the Oflicial liar Correspondent. August (i. The New Zealanders after a spell in the hac-k area, recently returned to the line slightly north of their former sector, and ' for some days now have iieen acquitting themselves well in minor enterprises, which resulted in the capture of several enemy trenches and a depth of about l()l) yards on a front of dUU yards. Included in _ the captured area is the famous Rossignol Wood, where the French lought in the earlv days of the war, and where subsequently the British had some hard fighting. 'H,o '.beginning of the matter was with th(> Rifles who captured some economy trendies in the front of Jlelntlerne. An officer and lonr men went out in the daylight, crawled through the wire, and pimped into the enemy trench where they killed three Ormans and captured one prisoner, without a casualty. Shortly alter. Lieutenant Salmond, a young ami promising officer was kill 'd bv a bomb at Rossignol Wood.

Following this preliminary investigation of the enemy lilies .the. P tiles gained some ground in the old British front line by exploitation. Then two oempanies of Rifles attacked alter 10 minutes bombardm’etu en a front ol 1000 yards, while at the same time the men from -another battalion did a bombing attack down some old German trench in the Gameeottrt s. e.or. The enemy offered resistance in pbfers but the objectives set our men were easily taken. When the barrage lifted paries went forward, and succeeded in capturing the whole o! ibe old Rrilish front advance in from of llcIvuterne. Nut content with gaining their objectives, the bombing parties went: forward and captured a trench yards beyond their objective. In Ibis operation we took 37 prison; r-, eight machine-gluts, and two minnewerfers, -one of which we destroyed with a bomb to prevent the possibility of its recapture. Seventy Germans were killed. Our men have buried 01, ami several others can still he seen lying out in No Matt’s iisml. Next morning, about, hall-past Eh the enemy eounter-ntfacked, and drove in two of our posts. During this attack they captured a Xew Zealand corporal wlio. afterwards escaped and crawled hack to our lines. The former situation was promptly restored by a New Zealand counter-attack. On the Billowing day tiie brigadier, while going round the front posts, was wounded in the arm and thigh by a German sniper. lie was, however, able to walk into TTebnterne, and afterwards was conveyed on a stretcher to the dressing station. 1! is injuries are not serious, and his return is expected in a f • v week’s.

While some of these events had been taking place the men of another brigade Canterbury's— had established posts in the west end of possignol Wood, but were held up by machinegun lire from strongly-wired pill-boxes. They escaped lightly, with four men wounded. Our troops started to consolidate the positions gained, and immediately afterwards it was ascertained that the enemy was blowing up his pill-boxes, evident ly with the iiißnit ion of retiring from a snot that was getting too warm for him. Oar patrols vent out, and gelling in touch with the enemy, found lie was retiring from Rossig not Wood. The 01 ago troops were rm,lied forward to keen in touch with the enemy. The Aucklanders eo-oper-ated on the right, and pushed down to the enetnv trenches.' After a certain

amount of bombing, our men succeeded in clearing the enemy out of throe successive lines of Ircnchc:--. and establishing a line of posts right in front of the wood. In this advance wo killed’ 35 Germans, and captured three prisoners, three machine-guns, and one grenaonwerfor.

Tiie following day some fighting took place in these captured trenches, and that night: the Wellington men pushed out their patrols another 500 yards without meeting further opposition. Yesterday Auckland and "Wellington troops co-operated in pushing patrols forward, and succeeded in forcing the enemy out of his old front and support lines in front of JTebuferiie. They took two more prisoners, who were sheltering in shell-holes, and who seemed not sorry to come in. \ machinegun was captured. and two large mortals wore blown up. Afterwards the enemy shelled the wood heavily hut only wasted his ammunition, for we had no casualties. As a result of the shelling of a trench we had gained we naturally had some casualties, hut these were quite out of proportion to the casualties we inflicted on (lie Germans.

The morale of Hit' troops opposed if) us was poor, ami on one occasion our men stood up in I lie open and Intel some pood shooting at the red real ini; Germans as they (led before our barrage. 'Die names will not be published > t ill i 1 the relaties of the dead and womidi'd are advised olfieially. Lieut, ftalmnnd's body was found in .Itnssignol Wood by Morgeant Travis shortly before (ho [aider was himself killed.

PATROLS DO GOOD WORK. August 10. While we listen lo (be thunder of the onus further south our own line remains quiet, and the other day not a single casualty was reported in the 'whole division—a rather remarkable occurrence. Our patrols continue to do apod work and to brine; in from time to time some prisoners. The enemy is constantly harried by our; artillery, trench mortars, and machine-guns.

A diary recently found on a dead officer shows clearly that the German troops have been having a trying time in this sector. He refers to several being killed and others wounded, and states that in Rossingol Wood on omoccasion twenty-five men of one company were poisoned by n delayed action shell; which burst on the catacombs in which (hoy were sheltering. The company had to shift to reserve dug-outs. ITe refers lo one action as “ a bloody day, the men tired with constant duty.” The weather has been very changeable. The health of the men is good, and the division was never stronger than at tlie present moment.