THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1918, Page 4

THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

HARASSING THE GERMANRETREAT. PATROL FIGHTING. (Special From the Official New Zealand War Correspondent.) August 19. For some few days now, apparently, in conformation with what may mean a more general scheme of retirement to a shorter and more easily defended line, the enemy has been gradually falling back opposite our sector. The first indications of this retirement were noted on the morning ot the 14th, when, everything being extraordinarily quiet, patrols were pushed out at 5 o’clock. The enemy artillery was below normal, smoke was rising from certain localities in the enemy territory, while the German aircraft was inactive and showed no disposition to cross our lines. During the previous clay a few of the enemy were seen going and coming in unusual places, and some stretcher cases were car_ried away from a dug-out, but there were no signs of retirement. 011 the 14th, however, our patrols were soon pushing out towards the Puisieux-Serre Ridge. Occasion* alb' - an enemy machine-gun opposed our advance on the right flank, but invariably after a few minutes’ firing it was withdrawn, and our patrols pushed on at the heels of the enemy. By nightfall, Canterbury ancl Otago troops had advanced the fighting to a line along the Serre-Puisieux Road, They had killed and wounded several of the enemy, and were able to send back forty prisoners. On the left tlie Wellington troops found the enemy resisting more strongly, and progress was more difficult. Six prisoners were captured. Early in the morning we had occupied a system of trenches a thousand yards to the south of Puisieux.

PRESSURE STIFFENED. At dawn on the 15th two companies of the enemy had reoccupied a sunken road to the north of the village, but were engaged by Otago troops, who inflicted casualties, captured four prisoners, and advanced the line another eight hundred yards. During the day enemy moving back were fired on, and machine guns were silenced by our artillery/ During the night a harassing fire was directed on the enemy communications, while trench mortars, moving forward with our infantry, gave covering fire. The aircraft gave timely assistance with special patrols, and brought back early reports of the location of the enemy. Progress on our left was slower, owing to the high ground not being in our possession. The enemy guns were evidently shooting at extreme ranges. They shelled "the ruins of Sene village, and put down barrages with the evident intention of hindering our advance. Machine guns in pockets gave considerable trouble to our advancing patrols, and in most cases held on till the last moment to delay the advance. The enemy was holding lus front line with outposts, in which were eight men with one machine gun, well in front of the main Hue of resistance, which contained the remainder of his for ward battalion, the support battalion of each regiment Hieing a long way further back. The enemy patrols had orders to beat off our patrols, but to fall back fighting if strongly attacked. 111 nearly every case his patrols gave way at once on a show of determined pressure.

AN ATTACK COUNTERED. - At dawn on the 16th, the enemy attacked to reoccupy some trenches south of Puisieux. but the attackers were wiped out by the New Zealanders. Ten prisoners, including an officer, were captured, and the remainder killed. Two machineguns were secured. The enemy shelled spasmodically our whole area, but with extraordinarily little effect, except at one place. In cleaning up a pocket that had been delaying the advance on the left, eighteen prisoners and two machine guns were captured. At 5 o’clock on the morning of the 18th the enemy attacked the Otago’s front with four sections pf a storm battalion and a party of the 418th Infantry Regiment, about a hundred men in all, the objective being a sunken road south of Puisieux, and their object the straightening of their line there. The enemy began with an intense bombardment on the front-line area, and infantry attack followed. 011 the right and centre of the front an Otago company pushed forward Lewis guns, to bring flanking fire to bear on the enemy, and heavy rifle and Lewisgun fire was poured into the advancing Germans. This broke up\ the attack. A lieutenant then led his men forward to mop up what remained of the enemy, and captured eleven prisoners and eleven machine-guns. A small patrol then pushed through the village aud killed six Germans. Later another patrol, pushing down a shallow valley, counted German officers and twenty-five other ranks dead, hmemy orders for this attack appear to have been verj- indefinite, which fact no doubt contributed largely to its failure.