WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1918, Page 4

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

FIGHTING AROUND BAPAUME.

A TOUCH NUT TO CRACK.

(From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces iu the Field.) August 27. Fierce fighting continues in the vicinity of Bapaume, wliich is proving one of the toughest nuts to crack on all this front. In a commanding position, and admirably suited for defence with its dugouts and cellars, it enables the enemy to make a stubborn defence. Both the ruined town and its environs arc crammed with machine-guns that spit furiously at our advancing troops. From the first there has been no attempt to take the town by frontal attack. The enemy is employing some of his host, troops in its defence and has advanced to positions sLronglv defended by infantry and machine-guns. At six o’clock last evening one battalion of the Rifle Brigade continued the attack from a position south ot Favreuil, towards the Bapaume-Cam-brai-road. Our men advanced gallantly behind an artillery barrage, but before they had gone far they came up against a perfect hail of machine-gun bullets. N'o troops could stand up against such furious fire, and they had to fall back to tlieir former positions. Nevertheless, the battalion took a heavy toll of the enemy during liis counter attack which was delimered by sixteen Bavarian regiments who are sturdy fighters. The enemy knows only too well the value of the position lie bolds in and about Bapaumo, and apparently lie means to hold it to the last extremity. AN ATTACK .SOUTH OF BAPAUME. To-day there lias been strong ma-chine-gun resistance from beyond Bapamne, but the New Zealanders have not for the present continued their attack. At 11 a.m., however, we watched from Grcvillers an attack towards Ligny and Thill south of Bapaumo by other troops. Our guns, well forward were pouting in a terrific fire and one continuous line of smoke arose from the bursting shells. While this attack was proceeding the enemy angrily replied with his guns, and limbers dashed past us, under shellfire, at a hard gallop along the road to Grevillers. This afternoon there was a destructive bombardment by the heavy guns on trenches and positions held by the enemy in front of the New Zealanders. ENGINEERS AND TENNER,ERS’ GOOD WORK. Water in all this country is scarce, but a good supply has been found, and the New Zealand Field Engineers are doing magnificent work in erecting troughs and pumping plant, and making roads to relieve the congestion. This work they voluntarily undertook, not only for our own troops, but for others as well. Here thousands of animals are watered daily, and motor tanks carry supplies forward To the rear our ammunition and supply columns continue. at their best, while our medicalservices have attended to our own and other wounded with remarkable celerity.

; Our tunnel lers are working in a manner that should make their friends the West Coast miners, very proud of them. Men from our entrenching group are also doing good work with pick and shovel behind the lines in forward areas, where but a few days ago were enemy guns. Camps liave sprung up in a most marvellous manner and traffic runs along the roads that have been hurriedly mended after having been battered, by shellfire from both our own and enemy guns Every day thousands of tons of ammunition are fired from t guns on our corps’ front. We have captured «i secret order issued to the enemy army regarding tli« serious food shortage in Germany Troops are urged to make every effort to save food, and horses, when killed are. to be promptly bled and disembowelled and tlie carcases-taken t

named depot. THE CAPTURE OF TOUPART The capture of Lotipart Wood and the enemy positions was a most dashing bit of work. It was accomplished hv North 'lsland troops. Wellington troops attacked the wood, anil Auckland men marched on Grevillers, other Wellington troops being in close support, ready to fill up any gaps that might occur, The troops were on the move by 2 a.in. in pitch darkness, and proceeding towards an assembly point that none of them had ever seen. From there they had to go forward to ail objective that, had not been reconnoitred. The troops made no error in getting to the assembly point, and at 4.1(5 a.m., still in pitch darkness, they had taken three parts of Grevillers and were in Loupart Wood, while by the afternoon they were on their final objective. For some time there was trouble from the neighbouring village of Biefvillers. One company of a Wellington battalion, with a few Aucklanders, was therefore diverted to attack and capture Biefvillevs. In this brilliant enterprise the New Zealanders captured a large number of prisoners a battery of 5.9 guns, other guns, and many machine-guns. A remarkable feature of the operation was the celerity with which it was planned and carried out. There was not time to put a single order on paper, and the positions were stormed in the darkness, without the firing of a single round from the artillery. Both leadership and initiative must have been splendid to enable the troops to get there. THE ENTRY INTO BAPAUME. LONDON, Aug. 29th (11 a.m.)

The New Zealanders have taken Bapaume. Early this morning patrols en tered the outskirts, and North Island troops are now right through the town and pushing on. Apparently there was little resistance, the eneniy„liaving been so severely handled in the previous fighting that he eventually had to get out. August 29th (noon.) The Rifle Brigade shares with the North Island troops the honour, of getting through Bapaume this ntorning. The former went through on the north and the latter on the south, and the two tinits met at the brickworks on the eastern side. Both brigades are now marching forward in great heart on Fremicourt and Bancourt. The day is fine, with sun and a, drying wind. BEYOND BAPAUME. August 29. (8 p.m.) Pressing beyond Bapaume, our troops went on till they found the enemy hold ing a trench-line on high ground northwest of Beugny. They are close to the villages of Beugnatre, Grimicourt, and Bancourt on its eastern side. To-day on tho battlefield, one saw something of .the war movement. A gallop across tho wrtntry unfolded exhilarating '

scenes. Transport was already pouring, up into the new territory we had occupied, and various headquarters had moved up to advance positions. These are days of scant accommodation, and you will find Major-Generals sleeping at night in their motor-cars or in tents on their valises, or on the bare ground. Officers are established in dug-outs, in which there is scarcely room to turn, but everyone is working ( cheerfully and tirelessly to maintain the the initiative which we now possess. Biding, to-day well north of Bapaumo, we saw our howitzers being rushed along a road, towed by motor lorries. Some enemy, planes came flying low over us and immediately there was a fusillade of machine-gun and rifle bullets. German shells were now bursting in Bapaumo and along the old parts, but our men are beyond the •town Near a new headquarters was a group of prisoners, captured in the advance by the Rifle Brigade. They were Saxons. A company officer said that they had been cut off by our machine gun lire. 11is corporal and others had been killed, and they bad to surrender to the New Zealanders, lie himself was a Dresden man and bad learned English from an English Irieiul, with whom he used to play tennis. He thought the German intention was to re tire to the Hiiulenburg line. Among the booty captured by us this morning were two fifteen centimetre guns and five horses. TWO MORE VILLAGES TAKEN. August 30. At an early hour this morning we were awakened by the continuous thunder of artillery. ‘ It was the signal for a renewal of the attack by the New Zealanders. With their almost fi-resistiblc dash and undaunted courage, they followed the heavy barrage, heading straight for two more villages—Fremineourt and Baneourt, well beyond Bapaumo. There had been rain in the night, and at o a.m. when they advanced, it was cold and raw. It was not lung before Freni icon rt, though it was well garrisoned, hail fallen to the Rifle Brigade, with an excellent bag of 2-10 prisoners. On the loft English troops co-operated in the attack. To the south was the smaller village of Baneourt. The capture of this was allotted to the North Island troops. On the right were other English troops protecting their flank. This attack also succeeded, and Doth attacking forces at oneo began to push to objectives further away. 'The enemy bad, however, established himself on high ground beyond the village and prepared to strong ly contest the position. He still has liis artillery in strength beyond a crest of the ridge, and so far lie has lost few guns in the fighting here.