WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1918, Page 3

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

CAMBIUI-ST. QUENTIN ATTACK

OUR MEN’S SHARE,

From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with tho New Zealand Forces m the field).

September 29. Yesterday wc heard that the enemy had evacuated Welsh ridge and Mmcoing and that two English divisions wore advancing with a view to securing Bonavis Ridge. The Now Zealand division was to push through those divisions and drive the enemy across the St Quentin canal. By nightfall, however Welsh and Bonavis Ridges and La Vacqucrie wore still being hold hv the enemy. It foil to the New Zealander to tube these positions. The North and South Island brigades marched up during the afternoon and night, Astrong, cold wind, with rain showers prevailed all day, hut the weather cleared in the evening. At 3.30. this morning the guns commenced their barrage, and Auckland and Wellington. Otago and Canterbury troops advanced to attack under the feeble light of a moon sinking near the horizon. The somewhat unusual hour selected successfully introduced the element of surprise, and the enemy was late with his counter barrage. By 6.40. our right battalion reported that- they had crossed a sunken road and were advancing on BonlavL Riidgo. Their casualties were slight, and already they have captured a hundred prisoners. Some enemy strong points were still he"’" dealt with. At 8.25 a.m., the left battalion reported that- Bonavis Ridge lrd been captured, and there had been a lot of machine-gun . fire at the start hut \f eased off later, and our men continued t 0 go forward in splendid stylo At- first there wa s very little enemy shelling. Later there came some artillqi'.v -fire from the right battalion fron t -

A GOOD DAY FOR THE NEW ZEALANDERS. ft is n glorious day. calm and sunnv and everyone is in high feather with our success, and the splendid news from .farther north. Already we appear to have captured hotwees 800 and 1.000 prisoners. At the moment of writing Gonnelieu has not yet fallen, and «->•• troons who have made a fine advaimare being shot at from the right rear. The canal ahead is a formidable stncle. AYe are in occupation of the ridge overlooking Vaicollos. a village beyond the canal, and have already cut ‘he Oamhrni-St. Quentin road. Probably the enemy will retire to the Masnieres-Re.au re voir line. The day has ended well for the New Zealanders, and badly for the Boebe. Our casualties are surprisingly light. Many Germans have bitten the dust, and we have captured several officers and 1100 men to-day beyond the Hindenbnrg line. I have seen many wounded German wounded being treated by New Zen!ad doctors at our dressing stations. The Germans officers scorned very disconsolate, and the men. who complained that recently they had not bad enough food, certainly had rather a pinched look. Early in the day also we had captured two six-inch naval gnnq and some smaller pieces. Machine guns nowadays we scarcely trouble to count. Our men were in splendid form and. never more keen to get. into the front line. They had absolute confidence was more than justified. OP.TFf’TIVF<3 G ATNER.

Tb!“ morning, when our troops advanced behind the hnrrnrm. the sinking iv, ooo shed luit the feeblest light over ‘be battlefield, and as it dipped to the horizon it been me finite dark, but all vent, well exeunt for a slight chock to n enmnenv of Otagos. who came up against barbed wire. and. owing |t> Hint obstruction, "lightly lost tlieiv d''roetine. About 6 a.m.'. the North Island Brigade established itself on Ron* avis’Ridge, slight!«* ever 400 feet "hove •*l,O so,, ), n -p|. mho Smith Island Prido o-ot oil the same ridge on its 1-ft. but on its rioht. south-east of T.a Vagiierie, was bold up by machinetain fire from the right rear at Gonne-

lieu. Later in the day other Auckland and Wellington battalions advanced through their two leading battalions towards the Canal, pushing the enemy before them, and, still killing and wounding many,-they established a line j on commanding ground. Patrols from i our left, moved right down to the Canal itself. Some Aucklanders actually fought- their way for 8000 yards, but wore subsequently withdrawn somewhat. Our casaulties were still extremely light, except on our right, where there were some from the direction of Gonnelicu 'village to the southwest- . ENEMY SURPRISED. Generally speaking the enemy, who was badly surprised in the darkness, did not fight gallantly, and surrendered freely. Though the barrage on this occasion was necessarily thin, it- nevertheless killed and wounded many Germans. On the other hand, we lostsome prisoners through their getting away in the darkness after surrender- : ing. It, says a great deal for our men ; that they managed to gain one of their ; principal objectives in the darkness, j Our surprise caused the enemy artillery j to he late in coming into action, and it : was about 10 o’clock before he began to shell Bonavis Ridge heavily and constantly. On our right, other troops who had had hard fighting were delay- j ed in their advance, and this in turn had the effect of retarding tlie progress j of the South Island Brigade. j POSITIONS CONSOLIDATED. I This afternoon our men were consolidating positions won with a view to a further advance. To the north-east we saw great smoke-columns rising from Cambrai, and also what appeared , to be enemy dumps going up in huge ’ puffs. Enemy transport were seen . moving away then. The men from the Antipodes were gazing curiously at the strong positions and cavernous dug-outs of the Hindenburg line. -But a few months ago. when they were stemming the rush of the German liordo on Amiens, no one ever dream fc that ; in September he would have seen the forefront of that much-belauded sys- j tern of defence. But to-day our men have marched across it, and another dawn will find them willing,' nay, eager, to go still farther afield.