NEW ZEALANDERS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1875, 10 September 1918, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDERS

FOLLOWING THE ENEMY’S RETREAT. (Special from the Official M ar Correspondent.) 3rd September. “This morning 1 really lived.’* These words were spoken by one of our lighting brigadiers in bis headquarters under a bank near a broken village, into which he bad just moved. He was referring to (lie linr- v ‘~ lied retreat of the enemy away beyond Haplineourt and Bertineourt, in the direction of the famous Hindenburg line. The long-limbed New Zealanders ' were chasing them, eager to get into contact again. The Germans had bad enough of this severe fighting, ami had taken to their heels. The back of the resistance in this sector was broken yesterday afternoon, when at 1 a.in. this brigadier’s men —South Islanders —advanced in conjunction with the troops on both hanks under a magnificent barrage. Both officers and men said they bad never seen a belter barrage. As a result of this the Otago and Can- , •fei'bnry men went rigid through the Hun positions with very slight casualties, taking over a hundred and fifty prisoners and twenty-live machine-guns. In addition they estimate that they killed about a hundred. Between two and three in the afternoon, machine-gun tire was directed on our new position from (bo edge of tbe wood south of Haplincourt, but the artillery was turned on to these enemy machine gunners, and their firing ceased. Later, about !).30, the enemy tired 4.12 howitzers on to our trenches. That was his final effort with artillery, and the Otagos and Canterburys added further to their toll of prisoners. All yesterday we could see the enemy dumps going up in smolae and there were tires well behind his line. At night the sky was aglow with them. At the break of dawn this morning our gallant men pushed on again. The Boche has gone from Haplineourt, and tbe New Zealanders streamed through the wooded village like a pack of houpds hot upon the scent. In the morning some of us went across the battlefields, and where the Otagos had fought so splendidly we found the ground littered with German dead. They were lying ahout their hastily-dug machine-gun positions, at the entrances to their dug-outs, and in old lints left by the British in the last German push, and since occupied by Germans. Retribution, swift and sure, had overtaken the enemy here. All ahoul were rifles, machine-guns, ammunition, and equipment, hurriedly abandoned. On the edge of our sector was a hospital hurriedly vacated two days ago, and was furnished with old beds and bedding left by the British in their last retreat. Two wounded Germans, still on stretchers, were left behind. There was even a sorely wounded German on an operation table. Nearby were the graves of Germans recently buried. Early (ids morning the enemy could he seen trekking away to safer ground. There was no artillery fire coming hack from (lie German gnus, hut our own artillery was quickly on Hie move, following up the retreat. The infantry, pushing on, reached Bertineourt, pushed through it, and on the farther outskirts of the village again got into touch with the enemy. They had marched seven thousand yards, a magnificent, feat for troops that had been in battle all the previous day. Before noon the brigadier and his staff were riding forward to new headquarters. In the afternoon the New Zealand press representatives, who had arrived at the Divisional Headquarters, were able to go over yesterday’s battlefield and get glimpse of war such as few, if any, civilian visitors have obtained on the Western front. They Avere able to push on to the fringes of Bertineourt, to sec villages well behind (he German lines, and to watch the enemy’s shells bursting over the positions taken up by their stalwart countrymen. -!lh September. Fresh 01 ago and Canterbury troops 'continued the advance today. They got through the little village of Ruyauleourt without opposition, and pushed on in front of the big Havineourl Wood. At intervals they met with slight machine-gnu opposition, but this Avas dealt with by our artillery, and (hey continued to ach'anee. They were opposed by a neAV reserve division (hat was rushed down from Kemmel. During these stirring days, the headquarters are continually on the move, seldom staying more than tAVo or three days in one place. Our artillery keeps close on the heels of the infantry, and have been doing’ splendid work in getting their ammunition up by lior.se transport. They have even taken supplies well forward of their guns under the enemy’s machine-gun lire. To-day there has been little lighting. (hh Sept ember. Last evening the Otago troops Avere still pushing forward, and assisted in the capture of the little village of Bourjonval, Avhere they look 25 prisoners. To-day oilier troops from the same district rushed east of Bourjonval, taking trenches and capturing between sixty and seventy prisoners.