“Threw Over all They Had ”

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 207, 31 August 1942, Page 5

“Threw Over all They Had ”

HEAVY BU.’ lu . iT.T’. ENEMY

(N.Z.E.F. Vvar Correspondent) WES l’Erii' XlrsfijEE*, .up 27. Prodauly as a reprisal .or >ester,iay rnoriuna s su-cess-ui s.uaca tn, eaemy tars a.*e.aoon a section or' our rurward nnes to intense artuie.y lire lasting aoour ou minu.es. nesp.ie tue severity oi the pouuumg there were no casualties, our troops remaining iu the comparative eecunty of tne slit trenches. ' ‘ they threw over everything they had und did not hit a man,” said an officer who was there. Uuns of all caliures appear to have been used, some of them were very heavy. Our artillery replied by shelling enemy gnn positions. British troops raiding struck at the enemy last night. In a lightning attack the raiding party invaded the enemy’s lines with powenul artillery support and inflicted . niuaJties. Our casualties were very light. Last night’s attack took place in th, short time between the fall of darkness and the rising ot the moon, the artillery’s barrage made an amazing spectacle. The sky behind our forward positions was lighted to incredible brilliance by flash upon flash of gunfire while opposite where the shells were falling it was like a violently erupting volcano. The enemy was quick to retaliate and blazed away without pause for a full hour. Flares shot up from the enemy’s lines and the vicions chatter of automatic weapons broke out from all directions. Our troops met with stubborn resistance from the Germans in weapon pits but before the withdrawal had Bilenced a number of these and demolished machine gun posts. The artillery during this time shelled the enemy’s positions at greater depth. The whole operation was carried out in quick time with every phase exact to the minute.