A THRILLING STORY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9796, 20 October 1917, Page 7

A THRILLING STORY

i. —— By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. United Service Telegram. (Received October 19, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 18. Bellevue Spur is an ugly V-shaped hill rising to a height of 200 feet above the flooded Rabapeok creek, its sides extending 1000 yards back into Passohendaole township. At the point of the V, which is about 200 yards wide, a deep concrete structure stands overlooking our lines, with narrow slits manned by machine-gunners and snipers governing every approach. Two irregular lines of wire, each 10 feet deep, extend across the front of the redoubt down the hill to the valley, where a similar redoubt bars the flank. Bellevue looks a forbidding stronghold which was the scene of one ot the greatest incidents of the war- , Against this spur thousands of fine-spirited New Zealanders flung themselves down on Friday in high hopes of crowning an unbroken senes of victorles wRh the greatest victory of all. The enemy’s barrage played heavily upon them for twenty minutes before the start, but the lads rose eagerly from their line of shell-holes and began a steady advance, the wave of 011 f plunging ahead. The men sank sometimes waist-ueep in mud, and the barrage went*faster than the advance was possible Enemy maoiimo-gmoi fire tho shriek. Afany men fell, , but the others pressed! on. ihey reached Rahapeok and plunged into this deep morass. , -l The enemy’s mam barrage of shrapnel and high ex Pl°. sl Y e des ° ended abouts, whilst the machine-guns, which now thickly studded the between the redoubts, seemed to close the passage oyer the ft°no road'which traverses the morass. Many nevertheless pressed irresistibly over the dead across the road; others plunging through the water though wounded, some were drowned. Then the ascent of the slope began and the first wave, now tllm ThiT°he e roic h effort e wiU in future be told; wherever ? a^avo The gallant lads tried every means of piercing the wire Wave after wave advanced to death. Many were riddled by bullets; othe f% d ™W ed ground and began crawling beneath tho wire; many were shot an £ remaned some reached the other side, charged and fell. One reached * red°nht and began to crawl beneath the slits round its side, and perhaps might have altered the fortunes of the engagement with bombs, but was killed by one of oui rifle grenades which we were firing into shell-holes. .i,™,™!-, The great effort ended. Waves had determinedly expended themselves, and The survivors remained in their shell-holqs. The Jaegers were so accurately that any head put above the ground was shot. They awaited another effort, which their commander decided was undesirable. The line was organised at flight time, but was later somewhat withdrawn in order to permit the shelling of enemy positions. The day was crowded by heroic incidents. An orderly room sergeant, after the death of the colonel and the wounding of an adjutant went through a hail of bullets to the senior captain, found hint wounded, and went to other senior officers w-hom ho found all disabled. He then went to the nontenant and informed him that he was in command of the battalion. Ifie journey occupied ninety minutes. A Lewis gunner being wounded, tbe rest of the crew being killed, continued to work his gun upon an enemy machine-gun, twice advancing his position alone, and firing another gun when his own was blown out.

FURTHER PARTICULARS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

SPLENDID WORK DONE BY STRETCHER BEARERS'

Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received October 19, 7.23 p.m.) LONDON, October 18.

Air G. Qilmour writes:— . , Tuesday, which was another fine day, was confined to mutual artillery “strafing.” The Australians and New Zealanders were only asked to hold their trenches securely. This was no trouble at all. German raiders were fighting in some sectors and put in a heavy ram ol shells occasionally, but the casualties since Friday have been very few. Consolidation of them positions has enabled our men to remain in comparative safety in the Rent lines and to dig dry sleeping places. When the rain recommenced on Tuesday night, our front line was cosy compared with cold, uncertain terrors reigning in the German positions. New Zealanders state that the Germans are suffering from extreme nervousness. The New Zealanders are proud of tho way they got the wounded out of the battle The mud made the work so difficult that six bearers were allotted to each stretcher. A former guide at Mount Cook was among the bearers, whose courage and endurance saved many lives. Considering the losses inourred by the New Zealanders in the early stages when under fierce machinegun fire, the work of removing the wounded was one of great difficulty, requiring elaborate organisation. Wounded men wero still being earned out two days after the battle. , , T „ The Germans, finding their Red Cross was respected, gave the New Zealand bearers a safe passage. There were from I(X> to 300 stretcher cases lying outside the New Zealand aid post in fuU view of the enemy, but not a slot was fired at them. Yet tho New Zealanders instantly shot any German who was not tending the wounded who exposed himself, and tho Germans endeavoured to catch New Zealanders in the same manner. At other points on the Anzac line the Germans shot down stretcher parties and our boys inflicted instant punishment. A popular Otago officer was killed after throwing a bomb at one of the biggest pill-boxes. But for the wire the New Zealanders would have given tho places a short shrift. Other New Zealanders co-operated with tho Imperial troops on the left. The officers say that they never saw such cool bravery as when the New Zealanders were advancing. They had to he sternly commanded to lie down when gusts of bullets came their way. .... , , T _ When a shell killed a senior officer a signalling sergeant from Lyttelton struggled for an hour and a half through mud under constant fire until ho found a lieutenant to take over the command. . . The New Zealand force to-day is most cheerful, knowing that its latest sacrifices have not been made in vain, and wero attended by the most important results. SUCCESSFUL TERRITORIAL RAID NEAR GAVRELLE Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, October 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—London Territorials made a successful raid last night in tho neighbourhood of Gavrelle. Our casualties were light. Hostile artillery is active south of the Ypres-Oommes Ganal, and in the neighbourhood of Zonnebeko and Broodscinde, GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY REPORTED Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received October 19, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, October 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports;— . . ... , Hostile artillery siieiled vigorously various localities eastward of A pres and our positions south-east of Poelcapelle. Tho activity of our artillery Co “ssful counter-battery work and concentrated fire was directed with good effect on a number of targets. A few prisoners hove been brought in. There has been no further infantry action. , There was great aerial activity yesterday. Ninety-eight bombs were dropped on enemy billots and hutments. Tho enemy’s machines were very aggressive in tho forenoon, making several flights ovr our lines. Eleven enemy machines were brought down. Three of ours are missing. WAR COUNCIL’S CONGRATULATIONS TO BRITISH ARMIES REPLY BY SIR DOUGLAS HAIG. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received October 19, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, October 18. The Press Bureau states that S:r Douglas Haig has replied to Air Lloyd George's message of congratulation: —“The British Armies in France arc proud to have won the congratulations of the War Cabinet and tho generous congrAtruliitions conveyed in your messns© of appreciation- All rnnks axe determined to achieve victory, and are confident of doing so. On the 16th Inst. Air Lloyd George sent tho following message to Sir Douglas Haig;—The War Cabinet desire to congratulate you and your troops upon the achievements of tho armies in Flanders in the great battles which havo been raging since July 21st. Starting from positions in which every advantage "rested with the enemy, and hampered by the most unfavourable weather "you .and your men have, nevertheless, continuously' driven the enemy back. Your skill, courage and pertinacity are commanding the grateful admiration of the peoples of the Empire and filling the enemy with alarm. “I desire to renew my personal assurance of confidence in your leadership and devotion to those you command.”

ALLIES DRIVING A WEDGE INTO FLANDERS

TYPHOON OF FIRE CAUSES .GERMANS REAL CONCERN,

Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association. WASHINGTON. October 18.

Mr X. D. Baker (Secretary, for War) lias issued a communique which points out that the Allies are driving a wedge into Flanders that will event, ualiv split the German lino and permit a flanking movement which will eliminate costly frontal attacks. The typhoon of firo is causing the Cicrmutis real concern, and they are compelled to amend their tactical dispositions ia iha effort to meet the shock. . The zone of operations at Ypros is so extended that it can no longer bs considered as a salient, but is a progressively extending wedge. The French co-oporation on the front is most important. It has afforded the Allies the necessary elbow-room. The low casualties of the assaulting columns attest the precision of the Allies’ barrage. ATTACK AGAINST VAUCLERC PLATEAU REPULSED Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received October 19, 9.110 p.m.) LONDON, October 18. A French communique states:—North of the Ais no our troops repulsed an attack against the Vauclerc Plateau. Artillery actions occurred' at Maison de Champagne, north of Souain and on the right bank of the Mouse in the Bois do Chaume region. “REPRISAL” BY GERMANY 1 Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Router. (Received October 18, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. A wireless German official message states that as a reprisal, our aviators bombed Nancy, causing largo fires. Nancy was the old capital of Lorraine, and the present chief town of the French department of ALourtte-ot-Moselio. It has great industrial activity. The inhabitants, including -many Alsatians, number upwards of 120,000-