POLDERHOEK CHATEAU.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 March 1918, Page 3

POLDERHOEK CHATEAU.

INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHTING.

(Continued from yesterday.)

In such fighting there are no doubt gallant deeds done that never see the light of day There are unknown heroes who lie in nameless graves, Others, more fortunate, come through and get their reward. Whilst the attack v.-as at its height, a private, followed by some of his machine-gun section, rushed forward towards an. enemy strong point that had held up the advance of two companies. He shot the German officer in charge, and then threw two Mill bombs, which inflicted casualties among the garrison. Following up this daring success, he entered the stronghold, and, with German grenades that he picked up, and with the bayonet, he accounted for the rest of the enemy except flour men whom he took prisoner. There were in all fifteen men and the officer in the position. His action prevented many casualties, and enabled the advance in this quarter to proceed. With his section he occupied the strong point for a few minutes, and then advanced with the rest of the attacking line. When the advance had reached its limit, there was a shortage of bombs, and ammunition, and this man went back and collected and brought up supplies though the whole area at the time was being swept by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire # Amongst the stretcher-bearers there were men who did their usual brave work, risking all to save the lives of the wounded. J One such, under heavy and sustained shell-fire, went out and dressed the wounds of six men of a ration party who were lying in an exposed position. Later, under terrific fire, he went out and bandaged the wounds of another man.

Tko wires, as usual, were broken in places by shell fire. At one spot a forward artillery, exchange dug-out was blown out with a direct shell hit, and an artillery officer, going to investigate, found a sapper still on duty answering calls, although suffering from wounds on the head and face, and badly shaken as well. Both his companions were knocked out by the explosion, but this man remained at his post and succeeded in maintaining telephonic communication with the guns. GERMAN LOSSES.

All this time the Germans were, of course, not escaping scathless. They too, had their tale of killed and wounded, and, later in the day, the New Zealanders had their revenge. At half-past two in the afternoon" the enemy were seen massing for a coun-ter-attack. The news was conveyed to our light trench mortar batteries, which got busy with rapid fire. Severe casualties were inflicted, and the intending attackers soon began to disperse. Then the Lewis "gunners and the riflemen got their opportunity, and, firing right into the field-grey, brought down man after man. The trench mortar fellows are" a fine lot, and keen on their job. During the atItack one of their emplacements was seen to be on fire. One of the mortar men, rushing to the spot, found no personnel there, but, unaided, he tore down all the fhflammable material and extinguished th e fire. There were between 300 and 400 Tound of threeinch mortar smoke and high explosive shells in this emplacement at the time, B'y his plucky action he prevented a serious explosion, which must have resulted in loss of life to j the troops in the vicinity. While one i mortar was being fired one of the rounds missed. It was removed from the barrel and placed on the ground. A private noticed that It was still fizzing, and, with great promptitude and presence of mind, he picked it up and thrwe it over the parapet. As soon as it hit the ground it exploded. This action saved the gun's crew, and the mortar and ammunition as well. When it was seen that no further advance was practicable without still greater losses, it was decided to consolidate the gains made, and a gap between the battalions was filled up in the night. A communication trench was dug and sixty men of the Maori Battalion, under command of a former member of the New Zealand Parliament, did excellent work in digging a communication trench. The Lewis gunners had the time of their lives. The sergeant of one of one gun team from an isolated trench drove off a party of fifty attacking Germans when the latter tried to raid his trench. His platoon decimated the invaders. At another spot a n.c.o. in command of a post with two men and a Lewis gun fired the gun until it jammed. This small party then threw all th e available bombs at the enemy and retired to a neighbouring trench. The enemy entered foe vacated trench. Thereupon the New Zealanders borrowed another Lewis-gun and rushed the trench. They killed the German sentry who had been left there while his comrades went, back

for reinforcements, and, using their gun vigorously, bluffed the enemy into thinking that the trench was still held in force. £ Next morning the enemy were again :;seen- assembling, apparently for coun-.-ter-attack. They were dispersed by artillery fire quickly brought to bear on them. As they dispersed our snip- ' ers git to work with deadly effect. In the later phrases of the fighting our men had a fine object lesson in the value of rifle fire. Towards the end of the operations, when the enemy came at them again, our riflemen and Lewis gnnners simply mopped them up. The Germans rtere caught in the open, and all and sundry in the New Zealand ranks were sniping with rifles and ' JLewis guns for all they were worth. They became quite elated with their success. One iGerman /sniper tumbled from a tree like a dead rook at a range of fully a thousand yards —a pretty shot. So interested and excited were the New Zealanders at this unwonted opportunity that had presented itself that they omitted to send up the S.O.S. signal that an attack was pending. Asked afterwards why he had not sent up the 5.0.5., a corporal replied, "I forgot all about it; were so busy killing Huns!" During this time one company shot eleven and another, fourteen of the enemy. Dtiring the few days they were in the !;r.?ji one industrious rifleman had a

i.-io of twenty-five, duly counted, to his credit. Out of eighty Germans that ■nr-re coming on for an attack at dawn at this time between thirty and forty were put out of action. It was a day out for the riflemen and the Lewis gunners. At other times .they dealt Tirith parties coming up the Menin-road and with working parties Hear Ghelevelt. Once some snipers watched two Germans coming up across the Shcrebeek Valley, For half an hour the New Zealanders lay doggo and marked their oncoming. Like the good deer stalker they wanted to make sure of their game. Kot till the Germans were within two hundred yards did' they fire. Then, with two unerring shots, they dropped them both.