CAPTURE OF RABAUL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 28 October 1914, Page 6

CAPTURE OF RABAUL.

.,- —-ia» i FIGHT]NO IN THE SCRUB. AUSTRALIANS' ADVANTAGE. WAUSUI PS FIRE SHELLS. The resistance ofi'erod by the Hermans to the Australian force \Vbieh took possession of New liritaiu surpasses the ! expectations of practically everyone in | till! expedition, write;', the correspondent of tlie Sydney Morning Herald, it was, indeed, the. general anticipation that no defence! whatever was to be encountered at llei'licrt.Oiolie, the'old capital, or Uahaui, tins new capita!, formerly known arf Simpsonhafen, in New Pomcrania. Tin! two piacc.3 lie only a comparatively few miles apart, and the coastline connecting the two may he compared to a fiigantic, sickle, llerbcl'tshobe •being .set, to to speak, in the centre of the handle, of which Kaba Kanl, a few miles to the south, forms the butt, hi tli« opposite direction, Rabaul with its deip, well sliollered harbor, and its chain of huge volcanoes—one of which, still active, crouches glowering at the entrance lii.e a monstrous guardianlies within the inner tip of the tickle blade. Captain Pockley was killed while endeavoring, with a small detachment of Hie infantry ftiltalion .to strike across country from .Hcrbertshohe to Kaba Kan!. In the meanwhile Lieutenant Bowcn. with 2."> of the naval reserves, had advanced inland from Kaba Kaul, a distance of about two miles and a-lialf, when they wire suddenly fired upon, is they turned round one of the numerous bends in the track, from a trench or series of trenches laid across the road. AITKAL FOR REINFORCEMENTS. On cither side of the road extended a mass of almost impenetrable scrub, and from the tups of the pa:;.)., a continuous lire was poured in on the little force. Lieutenant Bowcii immediately sent an appeal for reinforcements. Commander Leresford was landed wiiii a la rye force ui naval reiencn, and auwuiccd at once oa the positions. About three o'clock in the afternoon tiie attackers observed a slackening in the cm-in)'.:, lire. Sudden y a wniie Hag was hoisted, and a German ollicer emerged, who was met by Captain Travel's, intelligence ollicer to the baUalion, and Lieutenant Loud, commanding a company of naval reserves. The ollicer explained that his name was Lieutenant Kempi; that he was in command of the line of trenches immediately in front, and that he ut-ired to surrender. Captain Travels and Lieutenant Bond, a'ecompaii'iod by Lieutenant Kempt, accordingly went forward with an interpreter, making prisoners of all their occupants with their weapons, all of whom, were at once despatched to the base.

«A PLUCKY ADYAXCE. ! This done, tau two oliicers, accom- !'• i..,.i! i;;:.crpiv.ii, ...;, p.ueKiiy aUviim'i'tl i JvlOJty Ail J'Liil cilL.j L.iyrj ..let tile- .Sl't-j ii.l t I.:hl' s 11Ui.U... Jllt.,l' p;,;CIOil IlK'Hllivi;.le ..as uiic 01 i-cu.,.uci , a.nc uanger, 11:1 tin.- (jirnians ;U the luyiiborhoo.l inf: in cwmek'iab.e force, aim a is a mat .;r : r>r woii-1.-i- thai the .i.uu \\a, i;.,l fe r:.n,i:i.;.i:;(! ;,;u seize,; be superior mi.;! j iv Li'.s in .'or ti;iy I.ad eoue very lar. 1 MJ 'ill;- ■.-;'oi!j line ( ;i ti'ciK-in.'s at the! I? onier ci 1..; aleiaint Kempt i:k< wise !,ur- (| n 1 Hi.aoln.y, -ii nun suddenly on-' fi of l.'n- .li-v,:,;,ii-, na-f seen to s-piiiig to hi.-.' U Uet an.; n,a;..i; a ilasa lor a, bfiut in la.fj road Lading to thu station. .\- f ii • |.aid nu attention tu eolnmands to. M bait. li.' was fired at, when immediately R 'I scattered lire. \va 0 qi, hed ironi U;e a' 4 tix-i s ahead, despite, the w'iiitu flag, whose |j meaning the natives apparently did uol h undeintand. At tile same moment the U itewly-i.uuie prisoner? boited for tlie bu=h g in a wild eii'ort tu escape. A number H were shot in the attempt, but the ;e----g imunder escaped, ine.uding tlie German g w'ho had priman.j caused the trouble. Q Tlie GiTinaii lieutenant, bowever, at I the preasing invitation of Captain Travjg ei's and an automatic pistol, shouted to

JIAIICH INLAND. The wireless Nation surrendered, and after the British llag hail been hoisted at Kal.mii, it v,,is decided to march In Toi.iii, whitliw the Acting-l.overnor had shifted l,li:: scat uf control previous lu tlic expedition's iirrival. Fortunately a map of tin. country inland from 11. rbcrtslmhe had been discovered in tlic Govcnimint oiliccs, and it was arranged that en- of the warships should shed a scriot cf positions alicad of the troops mo as to c car the way. The bombardment accordingly began at daylight, am! Ihere can be no doubt that'the moral

oll'ict was tremendous. "They dropped their shells right into the back yards of the positions we marked out," said Colonel Watson, cnthusiastica'ly, afterwards, in describing the aim of the Runners on the cruiser.

At intervals along the line of marh the advancing: column came upon traces of the work dime by the warship—great gashes torn in the. ground, palms cut down and-levelled as though a small tornado had passed over the place.. Shelllire to cover the advance of troops has a value entirely apart from and superior to the number of casualties indicted. In (lie present instance the eie.ni/ retreated without even attempting to otter resistance, destro;, iug the mini > that th-y had planted along the load.

The troops left. llcrbcrt-diohe early In the morning, while, it was yet fair'v cool, hut as the. day wore on the fuii rays of a Iropieal sun poured down upon the column, which was burdened with supplies for three days, together with iW rounds of ammunition per man, with relentless fcrocitc.

JJISAI'POINTKD KXVOV. Suddenly, about "half way to Toma, th. vanguard halted. A wave of cxcilciiie,, Juddered its way to calm down tl„ snake-l.ke Ungth of the coiimin. Ai envoy with a white Hag had appear. < in front of the advancing spray o! scouts. He bore a mc-waVe froia (! u Acting-lJovcinor to Colonel' Watson, |. u the effect that'll Kxcdl. nev could not recognise the occupation of the. capital in the fact that the Ha- had been hoisted nt Kalian!, sin™ the .seat of government had been transferred ;i month pieviimsly lo Toma. Colonel WaWou replied, with the brevity of an epigram, that lie intended to sleep at Toma that night. .After sonic demur, the envoy, one at I least of whose objects was. it would appear, to gain time, proposed that Colonel Watson sluild wait whore lie inn while he conveyed the colonel's message to his master and return with fiis- reply. To this proposition, which would I have entailed a four-hours' delay, the. colonel returned an unhesitating refusal, and the enroy accordingly departed. ' I As the column wound its way round

the hill, vihat appeared to be a fairly considerable bod) - of troops showed itself indistinctly on an opposite: ridge ill rough the vortical masses of the rain.

At the word of command the men who had hauled the 12-potuuler field-gun up the long slope from Hcrberfcihohe swung her smartly into position, and with a Hash and a roar two charges of shrapnel were launched against the ridge. The enemy, if enemy they were, made no reply, disappearing as swiftly as they had come, and, after waiting till four o'clock (in the chance of a message from the Governor, and to give, the troops a much-needed rest, the force began its rereturn to llei'hertshohe. At about halfpast five an envoy galloped up to tile rearguard with a message for Colonel Watson, to say that the .Acting-Governor would come into llerberldiolie at 11 on the following morning to confer with the brigadier. This he did, am! signed I the capitulation.