WITH THE ARTILLERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 18 February 1915, Page 7

WITH THE ARTILLERY.

HGHTIXG DESCRIBED. FORMER AUCKLAXDER'S STORY. AX ATTACK IX THE FOG. Til,, following extract is from a letter written by Captain V. ■). Heather, 53rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery, formerly of Auckland: "Armentieres, January 1, 1015: We are in action just outside a suburb of Armentieres. Everything at the moment is fairly quiet in our front. Owing to the country being so flat, it, is impossible to observe the fire of one's guns close to the battery, so we have an observing station just behind our infantry trenches. "It is a curious sight one sees from the tower; first there, are our own trenches—huge earthworks—and further on come the Germans': interval between the two is not more than 300 yds, and in some, cases 50yds and 00yds. Between the trenches are wire entanglements —in soma cases thev look like wire fences nr.d are wonderfully made. They i'.re, of course, to prevent attacks. We have them as well as the Germans, and amidst all this not a sign of life 'to be seen, but incessant shooting—sniping, we call it. Oar work' is to locate the enemy's guns. To-day, for instance, I saw a, party of Germans working at some trenches 2SoOyds behind their line, and no doubt they thought they were safe. Fortunately I had a gun laid on that place—knew the range, and put a shell among them. This sort of thing goes on all day. Our battery was shelled by the Germans 14 days ago; they put 20 rounds absolutely in the battery, but not a soul was touched. They could not see us, but knew from aeroplane ~,„,.,.j, i, t ,;t a iiout where Ave wore; but v ■■' 'vs the give and take we have wlta th ( . Germans. "The town of Armentieres is very much knocked about. They put over 1100 rounds in—they commenced one night at 0 p.m. and kept- it up till 7 a.m. A good many rounds went over on? Heads;.

AN INTERRUPTED MEAL. "The flth was very wet and gloomy; I in the afternoon a fog came up, quite j dark at 4 p.m., and at 5.30 you "could j only sec about a yard in front, so we we were very thankful to have a mail in. Started our dinner at 7 p.m. There seemed to be more sniping than usual, so much so that we spoke about it. Soup over, in came a joint. I had just finished carving when a terrific roar-of infantry fire greeted our ears. We were all up in a moment. Subaltern to the guns; all to our' own stations. There was no doubt of it, the Germans were attacking, the bullets falling round very thick. In five minutes we opened fire. We were thoroughly prepared for such a noise. Infantry rilles like a roar; our guns, howitzers, close to us. I now made for the waggon line, about threequarters of a mile. The attack was severe and right in front of us, and the bullets came over us very thick. As I ran up the town you could hear them whizzing past and hitting the buildings. The horses were all harnessed up, so I got out three waggons with ammunition; took them as near to the guns as I deemed safe. I then went to the guns ito find what they wanted. They had fired off quite a lot, so I ran the three waggons right up to the guns, through mud up to the knees. The Germans were now firing their guns on our flashers, but their shells fell just short —say, oflyds—very fortunate for us. The attack lasted about three-qui'.rters of an hour, and we got back to our dinner at II p.m.. but I had to fill up my waggons from the ammunition columns to b,. in readiness, so it was midnight before I finished.

VERY EFFECTIVE FIRE. "The rest of the night passed verv peacefully. I hear to-day our casualties in the infantry were not heavy. We also heard our fire was verv effective—shelb falling in the German trenches, and must have done a. lot of damage. The guns cleared the fog away, for when we had finished it was quite clear, though dark. W c got praise from the general for the quickness with which we opened fire, tnd its effectiveness. The general sent an A.D.C. over ordering us <o shoot, but we had been firing fully five minutes before he came up. There is a building about three miles away in German hands.' We can see Red Cross I'n!-, so we have not shelled it. I have hist heard they have been sniping from it, killing three and wounding ten others this week—perfect devils. . "January 12: We have had two quiet nights. The country is verv fiat and Hooded, so it is the poor infantrv that suffer. All leave has been stopped, so I think there is something on.

DESTRUCTIVE GERMAN'S. .January 15: Weather awfully unpleasant, but no more night attack's. We shelled the. German trendies yesterday afternoon. The whole division were at it and in the afternoon two or three Herman batteries opened on onr town A sain at !) p.m. until. 3 a.m., then recommenced at fi a.m., until S a.m. During that, time tbev pnt 700 huge shells over our house, and one could hear the whizz of them—some very close, others far over —one never knows the moment one might strike. Two doors below our waggon-lino, the colonel lives. Four went into the small garden attached to it. A bullet went into the room we had 'SO men, and missed our driver by inches. He is going to wear it as a souvenir. Colonel Droch left his observing station for 10 minutes, and whilst he was away a shell came in the back door and passed through the house, fortunately doing no damage. The Fcth:i>'d battery is about 4flflvds on our h ft. and 20 shells fell in between us. As T passed down this morning their battery was playing football almost over the holes made by the shells less than siv hours previously. The British Tommy is a curious fellow. The damn're don" to the town is enormous. The Germans are simply devils. Thev do all the damage thev can to property. Our battery was shelled again this moraine:, but no damage was done.''