WITH THE ANZACS IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1916, Page 8

WITH THE ANZACS IN FRANCE.

■NEWS OF THE NAVAL BATTLE. GERMAN LIE POSTERS. (.Special from the New Zealand WatCorrespondent). Wellington. June 14. A notable incident showing the eagerness of the Uerman authorities to disseminate the,news of their alleged victory in the. North Sea occurred on a section of the British front. With undue haste and before the actual facts were known, their soldiers in the firing line displayed a small hoarding above a parapet with the following notice: "English defeat at sea. Seven cruisers sunk, one damaged, eleven other crafts sunk. Hip. Hip, Hurrah!" This one-sided story was rather more than our men could stand. so> they promptly put several bullets through the board. Our soldiers are not supposed to reply tajsiieh bulletins, but next day, when they received the news of the real happening, they could not resist hoisting details, giving- the actual losses on each side. Their communique ended with: "J-loeh, iioch,-hoeli!" After a few minutes the hoard was taken down. The Germans, having apparently failed to grasp its true significance, hoisted aitother, inscribed: "Once more would you let us see the message?" No notice being taken, the Germans again anxiously signalled: "We beg of you to show again the table of the fleet." The eagerness of the enemy to learn the actual facts clearly indicated their suspicion that they had been misled by their own authorities, and their disposition to place more reliance on the estimate- of the British Admiralty. Tlie Australians made a successful raid on the German trenches after heavy bombardment by our guns. With great dash they got through the German wire, scrambled into the trenches, and returned with several prisoners. Meantime the German guns had come into action, and when being taken across No Man's Land to our trenches, the prisoners, hearing their own shrapnel, lay down and screamed.

The bombardment, while it lasted, was very fierce. The New Zealand Artillery, which took part, made excellent shooting. The Germans shelled and bombed the New Zealand trenches ineffectively. The Australian casualties were slight.