NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1917, Page 6

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION

A RECORD RAID. The following special dispatch has been received from theiNew Zealand official war correspondent (Captain Malcolm Ross)v Feb. 21. At dawn this morning, an intense artillery fire was concentrated en a sector of the German trenches opposite the New Zealanders, For a brief space there was an almost continuous line of flanYe, visible through the fog. tfVith the first sound of the guns many men from an Auckland battaiion dashed from their cover across No-Man's Land, and in less than three minutes the first wave was in tlir enemy's first-line treneu, which our shelling had badiv battered. There several Germans were killed, and others taken prisoner. Succeeding waves went forward, penetrating the enemy's support line. For several, days a thaw had made the ■md heavy with sticky mud. and the men had to cross protecting ditches filled witii water and halfmelted ice. They also had t<>.. get through barbed-wire entanglements, which in places remained uncut. With splendid stamina and determination tliev overcame these obstacles and gained their objective, bombing a dug-out, and killing and» capturing more Germans, mostly Bavarians. Several prisoners were sent back to our trenches without escort. , Thcv went willingly. Later, others were afraid to go through their own barrage, though the New Zealanders walked through it unconcerned, many of them with their hands in their pockets. In the words of a brigadier: "They came back through th? enemy's shell fire as if they were returning from a work'iig party. The cmlmy's casualties, of course, are unknown, but they must be heavy, as our artillery fire was destructive, and several were bombed, bayoneted, and shot. The infantry were loud in their praises of the intensity and accuracy of our bombardment, and also with the arrangements for the recovery and treatment of the wounded. Our casualties were not. severe. The New Zealanders returned with 42 prisoners, which is the biggest capture we have made in any raid." A LATER DESPATCH: February 22. Further details are available regarding yesterday's raid. These prove that the enemy suffered severely. At one noint the New Zealanders cauglrt the °nemy at "standto," and killed a considerable number. At the lowest estimate 150 Germans were killed. Probably the total reaches 200. In one short section 6f trench a New Zealand officer counted 35 dead Germans. Thirteen wounded prisoners are being wJU'cared for in our hospitals. Among the total of 44 prisoners there are some elderly men of the Landwehr, and several Bavarians of extremely youthful appearance. One officer who captured three Germans lost his way in the fog, and finding himself getting deeper into the enemy's territory, offered his prisoners a chance to direct ,him back to his own lines, which they did without demur. One of the wounded prisoners is a Pole, who put up a good fight, but strongly objected to being called a German! ' Returning from the trenches our tired, but merry, raiders cheered brigade headquarters, and also the battery of artil- , iery, the latter tribute being a splendid compliment to the shooting of otir gunners. Our wyjnded were ren(arkab\v cheerful. The surgical examination showed that there were, after all, few machine-gun wounds. They were mostly from splinters of shcli and bombs. The battalion has received the congratulations of the Army Commander and the Commander-in-Chief, the latter compliment being a high honor for any bat- ■ talion to obtain. This morning the Divisional Commander thanked the officers and men for the excellent work they had done, and the credit tliey had brought to New Zealand. Later, General Sir Alexander G'odley inspected the raiding party, addressed them at length, and offered his hearty congratulations 011 their fine performance. He dwelt upon the importance of these raids, which inflicted many casualties to the enemy and destroyed his moral.