ATTACK ON CAMBRAI FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 December 1917, Page 6

ATTACK ON CAMBRAI FRONT.

AUSTRALIAN GUNS LOST, FEAT OF FIGItTINC! L'LAXJid, (Commonwealth Ollicial. —Copyright). British Headquarters, Dee. 10. Tlie withdrawal from Bourlon Wood towards the Hindenburg line was tactically necessary, but naturally there is disappointment among all tljosc who were engaged in the brilliant 1 successes of the morning of November 20. It was due to the large masses of reserve troops whom the enemy could spare in view of the Russian situation. These reI serve; were Hung in on the morning of November 30 against a weakened section of the British line immediately south of the point where our attack Was made, and the enemy succeeded in piercing our line by a sudden attack, and began streaming across country behind the British line, turning northward in the rear of troops and guns defending the recent-ly-captured salient. Among these was an Australian battery of heavy howitzers, which had been brought up quieflv before the original attack to a position where it was impossible to strike a, match without being seen by the enemy, liven the battery .commander's torch, when turned on in order to see. the spectroscope 'brought, on a burst of Tuaehinegun lire. The first morning's advances had gone so far and well that these guns wore out of range within four hours. Two hours later they moved up.

On the morning of November 30 the battery suddenly received' orders to stand !>v and destroy the guns if tlie enemy approached any closer. German field guns began to shell the battery's position from some point in the rear. The position where the headquarters of the artillery group was situated was already in possession of the Germans. Finally, when the German infantry were apparently within a quarter of a mile, the guns were blown up, and the artillery !nen retired by the, one narrow avenue still, left them. After our counter-at-tack two of the guns were recovered.

During the whole of the Canibrai operation, from tfie first day tc the present, the Australian fighting aeroplanes have done magnificent work. Early on November 20 Lhcy took charge of a party of Australian artillerymen, and posted them along a ridge, 50 yards ahead of the guns, to defend it with rilles. Presently machine gun fire began to play around from both flanks and front, and several Australian planes, living low over the advancing infantry, dived On the Germans with machine-sunn. Two of them were shot down. The pilot of a third machine, also still flying low. saw a friend's machine crash,, and both planes break oil'. When next lu; looked there was the pilot running across German territory towards our fowinost patrols. He tired a Hare to show his friend in the air that i:e was having a difficult time with snipers, and then picked lip a German rifle and shot back at them. He then joined an infantry patrol. He next found the aeroplanes of another Australian pifot, who was wounded. The plane had two bombs, and the machine was apparently intact, so he tried to fly, but he found that a bullet had passed through the tank. He finished off his morning's work by helping the wounded to a dressing station. After a w-selc of perpetual low scouting, in which one pilot who was sent out to find the Prussian Guard, moving up, found it and bombed it while it was marching in perfect formation along a back road, nearly all the available machines turned out on news of the German attack, and bombed the Germans swarming across open. One youngster, on this day, while Hying over Gounelieu, saw a German aeroplane. He fired, and saw the observer crumble, when a second German machine attacked him. He switched off and tackled the newcomer, and saw it dive and land, and, seeing that it was intact, he followed, and dropped a bomb fair on the plane from less than 100 ft. As lie returned homeward he found a third German aeroplane in the way. He had no ammunition left, and his position was critically dangerous, so lie Tteaded straight for the German, who turned and made homeward. Flying has been done in what anyone \vould have said was impossible weather, )nit the attitude of these youngsters is that in such times any rwk must bo faced, and they face them cheerfully.