MASNIERES BATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1918, Page 7

MASNIERES BATTLE.

GERMAN COUNTER THRUST. DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO RETRIEVE CAMBRAI DEFEAT. ENORMOUS NUMBERS ENGAGED. English newspapers recently to hand bring the first detailed account of the great German counter-thrust against Sir Douglas flaig'j forces at Masnieres on the Cambrai sector. This was the enemy's reply to the British victory at Cambrai a few days previously, and it resulted in forcing a withdrawal from positions which were too exposed to per mit of their retention. The battle, in the course of which the Germans made ten determined attacks in one day, and suffered enormous losses, was the last big engagement on the West front for the year. The account which follows is compiled from. Mr. 'Perry Robinson's diapatchss to the London 'Daily News. ENEMY MOVEMENT Writing on Saturday, December 1, be said: — The fiist intimation of any large movement en the part of the enemy was heavy shelling, which began shortly before 7.30 oi Friday morning. An immense, number of ga3 shells were used both on the northern aide, conspicuously on Bourlon Wood, and on some sections on the south, and on the latter side an infantry attack was launched almost simultaneously with the beginning of the shelling, for it will be understood that our new line here is not defended by a formal trench system with thick wire entanglements demanding heavy artillery preparation to cut the wire. If the attack, therefore, was unexpected at some points it is not to be put in the same class with our recent surprise attack on the Hindenburg lines. The Germans had practically open positions confronting them everywhere. The attack on the southern side seems to have beer, launched at once on a front of some 12,000 yards from Crevecoeur to east and south of Gonnelieu. Oonnelieu, it will be remembered, was the point from which the extreme right of our recent advance started, and here; therefore, was the hinge, or angle, formfd bv our,old line and our new.

Evidently it was a point by driving a wedge in at which the enemy could hope to gain the largest results. Doubtless he calculated that if he could cut here into the base of the salient all our recent gains would be endangered, and our troops in advanced positions might be cut off and compelled to surrender. His hopes might have been realised with | any troops who fought less well than ours. ACROSS OPEN COUNTRY. About this hinge, or angie, were certain English county battalions which have seen very hard fighting this summer. The Germnas attacked in great weight, much heavier than we ever use. It is probable that on this southern attack alone six divisions were employed, and appearances seem tc point to sevenCavalry supported the infantry. It speins to have been at a point known as the Birdcage that the Germans first succeeded in penetrating our lines to the south-east of Gonnelieu, and, advancing across open country, reached the village of Villers-Gnislam, From the breach here they then endeavored to push north-eastvvard,s, strengthened by other troop 3 on their right, who poured in through the widening breach in our lines

Ob ctie right centre they reached and went through Gonnelieu. On the extreme right they got close up to La Vaeqqene. On the left they carried the triangular wood known as Bois Gauche, just west of Gonnelieu, and went on and penetrated Goiueaucouft. This wa3 as far as they got. Our first thin line of troops had resisted as far an it was possible to resist, but the enemy came on in masses, and, whatever gaps machine-guns or rifles might make in them, more masses followed. With every hundred yards of advance, however, their attack lout momentum. They 'suffered very heavily around Otauche Wood and on the small ridge there known aa the Quentin Spur. By halfpast ten in the morning their rush was definitely held, the west edges of Gouzeaucourt and Gauche Wood marking the furthest limit of their advance. They were able to maintain themselves in, those positions for something over four hours. Unable to advance further, they endeavored to dig themselves in on a line before those places. Then our counter-attack fell upon them, with tank" assisting. By three o'clock the German line began to give way, and our men forced an entrance into Gouzeaucourt, and large numbers of Germans streamed out of the village back eastWard. W'hile the majority of the enemy infantry fell back, however, a numl>er of machine-gunners and snipers continued to try to hold the village, and fought hard. Steadily, however, we fought our way through the village, and the whole place again fell into our hands. Among those who had thrilling experiences were certain parties of American engineers who were at work on railway construction in the Gonzeancourt area, who all bohaved extremely well. There were three trains standing on sidings here, and the officers and crows had no time to get themselves or the trims away. One officer and four of. his crew hid in shell holes, ami the Germans passed over them, and they stayed there undetected till our counter-attack drove the enemy hack. Several others had similar experiences. Several of them picked up or borrowed rifles and joined in the coun-ter-attack when it came along. All of them turned to and made themselves extremely useful in one way or another, and our troops are loud in their praises. Continuing, we worked our way into Gauche Wood, which ngain saw stiff lighting. Before long, however, we had ejected the enemy from the wood, and the whole Quentin Spur was once more in our hands up to (ho outskirts of Villers—Guislam and f'nnnelieu. At noon In-day I believe the Germans were still in possession of those two villages, making a giip n ; ground to the enemy of about 'ram yards at the former plac" and about 1000 at the latter from onr old line. (in vhe ->*■; o ;:-,;., --ontiicrr irnnt the attaci: vrs* almost a complete failure. On the extreme north from Hie crossings of tliT canal at Oreveoer,.- !hc enemv endeavored to reach "Wnsnieres, J lint though some of his troops straeglcd as fir a.= !.?=■ Dues Ver(e=. to the emit'n of the town, thev did not succeed in penetrating the piai.v :tse!i' ov -hakimr our hold on the '.Tossing-; n." 'V p-inul here or fii Marcoing. Below here he hud a small success In in the capture of Lateau Wood, and our

positions which■ formerly ran along the i east side of the wood'are now on the west side. THE iiLOW FOR BOURLON WOOD. This southern attack was launched, as I have said, about half-past seven. The attack on the northern side salient did not develop till some two houru lalei', but when it did it furnished eertainiy the heaviest and perhaps the most dramatic lighting of the day. In effect it was one massed onslaught upon our positions all the way from neur Cantaing, by Fontaine, past Bourlon Wood, to and 'beyond Moeuvres, As on the south, the front was not much under 12,000 yards. It was in stern earnest everywhere, but | where the enemy made his supreme eflort was on Bourlon Wood and to the west of , it, towards Moauvres, Not less than five German divisions were thrown in on this front, and not less than three were concentrated on about 5000 yard? from Moeuvres to Bourloa Before Fontaine and in Bourlon Wood itself the enemy entirely failed to make, any impression on our lines. The heights of the wood are, of course, the great prize for wlMch he is fighting here. After drenching the whole wood with gas until lie hoped our garrison would be unable to defend itself, he flung attack after attack against, the wood, b»t nowhere succeeded even in forcing an entrance. Great masses of men were employed, and the German losses must have been very heavy. But it was in the open conntry to the west of the wood that the most extraordinary fighting went on. RIDGE BLACK WITH GERMANS. How many massed waves of Germans cama on here no one seems to know, but from half-past nine until dark they never topped. Wave after wave, attack after attack, mass upon mass—our gunners and observation officers say that the ground was simply black with Germans. You could not rniss them. And by the end ot the day much of the. ground, was still Mack with dead. At places field-guns were 'brought up with infantry, presumably with some idea of their being useful against the tanks, and our guns got on to them and knocked them out, in some cases before they bad fired more than a single round Our guns, machine-guns, and rifles were all busy It was like fighting successive swarnw of bees, and if the bees como on long enough and thick enough, some of them will ultimately get somewhere. So there- was a time when .some of the German* actually got forward nearly 20fln vnrds, and arc said to have touched iy - Cambrai road at the sugar refinery .ibovs Grainconrt, but they could not stay there. It was only the apey of the s\varm_that reached that point, iiotli to the right and left the oncoming flood was held, and then the apex which had thrust forward (I know I am mixing metaphors) was forced back again, and the Hood retreated on itself, antil, by the end of a dreadful and bloc ly day, the whole, gam that the enemy had made, at the price of so awful a number of lives was represented on the map by a ■ little bay or dent in our positions in the opei country, where it means nothing. Rarely have a few yards of ground been won at such a terrible cost. GROUND LOST AND REWON. T'i.-? net result oi tl:c wnole operation on "both sides of the salient, so far as we can see now, is that the enemy at the first rush on the south side penetrated a considerable distance, the total advance at the deepest point being about WOO yards, the gTOund temporarily won including the villages of -Gonnelieu, Vil-lers-Guislain, and Gouzeancourt, <;nd La Vacqueri* also closely threatened, '.I not penetrated. He had seized important bigh ground at the Qflentin Ridge, between Villers-Guislain and Gouzeaucourt, but we have recaptured tha ridge and removed the threat from La Vacquerie. Gonnelien and Villers-Guislain were still in his hands. To the right of here his occupation of Lateau Wood, with part of the Bonavisc Spur, which was fiercely defended when we first attacked -t on November 20. whilst small, is of sovno tactical importance. Elsewhere his attack failed to jjain anyfliing north; which was where the chief weight was thrown, and his losses were extremely heavy. The weather continues cold and fins, and the visibility to-day is fairly good. FILLING IN TH'E DETAILS, The following day (Sunday) Mr. Robinson wrote;— It is now possible to (111 in ssme of the details in the hasty outlines already sent you oi the operations of Friday and Saturday morning, though fihere is nothing to ht added to the essential facts as given. The enemy'* advance by ten o'clock in tne morning hud reached Gi-.n-zeaucourt, and some parties of Ids troops even pushed on five hundred yards or so further west, but he never effectively held anything beyond the village, slid thai only for a few hours. The rounter-ai?taek by Guard.*, with dismounted cavalry, and tanks co-operat-ing, met with immediate success. The first rash troops who had pushed west to the village were driven back, some were taken prisoners, many were killed, and the rest fled into and!, through the village. They do not seem to have waited in the village, but all accounts say that rp the GuaTds attacked ibis village large numbers ,oi the enemy streamed away on the further side. None the less the place, was stoutly defended by machine-gunners and rifle snipers, anil there w«b stiff prolonged street fighting Wore the Guards bad worked their way through. It was a very line piece of work There was also very stubborn fighting in the later attack on Giiueke Wood and Quentin Spur, whiei: had beet occupied in great strength, ai:d i'erc wttook some 301; prisoners and 40 madiineyiins. To these are to iu added some 500 prisoners taken at other points. A STAFF'S ESCAPE. In the Germans' first advance here all sorts of curious things happened. The weight of the attack broke through out outpost line before any warning reach- | ed some points in the rear. The men were getting up or having breakfast, j line otlieer was in his bath, and had to escape all soapy ,-,nd -wrapped up;in towels. It was unpleasant, because shell-- were falling nbrrnt and rifle bullets were whizzing through the streets of the village. At one place tbe enpmy captured one of our dressing stations, where the doctors went on with their work. Our oomitcr-atlnek later rernverod flip dressins station with the slaff still nt work. In a quarry not .'-ir i'rom' (louzp.-iu-cniii-t .■tic of <-. Ip nnit« iiad pushed up iml ostahlished advance headquarters. There was a mhst active and exciting lime when the situation was discovered slid while the staff and personnel nil escaped in various =ta?es of unreadiness, n snod deal n' ini-cellnneous, belongings fell into German hands, and had h.-en removed by the time we got the place back acain. The Germans got some guns, but not nesirlv so many as at one time looked

likely. On the ground which they overran there were a considerable number of guns, out were, got away as the enemy advanced, while about two-thirds o* those which were temporarily in his hands were recaptured when we came bucK again. The German! '.have also got prisoners, but nothing Ilka the number of 4000 which they claim Our plan, as you know. ;'s -always to announce prisoners cautiously and day by day, as noses are actually counted on the entrance to the cages. The Germans adopt the different plan of announcing large round figures at o/ice, ir. the hope of impressing the world, the figure* roundly corresponding to what the Germans consider was the probtotal strength of the force defending the positions. On oiii" part, we have several hundred German prisoners,. which will go at least a little way to offsetting our losses, ,to which i- to be added that the German casualties in their massed attacks on the northern front by Bourlon far exceed-, ed *ny combined losses, whether in killed, prisoners, or wounded, in other parts of the field. The stubbornness with which our troops withstood the main attack on the north, and the way in which they pulled themselves together on the south, and the great gallantry of the counter-attacks, saved what might have been a very awkward situation. Fighting is still going on along a largr section ci this front, with continued enemy attacks on the northern sector, especially in the Fontaine-Bourlon Wood men. where V lias already suffered so heavilv. He has not made any progress. Oii'tlie cither hand, on the southern sector, wc seem tc have safely recovered Gonnlieu. We were reported to have I made an entrance into the village last evening, out the enemy resistance was j still goTng on. This takes away from the Germans the most important of the earlv gains which still remained in their handi. THE WITHDRAW AT,. Later, on the same day, Jlr. Robinson reported:— Before daylight this morning we had to draw hi:our line slightly in the region of Masineres, where it was rendered untenable by reason of the enemy possession of ground t>y Lateau Wood and guns to the south-east thereof. If you look at the map you will see that, with Rumilly and the Lateau Wood region in German hands, how exposed the salient of Masnieres becomes. From men who come from there it appears that some of the Hereon, and, from our point of view, the moat satisfactory lighting of the battle has been going on there. I mentioned in an earlier message, how at the first lush the enemy ]>ene- ■ trated into Les Rues Vertes, south of Masnieres, out was thrown out again. After that ii appears thai he continued to pour troops in in endeavor? to take 'he position, until no less than nine successive attacks had been, delivered and ■ill beaten back. There are those who -my thai, never since this war began have so many Germans been killed in ='> narrow a space ns here around Masnieres and Les Rues Vertes, and last evening our men, worn out with the mere work of killing, were left in possession. During the night it was decided that it would be hott. r to withdraw them slightly anfl straighten the line, which was suceessfuly done without molestation, and never have men better earned a rest II is, in'my opinion, unlikely that the enemy has yet reached ftu- <>nd of his effort here. For so long as fair weather continues tie will prnbablv trv to recover Boiu-Ioi; Wood nt least, hut the situation now seems reasonably secure, ff from our improvised positions we could hold tlie masses of men -which t.hcv threw sghinst' us here on Friday and Saturday, it is probable that we can hold anything the Germing can do-