AUSTRALIANS' STAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1918, Page 7

AUSTRALIANS' STAND.

,——-~— „. iV U \\(IIL bll AIMID ] l VVM ON U WL SUWIID London, April 7 lit Auslialmi unit wen unohtd \i todi\ aml on iinl iy m 1\ o si pi i iti it Ii I lhi li U" in w i mo t d( ]»< \u nlh uh m iiilntut Innt J f> til luxe spilit i i (ouni(i ittici ts mil mil i out oi tlu fm i (battels ( \() Miittm m om toniiti s Jiistou Tin ton ot tbt Inst of tin t two 11 hts i imliiM -tn (hi//lm rim Ibi ( omuls ith ined to (he ill ick *< l '1 ii m JK if ions in ountn mtli ()l ti K t - 0 „ lm( yalloi 11 ( bttik 1 stcil ill (1 n /oi po e ion ii ibi town of \ ill i liit iniKu com i mln (1 lil po ition whith re ii'ii'K ' 'ui tin In i\ s tj htn ind a In i di ft nee hi New South Wales n H h us II) tnem\ ui the moiiung is anllin m _h i( loic, anldioit in tbe (nojis o tl. hfi ot the Austialians btt\ (en (nt. Sonin t mil tbt toiin the kit compinv ol tin Australians onh fill bad when it was lmpossiblt to bend back any further the defensive 11 ml I hit left i sinjo \evi SouOi \ alts battalion in a liun., position fi 'un tint si irmisliiii., 'it t nen mdi in inttomitible ic istmo that luoittd the wiv(s of the altidmo ( it u with in chine un hit Thoi b U ( (eim ms madt some round i un t then it was only at ths tost oi git it losse \t noon i put of -inothci \e\ South lie battalion i sist dhv dismounttd i id ' en th\ delncied t countoi t' '"■' ' f oim (In p 0 aion on ths n hi ilmk in the mo I „ilknt si lc BAriLL I\{lSL\ A\ 1 111 ROF SIIEIL im In +he afternoon to the aecompani ment of a terrific bombardment of the I inn wnidi tore the stntt to pice ih( <nen i stnt on waves of i urn lion]) on the lijit flmk whith t'e Au tuli ns t mpjrinh overcame but Hit lint vtis bint bKk on the southun edge of the town. 1 oi serial houis the battle mged in a welter of shell fire among the woods md little coipsi plou lud lulds md ltd oiibinlmenf and tin i,„ n , ls 'I ( don 110 t but it tbe ind ot lac ift iiiooii the 1 rili h it n ,. Nt Mill in Hinforti mints ti ii bt with the \ns liuiin Mioith iftowtids nnotliii Nn South Wile bittahon idsmced un di igit of mi o ] nt, h tmlsuid i'i po ition on the southeni ecl_e of Hit. loin 1» th cuh homs of tho imhl the lii i hoi im ( <1 i„,i X i mn oc ine] (hi V\ ondi u Uc 11oops In i bril lii ut id on the south ei ( of tin town tiplurcd the lot il vanta t point n I dio\( 1 ick the enemv foi GOO lards the whole line right and left advancing with them Itu ( eim-i i ca inltit for the T) bom fijitin woe i\ceedm n ]\ heavy TrREIBfI TOsSl , TMTTCrjiD OM nil l\fM\ the ( (innns mad" pptbaps m etin nun,, despi i lit as lull fiom \lbtit to DunuiPuuiL atross tlu /ncic, Uim t iiotlur portion ot the Vu tri Inn rliiet whidi ficed tlum ilon, (he ulwu tid lull j ilon„ Iht noilheast side ot (be mti The fight be m ,bont eight o'clock m the morning with a heavy general bombardment of the area, the bombardment gradually concentrating on tbe front line. Just before the enemy's infantry advanced to the attack- the assaulting waves met, a withering fire, but they opposed one part of the Australian . line wbcrjs all the officers and many of the men had been put out of action. The German infantry managed to penetrate the first Australian line, and the Hermans, coming on, wave after wave, gradually pusbed up the hills, though many were mown down by Australian machine-Inns in supporting positions, until tbe guns, though ' tiring continiioudy, were unable to stem the tide, which was flowing all round them. One group of four machine guns was seen fighting till flits very last. Then the Oiennans actually swamped them, the men dying at their guns, after inflicting terrible losses. f.'KRMANS FOUGHT TO A STANDSTILL. By mid-day the Germans in some parts had advanced well up the hillslope nt tu:r side, though south and west Australians on th,c one, Hank and Queenslanders on the other, were still holding out. A long front line, with j the flanks bent right round, they had to meet an attack almost from the rear. About four in the afternoon a counter attack swept out in magnificent form over the edge of the bill down towards the valley. Queenslandei-s, NewSon! h Wales men. South and West Australians and others, advanced exactly as they had done a thousand times in practice. Parts of die line which had been driven were inclining in such a way that it happened that the .Queenslanders when advancing found a German wave also advancing almost on top of them. The Australian wave broke the German wave, but no sooner was the first, wave' shattered than n second German wave was met. It was likewise shuttered nt the point of the. bayonet. ? This time the Australian line was penetrated fo the point where the Germans were already behind the flank. The brave advance ended, and fighting continued till dust, when the Germans' appeared to have been literally fought to a standstill. In yesterday's tight the Australians killed or wounded about iOOO Germans. Today they must have accounted for far ntore. There was never a finer fight in the history of our army than that fought by the Australians to-day.