NEW ZEALAND SECTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1918, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND SECTOR.

60UTH ISLANDERS ENGAGE!); j i " I GOOD WOMi BY THE QTAGOS, j (Trom Captain Malcolm Bass, Official War Correspondent with tie New Zealand Forces.} By- Cable.. ', ' Sept, 2. Tlie "Sew- Zealanders attached the.; enemy again this morning in front of! Haplineourt. South Island troops -were engaged, and the Otagos bore the braiat of the fighting.. One company of Otagos found themselves, up against, superior numbers of the. enemyv who had crept .forward in the night-time and evaded ' most of the bsfrrage. They were, in fores at some ofour«sd huts at a crossroads, and a& our-men advanced they were met with heavy machine-gun fire, and, later, ; had to Shear the brunt of shrapnel' and' (high explosives. iFortnnately; only one •-company was exposed'to this. "fire.. 3Jaturlalry, they did not make much progress 'ln the afternoon, at Qi o-'elock, the New jZealanders put down a heavy barrage, *and the Otagos,. renewing their attack, 5 went forward with grim determination, |rand' finished the day's work in brilliant ! style. They, got right on to the enemy, [•who. were- clustered in large numbers on j a sunken road, and they inflicted severe 'casualties-on him. The sunken road was 'littered with his dead. Immediately after. ; wards the Otagos pushed on, and had the 'satisfaction of capturing 120 prisoners- ' These were a very mixed lot, and incluilcd several of a new" Prussian division who had recently arrived from Flanders, and have already suffered very heavy casualties.

An English division on our right attacked at the same time, and captured the village of Viilers au Flos, talcing m any prisoners-

Canterbury troops were also in this fight, 'but they bad not such heavy fighting, and their casualties were light. In this morning's fighting, one lot of the enemy put up hands in token of surrender, tout immediately went back and turned their maehine-guns upon the Otagos. They were promptly wiped out. During the past month we hare captured 28 guns, including some 8-inch howitzers, 260 machine-guns, much ammunition, manv rifles, and a great deal of equipment, trench mortars, and some minenwerfer. The ground recently won from the enemy is littered with German equipment, and at railway sidings they have left behind large quantities of engineering stores. Sept. 3. Our troops, who wound up the day brilliantly, added another 120 prisoners to their tallv during the night. This momincr TTanHncourt is in their hands, and our natrols are now pushing forward near <Bertincourt, 3000 yards ahead.