WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

I AMERICANS PROGRESSING. FORTIFIED POSITIONS CAPTURED. / FURTHER FRENCH ADVANCE. Received Sept. 18, 2.15 a.m. Paris, Sept. 17. The news from the Woevre front is excellent. The Americans have gone beyond Villcrs Sosremy and readied Vandieres, 2J kilometres from the frontier station east and north-east of Julny. The Americans, following the valley of the Rufuptdemad, carried a series of. strongly fortified positions in the direction of the Gorze de Chamblay. Towards Fresnes the French advanced three kilometres on a front of eighteen kilometres, and reached the line east of Watronville and west of Hautecourt, Nieppe, and Orgeville.—Reuter. ; FRENCH GAINS. [ IN THE AISNE DISTRICT. Received Sept. 17, 2.15 p.m. London, Sept. IG. A French communique reports: Between the Oise aiicl the Aisne we continued to make progress and carried Mont des Singes. Further south we captared Vailly.—Aus. Cable Assoc. A French communique states: Our aviators on Thursday and Friday actively participated in the American offensive, notwithstanding the gale, clouds, and . rain. Washington, Sept. 16. ; The French have taken Vailly.—Aus. , N.Z. Cable Assoc. i REMOVAL OF SALIENT. I . BETTER, BASE OBTAINED. i Washington, Sept. 14. i. General March says that, the removal ; of the St. Mihiel salient has reduced the l Allies' front to 22 miles, releasing corresponding forces and giving a better base s for future offensive operations. The total direct advance is 13 miles.—Aus. i N.Z. Cable Assoc. s New York, Sept. 15. The London correspondent of the Un.itr ed Press learns that Metz is being bombarded by long-range guns.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Washington, Sept. 16. Bhe President, in a message to General Pershing, says: "Accept my warmest congratulations on the brilliant achievements of the army under your command. The boys have done what we expected of them."—Aug. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Received Sepit. 18, 1.10 a.m. London, Sept- 17. Sir Douglas Elaig, in a special order, congratulated General Pershing on the victory of th» initial American offen- , Brve. "Convey to all ranks our un« . bounded admiration an 4 pleasure."—- . Aus.-N.Z, Cable Asaoo. WORK OF NEW ZEALANDERS. | SUCCESS WON CHEAPLY. j Received Sept. 18, L 3© a.m. London, Sept- 17. Mr. Robinson, reviewing the New Zealanders' fighting since August 11, says they were almost continuously in tie front line, being Splendidly workmanlike. They held, aii times, a front extraordinarily wide for their strength. Their successes were won very cheaply, especially at Gouzeawxrart, Bapaume, and Ruyaulcourt. The ttrtal easualties for the whole advance were below the number of prisoners tafkea.—Times Service. MINOR OPERATIONS BY BRITISH. London, Sept. 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We carried out a successful minor operation at night astride the Ypres-Comines canal, advanced our line on a front of over two miles, and captured a number of machine guns and prisoners. Raiding and patrol encounters occurred in the neighborhood of Moeuvres and Gavrelle. We established new positions in t!lie vicinity of Canchy and Oppy.—Aus. N.Z. Cable As-, Bociatkm and Renter. Sept. IS, 1.55 am. London, Sept. 17. ' Sir Douglas Haig reports:—On the ' southern portion of the front our patrols brought in a few prisoners. We slightly advanced our line in the neighborhood of PloegsWeet, eastward of Ypret, The aviation report states that improving weather had been marked ?>y increased activity. On the ISth we encountered many hostile machines on the German side of the lines, and there were many combats. We destroyed 21 and drove down seven uncontrollable. We brought down a large enemy bomber after dark. Sixteen British machines are missing, including two night-fliers. We successfully bombed four enemy aerodromes, one in the daytime and » three at night-time. [ During the past 24 hours we dropped » 30 tons of bombs. 1 ' EXPLOITER OF GAS CAPTURED. Received Sept. 17, 7.25 p.m. I London, Sept. 10. , Router's correspondent ait American . headquarters states that the Americans . captured in Thiaucourt Professor Otto . Schrneerukase, the exploiter of chlorine r gas for military purposes, who ia re- [ ported to have been developing some . new atrocity of "kultur."— Aus. N.Z. . Cable Assoc. GERMAN OFFICIAL. Received Sept. 17, 9.40 p.m. London, Sept. 16, 6.55 p.m. Wireless German official: The enemy . between the Ailette and the Aisne some- ) what extended the point at which he f "broke through on the previous day, a>nd f obtained a footing in the southern part i of the valley. Between Cotes, in Lore raine, and the Moselle vigorous infantrj e engagements developed before pur new •positions. T%e enemy at evening stood on ifoe Kne Hseenee, St. SBBaire, Haumont, Raanbeawwrt, and 1 fcappas forfist. ! & As a reprisal for bombing German * towns, our squadrons night dwjw>ed "• #22 tons , of bombs-; on Paria.~Avß. NJZ.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

GRIM FIGHTING; THE ATTACK NEAR HAVRBTCOURT WOOD. (From Captain Malcolm Rosa, Official War Correspondent With the New Zealanders in the Field.) By Cable. September 12. TOie Rifle Brigade attacked this morna ing, in the new advance east and north- • of Havrincourt wood, oil a front of three thousand yards. The New Zealanders 1 r share in to-day's operations was to advance beyond the crest of a ridge on a y portion of which the rifles had already f got a footing two days ago. One battalion advanced through Gouze&u court Wood and gained the crest of a portion of the ridge, witltt some twenty-five casuj. alties, going through with the barrage without a stop. Another battalion that > had really less to do was not so success* ful, largely, perhaps, owing to the fact that its command changed four time* within thirty-six llwure. The colonel was wounded, then the major carried on until hp in turn was wounded. Ah A»»HoJ captain then assumed command till asother major arrived from the Hgfjnia ramp. All this occurred daring a relief and preparation for attack. In this attack we experienced fo'r the first time a new development in gag bombs. It is surmised that they were fired from a mortar of special manufacture. The gTass where tihey fell was " charred. 1 In to-day's battle our Riflemen advanced after a magnificent barrage from all of our own and other artillery. One r of our finest fighting battalion's commanders had his men dashing forward > .before the first shells hit the ground, and in fifteen or twenty minutes had gamed the first objective with,only one casualty This battalion here captured two • officers and over a hundred prisoners, mostly from a Jaeger regiment. Other battalions also captured prisoners, and by 10 o'clock 300 had gone past brigade headquarters. After the find) surprise, however, there wag fierce fighting for several hours, the enemy-maiing a stabborn stand. We got prisoners from all the battalions of two divisions that were in line here, our men having to repel counter-attacks made by fresh troops tlhat had only come in the previous night. With the Jaegers were Weet Prussians, who also fought well At the time of writing the New Zea- • landers have made excellent progress. s NEWS PROM tMSONEfiS. Most of the prisoners I saw were sturdy fellows, especially the Guards - battalion of Jaegers. Their strength . had been greatly reduced in the defence . of Soisaons, and at ViUers Cottfrets, am last night some of their companies came into the line only twenty strong. They - spoke freely and told aa interesting - story Of late they have got to know t all aboat the German defeats from their r own comrades. During the last few t weeks they had lost all confidence in the e supreme command, and now thought the war a useless massacre. The loss of Kemmel they regarded as a great Wow. for it was tie key to the position t£ey ( had gained at great cost. In many inj stances now great reluctance was shown . to go to the front, and even good troops . would surrender if away from their offi- , eers. These men of the Guards battalion, who were m the outpost line ttway from their officers, willingly gave themselves up, though told they would be massacred. Hhis they did not believe, " and were not surprised when tShe fSenr Zealanders gave them excellent biscuits and cigarettes. Their own tobacco was made mainly from cherry leves. They were a fine, strapping, intelligent lot, these Jaegers, and though they were delighted at being captured, their comrades, who were further back with tiheir officers, fought most stubbornly, such 9 was their discipline. They had no great 0 complaint to make about their food in ' the line, but said the conditions in some " of the large manufacturing towns were • terrible. In the country it was not so > bad, as the fawners were getting all they ') needed and slaughtering whenever they s thought fit. A large section of the Gera man army had now come to doubt their - political as well as their military leaders, and but for the discipline which still prevailed there would be danger of a revolu- [. tion. , FIGHT WITH SUPERIOR. FORCES, d • September 13. '' AH yesterday afternoon and night our a thin khaki line was straggling with a ? superior force of Jaeger green and West , Prussian field grey. With attack and counter-attack, the outpost line swayed " back and forward. The battlefield) whipped with bitter wind and rainstorms, presented a cheerless scene, and he was a stout fighter yesterday who could find any joy in battle. By even- 1 ing the New Zealanders had been coan--5 polled to withdraw from the ground ' they had gained during the day, but in 0 the nigfht-time, fighting with grim de- " termination, they regained it all. Then ? one« more the enemy countered and recovered some of the ground in the cgntipp. Underneath a crucifix, in a vault dimly r lit with candles, advanced headquarters ■ were established, and from these strange s surroundings hour after hour was fought 9 a battle, the result of wOiich was'a severe 1 blow for the aiemy, for his looses in b killed and wounded, to say nothing o£ r prisoners, were far beyond oure, ® STEERING EPISODES. 7 For a long spell now the New Zea-. J landers have been, in the lino, and there? have been many stirring episodes' in; 1 their fighting. lii mart W . : it they have! met with stusbiborn opposition. Officers, and non-commissioned have s!hown rare •qualities of leadership and resource, awtiiikt <il times-' utter disregard , of danger, ii There was one stout-hearted sergeant s who, in quick succession, jiad recently o won the Distinguished Conduct Medal e T.nd the Military Medal, who now set i- out to eel ipse his'former deeds. Under e heavy fire he led a small bombing party I. and captured a machine gun. He then proceeded up a eap alone, bombing the crews of three other machine guns before him. Then he jumped out of the trench, ran ahead of the enemy, and,, standing ■ on the parapet, ordered two y .officers and ten men to surrender. In- 1 !- -Btantly they fiTed at him, but he replied e by throwing a bomb and jumping from d the parapet into their midst. In less t than a minute he had killed two, and r- the others ran for their lives and the y sergeant got their machine-guns. w The platoon sergeant of a Wellington d regiment displayed great, bravery, durt. ing an attack on high ground east of d ;oaueourt. When the crest was reached it was found that a line of five machine n gun posts directly in front dominated d the ridge and ground for 120 yards down the forward elope, making the wes&m ' y&tau&to-ior oar mm. tk» wfrpfogomi

pany went forward in line to deal with these postd, from which fire came point- ' blank and heavy. Men were falling, aiSfi, this sergeant, realising the seriousness of the position when about twenty yards away, followed by another man, dashed t forward ahead of his platoon. rushed the centre post, and succeeded in demoralising the garrison. The platton , followed, and the opposition from that j post ceased, The sergeant then rashe4 the post on the left in a similar manner, "i and the other posts were quickly cleared 1 by the remainder of the company, *'fj The story of another sergeant attach" \ ed to an Auckland company provides an ' r ■ experience in itself. The company, on "j • reaching the outskirts of GrevilleTs,' came , '' i under heavy machine-gun fire, but "Ai ' through the dashing leadership of this , . man three machine-gun positions Were ' , i rushed and the crews taken prisoners be- *>, ' fore they had inflicted many casualty > . on our advancing troops. The company f * ; headquarters had reached the outskirts iof the village in advance of first afc- •' >' , tacking wave, which was neadv 600 Vl , yards in the read. As soon as oor • appeared on the crest, machine guns opahed fire on them from concealed ghefl- ; hole positions a hundred yards in adi Vance of headquarters. Without a moj ment s hesitation the sergeant duAod '' I straight for these positions over around < [ entirely devoid of cover, and, with ,He ' . assistance of the headquarters i'i , kffled or captured the whole ofra '.f ■ posing gun teams. Lato, the advance Was held to on the , edge of a sunken road. InteMe madria*. i gtm fire swept the ground. Oar mg troops took what shelter they couM J™ ™. * "nail sap and in eheU-holeß At , this critical juncture the sergeant walked forward, regardless of the enemy fire, and Seated the positions of th» nearest guns. He returned and reported his nontenant. Some way off was a British tank in action, and the sergeant started off to get it tocome to the assistance of Ma men. This adventure led Him qqq yards of open ground mvept by the enemy s fire. The Germans were firing: at > the tank with a light gun, and before he could reach it the sergeant was wounded i T l e , n ,? ht am b y «»e of these antitank shells. The arm was Heeding free-, jy, so he came back race more to his lieutenant and had it bound up TWc accomplished, he went forward again, ■% and this time succeeded in teaehhw tank, whea he proceeded to guide it into ' 1 "s position, from which it could silence the '■ enemy machine guns. Before it conM • f reach the position the tank was nut out ' action and the officer in command was ' j badly woanded. With undaunted conr- 1 m the sergeant organised the tank 1 . ' ctbw, with their Lewis guns, some Hew, loaning them. This party he led m two sections, under heavy fee, to commanding positions, so that tim , enemy zoadiine gunners Lad to witikcesffully. At this moment lie waa kiEed ' > by 6 buQet from a sniper's rifle. , (