HINDENBURG LINE ATTACKED.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1918, Page 8

HINDENBURG LINE ATTACKED.

DETAILS OF OPERATIONS, m

London, Sept. 28. Mr. Phillips writes: To-day's attack oil the Hindcnburg line was more difficult and dangerous than that of last November. The plan was to strike eastward across the canal and then northwards. The front lay parallel to the canal, the crossing of which was one of the most remarkable feats of our offensive. It is 10ft. deep and 70ft. wide, with deep mud at the bottom. It has been: rendered passable only at certain points. Surface bridges were impossible, -as the sides were too steep in many places for dropping or climbing. The enemy had the range for every yard, and Bourlon wood gave most complete observation of our movements.

Everything depended on. the first rush. An officer said on Thursday night: "Give ns fifteen minutes and all will be right." The men had to be assembled at night, scaling ladders brought up and flung' down and over at the precise moment. The first handful of intrepid soldiers descended the yawning ehasm and bore more ladders with which they scaled the canal face with heavy packs and loads of bombs to face the enemy machinegunners. It seemed certain death to the men assembling on the eve of the attack. Everything depended on those fifteen minutes in which the attackers must descend the dark pit and roach the other side after a breathless rush, yet they must have breath enough to begin a fight for life,on the other side. Here was an ordeal far more exacting and dangerous than merely going over the top, but the men went to victory without a mishap or pause. The Canadians, after the passage of the canal at Inchy, had two miles before them, and strode almost in leisurely i. fashion up the'elope? in the direction of SJ'onrlon wood. It was open country, s'vitn several systems of fragmentary (t-"iiches. These were emergency lines jof the. inferior Siegfried fortress line. l'i"ie Canadians went through easily Ic.'oiuU and reached the edge of the wood jb schedule time. MeanwJjjle the British battalions on ilie Canadians' right crossed the Bottleneck Canal near Moeuvres with the greatest swiftness before the enemy was able to put down a barrage, passed the I-lindenburg support line, then some ivheeled south behind it towards Graincourt, and had swept the aria clear before 10 o'clock, reaching the BapaumeCambrai road. Other British troops crossed the canal between Moeuvres and the BapaumeCambrai road, and met-with considerable resistanco from machine-gun nests. These garrisons were not aware that they were already surrounded from the north, but surrendered when they found themselves between two fires. The Germans on the Flesquieres ridge had faced south, expecting the attack from the south as in November, but before they came to close quarters they found that the Bourlon wood behind thorn was full of Canadians. The enemy artillery was active until 10 o'clock, but practically ceased thereafter, evidently withdrawing. Enemy aeroplanes were unusually energetic, low-fliers attempting to machine-gun the . infantry, Comparatively few prisoners were taken in the morning. It seems , certain that the enemy had withdrawn ! soma troops in the night,—Aus. N.Z.