CAPTURE OF LE CATEAU.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1918, Page 5

CAPTURE OF LE CATEAU.

A Ten Miles' Advance. Important French Cain. Received Oct. 12, 1.35 a.m. Vancouver, Oct. 11. The British advance, on the average, is ten miles. They have captured Le Cateau. The line runs: The Seile river, St. Souplet, Solemes. The French, east of St. Quentin, advanced four miles and captured Servais. —Reuter. A GOOD RECORD. 80 GERMAN DIVISIONS DEFEATED. Received Oct. 12, 1.35 a.m. London, Oct. 11. Since August 8 the British have defeated eighty German divisions. The German infantry divisions are now reduced to 183, in addition to eight Austrian.—United Press. NEW 2EALANDERS AT CREVECOEUR. HOT FIGHTING IN A SUNKEN ROAD. WELLINGTON TROOPS TAKE THE VILLAGE. (Special Dispatch from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) October 5. The capture of Crevecoeur, across the canal, was brought about by the advance of the Wellington and Auckland troops, the former actually taking the' village. The Wellingtons got across the cailal bridge in the dark with scarcely any casualties, for the enemy was shooting short at the bridgehead. His barrage, however, was heavier than he had put down against us for some time, though it fell mainly upon the support company, The men went through the village, where there was no great opposition, and they got several prisoners out of the dug-outs. The troops north-east of the village, near the sunken road, had the hottest fighting. At one time both flanks t. ,>nt, but these men, with fine determination, stuck to their positions and helped to save a critical situation. Their commander did fine work in spite of heavy casualties, and though wounded badly in the leg he refused to leave his men. At one stage he was helped round his position, in order that he might see for himself what should be done, and to encourage his fellowß to stick it out. Battalion headquarters was fhelled for for-ty-eight hours, and none lost any time in his exits and his entrances there. One man was killed by a shell-burst though sitting well down the shaft of a dugout,

A BRAVE CORPORAL. Some wonderfully brave work was done by a corporal of signals. On one occasion when he went, forward with a party at night a shell fell among them, killing his best pal and wounding two others. He himself was wounded in the mouth, but lie collected what was left of his small party and went on. He continued at his dangerous work for three days, leading telephone wire right out to company headquarters under heavy fire. Wounded again at a later stage he slipped back and got his wounds dressed, and carried on for another 24 hours. The first crack he got was enough to send any ordinary man into hospital for a month. At midnight on October 1 he' borrowed two pioneers, and with them salvaged wire to complete his alternative line. His magnificent work under these terribly trying circumstances enabled telephonic communication to be maintained, and undoubtedly was the means of saving many runners. The Aucklanders came under sshell-fire in the Crevecoeur attack during the greater part of their journey to the assembly point across the canal. The two leading companies reached their objective and took many prisoners, after which they went on north of the village. During this advance our barrage died away, as the ground was getting out of the Tange of our guns, and the New Zealanders came under heavy shell, machinegun and rifle fire. Later English troops came up, and the line was established.

GERMAN GUN CREW CAPTURED. Two sergeants had an exciting experience. They saw a, gun team trying to get away, so they lay beside the road and sniped the leading horses. Then they rushed forward and captured the gun crew and remaining horses. One of the horses continued grazing in the vicinity under shell fire for the rest of the day. Previous to this, in another attack, some cows were seen grazing on the battlefield, a somewhat unique experience, indicating that our advance is taking us into the pastoral lands at last. Two stretcher-bearers behaved with great bravery, carrying wounded away from the heavy shell fire in the sunken road into deep dug-outs, and afterwards to a regimental aid post. The lives of several of these wounded were thereby saved.

There has been' some further fighting to-dp.y in which the Rifles and Canterbury men were taking part. We hav« crossed the canal at two or three points below Crevecoeur, and have gained in ore ground, though the enemy is still holding a ridge in strength and fighting with considerable determination.