TOWARDS THE HINDENBURG LINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1918, Page 2

TOWARDS THE HINDENBURG LINE.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS' LONG MARCH. BEYOND BAPAUME. (From Malcolm Ross.) Under the adhered arrangements whii'h the (Government have made in regard to catling more fully die doings of the Division in France, I have been enabled to send very fully the details of the recent fighting in which the New Zeahinders have taken part. From the (luy when they just discovered signs of an enemy retirement from Rossignol Wood, the New Zealanders haye pressed forward upon the heels of the enemy, sometimes gaining ground easily, and, on other occasions, having to fight stubbornly for positions that certain German regiments were told to defend to the last in order that their main forces might be able to make a, retirement to the famous Hiiidenburg Line. It is now possible to fill in some further detail i of this battle from which our men from all parts of the Dominion acquitted themselves so creditably. For the most part it was fairly open fighting in which the initiative and the stamina of the New Zealanders stood them in good stead. THE GERMAN RETREAT COMMENCES.

The evacuation of Rossignol Wood was at first thought to be a matter oi only local significance, and .it was not till the 14th of August that there were indications of a further enemy retreat, At 5 a.m. on that day everything was extraordinarily quiet, so patrolß were pushed out to obtain definite touch w»th the enemy, they marched out towards the Serre-Buisieux' Ridge oil the right'. At intervals an occasional machine-gun stuttered at thein, but alwayß it was withdrawn after a few minutes firing, and our patrols pushed on. By e ening, we had established our line on the positions gained by these patrols.- On the left brigade area-, however, progress waß more difficult, and strong resistance was met with; but some ground was gained, and, early in the morning the I*ft Brigade advanced and occupied a trench system farther on. Some of the enemy who had re-occupied a sunken road were driven eastward and four prisoners taken. Stokes Mortars moved forward with our infantry, and gave covering fire when called upon. Ma-chine-guns also gave covering sire during the advance. The enemy artillery appeared to be shooting at extreme ranges; but tho enemy machine-guns, which were in pockets, gave considerable trouble, and, generally, their gunners held on till the last moment. The indications were that the enemy would withdraw to a strong trench system, about the destroyed villages of Bucquov. Achiet-le-Petit, li(Jes, and LoupWt Wood, with a still further probable retreat. His posts had orders to beat off our on-coming patrols, but. if strongly attacked they were to fall back fighting.

HURRYING THE RETREAT. On 21st of August came the general attack along the British line. You already know how the enemy was surprised in the fog, and, day after day, pushed back with considerable losses upon his new Bapaume defences. In all this New Zealanders played a prominent part, and were ever in the van. They had some stiff fighting in the vicinity of Bapaume, where the enemy clung tenaciously to his positions for several days. On Bapaume itself there was no attempt at a front attack. It was gradually outflanked until it became untenable. During these days many gallant deeds were done by the Now Zealanders, and officers under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire were always in the forefront of the battle establishing their line and visitin/; their posts night and day. One young officer in the Rifle Brigade, who was blown up by a shell and badly shaken, refused to leave his men, and carried on as usual. Later, in the advance on the ridge to the east of Bapaume, he took command, and led his men with the greatest gallantry, Non-commissioned officers were equally brave and resourceful. A Rifle Brigade sergeantmajor, when all the platoon officers of his company had become casualties, took charge of two platoons and led them through the fog, capturing five machine-guns and 30 prisoners at the pynprise of a few casualties. In the fighting on the 23rd, during an enemy counter-attack near Miramont, a lancecorporal who was in a shell-hole in advance of our line stood his ground, and killed four of the enemy, although he had to expose himself to their fire in doing 1 so. The enemy fired heavily on his post with machine-guns, and, though wounded three times, he carried on. later, with undaunted courage, he volunteered to get a message back to the main line, and succeeded in doing so in the face of enemy fire. Near Puisieux three riflemen dashed for a machine-gun post Wtat was holding up the advance at that point. One of them was immediately shot dead, but the other two went on, bombr ed the post, captured the machine-guns, and made the officer and ten of hta men prisoners.

RESOURCEFUL N.C.O.'S.A lance-corporal of the Rifles distinguished himself near Puisieux on the second day of the battle when the troops on our right had fallen back and the enemy were moving back to occupy the crest trenches overlooking our position. Rushing forward with a Lewj is gun to the crest of the ridge he openI ed fire, killed twelve of the advancing enemy and wounded another eight. Thereupon the remaining five surrendered with four machine-guns. Near Miraumont there wore some difficult , positions to fight against. One company of the Rifles was holding an outpost there in shell-holes, but they were under direct observation of enemy ma-chine-gunners. To move at all above the rim of the shell-hole craters meant being shot at by the watchful Germans. The problem of the supply of food and ammunition to these determined ifoew Zealanders beoame a difficult one. A sergeant-major of the first battalion solved the problem. He tmwied, pushing the rations in front of him, to each shell-hole, and every section of his company was supplied. A few days later he did splendid work in delivering much-needed small arms ammunition to every post* By the 24th the New Zealanders had been told to exploit the success towards Kapaivme, and at two o'clock one morning the artillery first burst forth anew and rolled like thunder over the low f4dga». Achiet-le-Petit and Aehiet-le-

Grand, shattered villages, but still strong in defence, had fallen; but beyond them lay Loupart Wood on high ground, and the battered villages of Grevillers and Biefvillers with their heap of brick- that'. had once' been houses, and, here and there, > vit of a wall still standing.-' Auckland and Wellington battalions marched to the assault; and nobly they i acquitted themselves. This fighting I described in a telegram sent the same day. The spirit of-the men was Bplendid, and their cheerfulness inspiriting to a degree. They marched to the attack with what appeared to be a calm uncoiutrn, and, while they themselves did not escape/ scathless, they accounted for many s German machine-gunner, and, day by day took their toll of prisoners. In all the Bapaume region, however, '. the 1 enemy offered a stout resistance The necessary of delaying pur advance was only too apparent, for, Bapaume- oncecaptured, he kuew that he muat make a hurried retreat to positions still farther back. South Island men—Otago and Canterbury battalions—now came into the battle, and it was here, on the outskirt of the town that Colonel Pennycook, an ntago Battalion commander, was killed. Again many brave deeds were done in this fighting. Captains I and' lieutenants and non-commissioned officers gallantly leading their men forward Trench mortar men kept well up with the Infantry, andj with.great dash, brought their guns into action in the open in spite of heavy machinegun fire. A. private of the Wellingtons distinguished himself ia carrying up ammunition for the mortars. At one stage, seeing a wounded.man left out in front> ho went in the fact of heavy ma-chine-gun fire and carried the. man back three hundred yards to safety. He had already carried six shells a long distance, and after he had got the wounded man out he went back for six i more which, under heavy fire, he succeeded in delivering to the crew of the mortar. A BRAVE PADRE.

At Grevillers on the' 24th a wellknown Auckland padre behaved with great bravery in assisting a medical; officer with the wounded, who, for some hours, were coming in in considerable numbers. At one time, in connection with the attack on the Bancourt position beyond Bapaume, when his battalion was heavily shelled at its assembly point, and regimental medtsal wflcer and most of the medical officers had become casualties, he took charge, established a regimental aid post, organised stretcher parties, and, under heavy fire, dressed the wounded with the meagre facilities at hand. When, -some hours later the services of another medical officer were obtained, he continued to give his services in the cause of the wounded. With unflinching spirit he worked night and day, setting a .magnificent example to all about him. One Auckland corporal, after his platoon commander 1 had been wounded, led his men across a bullet-swept zone, and, during the fighting, crawled out and brought in a wounded man from under j the nose of enemy machine-gunners, j Otago and Canterbury officers and men have similar deeds to their credit, but the incidents one hears of are far too numerous to chronicle. Some of the most gallant actions I have already described in my cabled messages. In due course, however, these, and many others, with the names which at this stage cannot be mentioned, will, no doubt, be found in the official lists of honors and awards. I have given only a few instances in illustration of the spirit of our gallant soldiers. Even at this sate stage of the war there is no evidence of deterioration, and the record of *.he Division from- Hebuterne, through Bapaume, and on beyond the wood of Havrincovtrt, is one of which New Zealand may well be proud.