NEW ZEALANDERS' FURIOUS ATTACK AT FLERS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 235, 2 October 1916, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS' FURIOUS ATTACK AT FLERS

AUCKLAf+DERS HELD UP BY ENEMY'S WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS CAME ZTNIKEX TIKE. MsinoH &A______pnxT c___?T-___e_> jtext oat. (From Hr. Jfalcolm Boss. >~ew Zeal and Official Tfar Correspondent-) (Received 10.30 a.m_) BRITISH HEADQUARTERS I>~ FRANCE. September 29. "Since last cabling, the veterans of Gallipoli have pushed their offensive larther forward, capturing a section oi two trenches tnat were barring progress on the left of Gaeudecourt. starting from the factory corner, a strong point that they liad previously taken. "The Otago. Canterbury, and Auckland battalions advanced behind a barrage oi the Canterbury and some of the Auckland batteries, and entered the trendies without great difficulty "Some other Aucklanders. with some of the Otago men. were stopped by enemy wire and tame under machine-gun lire. This section received reinforcement., from xhe "Wellington battalion. But after stubborn fighting night fell with the enemy still holding an angle in the position that had been captured right and left. "On the following day the Bine Brigade reinforced the Aucklanders and Canterbury men. and after further fighting the position was made secure. There was some confused but gallant fighting oh the front of the enemy wire. "Ou the first day of the offensive the Rifles captured 422 prisoners in Flers and its vicinity. The battlefield still bears many signs of the fury of onr attack- In a switch trench the German dead are in places lying shoulder to shoulder. When I visited the battlefield yesterday the Germans were shelling Flers and Gueudecourt and certain areas of the country we had captured. 'Tt was a cheering sight to see cavalry patrols advancing beyond Flers upon Gueudecourt. "During all this fighting the stretcher-bearers * and runners did heroic, work. Several of the latter, though wounded, got me_sag_s to the company commanders, and then dropped from exhaustion.