SECOND EDITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 204, 27 August 1918, Page 2

SECOND EDITION.

NEW ZEALANDERS SHARE IN GREAT ATTACK. DRIVING EAST FROM VALLEY OF THE ANCRE. FIELD BATTERIES FIRING FROM THE OPEN. (Special from the New Zealand War Correspondent.) HEADQUARTER- IN FRANCE, August 24. This morning at half-past one (ordinary time) the attack launched on tbe 21et by General Byng, after a comparative lull for one day, broke out with renewed intensity. It was a brilliant moonlight night, and 'planes hummed above while artillery thundered below. Following a splendid barrage, forward went infantry from several divisions. A rifle brigade still represented New Zealand, though another battalion had relieved one that had already taken a successful part in the advance. We continued to hold our narrow front on the Ancre aud defensive flank on the right to join up with a British division that had trouble with a strong point known as Beauregard-Dovecote. It was decided that the Dovecote must fall this morning, and, while the English were attacking it. our men advanced due east between the Dovecote and the village of Irles. from across the Ancre came a lot of machine-gun lire, and our men suffered some casualties, but these were really light. Only two companies were concerned in this. Fighting at night always makes it difficult to stop ( exactly on an objective, and our men in their keenness went at least four hundred yards further than they need have gone. However, having gone so far, they decided to hold on to the ground gained. D___-CT_LT SITUATION WELL GOT OVER. A difficult situation arose in consequence. At daylight they found themselves sitting in a valley, with the enemy commanding their position from a ridge very much like Clieluvelt, as was the case during the fight for Pol.lerhoek Chateau last year. Then it was ascertaini .1 that there was another attack to bo made at eleven o'clock in this immediate vicinity, and that their position was _00 yards inside the area on which the barrage was due to come down, lt became a ease of crawling out under German machine-gun fire or remaining to be shelled by friendly artillery. As soon as the position was known a messenger crept 1 rack and succeeded in getting word to advanced brigade headquarters, so that the barrage, which was now unnecessary for this 1 .it ot" grout-..1. was stopped in time. Thus all ended well, and the New Zcalanders at small cost had gained a depth of 700 yards on a frontage of 800. HUNS RUN BEFORE BRITISH BARRAGE. In an operation that commenced at eleven o'clock one company from tlie same battalion advanced and cleaned out tho Hermans, who were occupying the valley of the Ancre immediately north of Miruumont. Some nests of enemy machine-guns were mopped up. prisoners were taken, ami the operation was quite successful. To-day the heat was tempered by a breeze, but it was no uncommon sigh- to see New Zealanders stripped bare to the waist, and being gradually browned by the sun, as they were on Gallipoli. Everywhere I found the men in the best of spirits. The line weather is certainly in favour of a quick advance. The battlefield provides many interesting sights. Transport. both mechanic it) and horse, goes forward in clouds of dust, and batteries are shooting from the open while others are moving well forward. The New Zealand artillery is well advanced, and ammunition columns are feeding the guns witli their usual splendid energy and intrepidity. Late in the afternoon, from a position well beyond Scrre. I watched the battle progressing near Ashiet Ie (Irand. 1 listened to the rattle of machineguns, and saw big crumps from enemy five-nines bursting on ground they had already lost, lt was all a strangely fascinating and thrilling sight. This morning, when tho Imn-uge for the 11 o'clock advance came down, hundreds of Huns took to their heels and legged it for all they were worth. The New Zcalanders chased them up ._. close as they could on the edge of the liarrage, and shot at them both with machine-guns and rilles. "We had a great lot of fun up there for a while." said a cheery wounded Rifleman whom I met on the battlefield some hours later. Away beyond, on a ridge, our men could see other Germans retreating. At the same time some New /..danders spotted a party of about twenty of the enemy coming towards them as if to surrender. Some were moping as if wounded, but when they reached a favourable position they began to shoot at our men. Then the New Zealanders dealt it out to their little party, and in a brief space of time none were left to carry back any news of the battle to Germany. "A platoon officer got six and I got two." saj.l a corporal who was hit later in the engagement after he had lioon interrupted in his shooting to take back a message to c .mpany headquarters. Most of our men had but a poor opinion of Ihe fighting calibre of tlhe Germans met in this battle. "The Hun is not sticking it out like ho used to.'* said a wounded New Zealand corporal; "his spirit is gone. The only good men he seems to have now are his machine-gunners. These are left till the last to hold positions, and 1 assure you they are getting a very rough spin." Returning over the crest of the Scrre Ridge, I found between sb_ty and seventy prisoners the New Zealanders had captured halted by the way in charge of about four riflemen. Members of one of our battalions in the reserve had joined them, and all were mixed together in quite a friendly party. The Germans were willingly giving away souvenirs, and there was a hubbub of conversation in English, French and German. Nearly all the Germans seemed very glad to be done with the war, and not in the least afraid that the New Zealanders would "eat" them. DESPONDENCY OF GERMAN PRISONERS. One young fellow who just before the -war had boon a' student at Oxford doubted my _tate_ent that the war might last three years more. "Germany." he eaid "is finished, and,"' he added with emphasis, "thank the good Lord that for mc 'tis at an end.'' All the German prisoners I saw were very kindlytreated, and their wounded were tenderly cared for, and even their walking" wounded were taken into our ambulance cars whenever there was room. In the afternoon I was with an ofliccr of our medical corps, who took some of them back in a car he was riding in. Yesterday our men, with machine-gun fire, drove in two hundred and fortyGermans u-pon a position held by eotne English troops. Those Germans promptly surrendered, and were marched off as prisoners. "Hard luck for the New Zealanders," 1 said to a New Zealand officer. "Never mind," he said, "it till £_k to .win the war, and these Tommies fought well." CONTEN-TOUS TB_JNT___ OF THE BRITISH GUNS. As I write at the end of a long day to catch the last dispatch rider the loud and continuous thunder of tbe British guns beats on the air. They have been busy now for twenty hours, and seem as if they would continue until far into the night or next day. Tanks are. creeping forward towards the battlefront. It has been a busy day for LudendorfT. To-morrow Bapaume will be in danger, and it is perhaps within the bounds of possibility that the New Zealanders may have a hand in its fall.