TOWARD BAPAUME.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 207, 30 August 1918, Page 2

TOWARD BAPAUME.

THE NEW ZEALAND DRIVE. AX IRRESISTIBLE PUSH. WOOD AND VILLAGES CLEARED (N.Z. War Correspondent.) August 24. Shortly before two* o'clock this morning there was a crescendo of artillery which at one time developed into an intensive roar. Late the previous evening we heard that the Now Zealand force had been ordered to exploit the success towards Bapaume. North and South Island troops were to do the fighting. Ahead of us, beyond Achiet le Petit and Achiet le Grand, toward the south-west, were positions that would be likely to give trouble —Lou part Wood, Grevillerg, and Biefvillers. These were strong pointg in the forefront of the Bapaume defences. The first attacking forcn. started at a-quarter past four In the morning without barrage. Tbe enemy had been tremendously worried during the past three days, and he had been busy getting his guns back for fear of capture. Hie infantry, fighting a rearguard action without tanks and with little artillery support, were in for a bad time. Our own artillery was giving him no peace. The New Zealand field gune had been well advanced, and some of them were practically moving forward with the infantry. In the first attacking force Wellington troops were on the right and Aucklandert on the left. The first check came i* front of Loupart Wood, where for a time there was hot fighting, bnt the irresi*tible New Zealanders were not to be denied, and before very long the wood was ours. Then the advancing wavai pushed on towards Grevillers, where it was thought there were more machine guns. Men from an English division that was forming a defensive, flank om our right assisted in the capture of the village. Away ahead on the left were the few ruined houses of Biefvillers, and troops from both North and South Island units were soon engaged with the enemy here. Biefvillers met the same fate at its sister village, and our troops pushed on towards Bapaume. Meantime they had killed or wounded many Germans. In addition we captured some hundreds of prisoners. Still pushing on, our men got to within 1,000 yards of Bapaume itself, and possibly they could have taken it to-day, but the salient was becoming too narrow, and the direct attack was not continued for the time being. Sool after mid-day a forward observing officer reported that tanks, with German infantry, were seen marching toward! Bapaume, so possibly the enemy wiH endeavour to make a stand there of attempt a counter-attack from the ruined towns. As it is he has driven our outposts in a few hundred yards to-day, but we do .not fear his counter-attack, al apparently he cannot support it wit* anything like a heavy artillery barrage.

Meantime we arc shelling Bapaum* with everything we can put on to it Some of our observers also reported Germans massing in a square some distance back. In a very brief space of time the heavy guns were firing on it. Tank! assisted in to-day's fighting, and did excellent work. For this fight we ad* vanced our headquarters several mikML Last night we established a report poet— a sort of advanced headquarters —still further on.

The New Zealanders had a large credit balance on the day's operations. Iβ prisoners alone ".ve had more than ovK own casualties. The German dead an! wounded added largely to our credit (figures, and the spirit of our fightinf men was simply wonderful.