NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3108, 12 June 1917, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

GRAPHIC STORY OF THE ADVANCE MAGNIFICENT ELAN IN BATTLE (Special Dispatch from the Official New Zealand War Correspondent.) .Tune S. Captain Malcolm Ko?s writes: "The recent tremendous artillery bombardments culminated to-day in. a brilliant new British offensive, which has dealt the enemy another blow that should go far to assist m winning the war. The New Zealandors, who tor the past month had been hard at work at their preparations, were allotted the iTPaI honour of attacking Mcssynes, wliieli is on the crest of the famous ridgo which has dominated our front line in this part of Belgium ever since the British were driven off it in 1914. They succeeded brilliantly, carrying out their allotted task in a manner altogether worthy of their traditions in Gallipfdi and on the Somme. The spectacle at the faintest dawn, when the troops advanced to the attack, was one of the most thrilling ever seen in battle. Immediately our guns began their terrible barrages, great mines, in vast masses of earth and smoke and lurid flame, shot skyward with awesome effect, innl-ini? the ground rock and quiver as if .striken by an earthquake. The Enemy Surprised. "The moment of attack came as a great surprise to the euemy, who only that night had put Bavarian troops in his line. The- exploding of the mines and the commencement of the terrific bombardment told the enemy that the longexpected attack had come' at last;' but his frantic 'S.O.S.' went up in vain, for before his guns could open the infantry had already captured his first lino and were proceeding , , behind (heir creeping barrage, to Messines itself and the. objectives still farther afield. Whipped with a hail of shot and shell, Ihe ridge was soon hidden behind a pall of dust and smote, through which the brilliant green of the enemy's signals of distress and the flashing of our bursting shells made weird pyrotechnic effect.'. Part of our troops led the attack on the left of Messines, and part fought on the right. Pome went through half the village to the left, one battalion of Hides going through the front of the village. "Two machine-guns in the right sector of the village were missed in Ihe advance, ar.d made matters unpleasant for the Rifles; but they were soon silenced. Through Messines. "As too suu rose above the grey bank of smoke and dust, we saw the men of one brigade advancing through the smoking ruins of Messines 'to take up an objective still farther ahead. Early in the morning their brigadier himself walked all along this line, ami reported 'All well'—a bravo performance. Later the Australian troop* came through the New Zealanders, advancing to still further objectives. Numbers of German dead lie in froatof iuulinlfessincti/anil hundreds of prisoners have already heeu captured. Some went down on their kneos, crying 'Mercy!' and 'Kamerad'! others wept. .Several batches that passed our trench seemed. to be greatly shaken, and were slad 'to be captured. Our. victorious troops went through their ranks with magnificent elan, scorning every danger. "Many British troops on the left, and other Australians on the right, fought magnificently, carrying all their objectives. Just after I ieft the field the enemy was reported to be massing for a counter-attack; but if the army eau hold its present gains, the great 'battle will have started auspiciously. Our young airmen, who did not e.scape scathlcss, accowplisfipd most wonderful and daring feats. They held complete niaslory of the air. Our casualties so fur. especially considering the great strength of the position attacked, have been unusually light. The 'walking cases' coming back ncro« the open country were cheerful and jubilant." A LATER DISPATCH KECONQUEST OF BELGIAN TOWNS. In a later dispatch, dated June 9, Gaptain Ross writes:— June !). Tho enemy has not recovered from tho shook of tho battle of Messines. Tho New Zealiuiders are still iirmly established on the ground they have gained, and have not been counter-attacked. Specially interesting is the fact that to our men has fallen the honour of the recapture of the first of the Belgian towns since trench warfare commenced. In Bailleul, just over the border, where many of the Belgian refugees have sheltered, there were affecting scenes when tho bulletin announcing the recapture was posted. Generally there was great rejoicing, yet among the crowd were some old men and women who read the nows and went away weeping. Their homes had been devastated, but the first Belgian town had been redeemed. The valour of our officers and men in this terrible attack was beyond all praise, and tho important share they took in capturing the famous ridgo will probably rank as the finest feat of arms they have accomplished in this war. Tho casualties have increased since the first day, but are still far below tho Sommo record, the proportion of killed and badly wounded being surprisingly low. Poisoned Wells. The Germans poisoned the wells in Messines. Careful and repeated analyses have established the fact that the water contained over 13 grains of arsenic per ounce. Special trouble must have Uecn taken to get tho salt in soluble form to make the water so highly poisonous. Warning Vas promptly issued, so tho New Zealiinders did not suffer. Onr Pioneers and Engineers did splendid work in making communication trenches and inending the road 3 while the battle was proceeding. Some of tho latest arrivals had their baptism of lire with picka and shovels, iustead of rifles, in their hands. The stretcher-bearers au<! i runners worked, as ever, heroically, amidst the falling shells. The Y.M.C.A. staff at eight buffets and dug-outs supplied tho walking wounded and tho men . going to and from the front with hot or : cold drinks and biscuits at any hour of ; tho night or day. During the first day ' somo thousands of New Zealand, Australian, and British troops were provided ■ with refreshments. The money neecssary to maintain this good work is provided by tho peoplo of New Zealand. WITH THE AUSTRALIANS CAPTAIN BEAN'S STORY London, Juno 10. Captain C. E. Bean, the Australian official war correspondent, in his cablegram describing the rapture of Messines, states: "At the lirst streak of dawn tho British on the left, and the Australians and New Zealauders on. thn right, attacked under a hurricane bombardment. Throughout tho night tho euemy had drenched the wholo landscape, in front of him with gas shells. In spite of this, tho attack went more precisely to programme than any over made by the Germans or British, and, so far as I kuow, without the slightest hitch. Tho Australasian Division crossed tho llivor Bouvo in No Man's Land, and advunced from one shattered trench to another, from ruined firrahouso U> ruined farm-house, all tho time within fifty to ;i hundred yards of the

gradually advancing liue of its own shtsll-firo. For two hours it was impossible to see anything through the dense cloud of dust and shell smoke. Then theligures of the New Zeulunders were seen moving on the ridge-toji bv tho ruins of Messiucs, with thn liritish'avay to the north and the Australians in the Bouv-e Valley to the south. Within a few hours tho whole attack had succeeded, and the. men were moving into position for a further advance, the Germans simultaneously massing for a counter-attack. The British preparatory, bombardment appeared to catch 'this counter-attack and crush it. Tho Australians then attacked beyond Jfessines, along the whole front, ond completed the capture of the ridge.— Aus.-N.is. Cable Assn. PEAXTTC MESSAGES TO HOLD OX. (Ree. June 11, 11.45 p.m.) Sydney, June 11. Capluin Bean states that the New Zealanders found at the German Headquarters at Messines. an order to hold the ridgo ;it all costs, and also a message from the Kaiser and other high persons consoling tho Third Bavarian Division for its heavy losses in the recent battles. The commandant assured the troops that the Iron Cross Division must be a double duty division. A further series of mesKages terminated: "A tank five hundred yards distant is approaching."—Press ASSU ' PRESS CONGRATULATIONS London, June 10. The newspapers describe the capture of Messines by the New Zealanders as "'one of the shining feats" of the oversea troops. "The Australians," they added, "shared new glory."—Aus.-N.si. Cible Afisn.