WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3120, 26 June 1917, Page 5

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT MESSINES

DARING PATROL EXPLOITS SPLENDID BRAVERY OF A WEST COAST CORPORAL (Special Dispatch from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.) rn . France, Juno 22. JJJie New Ze&landers have recently been doing a considerable amount of advanced patrol work. One officer, with, one man, daringly crossed tho mer Lye, entered Frelingham, and returned "with three prisoners. The indications are that the enemy, having recovered from the partial disorganisation into which he was thrown by the_ Meesines defeat, -has now settled down'in the Warheton line. The morale of his troops shows considerable deterioration as the result of tho Messines battle. Some of tho prisoners who have lately been captured realise that defeat is inevitable, especially if the submarine menace and the scheme for a separate peace with Russia fail. There is a deterioration of the rations in the firing line, and ammunition has ix> bo economised. In 6pite of the enemy shelliire, we nave held all our gains, and have ' even extended our field operations. Meanwhile, at times we listen to inten6o artillery bombardments elsewhere. Messines itself is a veritable charnel house, and during hot weather it had to be put out of bounds. Many Gorman dead lie there, and, owing to the enemy shell-fiTe, it wns impossible to bury them. The New Zealanders' quick success in the cajpturo of the town was in large measure due to individual acts of "reat dash and gallantry. Men advanced even through our own barrage to ° put machine guns out of action. There was nothing more splendid than the action of a West Coast miner, a corporal. Wounded 'fifteen minutes after the battle began, he fought W for five hours until ho was again wounded, this timo severoly. Through the smoke and dust of the banrage, he saw that one well-placed enemy machine gun threatened to hold up our advance. It had already killed a captain and put several men out of action. The corporal, with one rifleman, advanced through the barrage and put this and another gun ou.t of action, killing fourteen men of the two crews. The same corporal wns also instrumental in putting out of action one, if not two, other machine guns. An eve-witness spoke in .terms of glowing praise of his dash and bravery. j

PATROL ENCOUNTERS ON THE BRITISH FRONT , London, Jnne 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Thero have been patrol encounters southward of the Scarpe. Tho enemy artillery is active at Croisilles and Messines."—Aus -N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. Juno 25, 7.15 p.m.) 1 London, June 21 Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The enemy unsuccessfully attempted to raid our trenches south-east of Gavrelle and Armentieres. The. enemy's artillery is active near Havrincourt Wood, northward of the Scarpe 'and a 'Messines."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reu.tev. BRITISH WITHIN NINE MILES OF OSTEND (Rec. Juno 20, 0.5 a.m.) 1 London, Juno 25. Router's correspondent at Headquarters states that the British are at Lombaertzyde, within njne miles of Ostond.—Router. , FRUITS OF THE SPRING OFFENSIVE THE ALLIES' CAPTURES IN SI'X MONTHS. (Rec. Juno 25, 5.15 p.m.) London, June 25. Colonel Repington (the "Times" correspondent), reviewing the Allies' spring offensive during the first six monmonths of 1917, states: "Tho Anglo-French armies on tho Western front captured seventy thousand prisoners, nearly five hundred guns, masses of trench mortars and machine-guns, and disposed of some 300,000 German lighters. The enemy's reserve on tho Western front at tho beginning of April totalled fifty divisions. Two months later it had decreased to twelve."—The "Times." ON THE FRENCH FRONT iti i • 11. r.m,. • . , London, Juno 24. A l'rench communique states: "Thero is violent reciprocal artillerv firing in tho region of Hurtebiso and Craonne. Wo silenced a violent enemy bombardment ■south of Juvincourt and dispersed an assembling forco of infantry."—Aus -N Z Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. June 25, 8 15 p.m.) t-n l m• i • ii London, Juno 21. A French official communique states: "By a sharp "counter-attack east of Yauxaillon wo recaptured the greater part of tho salient still held by the enemy ,north-east, of Moisy Farm. The artillery is active on both sides on the Hurtebise sector and on the left bank of the Mouse."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable - Renter. .5 THE GERMAN REPORTS London, Juno 24. A German official report states: "We repulsed English, reconnoitring advances south of the River Scarpe. Our fire compelled tho French to ovneuate the ground gained by them on June 18 and 21 east of Mont C'ornillet,. in the Champagne."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable A6sn.-Rcuter. '