ON THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 268, 1 August 1918, Page 7

ON THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT

A RECENT COUNTER-ATTACK

HOW THE SIMPLE TEUTON IS DECEIVED (Special r u , m -u,,, X ew Zealand Official War Correspondent.) Jnlv'iiS." 4 As a rcsii.t of the recent heavv rams Jie trenches, in places ure.knup-dcep in and m ud. i.'ne hitc s i xegurdim,' the attempt to wrest from us the ground won by the Otago men siiows that the enemy suffered severely m killed and wounded. Some fought d'elcrminedly, _.ind showed.bruverv. in carrying in I'ieir wounded and dead. Of thirty prisoners captured by the Otiigo moil half •were killed by Uormnti shell-lire white 'thev were moving to the rear. 'The' Herman attack was made by the support ami reserve battalions of a German :liMlier regiment.- reinforced by some ■tlivwmial.iilor.in troops. On this sector the (Jet-mans seem hard put to it. for wer.. Ju.foui- divisions-the strength of certain companies has fallen so low that companies had to be "reorganised. After o lolling men to the machine-gun groups there are often only suffit-iefit left 'to tutu one or two other groups in -that company. TJiis may mean that special fllorfs havo -to -be inado to counter ihe Trench attacks in (he south and 'troops fire needed for- (he jin the Hritish front. Probably men arc re<l II ired... fOL-Lfltll—purposi'S At present titir srelor remains quiet. A captured order shows great anxiety on Ihtpart of IheTie'riuaii command." to pifcvcnl officers and men" in tho forward areas from, being killed or captured. Special instructions have been issued with this object.. , , . German, Lies. Amusing instances continue to come to light in regard to tho lies,that are. told to their creduloi's soldiers. • The men captured by- the Ot'ngos knew nothing of 'ilio repulse of 'the Germans in tlio southern Ijiittic, but. tho most ludicrous instance of tho'manner in ■ winch oltioers Jio to their men lias just como to light. The men arc' being .told that tho r\eiv y.ealaudcrs aro xnnibals, so that there is no use surrendering to them, and it would be bettur to fight to a finish. . "The first "thingnthey will-do to' yon if you. arc caught, ' said an officer' recently, "is that they vill otter you a cigarette. This means that you are nmrked"l:o"*'bo' lulled and eaten." At least ono of our iccently-captiiYcd prisoners believes tills ■story,,and sure enough as soon as he was taken' a New ./culuiulcr ottered him a cigarette, and lie considered himself a doomed man. He arrived- at -Headquarters in a terribly agitated state, and it ■was some time before he could realise that he was or going-to be the piece do resistance at a Kjw 'Zealand soldiers' banquet. Msdals Awarded. The Military Metal has,been awarded to the fallowing for, recent- acts of gallantry in tho field:— Sergeant A, ,J. Cunningham, Corporal A. Corbctl, Jiilleman'L. Lyford, Rifleman B. ltadclil'i'e, I/moe-Corporal A.' Lewis, Sergeant K. Cochrane, .Corporal AV. J. Green. Sergeant W. Bray, Corporal'"'.!, W. Burgess, Sergeant W. 8.-Timmins, Corporal A. Duff, Corporal E. Hill (all of tho Kifles), Private J. Flood (Canterbury), and Private ..T.. 11. Butt (Qtttgo).