TO-DAY'S 'BATTLE'

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 86, 8 October 1914, Page 8

TO-DAY'S 'BATTLE'

ON THE MAKARA HILLS A RAID ON WELLINGTON INFANTRY BATTALIONS ENGAGE A second engagement, having for its object a raid on Wellington and the destruction of the Tinakori wireless station, was fought out between two infantry battalions of the main Expeditionary Force this afternoon. The first engagement took place at Lyall Bay on Tuesday between the Otago and Wellington Battalions, and resulted in the Southern men securing the advantage; to-day's action was fought out on the Makara Hills between the Canterbury and Otago Battalions, the latter acting upon the defensive, and was exceptionally keenly contested, both sides displaying a willingness which was creditable to see. The attacking battalion was under the command of LieutenantColonel D. M. Stewart, while the defending force was commanded by Lieu-tenant-Colonel T. W. M 'Donald. The weather was gloriously fine, and the operations were witnessed by a large •number of interested spectators from the breakwind on the Makara-Karori-road. The i battle was fought out upon tho same assumption as on Tuesday, viz., that Great Britain was at war with a foreign Power and the New Zealand Forces had been mobilised in their war stations. Both battalions took up their positions this morning, the" Canterbury men proceeding out to Makara and the Otago men to Karori. The "special idea" issued to the attacking force (Blue) this morning was as follows :—: — " A Blue battalion having landed at Ohariu Bay at day-break this morning, with a view to making a raid on Wellington, and especially to destroy the, Tinakori wireless station, has reached Makara at 12.30 p.m. On arrival at Makara the officer commanding the advance guard reports that the Karori-road is strongly held and that the enemy are holding the Park Vale-road position. The officer commanding the Blue force decides to attack the enemy in position and to force his way through direct to the wireless station at Tinakori." The defending force (Red) received the following instructions: — Information was received at headquarters, Wellington, early this morning, that a hostile raiding force, estimated at a battalion of infantry landed at Ohariu Bay at daybreak this morning, and is advancing on Wellington via Makara and Karori. A Red battalion is in bivouac on the Park Vale road, with outposts in position." Hostilities commenced shortly before 1 o'clock, both sides throwing out their advance parties. The Otago main force contented .itself for the earlier part of the operations by occupying the ridges joining the breakwind, and was so well concealed that it must have been impossible for the Canterbury men to discover it. The first men of the raiding force came into sight at 1.45 p.m., when a number of them appeared npon the crest of the western ridgo about a mile distant. The battle soon began to develop, and a hot engagement was witnessed. *