NEW ZEALANDERS AT LA BASSE VILLE

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 30, 4 August 1917, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS AT LA BASSE VILLE

VILLAGE CAPTURED, LOST, AND

RECAPTURED

SEVERE HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING

(Speoial from the New Zealand Wa» Correipondent;)

2nd Augußt.

r \ During the recent operations the New Zealanders attacked and captured the village of La Basse Ville. The houses had suffered severely in. the Messines battle bombardment, but still afforded good observation and considerable shelter to the enemy. Slightly farther north, outside Warneton, was a series of hedges and>iree clumps, in which the enemy retained a foothoW, and from .which he was able to snipe our observation posts.

After the bombardment the S"ew Zealandera advanced against the village, and, taking the enemy by surprise, killed or captured several, found in dugouts and shell holes. Once roused, the remaining garrison fought stubbornly in the village, but were, killed almost to a man, except fourteen prisoners, ■who were brought back. .

Owing to wire and other obstacles the mopping up was not completed until nearly daylight, which revealed the position of out troops, screened by trees and scattered buildings. The enemy quickly developed a counter-attack and recovered most of the ground taken. Owing to low visibility our "5.0.5." waswnot-eeen' in time, and we lost a few prisoners and some killed and wounded. Our. men,, surrounded by greatly superior numbers, retired, fighting gallantly, through the village and so back to comparative safety through our own lines, but -during the fighting from first to last they inflicted much heavier casualties on^the enemy. ,-

Thougb-the Germans recaptured the village thedr success was short-lived, for-subsequently under cover of another barrage the New Zealanders renewed' the-attack on a slighfiy wider front with entirely successful results. This time the enemy were Teady in La Baaae Ville, and. severe fighting, some of it hand-to-hand, ensued. The Germans, however, suffered casualties even more severe *han in the first fighting. ' , .

Dawn found our men securely established in the village, and the position wasquickly linked up with the line to the north. By this time the enemy battalion in the front of us appeared to have had enough of fighting, and an effective barrage helped to make the position secure and stave off counterattack, though, as signals went up more than once no counter-attack, succeeded in reaching the village in strength. ' ' , • One party of forty Germans endeavoured to work along the river bank, but a>-trench mortar officer hurriedly collected some half-dozen men rear him, attacked and routed the enemy. Beport has it that fourteen Germans were killed and several wounded. Others beat a hasty retreat.