AUSTRALIA’S POST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4855, 29 April 1918, Page 6

AUSTRALIA’S POST.

IN THE BIG ATTACK. I FACING HEAD OF ADVANCE. j (From Deputy Commonwealth Official j Correspondent). AL.rch 28 j Tlie Australian troops are in a line facing the head of . the German advance. Ac this point, a thin line of worn-out British infantrymen, who have been slowly retiring before the Germans, fighting and marching without rest for five days and nights, passed through the AustraFan infantry AYe j have seen numbers of these British I troops, weary-eyed. 1 attic-scarred, and dusty, carrying five days of heard, but nowhere is there anything approaching a rout. Indeed, there is more confidence and less anxiety amongst the infantry, who are actually in touch with the Germans, than amongst the staffs and authorities farther back. ’The Australians first came in touch with the Germans in a village bordering the old Somme

battlefield, where they captured a. German patrol. Yesterday afternoon two of us walked out ti a position where the Australians were then just relieving. Groups of ou r men at intervals, looking magnificiently strong and bronzed, were wait ng by tlie road. Others were marching downhill with a grand, swing, a trifle weary niter a long march, but the whole lot were eager and excited; at the prospect of meeting the Ger- j man attack. Ahead, on the knuckle of the valley side, could he seen the j line of British tnnnellers, who. from ! the beginning of the .attack, have j been fighting like infantry, d"gating j a long lino of splendid trenches. Tho ! German shqlFng which till then had been very light, had begun to gradu- j ally increase during the afternoon as! more and mere German batteries came up. .Shells were already falling more , thickly than in ordinary warfare. A 1 village in the valley was burning, tlie , smoke forming a blue haze over the German position. In one village, where the shells had begun to fall, I found an old French lady and several | living bravely and ouictly. Hiev are being cleared to-day. On tlie ! tar bills could he seen figures of men

in small groups, moving. These were \ Germans, who appear to ho working gradually southwards, feeling for a our flank, and always trying to find j a gap into whicn thov might filter, j The methods of the Germans over tho

later stages of the advance have been I always to feel forward down the valley ! and endeavour to creep unobserved j under the dge f the hilltops which wo are holding. Yesterday splendid Jiri_ j tish cavalry caught a body of this Ger- I man infantry getting out from omni- ! buses, and charged them. Some of our : men from the hills were looking on. j Uas- night the Germans managed to ! penetrate sections of the l ne. Troops ' of a Queensland battalion at o::ce at- I tacked, and captured an officer and 40 men. and killed many others. 'flic I battle on this line is only beginning. As I write tho guns are increasing, j and the remaining villagers are being carried out in milk wagons. j Very hard fighting is certain to- i day and during the next few days, j '.Pile Australians are in splendid lorirt. | They are the same old Jim. Syd and Bill, with the same Australian jokes and chaff, the same fond thoughts of Australia in their hearts now fighting ; to their uttermost in the war’s greatest battle, to save Australian from di- ! saster and help Britain and the British race in this most critical movement.

Alarch 20.—The honour fell to Australian troops, amongst others, to block the German advance. Tuesday was the last day of trial of tho wearv British divisions, which had retreated from tlie St. Quentin l ne. steadily fighting for five days, and contesting every possible spur. On Wednesday the Germans found themselves up against fresh troops, among them Australian brigades, which were itching to return a blow for the reinvading of the Somme battlefield. The arrival of Australian end other reinforcing troops was received with gieat joy in the villages, and the hearts of our men, who were spoiling for a fight, were uplifted at hearing tile cries of “Vive les Australiens.” The Australian battalions in magnificent fighting form, arrived from the north. Some marched continuously from 9 o'clock one night till 4 o’clock next afternoon on only one meal, and went straight into action. By next morning they had beaten off the German advance guards and dug a series of excellent defensive positions. Then they slept in their trenches while the artillery came into action in the open behind the crests and carried on the battle. Wednesday was spent improving the positions and. getting up artillery. There was an artillery battle on Thursday. Our guns easily ontfired the enemy’s. There were minor infantry patrol encounters on Wednesday and Thursday. The enemy soon found tliat fie was unable to advance north of the Somme past the gullies. This ground was the old training theatre of the Australian battalions resting during the Somme campaign. and it was familiar both to staffs and men. The Australian brigades took the keenest delight in repeating manoeuvres against the Germans, to whom they owe a heavy blow.

On Wednesday morning the enemy heavily attacked the Australian battalions on a 900 yard front with twelve waves. They were mowed down by machine-guns and rifle fire, and lost at least 600 killed. Our casualties were trifling. On Thursday at dawn two companies of the enemy were wiped out while attempting to penetrate our positions. During the same day Victorian and Queensland battalions pushed out uvr line, driving back advance guards of the enemy 2000 yards at one place. This morning there was a further encounter, and a large body of Germans were defeated in wood skirmishes, 30 being kil'ed and some taken prisoners by a Victorian battalion, without loss. The enemy’s traffic roads back to Bapnume have been severely bombarded by Australian guns. There is every indication that the German lias shot his first bolt north o the Somme and he is preparing uneasily to receive the counter-blow, the next phase of this tremendous battle.