GIGANTIC TUSSLE FOR BAPAUME

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4962, 31 August 1918, Page 5

GIGANTIC TUSSLE FOR BAPAUME

TOWN STUDDED WITH ENEMY MACHINE-GUNS. “ENZEDS” FACE KAIL OF BULLETS. interesting events described. (Special from the Official War Correspondent). , AUGUST 26, 6 p.m. Ih° weather has cleared and the battle is proceeding under satisfactory conditions for u.s. Th e New Zealand operations last night were completely successful. English troops advancing on our left took the northerly part of 3)avreuil, the South Islanders going through the southern part, ihe latter also took Monument Wood mid then ,pushed on 'the BapaunmBeiignad Road. Progress towards Bapaume was difficult owing to the heavy machine-gun fire. The Bavarian troops opposite us fought tenaciously. Ille North Island ' Brigade on the right were holding the line and oid not have serious lighting. This morning the Rifles, who had come up pushed out patrols to within touch of the enemy. Our troops also cleared up Bapaume railway siding. For the main operation there was a heavy bombardment from our artillery. Since the battle began we have captured between four and five thousand prisoners in territory from which the enemy has been driven. Much ammunition and material has been left behind, but no army guns. We have, however, captured some guns. One of our batteries turned some five-jxMnt-nine guns round and for a considerable part of tli c day have been firing the enemy’s own ammunition oil his position and retreating troops. Yesterday the enemy shelled heavily Grevillers and other positions we had taken.

He also fired gas shells, but owing to our dispositions all this shelling had but- little effect. To-day all his stores on the Bapaume-Albeit-Peronne line are burning. Numerous fires can be seen behind his lines. Dead men and horses lie along thg roads at Miramont and Irles and his dugouts to which lie set fire at Miramont are still smouldering. Identifications show that his units are jumbled up and that there is much disorganisation. Late in the afternoon we watched the flight of eighteen planes going o <r er to add to thi s in the region of Bapaume. A Naval division has been in action against us. A battalion medical ,officer whom we captured has been taken into one of our medical messes and is doing good work attending to wounded German prisoners. The Bavarian division that fought so well is one that- was relieved at Ypres in July. As I write our guns are booming for a further advance bv the Rifies. AUGUST 27.

Fierce fighting continues in the vicinity of Bapaume which is proving one of the toughest nuts to crack on all this front. In a commanding position and admirably suited for defence with its dugouts and cellars it enables the*enemy to make a stubborn defence. Both the ruined town and its suburbs are crammed 'with mach-ine-guns that spit- furiously at our advancing troops. From the first there has been no attempt to take the town by a frontal attack. _ The enemy is employing some of his best troops in its defence and bis advanced positions are strongly defended bv infantrv and machine-guns. At G o’clock last evening one battalion of the Rifle Brigade continued to attack from a position south of Favreuil towards the BapaumeCambrai Road. Our men advanced gallantly behind an artillery barrage but before they had gone far they came up against a perfect hail of machine-gun bullets. No troops could stand up against furious fire and they had to fall oack to their former position. Nevertheless the Battalion took heavy toll of the enemy during his counter-attacks which were delivered by the 16th Bavarian Regiment, who are sturdy fighters. The enemy knows onlv too well the value of the position he holds in and about Bapaume. and apparently he means,to hold it to the last extremity. ' To-day there has been strong mach-ine-gun resistance from beyond Bapaume, but the New Zealandeis have not for the present continued their attack. At 11 a.m. however, we watched from Grevillers an attack towards Ligny, near Bapaume by other troops. Our guns well forward were* pouring a terrific fire and one continuous line of smoke arose from the bursting shells. While this attack was proceeding the enemy was angrily replying with his guns and limbers dashed past us under shellfire at- a hand gallop along the road to Grevillers. This afternoon there was a destructive bombardment by heavies on the trenches and positions held by the enemy in front of tlic New Zealanders. Water in all this country is scarce but a good supply has been found and the New Zealand Field Engineers are doing magnificent work erecting troughs tin cl pumping plant and making roads to relieve the congestion. Tliis work they voluntaiv undertook, not only for our own troops but for others as well. Thousand?' of animals are watered daily and motor tanks carry supplies forward mid to the rear. Out ammunition and supply columns continue at their best while our medical services have attended to and eleai ec our own and other wounded with remarkable celerity. . Our tunnellers are working in a manner that would make then friends, the West Coast miners, very proud: of them. Men from the entrenching group are also doing good work with pick and shovel behind the lines in the forward areas where but a few days ago were enemy guns. Camps have sprung up m the most marvellous manner and there is traific in a few hours along the roads that •have just been hurriedly mended, after the shellfire from both our own and enemy guns. Every day thousands of tons of ammunition are fired from the guns from our corpfront. We have captured a secret Order issued’ to the army regarding a serious food, shortage m Germauj • Troops ar c urged to make every effort to have food and horses, when killed, are to be promptly bled and disembowelled and the carcases taken to a named depot.