BATTLE OF POZIERES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17249, 17 August 1916, Page 5

BATTLE OF POZIERES.

WORK OF THE AUSTRALIANS

The following messages from Captain Bean, Official Correspondent with the Commonwealth forces, appear in Australian'newspapers August 1.

Pozieres has been quieter latclj, hut I ha.ve not the slightest doubt that tho statement that tho lighting there had been as intense as at Yaux is literal y correct. I have been through Fncourt, Contalmaison, Mamctz, anc La Boiselle. No village is left in any case, but none of them can compare with the desolation at Pozieres. Australians will be interested to hear of our experience of German treatment of the wounded. This appears to depend entirely on tho feelings of the Gormans holding each particular trench. In some places they fired on our stret-cher-bearers.. At other points by w aving their hands, they guided them to places where the wounded were lying out. At one point they took then ratiwu and water from the wounded men, stating that they themselves needed these things more; and they added! that our wounded were lucky that they did not receive a bomb for rations. At another place they gavo water to our wounded., and bound up a wounded man. . A German, colonel tvlio was t&ken stated that ho had never seen liner soldiers than those who took Pozieres. August 5. Last night, immediately after dark, the Australians broko tho main German second line, on a front ot one and a half miles north-cast of Pozieres- The German troops were cut off m craters and trenches, and killed or capturc-d. Before daylight tho Germans counterattacked, and broke into a short section of the captured line, but at oncowero turned out. The second counterattack was made about daybreak, tho enemy attempting to bomb his way in North-east of Pozieres, also to bomb down the captured trenches from tlio northern end. Both attacks failed. A number of tho counter- attacking tioops surrendered. . ... At the present moment the fighting is still fierce. Tho enemy are bombarding Pozieres, but the Australians this morning still held' the whole of the captured position. It was noticeable that many Germans who are now being taken prisoners do not think either side will win the war, and expect a fairly early peace. August 6.

Aa dawn broko aftor the capture by the Australians of tho German second lino behind Pozieres, tho inevitable shellfire began to descend upon the whole of the Pozieres district. Ibis increased during the morning. Bui mg the whole day Pozieres Ridge became once more the main spectacle in this part of tho battlefield. Bursts ot smoke flung up by shell-bursts rolled away through the sky as if from a burning town. All day long blackened stumps, which mark the place, were half hidden from view by this slowly drifting mist of pink, brown, and black, file bombardment rolled on into tho nigh . Through all this our troops held on in a manner which surpasses all praise Necessary operations were carried out as on the occasion of the fiist attack, despite the enemy’s fire. , When history comes to be written, this battle of Pozieres Ridge will certainly rank with the battle of Pozieres village, and with the landing and battle of August, 1915, as four of the hardest battles ever fought by Australian troops—indeed, amongst the haioesb ever fought by any army.