THE AUSTRALIANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17666, 19 December 1917, Page 6

THE AUSTRALIANS.

THE OAMBRAI OPERATIONS. FIGHTING AIRMEN. (By MR G. E. W. BEAN, Official Press Correspondent with the A.1.F.) LONDON, December 9. The withdrawal from Bourlon Wood towards the Hindenburg line was tactically necessary, bub it was naturally a disappointment to all those who were engaged in the brilliant successes on the morning of November 20. It was due to large masses of reserve troops who mtho enemy could spare in view of the Russian situation. These were flung in on the morning of November 30 against, a weakened section of tho British line immediately south of H l<? point where our attack was made. They succeeded in piercing the line by a sudden attack, and started streaming across the country behind _ the Britis.i line, turning northward in the rear of the troops and guns defending the recently captured salient. Amongst these was an Australian battery of heavy howitzers which had .been brought up quietly before the original attack to a position where it was nnpossible to strike a matefiwithcMt being seen by the enemy. Even the battery commander’s torch, when turned on in order to seo the spectroscope* brought on a burst of machine-gun fire. Tb<a first morning’s advances had trone so well that these guns were out of range within four hours, and two were later moved up. On the morninn- of November 30 the battery suddenly received orders to stand by, ana to destroy the guns if the enemy approached any closer. The German field guns began to shell the position from some point in the rear. The posirion where the headquarters of the artillery group was situated was already in the possession of the Germans. Fma 1 > when the German infantry was apparently within a quarter of a mile, we guns were blown up, and the artilleivmen retired by the one narrow avenue still left them. After our counterattack two guns were recovered During tho whole of the Game a» operation, from the first day to th. present the Australian fighting aeroplanes have dono magnificent) work. Early 3 in November, twenty took charge of a' V party of Australian artillerymen., and ported thorn along a ridge vards ahead of the guns to defend it with rifles. Presently machine-gun file began to play around from botn flank* in front of field gups which were passing from a position. Further along, whon several Australian ptonus wore flying low over advancing infantry and diving on Germans with machine-guns, two were shot down. The pilot or the third was also still flying low when 1 saw his friends’ machines crash and two planes break off. When he next looked there was a pilot running across German territory towards our foremost patrols. He fired a flare to show his friends in the air that he washavmg a difficult time with snipers. Then lie picked up a German rifle and shot back at them. Then he joined an infantry patrol, whom h© led forward- He next found an aeroplane of another Austin, lian pilot who had been wounded, lbs ’plane had two bombs. The machine was apparently intact, so he tried, to fly, bui he found a bullet through the tank He finished off the mornings work helping the wounded to the dropmg Son. After a week <rf perpetual low scouting, wherein one pilot was sent out to find * Prussian unard movm„ up he found and bombed it. It was marching with perfect formation along tTeback road all the aval* able machines were on T u^ news of the German attack. they bombed the Germans swarming across the open. One youngster was this day flying over Gonnelieu. He saw a 6 i* man aeroplane. He fired, and saw the observer crumple. M hen a second German machine attacked him he switched off and tackled the newcomer, and satf it dive and land. Seal *g it intact, he followed and dropped a bomb fair on the ’plane from under 100 ft. A» returned homeward he found a German aeroplane in the way- tie hail no ammunition left, and the position was critically dangerous, so he headed straight for the German, who turned and made homewards. During the first few days this flying was don© in what anyone would have said was impossible weather. But the attitude of these youngsters is that at such times auj risks must be) faced, and they face thorn cheerfully. The immediate situation is now probably no longer acute.