GERMANS ON THE BUN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15885, 5 April 1915, Page 7

GERMANS ON THE BUN.

COLDSTREAMS IN ATTACK.

WHERE LORD NORTHLAND FELL.

[from OCR OWN correspondent.] '

London', February 19. The fighting on February 1 in the neighbourhood of Cuinchy, in which the Coldstreama largely figured, and where Lord Northland was killed, is thus described iii Sir John French's despatch published two days ago : —Oil February 1 a fine piece of work was carried out by the 4th Brigade in the neighbourhood of Cuincliv. Some of the 2nd Coldstream Guards were driven from their trenches at 2.30 a.m., but made a stand some 20yds east of them in a position which they held till morning. A counter-attack, launched at 3.15 a.m. by one company of the Irish Guards and balf-a-company of the 2nd Coldstream Guards, proved unsuccessful, owing to heavy rifle fire from the east and south. At 10.5 a.m., acting under orders of the Ist Division, a heavy bombardment was opened on the lost ground for 10 minutes, and this was followed immediately by an assault by about 50. men of the 2nd Coldstream Guards, with bayonets, led by Captain A. Leigh Bennett, followed by 50 men of the Irish Guards, led by Second-Lieu-tenant F. F. Graham, also with bayonets. These were followed by a party of Royal Engineers, with sand-bags and wire. All the ground which had been lost was brilliantly retaken, the 2nd Coldstream Guards also taking another German trench i and capturing two machine-guns. Thirtytwo prisoners fell into our hands. The general officer commanding the Ist Division describes the preparation by the artillery as splendid, the high explosive shells dropping in the exact spot with absolute precision. "Some further details of the recent fighting in the La Bassee area arc now available," says "Eye-witness" in his last account from The front. "It will be remembered that on February 1, after ' recapturing a trench which the Germans '•H taken from us a few hours before, we gained by successive attacks two posts on the canal bank. As a matter of fact one of these had been taken from us a short time before, and was not a German joost, as stated in the letter of February I 2.

" In the first rush oil the nearest, work one of those unforeseen., but dramatic, incidents occurred which often imperil even the best-laid schemes. As the storming partv was on the point of dashing forward, just at the moment when delay might have been fatal, for it might just have given the enemy, who were much shaken by our artillery fire, time to recover, a man dropped a box of handgrenades, some of which detonated. For one instant there was bewilderment and some hesitation, no one quite knowing what had happened. Fortunately the officer who was leading the storming party rushed ahead and his men followed him, and carried the enemy's position at the point of the bayonet with very slight loss. After this the Germans were kept on the run. Our supports came up, and, passing through the first line holding the recovered trench, rushed the next post, Then the party which had made the original assault advanced through these again and captured the second post. "During hit. tight one of our men showed the most conspicuous gallantry. Charging ahead with his comrades he took mi his position on a mount and shot several of the fleeing Germans at pointblank range as they ran past him. He then ran on up to a barricade, where two of the enemy were manning a machine-gnu, and kent them in play until the rest I of our men came up and captured it.''