ANZACS FIGHT UNDER APPALLING DIFFICULTIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 7

ANZACS FIGHT UNDER APPALLING DIFFICULTIES.

VALIANT ADVANCE BY NEW ZEALANDERS OVER MARSH FEATS IMPOSSIBLE TO TROOPS LESS HEROIC. United Service. LONDON. Oct. 15. The Australian war correspondent, Mr. Keith Murdoch, writing on Saturday last, says: In drenching rain the Australian and New Zealand troops clung throughout a night and day to their poor lines of .shell holes. The Australians had retired at dusk from most of the foremost posts captured in yesterday's offensive. They had been mercilessly subjected to the fire of snipers and machine-guns from spurs parallel to theirs, while batteries of field guns brought within 400 yds of their now positions rained shrapnel, and the positions became untenable. The men were gradually withdrawn. Tbey brought in what wounded could be collected, but were now sadly depleted in numbers. Mr. Murdoch refers to the terrible, sodden, muddy condition of the battlefield, and as an example Instances a number of cases of fatigued men who fell into shell holes, and being unable to rise were smothered. A party of Germans advancing across a bog came under fire, and were left standing upright in the mud. "My observations," he continues, "included marshy land under the Bellevue Spur over which the New Zealanders valiantly advanced. To less heroic troops the feat would have been impossible. During the height of the battle a brigadier, replying to his colonel's plea for reinforcements which were not available, sent the historic messago, ' Remember the story of Gallipoli.' " Another correspondent, describing the Australians' advance towards 'the village of Passchendaele, says: " Men on the loft then came under strong machine-gun fire from the left flank. This is explained by the fact that the New Zealanders had been held up by uncut wire, and a nest of machine-guns in a strong redoubt called Bellevue, thereby enabling the Germans to pour a direct and enfilading fire in. 'he Australians. We pushed ahead, though many fell. Meanwhile the New Zealanders, with the utmost gallantry, despite great sacrifice, retired to break a way through the Bellevue Spur defences, which on Tuesday hal similarly held up the British troops. The New Zealanders gained a useful 300 yds, but their most gallant efforts, though full of noble sacrifices, did not succeed. It is not unusual to meet uncut wire in such attacks, but it was specially difficult to-day, because the weather made rapid advance behind the barrage most difficult, giving the Germans time to get out machineguns after the barrage had passed." '