AUSTRALIANS ATTACKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16798, 14 March 1918, Page 6

AUSTRALIANS ATTACKED

SERIES OF ENEMY RAIDS.

(Commonwealth Official—Copyright.)

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS, Mar. 3. Uxder a heavy bombardment- from both sides, several stirring minor engagements occurred last night on the Australian front. Tho enemy was doubtless stung by the repeated successes of our men in their raids and patrol encountersprisoners recently captured informed us that attacks by them would probably be made very soon. Last night, about half past eight, a fighting patrol of Queenslanders met nn enemy party of 50 in No Man's Land, near tho Lys. Tho advanced section of the Australians was temporarily ambushed in a barrage of trench mortar bombs. The men escaped by swimming across the icy water of a large ditch. They passed through tho enemy barrage, two of the men being slightly wounded, and rejoined the remainder, who, though outnumbered, beat off the enemy. At half-past nine a heavy enemy bombardment was opened east of Wytschaeto and Messines. No infantry action followed in the latter locality, where our answering artillery fire must have checked any contemplated attack. Further north, near Hollebeke, South Australian outposts were heavily attacked by 200 Germans. The night was pitch dark. The patrols south of the canal came in firing signals, and reported that- large parties of the enemy were advancing. The Germans were preceded by pioneers, who fired explosive charges into our wire, and attacked two advance posts on two sides at once. The garrisons made a most gallant fight and though greatly outnumbered prevented the enemy entering the posts. Meanwhile, with the weight of numbers, the enemy penetrated an opening in the wire between the posts to a dug-out immediately in the rear, where a hand-to-hand fight ensued. The wind, the darkness, and the bombardment made. the location of the fight difficult, but a platoon officer led a courageous counter-attack with a Lewis gun, practically annihilating the German party. The German officer who was leading attempted to thwart our efforts by calling out, "Don't shoot, come and help us. The Australians took no notice, and tho German leader was shot. Over 20 enemy dead wero left about our wire. Pour, prisoners wero taken, including another officer, who was wounded, and lias sincedied. Our total casualties did not exceed the known enemy dead. As the bombardment diminished another enemy party attacked an Australian post, further south. In the darkness German scouts had cut the wire with hand-cutters, and the enemy swarmed about tho post calling out. "Put your hands up." The Australians answered with rifle firo and bombs, and drove off the onemy, capturing one prisoner and one light machinegun. The prisoners state that these attacks were rehearsed at the rear of their lines for a week.

_, • LONDON. Mar. 4. Reuters correspondent at British headquarters, writes: _ The Australians have not lost much time in responding to the German raid. They went over to the enemy lines opposite Warneton last night, and the results of their . ferocious visit were :~Ono officer and 10 men taken prisoner; a machine-gun captured; 50 Germans killed; five dugouts bombed out and practically destroyed. The Australian casualties were light. The night was very dark and tho ground was soft and slippery after the snow.

Apparently the Germans were not taken by surprise. They knew the Australians well enough to anticipate a, prompt retaliation. Considering tho amount of preparation even a raid of this character necessitates, it was smartly carried out.