MORLANCOURT RAID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16881, 20 June 1918, Page 6

MORLANCOURT RAID.

ENEMY EFFORT DEFEATED.

AUSTRALIAN GALLANTRY.

(Commonwealth Official Copyright.)

LONDON. June 7. i Early yesterday morning the Germans attempted a large raid on the Australian lines on the top of Morlancourt RidgeAbout 2.45 a.m. they crept up some small gullies leading up the hillside from the village, and lay outside our wire in thick crops. The Australian garrison noticed the movement, but thought the enemy were their own patrols. Suddenly a terrific German mine-thrower barrage was opened on the front line post contemporaneously with a heavy artillery bombardment of the rear lines. The Australians in the locality shelled moved their flanks in order to avoid casualties and some of the enemy second wave entering between the posts reached the front line, but found it empty. The Australians' flank opened such a galling fire that they were unable to advance farther forward on the flank, and the enemy suffered heavy losses in their retirement. The enemy a;< not enter any of our posts, as the garrisons defeated all attempts at occupation.

They tried to drag off a wounded Australian officer from the edge of one post, but the garrison, seeing this, attacked and killed the whole party. The Germans did not effect any purpose, and took no prisoners. On the contrary, they left 21 of their men prisoners in our bands, also three machine-guns, and about 30 or 40 dead. A prisoner said the enterprise was very unpopular among the attacking force, which consisted of 23 men from each company in the regiment, being altogether about 270. This second heavy minor attack by the Germans in this vicinity was completely defeated with the most sanguinary losses among the enemy. .

The attack was made by picked troops from each company in the 27th Reserve Regiment. They more than twice outnumbered our trench garrison, which, unassisted by any reinforcements, completely repulsed the 1 enemy and practically annihilated all who broke through.

The first German wave, besides suffering heavily from its own mine-throwing fire, melted away before our machine-gun fire. The second wave crossed the front line between posts at two places. The southern party numbered about 80, 40 of whom penetrated the line. They were immediately bombed out by a hastily organised attack from the garrison of the southernmost post, which gallantly tackled considerably superior numbers, following the bombs with bayonets. Six Germans managed to escape, but the remainder were killed or captured. Germans Sun When Charged. The northern enemy attack showed more decision. The party numbered about 100, but only half managed to cross the front line in this case, also between posts. Leaving a Lewis gun to enfilade them, the officer commanding the post immediately south spread, out the remainder of his garrison to form a defensive flank. The enemy, after crossing, extended in line, turned to'attack this flank. Here again the Germans greatly outnumbered the Australians. The company commander at the rear collected odd details from his headquarters, and batmen, signallers, and others came up on the leftof the enemy party. The two little forces of Australians on either side then charged together. The Germans turned and ran. They were shot down and bayoneted as they went, dropping two machine-guns. A third machine-gun was captured in a trench by an Australian who was in the new reinforcements, and had never been in the line before. Describing the incident, he said that he came round the corner of the trench suddenly, and met a German with a gun ready to fire. He had never killed a man before, and he did not know what he did. "My bayonet went into him before I knew it had happened," he said. ' Australian Losses Insignificant. A company runner with a message from th% outposts' commander, ignorant of the German attack, dropped into a trench, and was intensely surprised to find six Germans there. He promptly killed one, another fled, and the other four surrendered. ■

The Australian losses were insignificantly small. The German dead about our lines numbered at least 80 Subsequently in broad daylight Australian stretcher-bearers went out into No Man's Land and brought in many German wounded. The enemy watching on did not fire, but they did not come out themselves to rescue their own people. The absolute superiority of the Australian infantry over the enemy was never better proved than in this small but striking fight. One man returning said that he was as happy as if he had won lattersall s sweep.