STORIES OF HAMEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16904, 17 July 1918, Page 7

STORIES OF HAMEL.

■ ■♦ WELL-PLANNED FIGHT. AUSTRALIANS' SHARE. Waiting on July 7 of the Australian capture of Hamd Mr. Keith Murdoch says :— The wire in front of the Somme was poor and the trench systems shallow and incomplete. There were many indications that the Germans, did not intend to remain, either meaning to make an attack, on Amiens before ft British blow was possible, or that they intended to attack elsewhere, distracting the allied attention whilst they improved the Somme. positions. Prisoners told many and different stories of impending attacks, showing that the men had been filled np with tales intended to deceive üb. Prisoners struck me by the poorness of their physique-. They were utterly unfit to. withstand the Australians. They are less confident of winning the war than those captured in May, but this does not indicate the disaffection or demoralisation of the Germans. They say that all the Germans it. Rouraania under 35 were brought to France as reinforcements. Visiting the West Australians at Vaira Wood, I found that they had considerable difficulty with nests of machine-guns against trees. Two Kalgoorlie men saved numbers through stalking. The post was skilfully placed where the tanks could not approach them. One of the worst bits of trouble experienced was where a single machine-gunner . behind a tree fired until his guff jammed, and then blew his own brains out, rather than fall into our hands. Such a spirit was rare amongst the Germans on Thursday, but admittedly the tanks proved awful opponents, ' spitting fire, bullets, and shells, and crashing many posts with their sheer weight, as they moved backwards and forwards over them, like hideous steam-rollers. . During most of the. battle > two. Australians eat on the tanks, guiding them between the Australian wounded, lest a single Australian should be sacrificed. Valuable Young Officer Lest • The co-operation of the Americans is the leading topic amongst the men. Such friendships, formed on the deadly battlefield, where every man is tested, must indisputably have great political importance. I found a New Strath Wales battalion on the left of Vaire Wood in excellent: They took 300 prisoners in batches of 40 and 50, but they were saddened 1:y the loss of a young officer who had been .-invaluable throughout the advance by keeping his men in cover whilst tanks crushed occasional serious opposition.. The. men carried out the boys body in order that' ho might bo buried in the battalion graveyard. ' . - ' c The Victorians further south 'had an easy task, reaching limited objectives and taking 250 prisoners, 'though the Germans" here leapt out into No Man's Land when the barrage opened, selling their lives dearly after terrible hand-to-hand fighting. On the whole there was very little bomb or bayonet work throughout the day, the battle approximating to open country fighting, in which the Australians delight, as compared with the restrictec* bombing battles for trenches. The whole operation was most resourcefully planned. Saving Lives of Runners. The ground was cleared of the wounded in two hours, and the dead were buried bofore the next daybreak. The newest methods of sending messages were employed, resulting in the instantaneous transmission of intelligence without th« usral cost in runners' lives. The men of course suffered the agonies of battle, as in nil offensives. They endured muoh for their country, but the spirit of victory, which was never higher on this front,' is an antidote against pessimism. As I write the guns are thundering in intense barrage fire. It means another "5.0.5." upon some section of the new front which is heavily pressed, hut all is | .veil, and every counter-thrust only means i more slaughter of Germans. We have cannon enough, and ample numbers of eager riflemen and machinegunners in the trenches. All divisions are in thorough fighting fix. the last three months' magnificent success having made the standard higher, perhaps, than oven that of the first divisions. Australia may depend upon the sano conservation of life, wise leadership, and the traditional fighting of it? force, but the proper supply of men must bo kept up from home. Reuter'3 correspondent at British Headquarters telegraphed yesterday :— As tho result of the Australians' advance on Sunday night the line now runs from the Villers Bretonneux Plateau to cast of the town, along the top of the spur between Bois de Hamel and Bois d'Ace Roche, thence Straight across the river just west of Sailly Lauretta, up along the spur on the north side, past the cross roads, and south of Morlancourt. The only retaliation that the enemy had so far attempted for the Australian sue-" cess at Villers Bretonneux has taken thd form of heavy mine-thrower fire.' * r^'