THE ANZACS AT POZIERES

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 29

THE ANZACS AT POZIERES

FRENCH APPRECIATION. (From IT. Warner Allen, Special Correspondent of the British Press with the French Armies.) The French have not been slow to recognise the magnificent services rendered to the Allied cause by the troops from the British colonies, and to-day (August 12) many of the Paris and provincial journals published an article based on authoritative intormation which will include much interesting detail concerning the brilliant work done by the Anzac Corps in the Somme offensive.

Tho Anzacs, it is stated, after having fought in the Dardanelles, in a manner that will always remain famous, wished to mark their appearance on the western front, by equally striking performances. They have realised their desire. The taking of Pozicres has confirmed their reputation for bravery, and shown the warlike spirit which animates these young troops who have come from over the seas to fight against German Imperialism.

When the Anzacs came on tho scene at the front tho British lines ran along the eouth-west outskirts of Pozicres. The Germans had powerfully organised the defences of the vdlago, which was protected first by a belt of deep trenches and masses of barbed wire. In tho village itself many of the houses had been transformed into miniature fortresses, and each of these was provided with deep underground shelters which could be defended to tho utmost. Just behind tho village ran a second line of defences which had been carefully organised, and was supported on a hillock surmounted by a windmill which the genius of the German military engineers had transformed into a powerful redoubt. To reach the first line of German trenches the Anzacs had to cross a t-pace of between two and four hundred yards, which was absolutely without cover ot any kind.

After a series of preparatory bombardments the assault began on July 23 at daybreak. The attack was carried out with splendid precision behind the barrage fire of the British artillery, and the ardour of the Anzucs was such that they readied tlie first German line in the midst of the splinters oi their own shells. The first great success, which was won at quite a small cost, left them quite cool and collected, and they at, once set to work to develop it methodically. Their progress through the fortified houses in the -village was slow but sure. Patrols and grenade throwers advanced with caution, examining every cellar grating and crawling like Indians among the wrecked walls to catch the enemy by surprise. By the afternoon a large number of prisoners had been taken, and the Anzaes were solidly established along the Bapaume road, which runs through the village. Four German guns had also fallen into their hands.

During the following day they continued their progress. "It was a regular rat-hunt," said an oflicer. "All those deep underground shelters, many of which had passages leading into others, had to be thoroughly searched to get cut the Germans. Many of them, alter making a pretence at surrender, turned round and tired on our men."

On the 25th, after a whole section of houses in the north-west part of the village had been cleared in this way, the cemetery was attacked, and hern hand-to-hand fighting was exceptionally stubborn. The Anzacs had the upper hand, however, and shortly afterwards connection was made with the other British troops, who had come forward on the left, and tlie whole village was in British hands.

ine Germans refused to accept their defeat tamely, and on the following morning- made two counter-attacks, the first with the remains of the troops who had previously garrisoned the village, and the second with fresh troops who had been brought urj from the north-east of Pozieres. Both were repulsed with machine guns and the bayonet. At 4 o'clock the same afternoon the Germans made a third attempt, but thjs met with equally disastrous results. Two days later, on July 28, the Germans made two further counter-attacks which failed in the same manner. The Anzacs held Pozieres so strongly that the enemy could not exen set foot in it. Since then the Germans have not attempted any infantry action against the village, although they have constantly bombarded it. To-day all that remains of Pozieres is a heap of rubbish. The Bapaume road h scarcely recosrnisablo. and has been transformed, so far as that portion of it which passes through the village is concerned, into an uninterrupted line of shell holes." Continual explosions hu.rl into the airscraps of bricks, chalky earth, and ashes, and over the ruined village hangs constantly a huge column of smoke and red and grcv dust.

During the five or six days which followed the capture of Pozieres, the German artillery was incessantlv active, but the morale of the Anzacs held firm. Despite the German barrage lire the bringing up of supplies and the taking away of such wounded as could bo moved have been carried out with perfect regularity. The Australian and New Zealand despatch bearers have rivalled in courage their French comrades at, Verdun and in the Somme. One instance among many is that of one who had been half paralysed by a shell splinter in the back, who dragged himself to some higher ground and there remained for hours in order to find some casual substitute to carry his message. Eventually he saw an officer passing and handed to him the precious despatch. One thing which has especially struck the French observers is the splendid spirit of solidarity which exists among the Anzacs. 'T have 'visited their trenches," writes one of them, "and I have been able to see how officers and men fraternise on the battlefield, and chat together in mutual confidence. They 'are superb types of men. Amonsr them are workmen, prospectors, pioneers settlers in the now lands in the Pacific, and their minds are as hcalthv as their muscles are well developed. And it .is beoanv of this that they have resolved to conouer the Germans, who iopvesent in their eves the enemies of civilisation and of the whole of humanity."