VILLERS BRETONNEUX.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 3

VILLERS BRETONNEUX.

AUSTRALIANS' R'KILLIANT FEAT,

A GREAT NIGHTS WORK

OVER 700 PRISONERS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Received April 27. 10 a.m.} LONDON. April 26,

Mr Philip Gibbs writes: After writing | yesterday's despatch many things happened. We lost Villers Bretonneux completely, and the enemy was m possession of the village long enough to stuff it with men and machine-guns. Till 10 o'clock on Wednesday night the Germans believed they held it firmly and permanently. Then came a brilliant counter-attack. The Australian troops, by a most skilful and daring piece of generalship, were sent forward m the darkness without preliminary artillery preparation, rdlying absolutely "on the 'weapons they carried to regain the important position., winch gives tlie <>nemy full observation of our positions on both sides of the Somme and the valley beyond Amiens. The splendid courage of the Australians, the cunning of their machine-gun-ners, and the line leadership of the officers achieved success. In " conjunction with Ji'ng.ish battalions, they spent the night clearing out the enemy, from the village, where he made a desperate resistance.

We brought back between seven and eight hundred prisoners. It was a complete reversal of fortune for the enemy, -whose bodies lie m heaps between Villers Bretonneux and "Warfnsee and all aibout the ruins and fields of the neighborhood.

lii the sector of Vailly-Somme we are no longer under fire; indeed, our guns and the enemy's alike have declared a truce, because Australian, English, and German soldiers are mixed up so closeh that shelling is impossible on either side ' The ■German machine-gunners on Wednesday morning at many places were entirely cut off by an Anglo- Australian counter-attack. "Small patties of Germans resisted behind the ruins and banks, while our men were engaged m routing them out. ' The roads behind the British lines have been much cut up Dy the murderous German artillery fire. Passing alone I the broken road were living men (\vitJi the ash-grey color of the dead bodies. They were German prisoners under escort of English and Australian soldiers. ■ Throughout the morning I saw groups, of prisoners limping along the roads, sometimes carrying stretchers with j wouuded officers and men. They had j been many hours without food, as they I were cut off .from -supplies by our artillery lire. v= ■

Tlie English county regiments holding Villei's endured the terrible ordeal -of- the 'monstrous fire, which many say, was the worst seen m the whole war.

; Finally the enemy, turned the. //western &de of the village . Four German divisions, each of twelve 'regiments -at full strength, managed to fight their way into the village 1 . The Regiment, West Yorks. and F*ast Lancashires put up a great fight, but were compelled to retire to the edge of Abbe Wood, while the enemy crammed ! Villers Brettoneux with men and machine-guns. The moon was veiled by a thick wet mist. The Australian general decided that his men should go "straight into the attack' with. -.bayonets and maohine-giuis without waiting for the artillery preparation, which plan of the attack »was to push for.ward two bodies and oncirc'o Tillers, while (the Northampfcons and other British troops m the centre fought through the village from the north. This manoeuvre was carried out owing to the magnificent courage of each Australian. The Germans fought desperately -vvihon they found themselves entrapped! They had nests of machine-guns along the railway embankment . below the village. These were fired fiercely', sweeping at ■backers. Those who worked round to tho north-east of the village also oame under bursts of inaohine-gun fire from the ruins, but/ they fought the enemy from one bit of ruin to another m th'e streets. .