BATTLE FOR FLEMISH HILLS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14591, 29 April 1918, Page 3

BATTLE FOR FLEMISH HILLS.

ENEMY'S DJESPE^ATB FOG FAVORS" THE GERMANS.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) . .l. LONDO^;. April 27. Mr; Percival Phillips writes: — The battle for the Flemish hills was continued on Friday with nnabated fury. Though the' gallant French infantry defended Kemmel to the death, four German divisions and mounted troops en,veloped this isolated, mount of powdered earth and splintered timber and gained ;the crest- at a heavy sacrifice.- The enemy is now ' striving desperately towards the "next hill. in the chain. On the ground behind our newly-en-trenched divisions field guns are beating like a heavy hammer, and upon the plain of Flanders long-range guns are Searching, remote villages and country roads. ' ■ A

Although the French bore the brunt of the, attack, .British troops were lieavily engaged on,eitlfer side, especially on the flowes sloppg of the ridge around Wyischaet^and m the broken woodland towards the Ypres Canal. The Germans made a, double attack on 'theihi^l afteiuari. all-night bombardment •with' gas ' shells. * . The French infantry received orders to remain on the hill until they died rather than retreat. i ■

The Germans fought a way through a tangle of broken tree trunks, wire and battered trenches, losing heavily m our machine-gun barrage, but finally came to a hand-to-hand fight. Fog drifting across the marshes helped tlie first German attack. . The Camerons put up a fine, fight for a fortified sunken roao: called : DammT strasse, which was held 1 by the Black Watch.

• There was a hand-to-hand fight for Kemmel village. ■ " ; ,:. The Australians and English have now cleared all pockets of Germans out of Villers t Bretonneux. The Germans are emerging ■. f ronv the • v ndergr ound shelters , many suffering from gas-poisoning, as the German helmet is not fully proof.