WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11615, 14 August 1918, Page 7

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

vAPTAIN KILLED.

SUCCESS WITH FEW LOSSES.

N. Z. War Correspondent, Aug. S, The Hew Zealanders, after a spell in the hack area, recently returned to the line slightly north cf their former sector, and for some days Uuw have been acquitting themselves well in minor enterprises, which have resulted iu the capture of about a .thousand yards on a front of 300 yards. Included in .the captured area is the famous Rossignol Wood, where the French fought in the early days of the war, and where subseoueutly the British had some hard fighting. Ihe beginning of the matter was the Rifle Brigade, which captured some enemy trenches in frost of Hebnterne. An officer and four men went out in daylight, crawled through the wire, and .lumped into a trench, where they’ killed three Germans and captured one prisoner, without casualties. Shortly 7 afterwards Captain Salmond, a young and promising officer, was killed by p. bomb at Rossignol Wood. Following this preliminary investigation of the enemy 7, the _Ride Brigade gained some ground in the old British front line by'this exploitation. Then two companies attacked after 10 minutes’ bombardment on a 1000yds front, while at the same time the men iu front of another battalion did a bombing attack down some old German trenches iu the Gommecourt sector. The enemy offered resistance in places, but the objectives set onr men were easily taken. When the barrage lifted the patrols went forward and succeeded in capturing the whole of the old British line in front of Hebnterue. GOING BEYOND OBJECTIVES. Not content with gaining their objectives the bombing parries went forward and captured a trench 300yds beyond the objective. In this operation we took 37 prisoners, eight light machine-guns, three heavy 7 machine-guns, and two bomb throwers, one of which we destroyed with a bomb to prevent the possibility of its recapture. Seventy Germans were killed. Our men have buried 54, and several others can still he seen lying out in No Man’s Land.

Next morning, about 3.30, the enemy counter-attacked, and drove in two of our posts. During this attack they captured a New Zealander, who though badly wounded, afterwards escaped and crawled back to our lines. The former situation was promptly restored by a Now Zealand counter-attack. On the following day, the brigadier, while going round the front posts, was wounded in the arm and thigh by a German sniper. Ho was able to walk into Hebuterne, and afterwards was cuoveyed on strecther to the dressing station. His injuries are net serious, and his return is expected in a few weeks. While some of these events had been taking place some of the Canterbury’s had established posts on the western edge of Rossignol Wood, but were held up by machine-guns fired flora strongly wired pill-boxes. They escaped lightly with four men wounded. Our troops started to consolidate the positions gained, and immediately afterwards it was ascertained that the enemy was blowing up his pillboxes, evidently with the intention of retiring from a spot that was becoming too warm for him. Our patrols went out, and getting in touch with the enemy, found lie w«s retiring from Rossignol Wood. Otago troops were pushed forward to keep in touch with the enemy. AUCKLAND. BOMBING PARTY. Aucklanders co-operated on the right and pushed their way down the enemy’s trenches. Afar a certain amount of bombing our men succeeded in clearing the enemy out of three successive lines of trenches, and establishing a line of posts right in front of the wood. In this adventure we killed 25 Germans cauturlng three prisoners, three machine-guns and one bombthrower, The following day some fighting took place iu these captured trenches, and that night the Wellingtons again puslml out their patrol 500yds without meeting further opposition. Yesterday Auckland aud Wellington troops cooperated. pushing patrols forwaid, aud succeeded in forcing the enemy out of the old front and support lines in front of Hebuterne. We took more prisoners, who were sheltering iu a shell hole, and seemed not sorry to come in. A machine-gun was captured and two large mortars blown up. Afterwards the enemy shelled the wood heavily, hut only wasted his ammunition, for we had no casualties. In the shelling of the trench gained we naturally had some casualties, but these”were quite out of proportion to the casualties inflicted on the Germans. The morale of the troops opposed to us was poor, and ou nne occasion our men stood up in the open and had some good shooting at the retreating Germans as they fled before our barrage. It is officially stated that Captain Salmond’s body was found in Rossignoi Wood by Sergeant Travis, shortly before the latter was himself killed,