THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14539, 17 October 1917, Page 5

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.

AUSTRALIANS' AND NEW ZEALANDERS' ORDEAL*

MERCILESSLY SNIPED AND

MACHINE-GUNNED

AN IMPOSSIBLE BATTLEFIELD,

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association}

London, Oct. 15.

Mr Murdoch, writing on the 13th inst., says that in drenching rain the Australian and New Zealand troops clung throughout the night and day to their poor lines and. shellholes. The Australians had retired at dusk from the foremost posts captured in yesterday's offensive.

They had been mercilessly sniped and machine-gunned from spurs parallel to theirs, while batteries of field guns were brought to within 400 yards of their new positions and rarned shrapnel. The positions became untenable, and iho men were gradually withdrawn. They brought in what wounded could be collected, but they were now sadly depleted in numbers.

Mr Murdoch refers to the terribly sodden, muddy condition of the battlefield. He gives as an example a num. ber of cases of fatigued men falling into shell-holes and ■■ being unable to rise. They were smothered. A party of Germans advancing across, a bog came under fire and left their dead standing upright in the mud.

"My observation," he says, "included marshy land under Bellcvue Spur, over winch the New Zealanders valiantly advanced. ; To less heroic troops the feat would have been Impossible.*' During tho height of the battle a brigadier, replying to a colonel's plea for reinforcements, which were not available, sent the historic ..message: "Remember the story of Gallipoli." ~ Another correspondent, describing the Australian advance towards the village of Passchendaele, says the men on the loft came wider strong machine-' gun fire from -the left flank. This is explained by the fact that the New Zealanders had been 'held up by uncut wire and a nest of machine guns in a strong redoubt called Belleruc, thereby enabling the Germans to pour a direct enfilading fire into the Australians.

We pushed ahead, though many fell. Meanwhile the New Zealandeis, with the. utmost gallantry, despite the great sacrifice, again tried to break their way through Bellevue, the spur defences of which on Tuesday had similarly held up the British troops.

The New Zealanders gained a useful 300 yards, bi;t the most gallant efforts, though full of noble sacrifices, did not succeed. It is not unusual to meet uncut wire in such attacks, but it was specially difficult to-< Jay, because the weather made rapid, advance behind the barrage most difficult, giving the Germans time to get out their machine guns after the barrage passed.