THROUGH BAPAUME.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14859, 5 September 1918, Page 2

THROUGH BAPAUME.

NEW ZEALANDERS' ADVANCE.

• i REMARKABLE ORGANISATION.

A BLINDFOLD MANOEUVRE. |

(Special from th.3 New Zealand Official | , "War Correspondent.) ■■ ; -

(By Cable.) - .. •-.. .August 29. The capture of LoupartWood and the Miemy positions in the vicinity by the "few Zealanders was a most dashing bit >f work. It was accomplished by iNorth island troops. The Wellington troops ittacked the -wood;,, and the Auckland lien marched.on GrWillers, other Welington troops being in close support, ;eady to iili up any gaps that might jccuil. The troops wore on the move by 2 a.m., in pitch darkness, proceeding towards an assembly -point tliat none of fciiem had ever seen. ' From there theyhad to go forwaid to an objective that had not been reconnoitred. The troops made no error in getting to the assembly point, and at 4.15 a.m., still iv the pitch dark, they had taken three parts jf Grevillers and were an Loupart Wood. By tiie afternoon they were on their final objective. For some time there was trouble from the neighbouring village of Biefvillers. One company oc a "Wellington battalion, with a few Aucklanders, Was therefore diverted to attack and capture Biefvillers, and another New Zealand ujiit also co-operated splendidly in the capture of this village, which enabled our troops to continue their advance through the rest of Grevillers. In> this brilliant enterprise the New ZeaJanders captured a large number of prisoners, a battery of 5.9 howitzers, two other guns, and many ma-chine-guns. A remarkable feature of the operation vvas the celerity with • which it was planned and carried out. :There v.as not time to put a single order ;on pager, and the positions were storm's ed in the darkness without the firing of a single round from the artillery. .-Both leadership and initiative must have been splendid to enable the troops to get there. ■ THE TAKING OF BAP AUME. August 29, 1.1 a.m..: The New Zenlanders have taken Bapa-ame. .Early this morning patrols entered the outskirts, and North Island trosp-s snow right through the town and are pushing on. Apparently there was little resistainoe,, : the enemy having been so severely . I handled in the previous lighting that he ■ eventually had to get out. The lUfles share Vvith the North Is- : land troops th.j honour of getting [ through this morning. The" Rifles went i through on the north, and the others on the south, and the two units met at the brick works on the eastern side of the town. Both brigades are now marching forward in great heart on Fremicoiirt and Baiicourt. The day is line, with sun and a drying AY-ind. 8 p.m.: Pressing beyond Bapaume, our troops went on till they found the enemy holding a trench line on the high ground north-west of Beugny. They are close to1 the villages of Beaugnatre, v ?romicourt, and Bancourt, and ttiey are more than a mile beyond Bapaumo on its eastern side. To-day on the battlefield one saw something of the war oi movement. A gallop across. country unfolded exhilarating scenes. Transport was already pouring up into new territory we had occupied, and the various headquarters had moved up to advanced positions. These are days of scant accommodation, and yon will* find major-generals sleeping at night iv their motor-cars or in tents, with their valises on the barf, ground; offices are established in dugouts in which there^ is scarcely room to turn; but everyone is-"working cheerfully and tirelessly to maintain the initiative we no-w possess. Hiding today well north of Bapaume, we saw our .howitzers-, being rushed along a roatl. towed b\ motor lorries. Some enemy aeroplanes' came flying low over iis, and immediately there nvas a fusillade of ivuichinogun and rifle bullets. German shells were; now bursting in Bapaume and along, the old parts, but our men are beyond the town. Near a .headquarters was a group of Saxou prisoners", captured in the advance by the Rifle Brigade. A company oftieer said they had been cut off by our machine-gun fire. His corporal and others had been killed, and they ' ha-'l to surrender to the New Zealand-

I 't I! ■ , Atigust 30. 1 At tin early hour this morning' wo .vere awakened by the;continuous thun- !• der of artillery. It was the signal ror a renewal of the attack by the iSew Zen-. landers. With their almost irresistible j dash- and undaunted c-ourage, they i'ol- j lowed the heavy barrage, heading! straight Lor two more villages—■Fremicourt and Bancourt—well beyond Bapaume. There had been ram in" the night, and at 5 a.m. when they advanced, It was cold and raw. It was not loikj; before F'renncourt, though it was well, garrisoned, had fallen to the ilifies v/itii an, excellent bay oi: .2-10

ers. He himself was a Dresden man. and had learnt English from an* English friend witli whom he used to play cennis. Lie thought the German intention v/as to retire to the Hindonburg line. Among the booty captured by us this morrting wore two 15-centimetre guns (six-men) and five horses.

FIUfcLUIOOURT. AND BANCOURT

U'lsOlicrS.

On the loft, English troops operated in the attack; to the..south was tho smaller village oi Bancoyirb, and the capture of this was allotted to the N rorth Island troops. On the light were others English troops protecting their Hank. Tins attack also succeeded, ami both attacking forces at otico began to push to objectives ■farther ahead. The enemy had,. howe;"(/r^ established himself on high ground beyond the village, and was prepared to contest the position strongly. He still has his artillery in strength-beyond the crest of the ridge, as so i'ar he has lost few £uns in tiio fighting here.