NEW ZEALANDERS.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14865, 12 September 1918, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS.

PUSH FURTHEE EAST.

"LIKE BOUNDS UPON THE SCENT"

.} FOLOWING THE ENEMY'S ! . RETREAT.

(Special from the Official War

Correspondent.)

;/ September 3. "This morning I really lived." These words were spoken by one of our fighting brigadiers in his headquarters under a bank near a broken village, into, which he had jusn moved, fie was referring to tho hurried retreat of the . nnemy away beyond Haplincourt and Bnvtincourt," in the direction of the , !;u>.uv»:--, iJindi'nburg line. The longliiu'j^d >k'w Zoaianders were chasing ihej;i 3 _ ej*.gc:r to get into contact again. I'jiif Germans had had enough of this severe fighting, and had taken to their heels. | The back oC the resistance in this sector was broken yesterday afternoon, when at 1 p.m. this brigadier's men— South Islanders —advanced in conjunction with- the troops on both flanks under a magnificent barrage. 80/ th officers snd men said they had never seen a better barrage. As a result of this the Otago an<J Canterbury men went right through the" Hun positions with very slight casualties, taking over a hundred, and fifty and ,twenty-tive- machine guns/ In addition "they.estimate that they killed about a Iraridre-i: Between tvvo and three in the afternoon, /machine■•'-gun./ fire was directed;, on our new -position.: from the edge ofcthe-.w00d.-south. ofHaplinconrt. but the artillery was turned on to these onc;ny machine gunners and their firing ceased. Later, about 9.30, the enemy fired 4.2-in howitzers on to our trenches. That avm his final effort with artillery, and the Gtagos. and Canterburys added further to their toll of prisoners. All yesterday we could see the jMicniy dumps going \m in smoke, and v there were firei 'well" behind his; line. At night vhi! sky was aglow with them. At the brcik of dawn this morning our gallant men pushed on again. The Bocjie lias gene tTcnu Haplincourt, and the' New Zesilandevs streamed through th« wooded vill-'ge likp a pack of hounds hot npo.U the scent. In tho. morning some of us went across the battlefield, and where the Otagos had knight so splendidly we found the ground littered" with Gorman dead. They were lying about their hastily-dug machine-gun positions, at the entrances to their dug-outs, and in old huts left b y the .British in the last German-push, and siiK'tt occupied by Germans. Retribution, s-.vift Tnid sure, had overtaken i the enwav here. All about were'rifles, I

machino-guns,. ammunition, and equip-j ment hurriedly abandoned. On the edge cf cur sector was a. hospital hurriedly vacated two . days ago. It was 'furnished, with/ old beds and bedding loft by the British in their last retreat. Two'wounded (Germans, still on stretchers, were left behind. There was even a sorely 'wounded German on an operation table. Near by were the graves of Germans' recently Duried. Early this morning the enemy could be seen trekking away to safer ground. There was no artillery firo coming back from the German gun-s, but our own artillery was quickly on the move, following "up tho retreat. The infantry pushing on, reached Bertincourt, (Hißhed"through it, ar.d on the farther, outskirts of the Village again got into touch with the enemy . They had

nuu/cnod sevon thousand yards, a mag-i jnificout feat for troops that, had been-in battle all the previous day. before noon the brigadier and his stafr were ndwg forward to a new Headquarters.a^l. and. got,a glimpse of war such as few if any crnban visitors have obtained on the western front. They were able to push on to- tho fringes, of Bertmcourt, to see: yd age. w«ll bslnna the German lines,, and u> 'wadi the enemas shells bursun- over the positions taken-up by their stalwart countrymeii.,.; ; September 4th. Fresh Ota go and Canterbury ti oops i continued the advance to-day They got through - the little village of Ruy.mlcourt without opposition, and pushed on \ n front o? the big Hav'nncoart Wood, At intervals they met with slight ma-chine-gun opposition, but this was dealt with by our artillery and they -continued to advftJice. They were opposed by a new reserve division thai w ra^ rushed dov/n from KeJiimel. ■ During these stirring days, the headqiuti'ters are contimialJy on tho n:ove, seldom staying more than two or three days in one place. Our artillery keep close on. tiie Heels of the imantry, and liave betn doing splendid, work iir £e!> ting their ammunition up by horse trahspoit. They have even taken supplies well forward of their guns, under the enemy's machine-gun fire. To-day'there has been little fighting. September C. Last evening tho Otago troops were still pubhing forward, aryd assisted in tue cnyture of '.ne little village of Bourjonval, .where they took 25 prisoners, j'o-dav other trooifs from the same dis-

trict rushed cast "of Bourionvai, taking trenches and- capturing between -'sixty ftiid-^ovcnty prisoner&. • -