THE CORRESPONDENTS' DESPATCHES.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14893, 16 October 1918, Page 5

THE CORRESPONDENTS' DESPATCHES.

FORCING OF THE SELLES

BRILLIANT WORK BY NEW

ZEALANDERS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) "

London, Oct. 14. ■ Mr Philip Gibbs gives a vivid account of the forcing of the river Selle, in which the New Zealanders,, by a- brilliant exploit, captured the river front, at Cohere.

In order to cover the retreat an<s prevent Sir Douglas Haig coming on too fast along the crowded roads the German command ordered the rearguard to hold out to the death, ou the river Selle.

Our men for two days, had beea trying to force passages, ;md after stubborn and heroic efforts,' as astonishing as the storming .of the Scheldt Canal, they achieved their purpose. We hare nowcrossed the river. It is a strong'defensive position because the banks cut very sharply down to a stream 20 feet wide which winds around several villages, each having a machine gun fortress.

The Germans held the line in stren gtli. We had to attack at dawn with Yorkshiremen, Lancashires, Scottish, and New Zealand units, assisted by cavalry. There were three tree trunks by theriver. Some, of our men got across by creeping out on the logs among floating brushwood. Others walked up to their necks in water. But all had $0 come back owing to the German machine guns.

Finally the sappers made bridges under the heaviest fire, and during the - night we cut a way into the German trenches.

The Now Zealanders fought their way to Biastre, on the river bank, though the enemy were able to sco every movement from high ground. The New Zealanders had already been fighting for days since the marvellous capture of Welsh Ridge and La Vacquerie on Octobor 2nd and 3rd, and the capture of Lesdins and Esnes on. the 6th, where the New Zealand Rifles and the Canterbury Battalion fired their Lewis guns from their hips, capturing many prisoners and repulsing counterattacks. .

.The New Zealanders went on to the villages of Beauvois, Fontaine, Viesly, capturirigi#astre, on the S'elle, on tn© 11th. On the 12th they'" forced the river and forced their way up to the heights of Bellevue, where they aro fighting now.