THRILLING FIGHT IN A FOREST

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1918, Page 8

THRILLING FIGHT IN A FOREST

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDEB&AI LE QUESNCf"

A 'MY OUT WITH OTAGO AND CANTERBURY,

(Spe<feJ'Dfep,y.!'A from the Official War Cksfi'aapondent.)

Were ii not for the piciaresqve setting in -which the Rife Brigade scoured tho asrreador of the Lc Quesnoy garrison—a combination of modern and olden train tactics —the fighting thai wont on boyond the beleagured town between tho enemy and the Otago and Cantorbury Battalions would stand out in bold relief. It has been settled in the British Press that tho New Zealanders were compelled to draw back from the first attempt to storm the towa by ■frontal attack., This was not the case. No euch attempt -was contemplated or made. The plan wp.a to secure the capitulation of the garrison, by means of surrounding movements and fcold it thus while other troops wont on to their objectives far ahead. The plan worked out exactly as it had been arranged and the enemy in and about the Forest of Mormal never dreaming that war troops would push on while endb a strong position remained nnconquercd, was tak'jn by surprise and severely punished. It was to the Otago and Canterbury Battalions that the lot fell to make t&s furthest and ;no3t difficult puah forward. Che barrage came down at 5.50 a.ra.. mid remained till G, to enable the Canterburys, who were on the left and had further to go, to come up The ban-age jumped twice, and then stopped, and the battalions wc-nt on without it, following the patrols with Lewis guns in front. One of the Otagoa first difficulties was eomo dense scrub twelve to fifteen feet bigli, where they M/pectcd a clearing. Just beyond a creek where sk roads mei was a forester's house, and the German positions there were fcry strongly held bv machine-gunners and snipers. On or.e of the roads a solitary German was sauntering as if to surrender. Ho appeared to be wounded This wrs merely a rase to get 01— mec to e-pos« themselves. Twelve who went forward to take prisoners were net with a feiiiade of madhine-gun bullets, but only two were killed and fovj wounded. Our men arc confident that some of tho Germans were in F.'ancfc civilian clothes, and that ono was wearing a. woman's ckiri, Unfortunately none of these were caught, for they would ha.?e deserved l;l>.e short shrift they undoubtedly would hc.ve «ot. After stiff fighting our men worked round the forester's house which thev found occupied by aa old couple who were absolutely dazed with the fighting. By this time it was 11.30 a.m., and an hour was spent in organising to advance along the roada through the foresi m the direction of the Sambro. Tho wood was thick, so companies were pushed up with screens io front, and gained their objective on tfce traversb road ahead. There was still five thousand yard", of forest through which our men had to fight their vwy <?nd u'wrr right flank teas exposed. As thera wsa a dangoi from coKnter-attaoh one company was pushed right out of the wood on the right flank past La, Haste P. >:e, -?.r.d on to Petit Bava-y, when other coiapaaies went straight through the wood.

THE FIGHT EJ THE FOPuESf

It was desperate fighting all the way, but picturesquely thrilling. The company commanders were widely enthujiaotic with the magnificent elcn with which their men wept forward, fig'iting from tree to tree and driving the Boche before them. A3 noon as our men got into the wood the Germans opened up on thwn with machine-guns, and everyone Bays it was t, truly inspiring sigSj.t from tho military point of view to see how quickly the New Zealandcrs, who were "worming" their way ia extended and advanced, fighting from tree to tree. With rifle and Lewis gun they killed Mid Wounded tho Bodies aa they v/eve driven forward before ifcclf 0)::;laught. As their battalion commander phraced it, it was the most rapid advance in open lighting he had ever experienced. A walk through the wood sliovrs thai iiho enemy had heavy casualties, ier of his dead still lie there, Our awn, on the other hand, made such good ess of cover that their casualties were far lighter than might have been ejected. They drove such of the enemy iia uere not killed or badly woimded through, the forest, and emerging tipos the other aide upon a road and 4'. lin« of cottages, met with further resistance. The fighting for a time severe, and the New Zealanders were handicapped by tf'ie presence of civilians coming up from their cellars to .see what -Tap afoot. The German? took full advantage of .'.he presence of the'. l : in habitants, tiaprafc' that our me?, would not firp. Some New New Zealanders, however, worked round the cottages, and tho Bodhcs were caught in their own trap. They hoisted the white flag, and mule?-it forty-five surrendered. By this time ouy men were wildly enthusiastic. They got into t)be cottages and dashed across the road, and three hundred yards ahead formed a dank line, wbicli they lield. Tihey were quite equal to going on and reacting the Sambre, bat here they had to stay. There has been no more splendid advance in all Ulie record of these gallant Otagos. The day wos avi awful one fur fighting—wet and wintry In the thick undergrowth of the -,vood 'fie rata quick ly became drenched to thn skin, and voinamed so all day. Darkness footirt tliea on the edge of {£a- forest fa mcv-t depressing surroundings, but they \vcrs cheerful fa the realisation of the gk'ca.t day's work. They had broken the enemy on his last 'Line this Me of the Sambre,

WELCOMED BY THE VILLAGES.

In the hamlet of Bavay the Diggers got a warm reception from the French, and were kissed and embraced, and treated to hot coiTce. Into one happy coterie marched in a German soldier with ihis rifle slung on his shoulder. He had come out of the wood, and was surprised to find the village already in our hands. He was promptly pounced upon and disarmed, to the huge delight of tho cottagers. It was half an hour after midnight before the Otagos were relieved, and they had a long tramp of nearly ten miles back to their billets. Wet and mud-splashed, tired almost to the limit of human endurance, but still with unbroken spirit, they marched back to repose well earned. They had been gassed and sShclled too, but the shelling they evaded by waiting, and their box respirators were sufficient protection asainst the gas. Their commander had a narrow escape from a shell, whida burst so close as to smash the doorway behind which he was standing. He had his third horse in this war killed by that shell. He himself had nd consciousness Of the shell-bust until fee found some of

his Stteii rnsbjEg to pick aim op AH who aei-e in the house at once went into y>e cellar, and had not jecn there ten second-.; wihen anotie? 4.2 )acded ryht iu tin. doorv/ay, smashing it into pieaefl. AU that day the second Osagoa were foliovimg up ;h isLTpjjort, and eomxjuectiy had less fighting. Of the work of -.he Canterbury men A jpust vfiite in later message.