WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13889, 15 October 1918, Page 4

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

FORCING THE SELLE RIVER. A BRILLIANT EXPLOIT. GERMANS ORDERED TO HOLD TO THE DEATH. ONLY LAST FOR TWO DAYS. Received October 15, 10.40 a.m. LONDON, October 14. Mr Philip Gibbs, describing the brilliant feat of the New Zealanders in crossing the river Selle, says:—"ln order to cover the retreat and prevent Sir Douglas Haig coming on too fast along the crowded roads, the German Command ordered the rearguard to hold out to the death on the river Selle. Our men for two days had been trying to force passages, and after stubborn, heroic efforts as astonishing as the storming of the Scheldt canal, achieved their purpose. We have now crossed the river, which is a strong defensive position, because its banks are cut very sharply down to" the stream, which is 20 feet wide and winds round several villages, each having ma-chine-gun fortresses. The Germans held the line in strength, and we had to attack down a glacis swept by their fire.

The feat was done by Yorkshire. Lancashire, Scotch and New Zealand units, assisted by cavalry. There were three tree trunks by the river, and some Of our men pot across by creeping out on the loss umonir the floating brushwood. Others waded up to their necks in the water, hut all had to come back owing to the German machine-guns. Finally the sappers made bridges under very heavy fire, and during the night we cut our way into the German trenches. The New 7a alanders fought their way to Briastre, on the river bank, though the enemy was able to see their every movement from the high ground. The New Zealanders had already been fighting fur days. Since their marvellous capture of Welsh ridge and Lavacquerie on October 2nd and 3rd, they captured Lesdain and Ksnes on the 6th, where the New /.'aland Rifle and Canterbury battalions, fired their Lewis guns from their hip's, capturing many prisoners -mil repulsing muntcrnttaeks. which the pnemy made V v;th tanks captured from the British. It was a battle of tanks, (me British lankcharged a German-British tank, and outflanked it and poured in a broadside, which blew it to hits. The New Zealandcrs went on to the villages of Beauvois. Fontaine and Viesly. capturing Briastre. on the Selle, on*the 11th <>n the 12th they forced the river and forced their way up to the heights of Bellevue, where I hey are fighting now.