WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13892, 18 October 1918, Page 5

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

ENEMY RETREAT SLOWING DOWN. AN ATTACK FRUSTRATED. WARFARE NOW QUITE OPEN. HAND OF THE HUN VISIBLE. IN LOOTING AND DESTRUCTION. (Special from llio Ollioial War Correspondent.) October 12. In tho area in which the New Zealandors are lighting- the German retreat has slowed down. Beyond the Selle river tho Wellington troops, who are still in the line, improved their positions slightly this morning and captured a few prisoners. Yesterday they held in addition to their front a Hank of 15000 yards, and on Ihis 500 (if the enemy wore soon in two linos as if ready to attack. Our men got their Vickers guns on to thorn, and a thin forward section fired steadily at them, nothing came of tho supposed attack. To-uay this llank was reduced by half and tho position made more secure, but the enemy is holding the ridge ahead, and was shelling tho positions we had won from the direction of Solesmes. Last night lie shelled one of our regimental aid posts out of a farm north of Yiesly. This morning wo passed them digging in under a bank of road loading to tho front. The warfare is now quite open. You can walk for miles and see no sign of any trenches or barbed-wire, a unique experience in this war. (iroat craters have been blown in the road and railways, and these our engineers were lilling in. For many miles tho enemy had destroyed his telegraph lines, sawing down the posts and breaking the wires. The civilians liberated from bondage in tho forward villages are siill unrestrained in their joy. Strange to say they knew some days ago that the New Zealanders wore coming, as they had heard German soldiers talking of their advance. Everywhere the Hun lias looted freely, arid has left behind a Inil of destruction. The inhabitants had continued to cultivate some tlelds and flowers, and vegetables are growing in their gardens, our men are enjoying an abundance of vegetables, which for weeks have been very scarce -with us. There are Holds of sugar-beet and turnips, and tho winter wheat is push- ! ing its loaves above the soil. Our men. who are tired but siill cheerful, are I due for a spel, after their long advance.