Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-07
New Zealanders Scale Ram
parts and Storm Bastions
to Take Town
GARRISON SURRENDERS
Landrecies. Too. Taken and
Germans Retreat Before Con.
quering British Armies
BY PHILIP GIBBS
.inL Cable 10 Erening Public Ledger


copyrtgtt. 1918, by NoD Yori; Times Co.
With the British Armies in France, Nov.
) (delayed).
II was an astounding victory yester-
day south Of Valenciennes, about lie
Quesnoy and Landrecies. and after his
heavy defeat the enemy is retreatng in
disorder from some sectors OF his front
The Fourth British Corps, commanded
by General Harper. was in the center OF
this attack. with the Thirty-seventh and
New Zealand divisions on this side OF
Ghissignies and 10 Quesnoy.
The last-namcd place is a medieval
town, defended by high ramparts and
inner and outer bastions strengthened
BY vauban, the famous engineer of mill
tary works under louis XIV, and it was
garrisoned by more than 1000 Germans,
with orders to defend ii at all costs.
They were brave men and determined to
obey this command.
The New Zealanders, however were
equally determined to take LIE Quesnoy,
and they set out to assault IL frontally
as soon as the attack had been launched
with powerful bombardment. Those
New Zealand boys, among whom have
been this morning, have been fighting
with hardly a break since they went
away from Hebuterne, near Albert, three
months ago. but their spirit remains
high, and yesterday they achieved one Of
their most heroic feats. !
They stormed tho outer ramparts OF
lie Ouesnoy in old-fashioned style, with
scaling ladders. and made breaches
through the walls, as in the old days OF
Henry's men at arms, but with more
peril, because of machine-gun fire which
swept them from tho inner Gefensea
~ &c -
but could get no further, and the Ger
tnan garrison remained strong inside
their keep.
New Iealanders Surround Town
New tactics were adopted by the New
Zealand general, who ordered one body
Of his men to go round lie Quesnoy on
the month and another to work round IL
on the south, leaving plcltets all around
the town. This was done, and the town
was completely surrounded by the New
Zealandera, who Joinod hands Oh the
east side.
Some Of their battalions then fought
forward against determined resistance
from the Germans In tho villages OF
Uerbignies and JoliuetG, where they
broke their way into the enemy's ar
tiilery po.Ic,ons and captured many
guns Astonishing things happened
there. hut. meanwhile, the German gar
rsor Of lie Quesnoy was called upon 20
surrender. Mcssa ges were first dropped
inside t'iG: town from British airplanes
flying low above the place.
''Vou ere completely surrounded
was the first message dropped in this
way. ENEMY troops are far to the east
OF you. VI YOU will surrender you will.
be treated us honorable prisoners OF
war;.
The German garrison Of lie ouesnoy
-. 49,
render WAS given. Later in the morning
two deputations Eere sent to them, each
one consisting OF a New Zealand OF.
fcer and two German officer prisoners
Going through n breach In the outer
ramparts. they shouted out the summons
70 surrender, with the promise Of hon.
orabie treatment 4 few men accepted
this offer and came cut to give them
selves up. but most of the thousand re-
mained within their bastions and Still
gave no sign Of capitulating.
Forced Surrender of Town
So il was all day until evening, when
after astonishing spccesses further for.
ward. the New Zealanders determined e
close in en- the position of l.e QuesnoJ
and forco it's surrender at the point o.
the bayonet. From the outer rampart'
they stormed the inner walls, whict
we've very high and perpendicular, 81
that rneY were not easy 10 neg
forced their way in despite all machine
gun Ere. and after fighting in the street.
Of the town they received the capitula
tion OF the remaining members Of tn,
garrison. amounting still TO nearly {
thousand men.
While this drama was in progress
other New Zealarders were fighting IL
the village Of Jolimetz and other vii
laees and farm houses on the edge o
the forest Of Normal, where most of tn
trees had been felled in tho outskirts
and they broke straight through th
German gun positions, as ! have alread.
said. The gunners were harnessed "
when the new Zealanders surrounde,
them. and II was as strange a sight "a
have seen--these German artillerymel
driving their batteries toward our lin
as prisoners of war. under the escort o
our disrnounted men. One division cap
tured fifty-seven guns and anothe
twenty, and all told the English an
New. Zealanders of our Fourth Corp
I \ took nearly a hundred guns yesterda
Aafternoon.
Y The English battalions of the Thirty
seventh Division fought with the great
est gallantry, and had a hard time o
u their left, where they were held up b
fierce machine-gun fire at the chapel an
the railway embankment near CHS
signies For long time they could nc
break down this resistance Five tank
set out to help them. but only tw