Evening journal., 1918-08-20
BY G.. Y. w. BEAN.
oflcial War Correspondent for the
fr,,ion rovodnr,,an4

Official War Correspondent for the Aus
tralian Govednment.
WAR CORRESPONDENTS HEAD
QUARTERS IN FRANCE. July 20. lBy
Mail.)-Many OF the details Of the flght-
ing by which Hamel was captured by
Australians and Americans on July 4,
rejecting great credit upon the assault
ing troops, have not been related pub
iicly.
When our barrage came down and
the infantry advanced In the grey
morning light towards Hamel, the wind
continually carried a drifting mist from
the smoke OF the barrage across the
front. This made the dawn far dark
er than IL should otherwise have been.
The bursts Of our own shells were
most diflcult 10 see through the mists
ahead. Australians, many OF whom
have followed a barrage like this many
times before, could often only tell
where the barrage was by seeing our
own shrapnel shells bursting overhead.
American infantry who had not seen
or heard shells before pluckily faced
the extraordinary difficulty Of knowing
where they were by keeping the eye
on Australians.
"We Just looked out 10 see that we
kept in line with them." said one Of
their officers. $50 long as we kept go
ing while they were going, we knew
we were all right" At the beginning
Of the tight one American platoon, for
example, was pushing straight on into
our barragc. The Australian company
commander saw this and pulled it back.
The next time when the barrage start
ed he noticed that this platoon did not
move on to follow IT,
We'll, how about getting on with the
flght?" ne asked
"IIas the barrage moved YETI" they
asked
why IL has gone on a good half min
ute" he said The Americans were up
at once, hurrying after IL. Men from
the two forces worked shoulder 10
shoulder wherever the lighting was
thick.
An Australian Lewis gunner was fac
ing a German machine gun team with
his gun at his hip, when an American
sergeant dashed out and bayoneted
three.
An Australian with two Americans
who spoke German were detailed 10
search for dugouts. Working by them
selves. Immediately after the attacking
troops had passed, they found a dugout
which they realized was important. The
Americans called down the entrance
and a battalion commander and 3 other
officers and % men surrenOered.
Many Americans are still wearing
the colors Of Australian battalions TO
which they We're attached: many others
who should not have been in this fight
hid themselves successfully when or
ders came 70 90 out Indeed some
Americans lost their lives flghting be-
side Australians in Hamel VINO by
rights should have been many miles
away. Never was flrmer friendship
sealed than on this battlefield
One American platoon went in under
an Australian officer. When he was hit,
It went on under the guidance Of his
runner who had had experience on
other battlefelds. Three times in one
corner Of this fight one heard OF prl-
Yates playing the part Of officers.
One company commander in the dense
smoke drifting through Hamel Wood
lost touch with his main body. Later
he found 10 again. It had gone on eK-
actly as planned.
Kt the same part OF the flght an Aus
tralian private found himself isolated
except for a few scattered men belong
ing 10 other companies. He Immediate
" organized a party Of 10, cleared dug
outs in the village and captured one