Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-01-01
Anzacs Make Remarkable Rec
ord During the War in
France.
ARE MUCH LIKE THE YANkS
Had No Elaborate Trench Systems,
Just Watched Huns Dig and Then
Went and Took Them-NeVer
Lost Yard of Ground.

three German prisoners.
That was the statement made re-
Gently by Maj. Gen. Charles Rosenthai,
commander of the Second Australian
division. He was brigadier general
in command of the Australian forces
which relieved General Carey's monde
script forces before Amiens and stop
ped the German drive. General Rosen-
thai related some facts, hitherto I'M
published, how the Australians out
witted and outfought the Germans be-
fore Amiens, steadily drove the enemy
back, winning jumping-off ground for
the British offensive effort which
opened August s.
st had been in hospital three days,
having been gassed. when | was or
dered to take charge of the Australian
brigade sent down from the north to
the Amiens sector" General Rosen-
thai said. General Carey's forces
were about worn out. The Germans
were preparing a new blow against
them. They could not have held. When
they were up against fresh Australian
forces they ceased the attack. They
never gained yard of ground in sub
seQuent attacks.
Took German Trenches.
at was open fighting. There were
no elaborate trench systems, although
the men dug in | had my men dig
only one trench-a front line trench.
We did not build rearward defenses.
My men knew they had the one line
and would hold it, not weakening
their staying powers by realization
there was some trench in the rear to
20 back to. We watched the Germans
building their trenches, and when they
got the first line completed we went
out and took it from them. That was
better than digging them ourselves.
"As consequence, the Germans
never knew where their front line
was. The artillery forces of the en-
envy would not shell it, for they did
not know whether we held it or their
own men held it. 1t was the safest
place on the battlefield.
sometimes we'd take the Germans
front trench in daytime, sometimes at
night. We harassed the enemy con-
tihuously. 1t was midsummer and the
crops were waist high. Our men would
go through them on their bellies. For
instance, one morning at ten o'clock
d of az mon wtceled M to within
a few yards of the German front
trench where machine gunners were
lolling about, thinking of most any
thing besides an attack at that hour
We took 48 prisoners, killed 80 Ger
mans and the rest fed. From July a,
the day we relieved General Careys
force, which was made up of % diff
ferent units, until August 8, when the
British drive was launched, we adj
vanced our front before Amiens to
depth of $500 yards. Just two Aus
tralian brigades did this. We broke up
two German divisions in that time. We
had simply stolen his troops Natural
ly the Boche morale steadily went
down as ours went up. And when
the British drive was launched the
way had been prepared by our troops.
Never Gave Ground.
AS an example of the way warfare
has changed, two Australian regiments,
with 1000 bayonets each, were given
the difficult task of taking Mont st.
Quentin, an action which under previ-
GUS standards would have required at
least two divisions. Our men attacked,
took this heavily fortified post, adj
vanced $500 yards, capturing 165 guns
and 1900 prisoners. And our total
casualties were go"
The Australians take deep interest
in their warfare, not only because they
are well paid (privates receive $50
a day and subalterns s5), well clothed
and fed, but also because every officer
and every noncom and private knows
what an action is Intended to accom-
piish, not only by companies, regi-
ments and brigades in his own diyi-
sion, but also what divisions on either
hank are to do, General Rosenthal ex-
planned.
Practically not yard of ground has
been lost to the Germans by the Aus
tralians since they landed In France
in 1916. The Australians have not lost
single gun to the enemy. and bur
3,15O Australian soldiers have been
captured by the Germans. Nearly 50
times that many Germans have been
taken by the Australians, who now
number 168,923 as fighting establish
ment in France. Casualties, including
thousands who have been wounded two
or three times and returned to the
front number 211,349. Australia is
paying every penny of war expenditure
incurred by its troops.
General Rosenthal said Australians
were more like Americans in habit Of
thought, fighting and general attitude
toward life than any other unit in
France.
The latest year in which the human