HOW THE BATTLE OF MARNE WAS WON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2256, 16 September 1914, Page 5

HOW THE BATTLE OF MARNE WAS WON.

A THRILLING STORY. TERRIFIC ATTACK BY THE ALLIES. London, September 14. file Press Bureau account of the campaign, based on. several French dispatches, continues the narrative from September 3, which date marked the end of the British Army's long retirement. "It became evident that on September 4 a change of direction was begun by the First German Army, whicn participated in a colossal strategic en deavour to create a Sedan for the Allies by outflanking and enveloping the left and the whole line, and driving both French and British southwards. Time for the CounW-Stroke. It was observed that the Germans opposite the British were moving southeast, evidently executing a flank march diagonally across the British front, ignoring the British, and attacking the left flank of the French Main Army. Uiis_ attempt to envelop the French left continued on September 5, the French ratiring, after much lighting, towards tho Seine. Largo German forces crossed the. Marne on September 6, and advanced through Coulommiers, past the British right. The French Left Army attacked these on tho same night, carrying three villages with bayonet chorges. Tho Allies advanced generally on the left.'' On September 7 the British, who had been reinforced, attacked the German rearguard at Ourcq. The Germans retired north-east,'which was their first retreat since the battle of.Mons. Reports show that the order to retreat when so near Paris came as a bitter disappointment to tho Germans. A Terrific Conflict. A Press correspondent at the rear of the allied armies describes the fighting as a terrific conflict along a line hundreds of miles in extent. The British cavalry IuTRI-tho Germans mile" after mile into/ a trap; then the fateful hour camo. When the Allies turned the pursuers, after long days of retreating, had to be held in restraint, it being thought safer than .to fling themselves on to: tho Germans at close quarters. They'rushed forward amid a storm of shells like a furnace and screaming bullets. Dead and wounded were lying all around. A squad of British charged and captured a machine gun. without orders. _ Tho correspondent.entered a mansion where tho German Staff had been disturbed- while at a luxurious dinner. Candles wore still burning. He says the river near the fighting is swollen with dead. Hand-to-hand Fighting. On September 8. the German movement north-eastwards continued, because the British continued .to .drivo •backjthe rearguard, and the ! sth French Army, operating with the British right, captured ,three' villages after hand-to-hand lighting, inflicting heavy loss? Tho lighting on the Ourcq continued the same clay. It was most sanguinary owingrto the Germans massing a great force of artillery on this line. The French sth Army also retook Montmiriai. The ' battle' on the Ourcq between the Oth, French Army and tho German flank guard continued on Uhe north the same day. >The British crossed Petit-Morin in the face of opposition and. pursued the Germans across ( tho Marne, the Germans retreating hastily northwards. ' Elan of the British. General French relates that on tho 10th the second British Army Corps' was marching parallel to an infantry force which was believed to be British. Later' the British discovered that they were Germans, and surrounded them on a sunken road, capturing four hundred. • On tho same day the Germans surrounded i. -.mail Frenoh party under a non-commissioned officer, who, though wounded, resisted until only himself and ono man remained, i Tho Germans summoned them to lay down their amis, but an, officer countermanded the order, signalled them to retain their arms, and shook hands with them. The arrival of reinforcements and the continued advanc3 delighted the British, who were full of zeal and anxious to press forward. ' ■.'•■.. A feature of tho campaign was the success of the Royal Flijing Corps. General Joifre sent a message to General French, tha/king the aviators for their services,., declaring that tho precision and regularity of the information they sent in was evidence of their perfect- organisation and training. Correspondents assort that General Pan's Army, which was brought up from Alsace on August _31, was the determining factor in stemming the advance. General Pau quickly concentrated his eastern troops • and others from Versailles, The Terrible Turoos. During the. light at Marne on Wednesday, a hundred Turcos (native Algerian troops), after one of the most' terrible single combats of the war, with swords and bayonets, took two hundred German prisoners. ■ Torrential rain fell on Friday, which must have seriously affected tho retreat. The German losses of cavalry were appalling. Many horses wore taken from the batteries for cavalry purposes and tho guns abandoned, which have fallen into the hands 6f the British. Many horseless cavalry men are now marching on foot with the infantry. . Prisoners Ragged and Starving. Starving • German soldiers are being brought to Meaux in troops. Ono British soldier brought in five in a woeful state of rags and dirt, with their feet protruding from their boots. The retreating invaders vented their rage on the better class of houses. They smashed mirrors, and cleared cellars. Half-emptied champagne and absinthe bottles strewed about testified to the suddenness of the retreat. A wounded Gorman prisoner at' : Neuilly had in his haversack 50 stolen purses and a pearl necklace. Cerman Losses Five to One. It is stated that the German losses during tho great battle at the Marne were as five to one of that of tho Allies. —"Times" and Sydney "Sun" services. . FIELD CUNNER'S STORY. THE FIGHT ON THE ; RIVER. (Rec. September 15, 9.25 p.m.) London, September 14, evening. ,A field artillery gunner, relates that a. terrible struggle took place on, September 6, when tho Germans 'tried to cross the river. British guns and picked rillo shots commanded the river. Tho Germans swartried. the riverside, and tho first party had built a pontoon bridge, with the object of rushing across when a shell smashed the bridge, and the pontoons, with its dead and wounded freight, were carried down-stream. Tho same thing happened all day, until the British were, sick of the sights and shrieks, of tho wounded. Tho Germans managed to cross at one point, when the Allies rushed with raro joy and bayonotted them into the river. A whole. battalion was captured here. They simply could not face tho bayon- •.*♦■«.. and threw up their arms.

DESPERATE FICHTS FOR THE FLAGS. VALOUR OF THE FRENCH. (Rec. September 15, 11.25 p.m.) London, September 14. The "Evening News" says that during the Battle of the Marne there were terrible engagements and scenes at some small farmhouses, which • were several times captured and recaptured. The French were endeavouring to capture a German Eagle, but-failed. Finally the French flag was hoisted, the Germans retreating., There were terrific encounters for standards throughout the battlefield. The French defended their flags with, amazing valour and devotion. In one ] case probably twenty infantry men were holding-tho flag successively, for «as fast ac one was cut down a fresh comrado was always ready to replace the fallen one until succour arrived. DEADLY WORK OF ARTILLERY. FIELDS HEAPED WITH THE DEAD. (Rec. September 16, 0.45 a.m.) London, September 15, morning. . There was very hot fighting at Vared- . das, three miles north-east of Meaux, last Thursday. Semi-permanent entrenchments were erected by tho Germans with a view of making a definite stand, but tho three-inch and five-inch guns were badly placed, and the French were able to blow the batteries to pieces from the opposing ridge, leaving the German infantry in front of the batteries an easy prey. Few of the infantry escaped. The fields on both sides of the villages were heaped with German, dead. Piles of nn- , exploded shells in wicker baskets were [ abandoned. Near the batteries the trees which the Germans, hoped would serve as shelter were torn to pieces by tho French artillery. "HURRAH FOR ENGLAND!" BRITISH HONOURS IN THE BATTLE (Rec. September 15, 10 p.m.) Bordeaux, September 14.; M. Haiiotaux, a former loroign Minisiter, in an article in the "Figaro," declares that the honours of the day I rested with the British. The article concluded: "The whole British Empire is coming to the rescue. Hurrah for England!" , . A MODERN- MARLBOROUGH. Copenhagen, September 14, The British are given credit here for tho German retreat. Field-Marshal Sir John French is compared to tho Duke of Marlborough.