FOUR DAYS' BATTLE AT SOISSONS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2258, 18 September 1914, Page 5

FOUR DAYS' BATTLE AT SOISSONS

DESPERATE ARTILLERY DUEL GERMAN GUNNERS OUTMANOEUVRED ■.•„„,. •„.'■■.„, , Pafls," September 16. Dunng the fighting at Soissons on Sunday the Germans occupied the heights along the narrow valley of the Aisne. The British tried to cross the river near_ Venizel, just below Soissonß. The French Were in the city and on the heights south o£ Soissons. The Zouaves had crossed the river at Vic-sur-Aisne, trying to outflank the German right wing. The.Germans shelled the artillery positions and road with the big siege howitzers, hut the radius of destruction was only twenty yards. Some of the French were killed by concussion of the brain, but few were seriously wounded. The German shrapnel often exploded at a height of three hundred or four hundred feet, while the French shrapnel exploded low down and did much damage. .' , By the afternoon the Germans' fire at Soissons slackened and the French and British crossed the Aisne. The Germans were forced to retire to Laon and La Fere. THE FIGHT ON THE SWOLLEN RIVER. (Rec. September 18, 0.25 a.m.) London, September 17, morning. The battle around Soissons lasted four days. The Allies found the river swollen by rains, and it was necessary to build a bridge of pontoons under a withering fire. The French and British on Sunday morning brought up guns, and a violent artillery duel was opened. Then the pontoons were brought into position and launched.. The Allies began to cross and won the heights at sunset, the Germans having gained twelve hours' respite. There was similar desperate fighting at'half-a-dozen other spots; where the French and British threw pontoons across the River Aisne to replace the bridges which the French destroyed during the .retreat a fortnight earlier. The British gained the northern bank at several places on Sunday, but the German Runs got the range and forced the British to withdraw on Monday. During .'"Monday.evening the-Allies brought up heavier cannon and changed tho aspect of the battle. They forced several German batteries to Tetire, The rest of the German siege guns were hidden in woods capping the hills overlooking tho river. Hitherto it had been impossible locate them. When tho British succeeded in getting a battery across the river the Germans in the wood were unablo to hit it, honce they wore forced to seek a new position, The Germans'heavy fire forced tho British to retire, leaving six guns ber hind, but the German guns had meanwhile been located, and under the protection of a hoavy bombardment from the northern hills, two British batteries orossod tho bridge and soon the six guns were recovered, and two German batteries captured. Meanwhile, to the west, tho French got three batteries, and a regiment of infantry over the river, and captured 1500 Germans. On Tuesday the Germans.made a stand, however, which enabled the armies around Reims and Argonne to retreat safely.'in scattered fragments.

GENERAL VON KLUOK'S NARROW ESCAPE, (Rec. September 18, 1.50 a.m.) iif London, September 17. Tho hottest fighting was around Soissonsf whiol lies across the Paria-Laon road, in a cup formed by two ranges of hills, of which the northern is tho more continuous. General von Kluck saw in the hills north of Soissons a gap into which Several valleys led, and which must be hold if tho bulk of his army was to escape. Fortunately for tho Germans, the big siogo guns destined tor the Paris forts had just reached the spot, hence the inferiority of the Allies heavy artillery until Tuesday, when the Germans abandoned the position. [The above reference to General von Kluck would appear to dispose of tho Central Ne*s Agency's story of the capture of that officer with the eritiro German right wing.]