BATTLE STILL RAGING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2266, 28 September 1914, Page 5

BATTLE STILL RAGING

THE CASUALTY LIST.

'Willis'SU6HT ' GERMANS LOSE 40,000 AT MAUBEUGE TORPEDOED CRUISERS ADMIEALTY'S OFFICIAL STORY BOMBARDING GATTARO MR. ASQUITH IN IRELAND The 'Allies in France, continue to more than hold their own. After a 6 light check on their Left' they are again taking a vigorous offensive; while on their Eight Wing they also appear to have made progress. The fighting continues desperate, with terrible artillery duels. There'aro in- ' dications that the Germans had prepared very thoroughly, for the invar-. sion of France, their agents in times of peace erecting works |uitable for purposes of : offence, under pretence of carrying out ordinary busi- ' ness undertakings.The taking of Maubeuge is now stated to have cost the Germans 40,000 casualties. . The full story of the sinking of the British cruisers by submarines is supplied by the Admiralty, and ' • goes to show that two of the vessels .were lost through errors of judgment due to humanitarian impulses. .There'are some, interesting mes- • '' sages concerning attempts to induce Italy and Rumania, to break their ■ . neutrality; the Russians and Servians have - further successes to ... record; '.the Allies'; Fleet in^the 'Adriatio has been busy bombarding Oattaro;'Mr. Lloyd George has made the popular intimation that • Belgium will not be charged interest on her ten-million loan supplied by Britain; and Mr. Asquith has made another great recruiting speech —this time to the Nationalists in Ireland. It is stated that at the • meeting the National Anthem was song/the first time at such a gathering in Ireland for a generation. 'In- Africa the Germans continue active and the Union'troops are. making a move , against them. BATTLE STILL RAGING IN FRANCE - GERMAN ADVANCES REPULSED REIMS CATHEDRAL AGAIN BOMBARDED - By Telegraph.—Press Association—Copjrlirlit ; . .' Paris, September 25. ' - ■ Official.—On our left wing the'battle is developing. In the centre there • is a lull. On our right wing the German attacks seem to have been checked. i ■ ■ : . •' Berne,' September 25. Snow and floods oh'ecked the operations in Upper Alsace. " Paris, September 25. The Germans incessantly attaok the British near Soissonß. Their'infantry ; charges are mowed down continuously. Twenty-two cavalry charges on Sunday night had similar results. '. HEAVY REINFORCEMENTS FOR. THE GERMANS. CReo. September 27, 5.20 p.m.) , Amsterdam. September 26. There are reports that great massea of German troops are going to France via Ais-la-Chappelle. . ; : Amsterdam, September 25. Two hundred thousand German reinforcements for France traversed Belgium during Hie last few days. ' ATTACKS ON VERDUN-REPULSED. Bordeaux, September 25. Advices from Basle state that the Germans lost ten thousand dead and fifteen-thousand wounded at Verdun. \ Three German and one Austrian, army corps continue the attack. ' \ The enemy has been making, gigantic preparations for transporting from Metz for a week past the heaviest artillery. An unremitting fire by the Verrun'fortsjrrevented the guns being placed in position. ' The German attacks followed each other with lightning rapidity, but all .wero rdfiulsed. : , . , . . The plain to the eastward of Verdun is strewn with five thousand corpses. ' ■ ENORMOUS LOSSES AT MAUBEUGE. ' (Reo. September 27, 5.10 p.m.) Paris, September 26. 1 The; "Matin's" correspondent at Brussels says the German losses in the attack on the French frontier fortress of.Maubeuge wete about 40,000. ' , . : . London, September 25. < French prisoners passing through Liege threw scraps of paper from the train, stating: "We are fifteen thousand prisoners from Maubeugo; but the Germans lost eighty thousand.—("Times and Sydney "Sun" Services.) . ; t ' GERMAN ORDER TO KILL. . ; (Rec; September 27, 11.30 a.m.) ' ' London, September 25. . The "Daily Chronicle's" Bordeaux correspondent says General Stringer, Commander of the Fifty-third Brigade of German Infantry, has issued an order to • the troops'not to take more prisoners, but to put to the sword all falling into their hands, and.to .kill the wounded, whether armed or unarmed, ge concludes: "Germans must;leave no living Frenohmen behind.'' STRUGGLE VIOLENT ON ALLIES' LEFT. , (Rec. September 27, 10 p.m.) ' - Paris, September 26. On official communique states: —Onthe loft our advance troops have con- ■ tracted in tie face of superior forces, and have been obliged to yield slightly, but reinforcements were secured, and the offensive taken vigorously. The struggle here is particularly violent. There is nothing new. in the centre. The enemy is yielding south of the iWoevre, where an action continues on the heights of the Meuse. The enemy penetrated to St. Mihiel, but was. unable to cross the Meuse. The bombardment of Reims Cathedral has been resumed. , ... St. Mihiel is on the Meuse, about half way between the fortresses of Verdun and Toul. It is a town of about 10,000 people. ENEMY DRIVEN . BACK AT ST. MIHIEL. (Rec. September 27, 11.15 p.m.) Paris, September 2G. The latest communique states:—On our left, between the Somme and the Oise, the battle continues violently, andwo have progressed slightly. Between the Oise and Soissous the enemy are not venturing on any attack. There is no important modification between Soissons and Reims. Tho situation in the centre, from Reims to Verdun, ib unchanged; _ In the Woevre, the enemy crossed the Meuse in tho region of St. .Mihiel, but already we have for tho. most part driven him bac kover the river. Our attacks south of the Woevre have not ceased, and wo have made progress, the Fourteenth German Corps falling back aftor suffering great losses. The effective German forces in Lorraine and tho Vosges seem to have been reduced. Some detachments which at certain points drove back our advance posts,, were repulsed by the arrival of our reserves.

RUSSIAN SUCCESSES IN AUSTRIA .GERMANS REPULSED IN POLAND ENEMY'S REGIMENTS SHORT OF OFFICERS Petrograd, September 25. Official.—On the. south-western front the Russians have taken tho fortified positions of Tchishki and Gulstein, covering Khyrow; also Wadymno, southeast of Jaroslav, containing heavy artillery. (Rec. September 27, 6.20 p.m.) mL • Petrograd, September 26. Official.—The Russians repulsed the German vanguards' at Suwalki, in Russian Poland, on .Wednesday, and were also successful at Lomza, about twenty-two miles in Russian Poland. '' No important fighting has taken place in West Galicia. The Austrians continue to retreat from Khyrow. RETREATING ARMY ALMOST A RABBLE". • Petrograd, September 25. Prior to the capture of Jaroslav, tho Austrian trenches were filled with wounded and dead, who' had been lying there for days. The prisoners had been without food for four days. The Austrian troops in retreat were almost a rabble. They had hardly any officers left. Many regiments of Russians in hot pursuit captured hundreds. . General Razky occupied two .stations on the Cracow line, and General Broussilow captured Staremiasto, on the line to Budapest. SLAVS AND BOHEMIANS DISAFFECTED. (Rec. September 27, 5.20 p.m.) Rome, September 26. The "Messagero]' states that notwithstanding frequent hangings the Slavsand Bohemians continue the agitation for separation from Austria. AUSTRIANS FALL BAOK TO THE WEST. * (Reo; September 28, 1.35 a.m.) ■■'.'.' . Petrograd, September 27. Official. —The Austrians have fallen back on the west, utilising largely the railways to Cracow. Tho Russians have occupied Tufka. ,' ————— AUDACIOUS GERMAN PREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR FOUNDATIONS FOR SIEGE GUNS LAID YEARS AGO ■ . - (Rec. September 27, 5.20 p.m.) !':■'.•'. London, September 26. The "Daily Telegraph's" Paris correspondent says the quairies near CamI piegne, forming the mam strength of the German right, mostly' belonged to German enterprises, and appear to have been worked for months with a definite military purpose. Tho usual methods of quarrying were not adopted, but instead long heavy ramparts "were left at the surface.' Engineers could not have'constructed better positions for assault 'was impracticable and bombardment was useless. . • . , (Rec. September 27, 10.30 a.m.) ' Paris, September 25. 1 A refugee from Maubeuge states that the German siege guns were placed on platforms of cement built carefully in selected spots by private individuals years ago as foundations for factories whicW were never completed. 'l' . ' ; GERMAN LINER SINKS A BRITISH SHIP - Rio do Janeiro, September 25. The German auxiliary cruiser Kronprmz Wilhelm sank ,the British steamer Indian Prince, 2846 tons, belonging to the Prince Line. Tho latter's crew were landed at Santos, In .Brazil.. „■■ Tho Krohprihz Wilhelm is the big German Transatlantic liner ,of 15,000 tons belonging to the Norddeutscher-Lloyd Lino, and has a speed of 23 lmo.ts. She was previously reported to have been acting as a relay --wireless station in midAtlantic for the.transmission of German news to America after direct cable communication was cut, Tho Kronprinz Wilhelm was also reported last month to have been coaling tho German cruiser Karlsruhe at sea- in the North Atlantic. . HOW THE THREE CRUISERS' WERE LOST ADMIRALTY STATEMENT .ILL-ADVISED ATTEMPT TO SAVE LIFE MANY TALES OF HEROISM

The following official account of the loss of tho three cruisers, Abouldr, Cressy, and Hogue, in the North Sea was received yesterday by the Prime Minister from tho High Commissioner. It bears the London date, September 25, 10.10 p.m.;— ■ - ...-,', Official—The Admiralty authorises the following statement:— Tha sinking of H.M.S. Aboukir was, of course, an ordinary hazard of , patrolling duty.. H.M.S. Hogue and Cressy, however; were sunk because they proceeded to tho assistance of their consort, and remained with. engines stopped endeavouring to save life, thus presenting an'easy and certain target for further submarine attacks. The natural promptings of humanity have, in this case, Jed to neavy losses, which would hav© been, avoided by strict adherence to military considerations, modern naval war, presenting so many new and strpige situations that an error of judgment of this character is pardonable. But it has been necessary to point out for future guidance that the conditions which prevail when one vessel of a squadron is injured in a mine-field, or exposed to submarine attack, are analogous to those : which occur m action, and the rule of leaving disabled ships to their own resources is applicable, so far at any.fate as large vessels .are concerned. / No act of humanity, whether to "friend ,or foe, should? lead to the neglect of proper precautions of dispositions of, war, and no measures can be taken to save life which prejudice the military situation. Small oraft of all kinds should be directed by wireless to close in on- a damaged ship with all possible speed. The loss of nearly sixty officers and 1400 men would ,not have boon grudged if it had been 'brought about by gunfire in open action, but it is peculiarly distressing under the conditions which prevailed. The absence of any of the ardour and excitement of nn engagement did not, however, prevent the display of discipline, cheerful courage, and ready selfsacrifice among all ranks and ratings exposed to the ordeal. Tho duty on which these vessels were engaged was essentially part of the arrangement by which the control of the soa and tho safety of the country aro maintained, and tho lives lost aro as usefully as necessarily and gloriously devoted to tho requirements of His Majesty's <jervico as if tho loss had beon incurred in general action. In view of the certainty of a proportion of misfortune of this character occurring from timo to time, | it is important that this-point of view should bo thoroughly appreciated. The loss of three cruisers, apart fiom tho loss of life, is of small naval significance. Although they were large powerful ships they belonged to a class of cruisers whos9 speed has been surpassed by many of the enemy's battleships. Before tho war it had been decided that no more money should bo spent in repairing any of this class, and that they should make their way to the sale list as soon as serious defects became manifest. Commander Nicholson's Report. Commander Nicholson, of the Cressy, reported: On September 28 whilst on patrol duty tha Aboukir , was struck

about 6.25 a.m. on the starboard beam. The Hogue and Cressy were 400 yards on the port beam. As soon as -it was seen that the Aboukir was in danger of. sinking, all the boats were sent from tho Cressy, and the picket boat was hoisted out without steam up. When cutters full of Aboukir's men were returning to the Cressy, the Hogue was apparently • under aft the 9.2 magazine, as a very heavy explosion took place immediately after the firstexplosion. ' '.' ' Almost directly after the Hogue was hit we observed a periscope on our port bow, 300 yards off. Firo was immediately opened, and the engines' put full ' speed ahead, with the intention of running her down. Our gunner, Dougherty, positively asserts that he hit the periscope", and that the submarine then showed her conning-tower, which he struck, arid the submarine sank." \An officer standing alongside the gunner, thinks that tho shell struck only some floating timber, of which there was much about, but it was evidently the impression of the men on deck, who cheered and clapped heartily, that the submarine had been hit. This submarine did not firo a to'rpedo at the Cressy. Captain Johnson then manoeuvred his ship to render • assistance to the crews of the Hogue and Aboukir. Five minutes later another periscope was seen ou the starboard quarter. Fire was opened, and the traok of the torpedo she had fired at a range of 500 yards, was plainly visible. It struok us on the starboard side, just before the after bridge. The ship listed about ten degrees to starboard, and' remained steady. AH the watertight doors, leadlights, and scuttles had been securely closed before the torpedo struck. All mess stools, tables, stores, and all available timber below and on deck had been previously got up and thrown overboard for the saving of life. The second torpedo, which was fired by the same submarine, missed us and passed about 20 feet astern. About a quarter of an hour after the first torpedo .hit us, a third torpedo was fired from the submarine, and hit.ns in No. 5 boiler room. The ship then began to heel rapidly, and finally turned keel up, remaining so about twenty minutes before she finally sank. A largo number of men were saved by the castine adrift of tho pattorn three target. The steam pinnace floated out of her clutches, but filled and sank. Tho second torpedo which struck the Cressy passed over tho sinking hull of the Aboukir, narrowly missing it. It is possible the same submarine fin>d all three torpedoes at tho .Cressy. The conduct of the crow was excellent throughout. I have already reported thn snlcndid service rendered by Captain Phillins, master of the trawler L. T. Coriander, who picked up 155 officers and men. . On the Hogue, Commander Norton, of the Hogue, reports: Between 6.15 and 6.30 a.m. H.M.S. Aboukir was struck by a torpedo. The Hogue closed on the Aboukir, and I received the order to hoist out the launch and turn out to prepare all boats and tmli;»li all timber on tho uppor deck, Two lifeboats were sent to tho

Aboukir, but before the launch could get away the Hoguo was struck on. the starboard side amidships by two torpedoes at intervals of from ten to twenty seconds. The ship at ouce began to heel to starboard- After ordering the men to provide themselves with wood hammocks and get into boats on tho booms and tako off their clothes, I went by Captain Nicholson's directions to ascertain tho damage in the enginerooms. An artificer engineer informed me that the water was over the engineroom gratings. While endeavouring to return to the bridge, tho water burst open tho starboarcl entry-port doors, and the ship heeled rapidly. _ I told the men in tho port battery to jump overboard, as the launch was close alongside, and soon after the ship lurched heavily to starboard. I clung to tho ringbolt for some time, but eventually I dropped ou to the dock and a huge wave washed me away. I climbed up the ship's side, and was again washed off. Eventually after swimming about from various overladen pieces of wreckage I was pioked up by the cutter from tho Hogue, which pulled about for some hours picking up men and discharging them to the picket boat and steam ■ pinnace, and to the Dutch steamers Flora and Titan, and rescued in this way Commander Sells, EngineerCommander Stokes (with legs broken), Fleet-Paymaster Eldred, and) about 120 others.

' Finally about eleven a.m., when we could find no more men in the water, ive were picked up by H.M.S. Lucifer, which proceeded to' the Titan and took off from her all our men except about twenty, who were too ill to':be moved. A Lowestoft trawler and the two Dutch ships'Flora_ and Titan were extraordinarily kind in clothing and feeding our men. My boat's crew, consisting mainly of R.N.R. men, pulled and. behaved remarkably well. I partioi||aly wish,,to mention Petty Officer FirW Class. Halton, who by encouraging the men in the water near undoubtedly,:saved man) lives. Lieutenant-Commander Phillips. Wolley,, after hoisting out'the launch, asked me if he should' hoist another boat, and" endeavoured to do so. The last I saw of him was on tho aftei bridge doing well. Lieutenant Tillard was picked up by the launch and got up a cutter's crew and saved .many lives, as did Midshipman Cazalet in the Cressy's gig.. Lieutenant Chichestey turned out the whaler very quickly. A Dutch sailing trawler sailed close by, but went off without _ rendering any assistance, though we signalled her from the Hogue to close in after we were struck.

The Aboukir appeared to me to take about thirty-five minutes to'sink, floating bottom upwards for about five minutes. The Hogue turned turtle very quickly in about five minutes, and floated bottom up for 60ine minutes. Dense black smoke was seen in the starboard battery-, but whether from coal or torpedo cordite I could not say. The upper deck was not blown up. Only one other small explosion occurred as wo heeled over. I watched the Cressy heel over from the cutter. She heeled over t starboard very slowly. Dense black smoke was issuing from her when she attained >an angle of about 90 degrees, and she took a long. time from this angle till sho floated .bottom up with ber starboard screw slightly out of the water. I consider it was from thirtyfive to forty-five niinutes from the time she was struck till she was bottom up. All the men in tho Hoguo behaved extraordinarily well, and oboyed orders even when in the water swimming tor their lives. I witnessed many cases of grcai self-sacrifice and gallantry. Farmstone, an A.B. on the Hogue, jumped overboard from' the launch to- make room for others, and would not. avail himself of assistance until all the men near.by were picked up. Ho was in Jhe water about half an hour. There was no panic of any sort, men taking'off their clothes ns ordered, and falling in with hammock or wood. Captain Nicholson, in our cutter, as usual was perfeotly cool, and rescued a large number of men. I lassaw him alongside of the Flora. Fr gineer-Commander Stokes, 1 believe, was in the engine-room till tho last. Engineer-Lieutenant Commander Fendick 'got steam on the boat hoist and worked it in five minutes.

ADMIRALTY ANNOUNCEMENT. ■ ' London, September 25. The Admiralty announce that the petty officers and men saved from the Hogue numbered 354, from the Aboukir 335, and from the. Cressy 188.