BATTLE OF THE AISNE AT AN END

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2280, 14 October 1914, Page 5

BATTLE OF THE AISNE AT AN END

new Inflict further north . ALLIES ADVANCE BEFORE GERMANS ARRIVE ; "PROM ANTWERP By Telejrapli-PießS 'Aesociaflon-Oopjilelit (Bee. October 13, 11.40 p.m.) _ „ ' _ , ■ . London, October 13. , _ The "Daily Telegraph's" Amiena correspondent says the Battle of the 'Aisne las ended without anyone knowing it. The new battlo front forms the letter "Z," beginning- near fie sea and passing north of Lille, through Compiegne, and ending at Verdun. The Allies are taking the' initiative before there is a possibility of the German army corps at Antwerp reinforcing General von Klucks right. The Allies have not only recovered every foot of ground lost during the long series of heroic actions near Roye, but have also developed an advance to the north, where the German cavalry is operating norfih and west of Lille, eeeking to mask another enveloping movement. . ~,,.E ast, o{ Ca?sel . *<*!»■." a particularly important position held by. the Allies, where a series of six or seven hills rise above the plain. Guns mounted on a precipitous eminence at Caesel dominate the-country for miles around. 'i- i.-- p b . etween D unl riris and Lille is excellent cavalry country, de- ■ lighting the Allies who show a contempt for the German horsemen, and continually seek opportunities to get to close quarters. One troop a day or two ago rode through two tterman squadrons; charged back, and rode through . a third time. Hardly a saddle was empty. The British horses have had two or three weeks' rest and arc in fine condition. Some of the riders have been f!*™^i a t"™ in toe trenches, and they, are so enamoured with, the bayonet that they have been adopted by several squadrons in every regiment. •«• Ino1 no secre ' ; a * ™e Germans have been withdrawing men from the Aisne, .though they kept up the" appearance of undiminished strength by continuous rifle fire and. a daily a. trick tho Japanese often played in Manchuria. ■ ci N j ea i Soissons the French managed to get a battery into position and enhladed some German trenches on the plateau in order to turn out the Germans in the tunnels in tho Nouvreori plateau, north-west of Soissons, which protected the German siege guns five miles away. Tho French carried on mining operations for eleven days until within a mile of the tunnels, when • tne .commander ordered them to be taken with tho bayonet, which was successfully done. TWENTY-FOUR HOURS'ENGAGEMENT AT LASSIGNY,' (Rec. October 13, 10.40 p.m.) .. Paris, Ootober 12. An official communique. states :—During the 24 hours' engagement at Laesigny on Friday, a brigade of marines killed 200 Gormans and took 500 prisonThe French lost 49, of whom nine were killed. GERMAN CAVALRY ATTACKS REPULSED. (Rec. October 14, 0.50 a.m.) ' . : Paris, October 13. 'A communique states that sevoral .German cavalry attacks in the region of ,La Bassee, Estaires, and Hazobrouck have been repulsed. The enemy has also been repulsed_ between Lassigny and Royo. Tho Allies progressed on tho plateau on the right bank of the Aisne, below'Soissons, also on tho east and south-east of Verdun. The German Right's (fLeft's attack on Bundeapt (? Grundrupt), north bf St. Die, in the Vosges, was also repulsed.

La Basseo is 13 miles south-west of Lille. Estaires is 14 miles west of Lille. /Hazobrouk is 24 miles west by north of Lille. Grundrupt in 7J miles north/of St. Die. > , FOUR BATTLES FOUGHT LAST WEEK. London, October 12. Tho "Daily Chronicle's" Paris correspondent states tliat during the week the Allies fought four battles, the most important' being that at Lille, which ljpgan on Sunday and ended at nightfall on Friday. At tho outsot the Germane wero reinforced by a strong force from Belgium, mainly cavalry, but tho French wore not caught napping. The Gorman line stretched from Armentiores to Roubaix, a, distanco of twelve miles, and. across- the outskirts of Lillo, Vhore thero was heavy fighting at close quarters, the Germans sometimes entering tho suburbs. Tho fight was renewed on Tuesday, when the Germans were reinforced. Though now outnumbered, tho Allies had a preponderance of artillery. It is believed that many of the German guns had been sont to Antwerp. Further reinforcements enabled the Germans to continue the battle well into the night, but by dawn tho result was certain. By Friday the Germans %ad been thrown back' a dozen miles. .Meanwhile, a battle was being fougjib at Lens, 15 miles south of Lille, where the Germans also lackod artillery, and showed no desire to await the bayonet attacks. Their losses were much greater than those of the French. These fights made a gap in the German lines which extended to within ten miles of St. Omer, 36, miles west of Lille, and cleared a stretch of country reaching to St. Maur, over tho Belgian frontier, necessitating preparations for a retreat along the valleys of the Scheldt and the Lys. GERMANS DRIVEN BACK FROM ROYE. Router's Paris, agent states that provincial newspapers give details of the operations at Roye and Lassigny from the 24th: The, German right rested successively at Peronne, Albert, Bapaume, and Arras. It was impossible to go beyond owing to the plain in lower Flanders leaving no hills or valleys to provide natural defences.. The Germans, on the 28th, accordingly commenced numerous countor-attacks, in the hope of piercing the Allies' line, the heaviest fighting being between Amiens and Peronne. _ On October 1 the French from Roye junctioned at. Mericourt with the British reinforcements, the Allies forming three divisions, and having a large quantity of artillery to cover thoir crossings of the Somme. Meanwhile, tho bulk of tho Germans.wore awaiting the Allies before Bray. The Allies decided to attempt a crossing on a threoahd-a-half miles front, between Vaire and Mericourt, where the ground is swampy and wooded and- easy to defend. The Germans, however, did not believe that the Allies would cross at this point, and neglected to fortify the position, and massed on the road. ENEMY RETREATS TO BAPAUME. 'At 10 o'clock the French field guns opened fire from Mericourt. The Germans replied vigorously, but tho Allies' infantry, swerving westward, descended on the Sommo towards Cortice.-At mid-day the troops, wading through bogs and marshes, began the orossing by means of rafts and frail canvas boats. One regiment crossed by means of a rope stretched •between, the two banks. The cavalry crossed by a, ford at Sailly. Three divisions crossed in forty minutes. Before the enemy discovered them the Allies were in battle formation, marching to assault Bray. While the infantrv attacked in the west, the cavalry captured the enemy's eastern positions; the artillery at Mericourt continuing the cannonade. Finally, in reeponse to trumpet oalls, the whole line of infantry, with colours flying, advanced to the assault. There was a great shout as the tricolour flags were seen waving from the crest of tho hill. . The Germans retreated northwards. . The French cavalry, •■ near Albert, charged, and the enemy was obliged to abandon its guns. The retreat was not checked until Bapaume, .sixteen miles'to the north-east; was reached.