BATTLE RAGING ON FRENCH FRONTIER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2281, 15 October 1914, Page 5

BATTLE RAGING ON FRENCH FRONTIER

GERMANS REINFORCED OUTLOOK FOR ALLIES CONTINUES GOOD (Rec. Ootober 14, 6.25 p.m.) on, ..« ~ -,-x ;: '"," r London,'Ootober 18. -• . ine limes" military correspondent states that information received from, various sources suggests that during the last ten days the German armies in B ranee have been heavily reinforced, and that they are determined to make heroic efforts again to strike their enemies to the ground on the east and west simultaneously. Youths and family men are together in the line, and if the conduct of the Germans had not been so abominable we could afford to admire the energy_with which they, are conducting the war. There is evidence that ono million and a half Germans are engaged'in the west, and now thta Antwerp lias fallen, the greater part of this force will be available for offensive operations. The Allies still retain a marked numerical preponderance, and there is no reason to suppose that the serious conflict which 18 11? - develo P m g in the North of France will not turn out to our advantage. —( Times" and Sydney "Sun" Service.) GROUND GAINED AT MANY POINTS. , . , m' ' , . Paris, Ootober 13. A communique states:—"There have been violent attacks in front. On many points we gained ground, and nowhere lost'any." ' „,■•■.. Par's, October 13. Messages from Northern France on Sunday state that the Germans were heavily massed- in the triangle of Douai-Bethune-Arras, to the south' of Lille, but the force was hopelessly scattered. _ Germany's vaunted cavalry army between ' Armentieres 'and Tourcoing, which was to ensure a military promenade into Lille, has been thrust back, chiefly at the point of the bayonet, out of France, past Wameton and Menin, in a confused mass. ' The Germans between Arras and Douai are being slowly shepherded in a north-eastern direction, and the forces menacing Hazebrouck are being driven northwards. ENEMY'S MAIN BODY RETREATING. ; Calais, October 13. There is a great movement of Germans from Lille in the direction of Courtrai, and also increasing activity 'between Lille and the coast. Strong German columns are passing Bailleul in the direction of Ypres, where the Germans are concentrating in large numbers. _ There is no doubt the main,body is retreating east and north-east. Civilians whopassed through the German lines repeatedly passed columns moving m the direction <if Bailleul and Armentieres. They acknowledged that they were retreating. ' ' ■ Ostend, October 13. ■ ■ Two German columns were repulsed at Ypreß, and driven back several miles with considerable loss. LILLE OCCUPIED BY THE ENEMY. (Rec. October 14, 6.55 p.m.) . .. . London, October 13. A ,German army corps lias occupied Lille, (Rec. October'ls, 0.15 a.m.) ' nnii-i, ■ , Paris < October 14. Un October 4 three hundred Uhlans in an armoured train from Belgium endeavoured to carry out a coup-de-main on Lille. The railway pointsman detected the occupants of the train, and diverted it to a siding, where It was greeted with French rifle fire. Most of the Uhlans were captured next morning. /._.-.. Meanwhile three thousand Germans approached.on the opposite side from Tourcoing, and.trained their artillery and machine guns upon the town, 6ome shells striking the Hotel de Ville. The French infantry replied so quickly that the Germans retreated.. The following day the greater force, but all efforts to bring the Germans to Lille by railway were repulsed. ' The retreating Germans in anger entered Fives, which is a suburb of Lille. ■■. Lille is a t ity_ of about 200;000 inhabitants, and the centre of ■ a large industrial arid agricultural district. It is a first-class fortress, and is the headquarters of the-French First Army Corps. The modern fortifications compriso over 20 detached forts and batteries, the perimeter of the defences being ahout 20 miles. In i.he first advance of the enemy into France the presence of Germans in the neighbourhood of Lille was several times referred to, but there was no mention of an attack on the forts. ■ ' MARKED PROGRESS AROUND ARRAS. (Rec. Ocober 14, 10.30 p.m.) '.. „. . , . \ r Par,s i October 13. An official communique states:—Our Left Wing resumed the offensive at Hazebrouok and Bethune against cavalry coming from the Baielleu, Estaires and La Bassee front.. ' A German army,corps attacked and occupied Lille, which was held by a Territorial detachment. ' We have made marked progress between Arras and Albert, and appreciable progress at qthe'r points. The line through Bailleu, Estaires, and La Bassee forms a orescent with a radius of about 15 miles from Lille. Bailleu is north-west of Lille, Estaires due east, and La Bassee south-west. Hazebrouck and Bethune lie about eightor nine miles beyond the line mentioned. » FIERCE BATTLE. Oft FRANCO-BELGIAN FRONTIER. (Rec. October 14, 10.25 p.m.) _, . Ostend, October 14. There was a fierce battle in the triangle of Dixmude, Ypres and Dunkirk. The determined effort made by General von Buck's right to cut the Allies' lines was frustrated. Dixmude and Ypres lie at points equidistant from each other, between Ostend and Lille; Dunkirk is on the sea coast, twenty miles west of Dixmudo, and about 26 miles north-west of Ypres.'