THE OPERATIONS IN BELGIUM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2282, 16 October 1914, Page 5

THE OPERATIONS IN BELGIUM

HEROIC EFFORT TO SAVE GHENT GERMAN LOSS AT ANTWERP PUT AT 45,000 MEN London, October 14. The "Daily Chronicle's" Ostend correspondent writes:—The Allies made a heroic effort to savo Ghent on Saturday and Sunday, but the flat 'country. was unsuitable-for operations against heavy odds and fighting of the fiercest. An illustration of the blood lust is furnished by the. following incident: Belgian field guns enfiladed two hundred Germans, for whom there was no. escape. The survivors raised their rifle butts as a token of submission. Either because the signal was misunderstood or because they simulated surrender, a favourite ruse of the Germans nvhen in a warm corner, the Belgians continued , to fire until all the Germans had fallen. The Belgians were finally compelled to retire when a large German cavalry force came from Ypres and threatened their communications with Bruges. They mado a forced march to Bruges. A Belgian force also moved to countor the German cavalry in the neighbourhood of Dixmude, where they arrested on the march a column from Ypros, . giving the enemy a severe ■ shaking. GERMAN GUNS AND LOSSES AT ANTWERP. i (Ike. Ocober 15, 6 p.m.) , London, October 14. The Gorman commander at Antweip infonnod a Dutch journalist that the forty-two centimetre guns were not used, and would only have been employed if the city had not surrendered. , The journalist accompanied the commander through tho streets, and saw no sign of Belgian life. Tho city was little damaged. , It is stated in Amsterdam that tho Germans lost 45,000 men in the attack on Antwerp.—("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, October 14. The American Consul nt Antwerp is proceeding to London to obtain provisions for Antwerp, where tho position is gravo, owing to the Germans seizing all tho' stores. . • . ■ • BRITISH PART IN THE DEFENCE. . London, October 14. Members of the Naval Brigades state that when they arrived at Antwerp they learnt that the Marines on Tuesday were- being hard pressed by thirty thousand Germans. The first and second Naval Brigades hurriedly reinforced the Marines. They found that tho Belgian forces had been withdrawn, leaving tho flanks of the Marines exposed. The British retirement from the line of the Nethe was accomplished on Wednesday night. The Germans did not discover the withdrawal, which was fortunate, as the British were without field and machine guns. ! . The naval euns arrived too late, and wore not even mounted. Most of tho Belgian forts and tho intervening redoubts were manned _ by old Krupp guns firing black' powder. The Germans mostly used 4 to 8-inch guns against the forts. Four hundred naval men on Thursday occupied a deserted fort, arid other naval men and Marines occupied tho Belgian bombproof trenches, which wero excellently constructed; henco the losses were light. Tho trenches were lightly held, the menbeing a conplo of yards apart. They effectually bluffed the Germans, who did not try to rush the entrenchments. The situation was serious on Thursday, and many of the British, were withdrawn and eutrained for despite the German fire. Meanwhile, the party holding the fort repelled several attacks, inflicting heavy losses on tho closely-packed Germans. The latter then recommenced artillery ; firing. Early on Friday the defenders of the fort found that their comrades had been forced to abandon the surrounding entrenchments, and determined to retreat 'The party lost half of its'mm. but; about two hundred reached the Scheldt. They found that tho Germans had cut the Ghent lino and occupied the Lokoren roads, forcing tho party into Dutch territory. MR. CHURCHILL'S VISIT. London, October 14. "The Times" does not endorse the "Morning Post's" criticisms of Air. Winston Churchill's action in visiting Antwerp. The composition of the equipment of the Antwerp forco is open to comment, but the expedition v was not, part of any military operation, but rather an attempt to demonstrate the' deep concern of this country with the heroic sufferings of the Belgian people. . '