GERMANS RETREAT SOUTH OF OSTEND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2288, 23 October 1914, Page 5

GERMANS RETREAT SOUTH OF OSTEND

WARSHIPS AID ALLIES'TROOPS NAVAL GUNS BOMBARD ENEMY'S TRENCHES j :■.. I By Telegraph—Frees Association—Copyright Amsterdam, October 21. The Allies,have made excellent progress in Belgium. British warships co-operated from the sea, and the naval guns, finding the range- marvellously, shelled the enemy along a dyke. The German artillery was forced to retire. The Allies then made a general advance. Many Germans were taken prisoners, and a large number of Belgian and French prisoners were released. German officers are dejected. They confess that the armies in France and Belgium are retreating.' ■ ... Seventeen trainloads of German wounded have reached Bruges. The British warships on the coast near Ostend raked the villages southward of Middelkerke (on the coast, sis miles below Ostend), and dropped heavy shells in'"the rear of the Germans. > A detachment of machine-guns advanced, and the Germans were caught between two fires. They wavered, and then yielded. The Allies' infantry 'pressed forward, and the cannonading from tho sea increased, and the infantry firo was redoubled. Eventually tho wholo of the German line resting, on the sea retreated, and the Germans removed their guns towards Ostend. The wounded are traversing Bruges to Ghent and Brussels.

SHIPS' GUNS CAUSE LOSS OF 1600 MEN. London, October 21. Warships off the coast of Belgium watched the enemy at night digging trenches by flares. They took the exact range, and shelled the enemy at daylight, inflicting sixteen hundred casualties in one day, and wrecking six batteries. . ■ The first shot on Sunday destroyed a Taube aeroplane, and it is reportod that a Zeppelin was brought down on Monday. SUBMARINES REPELLED WITH LOSS. . . _ Paris, October 21. The British warships did fieat service in bombarding the Germans advancing on''Nieuport. • \ ■ . - . London, October 21. It'is reported that while the British ships were bombarding the Germans on the Belgian coast they were attacked by German submarines. British destroyers went to their assistance, and drove off the submarines with loss. ' GERMANS LOSE 5000 MEN. London, October 21. The Gorman losses at Nieuport are set down- at .about five thousand. Ostend is full of wounded. _ Reinforcements totalling sixty thousand, with many, batteries of artillery, have arrived at Ghent. '■ The Germans when rotreating had a battery annihilated. Amstfirdam, October 21. The "Tolegraaf" states that thirty thousand Germans arc entrenched on the sea coast south-west of Ostend, between Middelkerke and, Nieuport. \ BELGIAN SUCCESS.AT ROULERS. Paris, October 21. JTho Allies "expelled five thousand Germans trom Bruges. "A great Belgian success is reported at Haulers, halfway between Bruges and Lille, the Germans being driven with considerable' losses' to Pitthcm, seven miles north-west. The Germans on Sunday ordered n strong force, mostly youths under twenty, to cross tlic Yscr at all costs, but tlic.y failed in their tank. Their looses arc estimated at nearly 10 per centum.

HOT FIGHTING AT DIXMUDE. London, October 21. The Germans strongly attacked the trenches outside Dixmude, eight miles south-east of Nieuport, at midnight on tho 16th. The Allies were outnumbered, and retired on the town. They held the outskirts until reinforcements arrived at dawn, when the Germans were driven back, and tho trenches re-won. An artillery duel followed, after which the Germans withdrew. ENEMY FORTIFYING OSTEND. London, October 21. It is reported that the Germans arc fortifying Ostend on,the seaward and southern sides. FRENCH TAKE TRENCBES AT BAYONET'S POINT. i London, October 21. The French marines at Ypres, taking advantage of the mist, crawled to the German lines, leaped into the trenches, and did execution with their bayonets. ' The trenches were piled with German dead and wounded. Over four hundred were made prisoners. The French casualties were ten killed and a hundred wounded. DARING STORMING OF LAVENTRE. London, October'2l. A daring storming of Laventie, twelve miles west of Lille, was made by the French. The enemy was strongly entrenched in front of the -village all day, and the French artillery shelled the German i position, devastating the ranks. The French were ordered to take tho village at all costs. Their way lay over open fields, in which there was no cover. The French advanced in open order, and the Germans withheld their fire until they were at five hundred yards range. Then they swept the area with shrapnel and rifle fire, inflicting heavy looses. The' infantry advanced steadily, and carried the trenche3 at the bayonetpoint. From every roof and window, in the village their, entry was opposed. Machine guns in the church tower swept tho main street. Tho Germans were finally driven out Tho French troops similarly carried Estaires, three miles away across the River Lys. ENEMY'S POSITION STORMED AT LE BIZET. . Paris, October 21. 1 The Germans were strongly posted;at Le Bizet, two miles north of Armentieres. They desperately attempted to break through the Allies' lines. The combat lasted from dawn to midday, the Germans then weakening under the heavy artillery fire. Eventually the German position was stormed with tho bayonet. Threo hundred and sevonty-five, Germans were, captured in the fight between Ypres and Lille. OBSTACLE BETWEEN ROYE AND ARRAS. Paris, October 21. Between Roye and Arras the Germans have made use of a cutting for a now canal, sixty miles long, between Arleux and Noyon, which has afforded facilities for formidable military operations. This largely explains the Allies'slow progress, and accounts for the desperate fighting in the Lassigny, Roye, Nesle, and Roisel districts. ' ' . Arleux is 15 miles east of Arras and Noyon is about 50 miles to the south. Roisel is halfway between Arleiix ana Noyon. Nesle is 10 miles north of Noyon and Roye 10 miles north-west. ALLIES OCCUPY COURTRAI. (Rec. October' 22, 10 p.m.) / , London, October 22, morning. The Allies have occupied Courtrai. Courtrai is in Belgium, six miles from the French frontier, and 15 miles north of Lille. 1 . VIOLENT ATTACKS REPULSED. (Rec. October 22, 10.55 p.m.) ' Paris, October 21, evening. Official: —The enemy's attacks were particularly violent at Nieuport, Dixmude, and La Bassee, and all were vigorously repulsed. There is no notable change elsewhere. ' WAR NEWS CONSIDERABLY DELAYED. (Rec. October 23, 0.45 a.m.) Sydney, October 22. There is a paucity of war news, and the cable messages from London are being considerably delayed..