GERMAN LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2290, 26 October 1914, Page 5

GERMAN LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE

FIERCE CONFLICT RAGING DESPERATE ATTACKS ON FRANCO-BELGIAN , ' / \ FRONTIER " (■ By Teltgriph.—Pran Association—CodjtleM (Rec. October 25, 12.30 p.m.) . ■ ' London, October 24. Colonel Morath, the military writer of the "Berliner Tageblatt," says that the greatest battle of the war is raging botwteen Lille and Dunkirk, and is for the Germans a question of life and death. On it depends the fate of the German operations in France. The military writer of the "Berlin Lokal Anzaiger" says the battle will only finish when one or the other is exhausted. (Rec. October 24, 6,20 p.m.) _ _ London, October 23. The "Sun's"'special representative, in commenting on the position, eaya the enemy's the narrow seas has landed him in diffioulty, requiring all the strategy of the General Staff to surmount. _In the meantime the battle of the Aißne drags its weary course. British soldiers state that no strategy or purpose is served in ousting Germans from the trenches, though the Allies' bayonets have been effectively used when it has been considered necessary to oapturo a few trenches. If the Germans are unsuccessful further north the retreat to the Fatherland cannot conceivably be made through Belgium, and tho road through Luxemburg will be longer than "the road to Tipperary." The evacuated German trenches suggest that there has been heavy drinking upon almost empty stomachs, for many weary days; in addition there is a smell of dead men, some of whom are still propped up with their heads peeping above the trenches—("Times" and Sydney, "Sun" Services.) ■ GERMAN STAFF LEAVES GHENT, Amsterdam, October 23. The German General Staff has quitted Ghent. There are, strong rumourß of a severe German defeat.. It is stated that the 'Allies have driven the Germans into barbed wire entanglements along the dykes, where • their cavalry were unable to manoeuvre, and that the big guns were bogged. It is also reported that the German lines of communication were cut .Bouth of Ostend. .The publio buildings at Ostend are full of wounded. The Germans are entrenohed at Zeebrugge, on the coast fourteen miles above Ostend. GAINS AND LOSSES ALONG THE FRONT, (Rec. October 25, 3.15 p.m.) Paris, October 23. A communique states that on our Left very strong German forces continued to deliver violent attacks botween the sea and Arras, particularly between Arras, La Basse®, and ArmentieTes. The Allies lost ground at some points near La Bassee, and gained ground, east of Armentieres. Three German batteries wore destroyed north of the Aisue. "VYe have progressed north and south of the Somme, particularly at Bosieres and the Santerre. We had some partial successes at Verdun ■ andl'ont-a-Mousson. There is nothing to report on tho remainder of the front. The enemy is making fresh efforts particularly between the sea and the Qise by employing new corps of raw troops, comprising youths and old men, with officers gathered from different sources. Rosieres is 19 miles east, of Amiens and 9 miles north of Rove. The Santerre is the name of a fertile plateau which the railway traverses to the north of tho town of Roye. Pont-a-Mousson is lb miles north of Nancy and about four miles from the German frontier. _____ THE ; LATEST COMMUNIQUE, (Rec. October 26, 0.15 a.m.) Paris, October 24. 'A communique states: There have been inevitable fluctuations on the. Left Wing the line being generally held. The enemy progressed north of Dixmude and around la Bassee. We advanced very appreciably east of Nietiliort in the region of Langenmnrk, and between Armentieres and Lille. We ropulsed several' day and night attacks, and we have taken the village of Melenicourt -west of the Argonne, commanding the route from Varennes to the Aisne'Valley. Elsewhere we have slightly progressed at several points. Our advance in the Woevre coutiuuoe in tho direction of Lo MolUtaWe l p oreßt, of Thiancourt.,

ENEMY DRIVEN BACK SIX MILES AT, ARRAS. (Hoc. October 25, 12.30 p.m.) Paris, October 24. The Allies on Wednesday shelled tlio German trenches and charged with bayonets. The Germans were driven back six miles. The fight was ono of the best of the Arras campaign. The Germans lost five thousand. GERMAN: TRENCHES TAKEN AT ARMENTIERES. (Bee. October 25, 4 p.m.) , London, October 24. The Allies, from a strongly entrenched position at Armentiores, • have beaten back all attacks. Yesterday tho Germans crept up in the darkness to one of these trenches and' opened an enfilading fire. Artillery on both sides then began, tlie Germans and Allies alike being imprisoned in tho trench, and tlio guns shelled friend and enemy for fourteen hours. Then the Allies retook the trench and captured tho Germans. GALLANT WORK BY SCOTS GREYS. (Reo. October 25, 3.40 p.m.) Paris, October 24. French cavalry and infantry while advancing near Lille were almost bogged in marshy ground, and came under the fire of German artillery. The Frond 76 millimtetro guns sent to cover the advance were also bogged." The _ Scots Greys then charged, sabred the gunners, and silenced the German guns in ten minutes. During their return other guns shelled the Scots Greys, but meanwhile the French seventy-fives had been extricated, and covered the Scots Greys' retirement. The latter' 6 casualties were unimportant. 'ALLIES ADVANCING IN BELGIUM, (Reo. Ootobar, 25, 4 p.m.) London, October 24. The Belgians, taking the offensive on Monday, fought fierce engagements at Schoore, Keyem, and St. Abason, while the'force under cover of the fleet's suns made the way for Westende and attempted to envelop the German Eight. There was heavy fighting all day, both sides suffering considerable losses, those of the Germans being the heavier. A Belgian motor mitrailleuse surprised German oavalry near Westende, and chased them along the Toad, firing into their .mass. One hundred and fifty were killed, and a whole regiment was put practically hors 'de combat. , There were terrible spectacles in some of the woods north of Roulerp, where hundreds of Germans were killed. Th© fighting at Nieuport was of extraordinary violence. 'A German column advancing towards Dunkirk, close .by the seashore, using tho sand dunes for cover, was massacred by the Belgians, who afterwards declared that the waves were washing piles of German dead upon the beach. The Allies have advanced closer to Ostend. It is reported that the Germans aro leaving tho coa-st road to Ostend clear. . , British warships are now abreast of _ Middelkerke. The English cavalry is actively working from Thourout. The Germans have placed artillery between Thourout and Ibueke (? Jabbeke). Shoore is 4 miles east of Nieuport. v Keyem is 3 miles south-east of Shoore. Westende is about 3 miles from Nieuport, in the direction of Ostend. Middelkerke is 2i miies from West ende, in the direction of Ostend,' from which it is 5 miles distant. Thourout is a railway junction, 14 miles south-east of Ostend, and 29 miles north of .Lille. Jabbeke is half-way between Osteoid and Bruges, and 9 miles north of Thourout. THOUSANDS OP' WOUNDED AT BRUGES. (Reo. Ootoher 25, 4 p.m.) ■ London, October 24. .Tho Amsterdam "De Telegraaf" states that four thousand wounded reached Bruges on Thursday. (Reo. October 25, 12.3 ft p.m.} > . • ' Paris, October 24. The fields in the neighbourhood or Fumes and Dixmude aro covered with dead Germans. ANTWERP DRAINED OF TROOPS. (Reo. Ootoher 25, 4.40 p.m.) ' Amsterdam, Ootober 24. A b'attio is now raging 16 miles south of Bruges, on the Ghent line. The Germans are making the utmost use. of the hilly district,'and though losing ground are offering a fierce resistance. Reports from Breda, in Holland, state that only a few hundred men of the Landsturm (last reserve) are loft in Antwerp. The remainder of the troops have marched towards Turnhout (? Thourout). German wounded are streaming into Antwerp, and vessels full of wounded are lying in the Scheldt. Turnhout is in Northern Belgium, 23 miles north-west of Antwerp, and near the Dutch frontier. Thourout is the scene of the fighting south of Bruges. London, October 23. . The Rotterdam correspondent of the "Daily News" states that there are very few Germans aW Ostend or other places recently captured in Flanders,' as the enemy are throwing all their available force between Nieuport and Ypres. • The latest reinforcements brought up many cannon. Over 100 Belgian railway engines are at Ostend and other places. They at® believed to be ready for a hasty retreat. HALFrA MILLION RECRUITS FOR FRANCE. Paris, Ootoher 23. This year's recruits, after two_ months' training, are now. ready to go to the front. When joined by a section of the reserve not yet called to the colours the new force represents half a. million men,. BELGIANS KILL 1700 GERMANS. (Rec. October 26, 1.20 a.m.) ' Paris, October 25. A British officer delates that the Belgians on Wednesday, in the darkness, approached l within three hundred yards of the German trenches near tho Yser, and opened a devastating fire. A bayonet charge completed the rout of the enemy. Seventeen hundred Germans were killed. MOST SANGUINARY; FIGHTING. (Reo. October 26, 1.20 a.m.) j/' Amsterdam, Ootoher 25. On Saturday the fighting between Ostend and Nieuport was of a most sanguinary charaoter. A captured German states that after one fight fifteen hundred of his comrades were burned in a single field. The bombardment of the Yser Canal was continued throughout. Both sides rested in the morning, but firing was resumed at noon, and the battle is still undecided. GERMAN: MARINES NORTH OF OSTEND, (Reo. October 26, 1.80 a.m.) ( , London, Ootober 25. German marines have occupied Knocks, Heyst, and! other coast towns north of Ostend. :