OPERATIONS BY THE BRITISH

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2302, 9 November 1914, Page 6

OPERATIONS BY THE BRITISH

GROUND HELD AGAINST DESPERATE ATTACKS OFFICIAL NARRATIVE The following message Tias been received, by the .I'rimo Minister from the High Commissioner:— Official. —The account below, communicated by an eye-witness with the General Headquarters, continues- the narrative published on November 3 of tho movements of the British force and the French armies in immediate touch. lz is dated November 12,. 1914: — In spite of .the great losses suffered by the attacks of last week the- Germans continued the offensive towards l the west almost continuously during five days, October 26 to 30, opposite us. It had gradually grown in intensity and extent of application, as men and guns had been brought up and pushed into the fight, which las developed into tho most bittorly-contested battle fought in the 'Western theatre of war. Tho Germans' artillery had been in-, creased by that; transferred from Antwerp; as regards infantry, it is possible that some additional iroops were rendered 'available by .the relaxation of the pressure against the Allies' north of l'pres, caused by the desperate and successful resistance made by tho latter .and by the harassing nature of the artillery fire brought to bear by our ships against the strip of country along the coast, and the flooding 'of tho area around the Yser. Forces had been massed also from the south, whilst another new army corps definitely made its debut. Though attempts to hack a way through were made in other directions the German forces-had been seriously concentrated upon the neighbourhood of Yprcs. On October 26 south of the Lya, on our right, the enemy attacked Neuve Chappelle'held by us, and in the evening, advancing under cover of a wood, they managed to gain possession of a portion. North .of tie Lys in the centre the bombardment alone kept us the ground made bj us.' A detached post, which was attacked in force during tho night* drove hack tho assailants, who left 56 dead behind. Near our left the Germans developed very strong attacks' on the region of our line east of Yprcs, but though supported by great masses of artillery this was checked. It had two results. One was that our position was readjusted, and tho other that our extreme, left alone advanced in con-, junction with'some other of-our Allies' troops. '.' . . Struggle for a Vfllaga. On Tuesday • the Germans father focused their principal attention on our right centre and right, where most desperate fighting took place for possession of Neuve Chappelle. In Bpite of repeated counter-attacks by the British the enemy managed to hold the northern part of the village, which they had gained the day before. Towards evening we had regained the greater part, fighting step by step, when fresh hostile reinforcements were brought up, and the entire village was captured oy the enemy. They made several assaults against the whole front south of the Lys,, but with tho excoption of their success at Neuve Chappelle they won no advantage. The combat for the 'place was of a most murderous, descrip- . tion, and it is believed 'that' the enemy's losses in this quarter of the field were very great. An artillery officer, observing their advance, reports that the effects of our rifle and gun fire were stupendous. The Germans had to throw the corpses of their own men out of the trenches to obtain, cover. Four successive attacks wore made, each by a different regiment, and in this way the whole of one divisionVas , engaged piecemeal'in about the same. ■ locality. _ The last of these regiments was practically disposed of. . According to prisoners, their condition is deplorable. ■ ' "

> North' of th© river our centre was subjected to heavy - shell fire, and our guns were by no means idle. One of ■ our patrols found eleven German dead - and one rendered unconscious' by fumes . in a farm in which our lyddite shells detonated. . Towards our left the readjustment of the line, ' which commenced on Monday, was'completed, and the redistribution of strength effected. Ou our extreme left we gained ground 1 at Neuve Chappelle against desperate our Indian troops greatly distinguishing themselves. By a wellconducted counter-attack they, drove the Germans out of the greater part of the place • with the . bayonet. On emerging from tho village, ' however, they wore exposed to the conI contrated fire of machine guns and had to remain contented with what they had gained. Further on our left the enemy made attacks under cover of the usual heavy bombardment. Each effort was repulsed with great slaughter. One of our trenches was carried, and then recovered after 200 dead had been inflicted on the enemy. On our extremo left our advance was not pressed. Tho .enemy- remained in position at Becel. An air night attack by them was' repulsed. Heavy Cerman Losses, Next in importance to the Centre's pressure was the pressure on our two iknks. South of the Lys against our right the Germans delivered ah-assault, which failed. .In front of one battalion it is estimated that they left between GOO and 700 dead', whilst the trench which they penetrated was recaptured by us at a loss to them of 70 killed and 14 prisoners. A few.Germans surrendered voluntarily in this quarter. We experienced for the first time in'the'north* em theatre of action mine warfare and a, trench mortar. The latter has- a range of somo 500 yards, and throws a bomb loaded with high' explosive, weighing 2001b., being fired at an extreme elevation from a bomb-pit in tho trench. .At midnight our lino waß attacked in two places, but one attack did not mature as the ground was well swept by our guns. In the other case tho assault was carried against one of our brigades by a force of some 12 battalions. With' great self-restraint our men held their fire for forty minutes, until the attackers got quite close, and then drovo them back with a loss of 200 killed. The enemy penetrated portions of one of our trenches, but were driven out again, losing 800 men in killed and captured. . The reall.y important feature of this day's operations occurred north of tho Lys, and consisted of an onslaught in great force in the morning in the directions of Ypres. After a heavy cannonade the assault was driven homo, and a portion of our front line forced back. By evening the lost ground was 'recovered, and in places more than recovered, with the oxcoption of a part to which the enemy clung. Our losses were heavy, but' not so severe as thoso of the enemy, who in one spot suffered tremendously by the concentrated fire of our massed machine guns. ■ ,' Renewed Attacks on Our Right. October SO witnessed the renewal of : the efforts against our Right, but with- i out success to; tho enemy. In the Cen- i tre tho bombardment was heavy. So many shells fell round our position that the telephone wires were frequently cut. Tho attack in the direction of Ypres generally was renewed south-east of that town, and pressed in great force 1 in places. Our lines were again forced back a short distance, but on our Left tho on-coming Germans wore stopped by our entanglements and under closo rifle fire. After two efforts to advance they gave way. ' On October 31 n most determined attack was made on our Left afld Left!

Centre, the pressure being specially severe against the latter portion of our position. A part-of our lino was driven' back temporarily by sheer weight of mot.il and numbers, but was almost all recovered again before night. Against our Centro the enemy did' not advance, whilst against our Right they were not nearly _so active as farther north. So far, with the assistance of the French, who have been co-operating most effectually, we have succeeded in maintaining our line and in retaining possession of Ypres, upon the capture of which by the end of October the Germans bad set their hearts.

Troops Behave Splendidly.

The fighting of the past fivo days has been of a most desperate nature,- and was evidently a soldiers' battle. Without exaggeration or undue self-congratu-lation, our men behaved splendidly. In tho face of heavy, odds, and against the repeated onslaught of great masses continually replaced by fresh i men and backed by an almost continuous fire by an immense concentration of guns, they have by dogged resistance well upheld the reputation of our Army. Heavy as have been our losses, we have.taken far heavier toll from ' the enemy. Our. French allies are fighting with all the dash for which they are famous. At Dixmude and along the Yser they have mads a name for themselves which.will riover dio. The Belgians likewise Lave resisted furious onslaughts with the utmost gallantry.

The German troops have won our reBpect for the' way in which they advanced. Whether it be due to patriotism or fear induced by the iron discipline, the fact remains that they have steadily pressed on to what in many cases must obviously have been certain death. A wounded German soldier states: "My section received orders to go forward and to attack. The officers warned us that if we gave way fire would be opened upon us from behind. This was carried into effect, when the losses we suffered compelled us to retire. A German bullet wounded me."

Our airmen harask the advancing hostile columns hy bomb-dropping and machine-gun fire. The tactical transfer of troops behind the German front lino is now carried out to a, great'extent by motor omnibuses.