PROGRESS OF THE GREAT BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2307, 14 November 1914, Page 7

PROGRESS OF THE GREAT BATTLE

GERMANS HELD IN CHECK

ALLIES REPULSE ATTACKS IN BELGIUM

lisJoolatlon-Oonyrieht

. • • ■ ' Paris, November 12. A communique states: A violent action continues'on the Left Wing, but it is not important, there being alternate advances and retreats. , The battlefront, which runß through Lombartevde, Nieuport, Ypres, and Zonnebeke, to the east of Armentieres, is generally unchanged since tbe evening of November 10. The British repelled attacks, especially those -of the Prussian Guards; . .

We held our ground on the remainder of the front, silenced the German artillery near Craonne, and slightly progressed > aroimd Berry-au-bac, oa the Aisne, between Reims and Laon.

Jjombartzyde'is between Nieuport" and the sea. . Zonnebeke is halfway between Ypres and Roulers, , ■ ENEMY'S EFFORT WITHOUT RESULT. , _. . Londotii November 11, midnight. Official.—Th9 enemy continued its effort without result. The enemy's counter-attack at Lombartzde was repulsed. The enemy vainly attempted to debouch from Dixmude on to the left bank of the Yser, GROUND HELD IN ALL' POSITIONS,' (Rec. November 14, 0.35 a.m.) 'Paris, November 13. Official.—We held our ground'in all positions., The enemy in a night attack. attempted to debouch from Dixmude, but were repulsed, and were also thrown back everywhere over tbe Yser, except for three hundred yards on the left bank. . The Prime Minister has received the following message from the High Commissioner, dated London November 13, 1.25 p.m.:— _ Official.—The operations of the last few days consisted mainly of heavy "Shting north of the Ly.s. The points of interest were Hollebeke, TVytschaete and Messmes. rhere was also severe encounters on the line from Oanvoorde to Frelinghien. The character of the fighting was frequent, and vigorous infantry attacks from the Germans, accompanied by , heavy shell fire, alternating with equally vigorous counter-attacks. The general result was the maintenance of our line. There were considerable losses on our side, but the loss was still heavier on the other side. Machine guns and 100 prisoners were taken by us on the Bth. ■ The Allies' strength is constantly/maintained by reinforcements. Latterly there haß been stress in the neighbourhood of Glieluvelt, north of Ypres and Dixraude. The German artillery fire there is a continuous bombardment intended to pulverise the defence preparatory to an advance of the infantry. ThO centre of the struggle is Ypres, the defence of which will certainly be reckoned in history as one of the most striking episodes in the annals of the British Army. For more than tbreo weeks the position has been held, under a rain of shells, which hardly ceased day or night. During this' time the enemy poured successive waves of infantry against it, only to see them "break'? to pieces one after the other.' ' TERRIBLE GERMAN ONSLAUGHTS REPULSED, London, November 12.. The correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle states: The German onslaughts from Dixmude to Arras' during the week have been terrible. They progressed in places, only to be driven back next day. The artillery dominates the position so effectively that substantial continual advances by either side are impossible. As the Germans are unable to make any impression on our lines, they, confine themselves to relentlessly bombarding Ypres, Arras, and Bethune. For the first time the Gennans have brought an armoured train into action against the British train. The enemy's train carricd 6-inch guns, and threatened to become a formidable rival. • Our aviators detected it crawling steadily towards' our lines, and the British train steamed out of the fire zone. 'When the enemy's train stopped foiir gigantic shells exploded over it, and 1 laid a portion of it in ruins. The shells came from British 0.2-inch naval guns installed six miles away. The German engineers courageously worked under a continuous fire to remove the damaged part from the rails, and many lives were lost. The shells did much damage, but failed to destroy the engine, which dragged the remains of the train away at nightfall. NIGHT ATTACK AT LA BASSEE,

(Rec. December 13, 8.20 p.m.)

.. London, November 13. The "Daily Chronicle's" Calais correspondent says tie Germans made a determined night attack on La Basseo on Tuesday.. The British allowed the infantry to pierce the lines and get well on the road to Bethune. They thon halted on the slope of a hill_ by a "terrifying rifle and artillery fire, which overturned the German gun-carraiges and reduced the infantrymen to a panicstricken mob. Tho Germans abandoned two Win. guns and one 16} in, Lowitzer. * During the bombardment of Yprcs on Tuesday the Germans shelled the railway station, hoping to blow up the armoured train. At the time a special train tfas at the station conveying a thousand German prisoners to France. Only 284 remained unscathed, 161 were seriously wounded, and the rest are dead and lie unburicd at tho station. HOW THE TRENCHES ARE DUG UNDER FIRE. (Rec. November 13, 6.50 p.m.) London, November 13. The "Daily Telegraph's" Paris correspondent states that interviews with' German wounded reveal that the following method of beginning trenches under lire is common in the German Army. First the officer selects a man and orders him to divest himself of the rifle and liheavy ])ack, take a spade, and march from cover some paces tothe front. If ho hesitates the officer puts a revolver to the man's head and covers him until he ha« turned tho first sod. Tho Mim ..seldom, /survives longer. !l'hcn a second i 6 sent out, and a, third and, fourth until

the beginning of the trench.ia deep enough to cover a man. When this stago is reached another is sent forward with an armour-plate 6Mcld, which, when set up over the hole previously made enables the rest bf the work to be done in comparative safety. On an average fifteen men. are 6hot down before the beginning of the trench has been effected. Many of tho German wounded are brought to the French hospitals naked, their 'comrades having stripped tliem and sent the. clothes to Germany for drafts. One of the wounded said the German Red Cross had orders to pick-up oificens only, unless there was amplo room for the men. He several times eaw severely wounded men allot as they lay in the field and stripped of their uniforms and accoutrements before the bbdies were cold.

ESTIMATE OF THE ALLIES' LOSSES. Paris, November 12. It is estimated that France has four million men under arms, amd that she has lost 400,000 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Britain, which 'is estimated to have 1,800,000 men under arms, is supposed to have lost 50,000 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. DIXMUDE MERELY. A HEAP. OF RUINS. Paris, November 12. The newspapers point out that Dixmude (which was reported yesterday to have been captured by the Germans) is merely a heap of smouldering ruins. The Allies retired a few yards, and strongly hold the line oi : tho Yser. Amsterdam,, November 12. 'An official message from Berlin statC9 that Dixmude waa stormed, and over five hundred prisoners and machine "guns captured. BAVARIAN PRINCE APPEALS TO HIS MEN. (Bee. November 13, 10.5 p.m.) Lot«dori| November 12. The Crown Prince of Bavaria has addressed a general order to his troops, in which he says: "Soldiers, the eyes of the world are upon you in your present task. Do not relax the struggle with the hated enemy till you break his arrogance once for all. He is already weakening, and upany officers and privates of the enemy have voluntarily surrendered. The grea.t decisive blow remains to be struck. Do not let the enemy slip between your teeth. .We must conquer."- ; RALLIES REPORTED AT OSTIEND. " ' (Rec. November 14,1 a.m..) Amsterdam, November 13. People who have crossed the frontier state that the Allies have entered Osten.d, which the Germans have abandoned. KAISER'S APPEAL TO HIS TROOPS ; GERMANY; MUST NOW TURN TO DEFENCE OF ITS HEARTHS, (Rec. November 14, I a.m.) Pfltrogradi November 13. An order issued to his troops by the Kaiser has been found on a German wounded soldier in East Prussia. It reads: "Thanks to the valour of my heroes France has been severely punished, Belgium has been added to the glorious provinces of Germany, and the punitive expedition to Russia has been a brilliant success. But although we have obtained due requital for our affronted patriotism, Germans must now turn to the new task of protecting oar hearths, which moribund France and barbarous Russia are preparing_ to attack. Henceforward military operations must tako a new form, for it is necessary to concentrate our energies • upon the repulse of the enemies ; otherwise Germany will be transformed into an enslaved and degraded province of Russia and Franco. Remember } not one step backward into our country.!' l - . •