POSITION STORMED AT LA BASSEE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 5

POSITION STORMED AT LA BASSEE

CANADIANS IN ACTION DASHING BAYONET CHARGE FRENCH VALOUR ON THE ■' .AISNE AGAINST FEARFUL TURKISH TRANSPORTS ■';;■" .'■"■"■■'■■■ SUNK• • There is no lack of incident iii to-day's news from the theatres 6f war, although, oddly enough, one of the French communiques states, .laconically, that there is "nothing doing," The British hare scored a "brilliant success',',.'at La ..Basso?, oaptufing a much-coveted position of great tactical value; la assisting to repel a heavy German attack near Ypres, the Canadians have 'Willed "the Empire with their' dry: ~ "Canada and' Old England!» With this they leapt from their trenches and made a dashing attack with the bayonet, before . which the' Germans broke and fled. There is an interesting account of the fighting north-east of Sois sons, and the story of French valour during a'determined stand against overwhelming odds makes stirriiig reading. In' Flanders.a considerable stretch of country has,been flooded, thus, it is said, relieving the Belgians for service in the south. From the • • Eastern theatre there is news of con siderable activity in Northern Poland ' where the Russian advance is being pushed steadily td the north-west, crowding the enemy in upon his frontier east of Thorn. There is no -.news from the Centre armies, or of the operations in the south.beydftd the bald statement that the campaign is "uneventful." Heavy fighting has been proceeding in the Caucasian Highlands, and further reports of Turkish disasters are chronicled to-day. The much-dis-,;>,y< cussed advance, into,' Egypt is the subject of speculation in military circles. The project, it is pointed out, cannot long be deferred, if it is seriously contemplated, for the desert water supplies will bo dried up by the middle of February. ••. lathe Black Sea, disaster has over- •' ' '-taken the Turkish transports. Tho-cable message states that eighty ■ '*'■' (?) sailing ships engaged in the-transportation of troops to Anatolia have been sunk by the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The German • admiral commanding in the filach Soa has been relieved of his com* mand, says tho Paris "Temps," for the failure of his operations. BRILLIANT SUCCESS BY THE BRITISH FIGHT AT LA BASSEE CANADIANS WIN THEIR SPURS By (Telegrftpl—Press, Associfttton-Oopyrighii London, January 15. 1 Reu'ter states that the British on Thursday last captured an important strategic point at La Basseei. t There were heavy German losses, and many, prisoners were taken. The British casualties were slight. . Paris, January 15. The British success was brilliant. Over five-eighths of a mile was gained, the Germans were driven from strdng entrenohments. The "Petit Parisien" says the attack was nectary to protect La Bas&ee, which is dominated by a hill. The British charged up the hillside, and for tfro hours, used the bayonet. "FOR CANADA AND OLD ENGLAND!" *. THRILLING CHARGE BY THE CANADIANS. (Reo.- January 17, 2 p.m.) Paris, January 16. A' Gorman force, in advancing in masß formation, moved against the North Staffordshires, near Ypres, but were bogged in the mud, and furnished an easy 1 mark for the British riflemen. The enemy. retired, with heavy losses, and essayed afl attack further to the northward, where they met with a withering Ire from the British trenches. . "■ „, -n Then a Canadian regiment, shouting "For Canada and Old England! charged with the bayonet, and the Germans broke and fled. Trench after trench was captured,;until the German artillery checked the pursuit. The ground thus gained extended over a mile. " s MILITARY VALUE OF YPRES AND ITS STRANGE HISTORY. Why is the German-onslaught in the vicinity of Ypres so fierce, so deter-' mined, so sustained P It is thus:_ Ypres represents a position of high strataeic importance in Flanders. It is one of the-few places which is surrounded by suitable heights commanding a large area of flat country around. From the heights of. Mont-Kemmel, Mont-Rouge Mont-Novi, and Mont-Aigu, which in no other place would be called mountains, but which here are sufficiently prominent to dominate vast stretches of country an enemy could hold a great force on the plains in check. Therefore, one of the first things to be done by the British army in its campaign in Flanders was to secure the possession of this central point of vantage, from which also roads of, great military value ° r In Holland and Flanders Ypres Is connected ifi the mind of the people with the idea of death. If a Dutchman or a Fleming wishes to describe a particularlv lugubrious-person, he will say! "Hij wet er nit als de dood van Ypercn." (He looks like the death of Ypres). This oppression has been proverbial since Ypres was ravaged by the plague in 1349; ' the death of Ypres/' is a vivid express on like our "Black Death." But it is a so taken literally for Ypres is in sober truth oneof the dead cities of Flanders In the Midd o Ages Ypres, once the capital of West Flanders, was the riVa of Bruges and Ghent when , Se cities were great emporiums. It was famous for the fighting quaht.es nf i+a citizens too: the men of Ypres turned tho scale at the Battle of the Spurs Gold (cel'brated by. Longfellow) in 1302 Tho Dutch writer we have min+pd was struck by the names of tho inns at Ypres. Some of them are:— In Peace? In K In Paradise, In the. Four Winds In the Hope of Peace, In Hell Poporinghe, a village near YpreS, which has figured m recent war. news, also figures in a Flemish proverb: "Achter Poperinehe en is nelt meer (Behind Poperinghe there is nothing more—i.e., Poperinghe is the end of the world). . THE BATTLE NORTH OF SOISSONS DESPERATE VALOUR OF THE FRENCH. • '_, (Roc. January 17, 2 p.m.) „ Pirls, January 16. TVtaiU of the battle near Soissons show that the Frendh made a resolute advance along the Bothune Road, and reached a fain, where they encoWl erod rrwm.n division The French repulsed sharp attacks, and Hut g themwlw»™Hh ta£r«e coinage upon the lower slopes on Spur 132 until the Ger.mm rnimt,Br-attacks forced them to fall back on Crony. , Meanwhile tlol'ench attempted to scale toe raster.! ridge of the Perriere Platpnu but were thrown back by a withering German are. ( Xhtiw on Rpl r 132 was resumed on Wednesday, when two hundred Up outnumbering wd outfit"

the French. Tho Hooding of the Aisne destroyed the bridge at Venting tho French reinforcements from arriving, and only tho hasty recoil, stroction of tho bridgo enabled tho French to rotroat. Tho Germans occupy villages.on tho right bank, but are unable to cross, as tho French artillery is sweeping tho plain at .Yenisei. TERRIBLE ORDEAL FOR THE INHABITANTS. London, January 16. People are arriving in Paris from Crony (in ,?**» £* fierce -fighting north-oast of Soissons). They state that they hwd » ««■« during three months of the fighting. Only % h »i2riT'tai town was fed at night timo by tho soldiers. They, w nossed J*? ™° combat during tho last foVof irS-cUs" and ■■Sydney "Sun" Services.) TWO VIEWS OF' THE SAME ■ PICTURE. (Rec. January 17, 4.50 p.m.) u Paris, January. 16, RoDlvine to a German official wireless message declaring that the battle, at the Battle of Gravektte of 1870), and that five thousand French I " l "*Edes it is semiofficially announced that the French forces consisted of three brigades, and that the retirement was unmolested. GERMANS BOMBARDING SOISSONS, ', (Ree. January 18, 0.5 a.m.) _■ Paris, January 17. The Germans violently bombarded SAissona on Thursday. There.are fires in all parts of the town, and the tower and portico of the cathedral have been comtfetelv destroyed. The shells have killed many of the children, Ine Sans areßing men, women, and children in quarries as hostages, and forcing the women to go into Soissons for provisions. GALLANT STRUGGLE CONTINUES (Reo. January 18j 1.25 a.m.) . v Paris, January 17; Th« callant struKgle continues at Soissons. One. regiment recrossed the • IJrt. .it? fta German lines. Fierce fighting continued fof hours. Xntte French were'combed Cetreat only ten men in eachioomp.ni \Vhen the kronen were y h renewed attaok also L Germans, Who were attempting to cross at Missy. FLOODING OUT THE ENEMY IN WEST FLANDERS (Hoc. January 17* 2,10 p.m.) Amsterdam, Januarv 16. Five hundred more metres west of' Ypres have, been inundated. The Belgianf have to bfenable to evacuate certain positions, enabling many of drifted ashore on the Belgian coast, and the soldiers"« ffik? Heyst, and Zeebruggo are busy exploding them. ■ ~ _. FRENOH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUES. Paris, Janiiary 15. "• Ul »- »..*»».„ 17, us ~».> Pir „ iJ , m „ fl6 . Official.—"There is nothing notable to report." ' (Rfec. January 17, 2.10 p.m.) \. 1 Parts, January 16. nmrt;»l_"Thfi enemv has re-occupied a portion of the trenches at Notre DamS Lretl wSlhey lost on. January 14. We progressed at Blangy, Md of Soissons and Reima dispersing son.' 1 WHAT IS AN UNEVENTFUL DAY? r it. ' «wi„i from Paris and Potrograd we are often-told iw 11 S?S'' or that "the day has been, uneventful," of that, there » noUuiig; to 6Mry or * descriptive term "unevent„h? < *» tbe Btitii \& m £ ful, e ." , 7 I f„r\i „ " n t this adicctive is "entirely comparative." Ha **?' e " P What 6if now con as uneventful is not so in the peace. Sense o dd9 *„Tll merely signifies that no active operation o any special vigour the Word. , " mereij signV fa babkground of artillery bombardment, by either side, las stoodl ou ironi ™ hardly ever ceasing altoThis continues nigh* witnva J s that of the aether, attd includes fire rom the no afs bursting and »nti-aircraft, smtfiro• and that men.aro continual! Aing detonating along the lengthor ea = ti j 6Ven frofll - 60 sma u a standpoint tilted and ™ uttded ;,, 7 n d f Iw Br Sh army alone, uneventful is the only Word GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE, (Refl. January 17, 4.30 p.m.) • , Amsterdam, January 16. j eomniuniaue States! "We repulsed attacks north-west of Arras, - J A A ,Sattacked and.captured two trenches, making prisoners of. the evacuated the farm at Laboisselle."ALLIES' AIRMEN ATTACK ' OSTEND. ;^^ Uaryl8 '°' 12a - m | London, January 17, ™ •!■' mrresnondent at Calais states thai nine aviators damage. s ■ ' GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER RESIGNS. '' (Rec, January IS, 0,5 a.m.) Copenhagen, January 17. ■A German official message jjjg that «. Finance Minister, Herr Kuhn, has resigned for reasons of ill-health. RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN NORTH POLAND ENEMY POSHED BACK COUNT BEECHTOLD'S RESIGNATION . ■ (Rec. January 17, 1.45 p.m.) Petrograd, January 16. rt*„; 0 l "Tha enemy, expelled from Sierpc,,occupied the. fords at Skrawi, rn,» p„- mD 'Afi J tii K ter has received from the High Commissioner tho following n6 P ?SSm, January 16, 5 p.m. i-"Petrograd reports , that the §e2 SS d dSftt offfiSpo, and continue to fill bacf northwards." LULL IN THE CARPATHIANS. (Rec. January 11 j 1.45 p.m.) ■ Paris, January 16. « tt- „*n!ol mPßsaeo states that there is nothing doing in the Oar* pathfanSon i tirCasing frost is impeding military operations. THE DIPLOMATIC CRISIS IN AUSTRIA WHY DID COUNT BERCHTOLD RESIGN! (Rec. January 16, 5.20 *».) Thn imnrofssion in Berlin is that the Emperor Franz Joseph required a strong Zn ha°n Count Berchtold when the time dame for peace terms to be discS.-V'Times'' and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ;: (Rec. January 16, 4 p.m.) Amsterdam, January 16. ■ The "Lokal Anzeiger" says that Count Berchtbld's resignation was due to tension with Count Tisza (the Hungarian Premier), who is the real director Of the Dual Monarchy's foreign no' l0 )'. SITUATION GROWING WORSE EVERY DAY. (Rec. January 18, 0.5 a.m.) . - Rome, January lr News telegraphed from the Austrian frontier shows that the situation is growing daily more dangerous. .Food is at. famine pf !«*%. """»£"*. r " and anti-war demonstrations are taking place rt. all tt « l* ""fe**!coiifttrucUd barriondos Itt wverd of the tOwfls, m l&M Hare beencoafliots with-tbe police, and maßx wwit*.