BRITISH GAS ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2654, 28 December 1915, Page 9

BRITISH GAS ATTACK

A GERMAN ACCOUNT. Dr. W. Scheuermann, the special correspondent of tho "Deutsche Tageszeitung" at Gorman headquarters, sent to bis paper a long account of the British advance at Loos at the end of September. Before the forward move was made, ho told his readers, the British batteries had biien raining shells of all calibres on the German lines at the r.ato, of 70,000 a day. In consequonce of tins terrific bombardment the ground where many of the German first-line trenches had been dug was completely levelled, and the barbed-wire protection blown to pieces. Dr. Scheuermann continues : "On the morning of the 25th wo heard our drums frantically beating a warning, and almost simultaneously a- strange, unnccustoined smell was noticed in tho air. Then we knew that the gas attack • had begun. It was only by the move- , ments in the foremost lines of tho •enemy's trenches that we knew an oarly attack was coming. Of course, by way of precaution, all measures had been taken in expectation of a gas attack. Tlie atmosphero was rather clouded, and there was a mild west wind. B.v keeping an iutent look-out it was possible to distinguish waves ot black smoke, which slowly made their way towards our positions, but which wore at first almost unidistinguishablo ■ from the light fog prevailing. Our men, having ben warned, at once put on their masks, whilo cloud upon cloud ot smoke rolled towards them. It was noticeable tliat tho British commanders wero following a certain system. First of all came a whitish kind of gas, immediately followed by a cloud of black, gassy smoke.'. This went 011 for some time. This black fire-damp penetrated into the depths of our trenches, and then swept ovor- them to the trenches beyond. ,It covored iiot merely tho whole front, but even the headquarters of the General Staff, which lay far behind the lines, and it was so'thick at that point that it was hardly possible to see ten paces ahead o.f one."