THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 January 1915, Page 2

THE WAR

Latest Cables f ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.] [PElt PRESS ASSOCIATION.] BATTLE OF GIVEXG'HY. Paris, Jan. 29. Monday's fight was the biggest in rhich the British have been recently ngaged. La Bassee plains were a bog, aud tho 3erma.iKs found their only workable oothold on the highway. They suddenly attacked tho British insupported positions and the latter ell back before a rush I<><J by tho s<>ih Prussians and the 7th Tlw> 3nemy swept along the mau to Hie >utskirts of Givenchy, capturing half si dozen prisoners. . j The English reinforcements the sodden morass knee-deep in mud and water, secured a trench, though they lost heavily and drove back tlif Germans, who left 400 dead. A small force of the enemy entered Givenchy. The British fired from the windows and wounded many and the remainder surrendered. The British re-established th&mselves in their old positions and broke fresh ground. Tho Kaiser watched the preparations on Saturday nnd inspected the German positions at La Basse*.' The attack was supported by heavy artillery and an armoured train which fired twenty shells on Bethune. The Germans planned to draw the Allies towards Festhubert by a vigorous attack while two infantry regiment* made a turning movement in via the La Bassee-Bethune road . But the Allies were aware of the plan, and the German infantry advancing in close formation received a murderous fire. - They were caught between the English artillery in the front and the French artillorry on the flank and literally mowed down.. A couple of regiments endeavour- '• r> outflank the Allies advanced towards Annequin. They were allowed to approach within 500 yards of the Allies' lines, nnd then a French /5 opened fire and those not escaping were killed or taken prisoner, two companies being captured. The enemy vainly renewed the attack five times seeking to break through the Allies' line. ' They charged once to reach Givenehy Church, but the bayonets did deadly work in the plains round VermellesGivenchy which were strewn with I dead. OFFICIAL REPORT. Official.—There have been chiefly artillery duels and the position is unchanged. FURTHER DETAILS. Renter reports that the Germans on .Monday were concentrating important forces between La Bassee and Festubert ■i ml attempted to pierce the Allies' line ind capture Bethune. THE ARETHUSA FINISHES '

THE BLUCHER. The Arethusa finished the Blucher uitTi a couple of torpedoes. ASTONisHEb~GERMANB. Ono of the Blncher's- officers confessed that the Fatherland might heat England on land perhaps, but on the sea never. Another remarked : "Your shells were terrifying and yoinr seamanship marvellous." BLUOHER'S MEN GAME. A member of the Arothusa'e crewstates: "The Blucher's men were game k> the last. They , lined the rails and one of our officers megaphoned 'A torpedo is coming!' and they instantly* dived overboard. "We threw over Iraih dreds of planks to which the Germans clung until they wero picke<l up." / GERMANY'S BATTERED SHIPS. It is reported that the Seydlitz and the Derfflinger got home little more than afloat*. The former was afire and the Derfflinger had every gun out of action and was damaged astern by a torpedo. TERRIFIC BRITISH FIRE. The narratives of the Blucher'e survivors state how the British broadsides made the ship reel. The guns were torn from their settings and the whole of the gun crews were hurled to destruction. Men were swept off the dock like flies, and everywhere blood trickled and flowed. Shells burst Jn the interior of the vessel in a Halo of flame. Those in authority lost their head* and their nerves were unable to stand the strain. THE RUSSIAN METHOD. Petixi&'rt.ir Jan. f 29. The Zeppelin crow at not he treated as prisoners but as criminals They will be eourt-martialled on a charge of murder or attempted murder by attacking an undefended place. KURDS JOIN RUSSIANS. Influential Kurdish Sheiks at Shahmadiznoff have joined the Russians. MASSACRES BY TURKS. It is staled that'the Turks massacred almost the entire Armenian population in Alashkert Valley.