SATURDAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 February 1915, Page 2

SATURDAY

The Germans in Northern made a desperate effort on Monday to pierce the allies' lines and capture Bethune. The preparations for the attack were made on Saturday, in the presence of the Kaiser. German infantry, advancing in close formation, were mowed down by British artillery in front and French artillery on their flank. Two companies were captured. French bayonets did deadly work on the plains of Vermelles, Givenchy, and Guinchy, which lies between Bethune and La Bassee. The plains were strewn I with dead. Further reports of the North I Sea fight state that the German battle-cruiser Seydlitz and Derflinger got home little more than afloat. The Seydlitz was on fire and the Derflinger had every gun out of action, and was damaged by a torpedo. The British light cruiser Arethusa, which won distinction in the earlier action off Heligoland in August, completed the destruction of the Blucher with two torpedoes. The men on the doomed ship were warned before j the torpedoes were fired and planks were thrown to them in the water. ■ Petrograd advices state that an influential Kurdish sheik has joined the Russians. He states that the Turks massacred almost j the entire Armenian population !in one valley.