WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1316, 27 October 1914, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

HUGE CAPTURE OF GERMANS REPORTED. FRANTIC EFFORTS TO PIERCE ALLIES’ LINES. GERMANS FLOODED OUT. RUSSIAN SUCCESSES. A London message states that 70,000 Germans, with 300 guns, have been captured between Chalons and Longwy. At Verdun the French army is fighting vigorously in the field, and the Germans cannot get within range of the forts. The Paris press state that the Germans are making a frantic attempt to pierce the Allies’ lines at all points of tbe front. An official message from Paris, dated October 25th, states that there is no change in the position between the seas and Arras, or in the Argonne, but the Allies’ artillery destroyed three German batteries on the Meuse heights. A violent action in the vicinity of Nieuport is reported where the Belgians fought like demons. The battle between Nieuport and Ostend continues vigorously. It is repotted that the Germans for the time being are allowed to act for the most part on the offensive, though the enemy in the vicinity of Dixmunde and Ypres has been steadily pushed north and east.

It is estimated that the Germans lost thirty thousand men in consequence of the flooding of the country south-east of Duukirk. Five thousand were drowned, and the rest cut off and overwhelmed.

The Germans are concentrating their attacks on Dixmunde, where they are not exposed to the fire of the British fleet.

A captured Bavarian officer states that when the Allies opened the sluices at Dixmunde his regiment was compelled to fight in the trenches up to their hips in water for many hours. The Russians beyond the Vistula are closely following the retreating enemy. The Germans are said to have only feebly resisted north of the river Pilica, and were pushed back to Skierniewice.

South of the Pilica, the AustroGerman forces were compelled to accept a battle, and the Russians, after bayonet charges in the forests of Radom, took many prisoners and machine guns. South of Przemysl there was desperate fighting on the San river, which resulted in favour of the Russians.

SOUTH AFRICAN REBELLION. In South Africa, Colonel Maritz’s rebels total 1,000, with 75 German gunners, who have new Maxims and field guns. The Colonel endeavoured to retire to German territory, but was cut off. He recently offered to surrender on terms, but the offer was ignored. A rebel attack near Uppington was repulsed. BOMBARDMENT OF TSINCTAU. Japanese naval heavy artillery is co-operating with the land forces in the bombardment of Tsing-tao. Japan has captured two German auxiliary cruisers. A German destroyer torpedoed the cruiser Takachibo, exploding the magazine.