Three Days' Battle

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 14, 3 September 1914, Page 5

Three Days' Battle

ALGERIAN INFANTRY EAGER FOR THE FRAY.: THE GREAT GERMAN WHEEL.

•crrri-iti 1..; ■ FIGHTINC SINCE iTHURSDAY IN AISNE DISTRICT. (Received 8.20 a.m.) ( London, September 2 (morning). Heavily-censored messages narrate that the Germans' great wheel to the French left continued on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and resulted in a fierce encounter with the troops who had collected to prolong the Allies' line. The Germans gained a success against the French (Teta-ISrtrials, who were only retrieved hi- the &.*\*id made by a long line of (artillery occupying the crest of a gently-sloping; plateau. forced 'the- Germans and their skirmishers' fro ifall I back in disorder and escape'from; the shrapnel. The outstanding incident of the battle on Sunday was an attack by Algerian infantry. A* they marched to the firing line, they amused the townfolk by making gestures like the cutting of throats, accompanied by a flourish of fists in the direction of the firing. When the Algerians reached the front, the whole French army was engaged in closing to the right. The Algerians, without forming up, launched against the right flank of a German brigade, while a battalion pushed through to cover the rear of the Algerians from the attacks of the next German column. The Algerians bounded through the bracken like a pack of hounds, reached the edge without showing a man, and did execution with their rifles, but though they gained upon the retiring German infantry, they never got close enough for a bayonet charge, which the Algerians longed for.

Following this succession the line pushed forward some distance. Then cam© night, and the exhausted men snatched a hasty meal and went to ■leep, leaving any fresh troops coming up on either side to continue the struggle.

A. Boulogne telegram says there has been incessant fighting since Thursday in the Aisne district, hut neither side obtained much advantage. After two days' fairly even fighting the French forced the enemy to retire, leaving heaps of dead and wounded. The French losses were also heavy. The Germans are still bringing up huge masses from their base to fill up the tremendous gaps made in their advance line.