France

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 29, 21 September 1914, Page 5

France

GERMAN GENERAL KILLED

LATEST REPORTS FAVORABLE TO THE ALLIES.

FIGHTING CONTINUES' GENERAL

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] fUnited Press (Association.]' (Received 8.50 a.m.) Paris, September 20. The latest communique reports the capture of numerous German prisoners. Fighting continues general ana the position of the Allies is favorable. The German killed include General von Schhuik. GERMAN LOSS AT MAUBEUCE 14,000. (Received 9.'-10 a.mi) Ostend, September 20. The Germans admit losing 14,000 killed and wounded at Manbeuge.

ESTIMATED AT 50,000.

(Received 10.55 a.m.) London, September 20. The German losses at Maubeugo are estimated at over fifty thousand. PRISONERS' ON EXHIBITION. (Received 9.15 a.m.) Paris, September 20.

It is reported that French prisoners at Munich were exhibited at thc price of twopence admission, drawing immense crowds. WITH THE AIRCRAFT. GERMAN AIRMAN IN NEED OF PETROL. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH WORK.

(Received 9.15 a.m.) Brussels, September 20. Prisoners state that German aeroplanes are not flying over the French lines owing to lack of petrol. A French aviator destroyed the permanent way and held np ten trainloads of ,Germans while another destroyed two food trains. It is stated that British airmen destroyed seventeen German aeroplanes. MAUSEUGE TO LOUVAIN. STRONGLY ENTRENCHED ALONG THE SAMBRE. 1 Osteud, September 19. The Germans are strongly entrenching along the Sambre from Maubeuge to Namur, with important works a! Timin', Farciennes, Tamines and Flo veffi ; also a deep semi-circle extending from Buggenhout, through Campenou, to the north of Louvain, where it turns to the south-east. All the trenches and rddoubts are reinforced with concrete.

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING.

DING-DONG STRUGGLE RESULT INC IN ENORMOUS LOSSES.

Paris, September 19

A French officer states that the bat tie of the Aisne was the fiercest ye: fought. It became general on the afternoon of the 14th, and the follow ing day there was a ding-dong struggle. The Germans, who had been awaiting reinforcements, during the night made a furious attack on om extreme left, whore the British am. French met the furious onslaughts and repulsed the Germans ten times with fearful German losses. The Germans continued the attempt to pierce the French linos, and hurled dense masses in a supreme endeavour, to check tho French. At dawn the -French had gained some ground There was an artillery duel on the following day, desperate infantry fighting recommencing on the 17th. when the French threw tho Germans ten kilometres (about six miles), capturing a number of machine-guns. The Germans on Thursday finally evacuated Soissons, and fell-back. All accounts agree that the famous Prussian Guards’ corps has been practically blotted out in tho battles of the Marne and Aisne.

An American army officer who was present estimated that tho Germans lost in killed during tho fighting in the centre around Behais and Champenoise between September 8 and 12. at from 15,000 to 20,000. The majority of these were bayonetted in tho trenches in hand-to-hand fighting with the Turcos and Senegalese. The German trenches north of Chalons are over three feet deep, with splinter screens every twenty yards, and resting places. The trenches consist of several parallel rows,flanked by others running at right angles, with concealed machine guns.

THE BATTLE OF AISNE.

MOST IMPORTANT IN THE CAM-

PAICM TO DATE.

Paris, September 19

There is a consensus of opinion that the battle of the Aisne is tho most important in the campaign. Evidently it is not a rearguard action, but a supreme encounter, tho closing era of the I>ig operations in France. The French general staff consider that the Allies’ frontal attack is developing under favorable conditions, and tho Germans’ counter-attacks are being repulsed. The Allies’ gains are necessarily slow, owing to tho strength of the German fortified positions. Final success will probably he achieved by threatening tho communications rather than by carrying the positions. Meanwhile the German communications are not as precarious as some suppose. While they hold Tergnier and Laon they have two linos of railway running across Luxemburg, and the Belgian railways via Mons and St. Quentin.