France.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 36, 29 September 1914, Page 5

France.

The Battle of the Aisne, TALES OF THE FIGHTING THREE WEEKS OLD. THE CROWN PRINCE'S DEFEAT AND VON KLUCK'S MISFOR- \ TUNES. (Eeceived 8.55 a.m.) [United Press Association.] .v, < h i <•« w -'v" Parisy-September' ? '2B ! . | ' Eye-witnesses, summing up their impressions of thf battle front at the Aisne, state that for two or three days there was brilliant sunshine after a week of mud and water, which proved a God-send to the Allies. The great effort to drive back the German right wing .was continued with unabated fury. General Von Khick was compelled to retreat inch by inch. Both sides were apparently determined to fight the issue to a definite conclusion in the north-east of France, .scorning Alsace and Lorraine for the time being. "- >:

Among leading statesmen there is a concensus of opinion that a decisive ' victory cap. only be won by the belligerent being able to push the French troops, as a wedge into some vulnerable poinfc of the enemy's line. * Before Von Kluck's recent reinforcements, French aviators detected vast quantities of railway stock concentrated in the Eastern Departments. As there were no similar assemblage in the west,, commanders were assured that ihe Germans intended to hold the line.of the Aisne and the Oise. It was evident that the Germans considered the region of the Allies' left as the best road to Paris and that they in* tended to make another attempt *o gain it. While continuing to engage the British, they were throwing greater weight into the French left, and the German pressure caused the French left to yield slightly. The ground was won hotly contested, but the position afterwards improved and the enemy again pushed back with severe losses. It now transpires that Von Kluck's misfortunes were due to the defeat of the Orown Prince, who was badly beaten by the main body, his army retiring forty kilometres on the night of the 6th and 7th. The retirement was equivalent to a rout. At the time, French official despatches claimed it was a drawn battle, whereas they had actually smashed the flower of the German military power. In the plan of the German operation the path promising greatest glory was reserved for the Crown Prince. When Von Kluck's Uhlans were at Chantilly the Grown Prince's main body guard was at a distance of two hundred kilometres, and it was ordered to advance at all speed.

Taught by experience, the French general staff has forbidden bayonet attacks which are unsupported by effective artillery fire. ' The Germans, not content with a single trench, cut two and three lines of defences, each Urge enough to cover the whole force.

The Germans continued to use mass formation in attack, and a British officer states that the Germans lost 4000 since the attack last week on this account. ENORMOUS LOSSES IN KILLED AND WOUNDED. EXPLANATION OF THE RETREAT (Received 9.10 a.m.) Paris, September 28. Ji battle which was intended to brush aside the French to the southwest of Yerdun, iegan at daybreak

on the 6th and continued with unprecedented fury until daybreak on the 7th. The French guns were served with undeniable superiority. The Crown Prince's losses while advancing on the forty-mile, front were estimated at 20,000 kille dand 80,000 wounded. The mysterious German retreat of the right on the 6th is only explainable in two ways: Firstly, to m-ko out that there had been a sortie from Verdun, which, while the German main force was heavily engaged, would play havoc with any army, and secondly, the breakdown of the army transport service. In. that case, after the enormous expenditure pf ammunition on the 6th, the Crown Prince's army would be obl-'ged to retreat or be captured; The circumstances of the precipitate flight support the latter theory. The Crown Prince retreated fighting in order to save the remnants' if the crippled army from complete destruction. -His withdrawal compelled Von. Kluck and Von Buelow to execute the same manoeuvres. Hence the battle of the Oise and the subsequent fighting.' ' ]

MALINES BOMBARDED.

Paris, September 27

The Germans have renewed the bombardment of Marines. Lang-range guns are being u, c ed.

WEEK-END OPERATIONS.

ENEMY'S VIOLENT ATTACKS UN-

SUCCESSFUL.

Paris, September 28

The Germans delivered continuous attacks on Saturday and'Sunday of ox-, truordinary violence, the evident intention being to break onr lines. TLe opc-iations were carried out with uniformity, denoting instruction from a high commander seeking to find a solution of the battle. The attack was unsuccessful. We captured a flag, grns, and prisoners. All our army commanders report that the morale or ou<- troops is excellent. Despite fatigue and the uninterrupted struggle, it is difficult to hold the men back, owing to the desire to get into contact with the enemy, who are in sheltered defensive positions.

GREYS AND GRENADIERS.

A CALLANT EXPLOIT.

(Received 10.40 a.m.) London, September 28

A party of Scots Greys when crossing the Aisne were heavily . shelled from a wood. Grenadiers who preceded them fixed bayonets and charged the wood and captured six guns, despite murderous machine gun fire. After the pontoon had been twice destroyed an airman located tho German guns, enabling them to bo silenced and the crossing of the river was completed.' CROSSED THE FRONTIER OPERATIONS IN LORRAINE. (Receiverd 9.40 a.m.) London, September 28. After the battle on September 24th, both armies in Lorraine dug themselves into lines of trenches, Which they still hold. Guerilla warfare has since been conducted with pitiless ferocity, and the fighting surged between Nancy and the frontier. The whole countryside is dotted with so-called villes mortes which tho Germans had burnt or destroyed by shellfire. Germans •at Cerceuil surrounded 800 Ohmeurs under Commandant Do la Chapelle. The Germans fired volleys, but 250 Chasseurs, escaping, retook the position, leaving 1000 Germans dead. The French recaptured Avxicourt without casualties. The .commander

left a screen of troops on the enemy's centre, 'and four batteries kept up a fire while the main body carried out a. flank attack. The Germans abandoned their position, and crossed the frontier.

A LUCKY THIRTEEN.

MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.

BRAVE FRENCH LIEUTENANT.

HAZARDOUS RECONNOITRING.

(Received 9.4.0 a.m.) Paris, September 28

i Lieut. Verlin is mentioned in Genjeral Joffre's despatches for leading i fifty rcconnoiterors ten miles .ahead of the positions on the Oise. He obtained information which compellcd'the retreat of thousands of Germans. Verlin spread his men on the edgo of a wood, ordered rapid fire and kept it up, the Frenchmen moving from place to place in order to nvake them appear more numerous. The Germans did not enter the wood and at nightfall, Verlin led his remaining, thirteen to the French lines. General Joffre denies that the commandant at Rheims ever placed an observation post on the Cathedral.

HEAVY CASUALTY LISTS.

(Received 9.40 a.m.)

Copenhagen, September 28

The thirty-third list of German casualties shows: Officers 71 killed, 132 wounded, seven missing; men, 1032, 4123, 2216. .The twenty-fourth list shows: Officers, 89, 315, 9; men, 1328, 6070, 2110. ' The casualties on the last seven lists total 47,500.

UNIFORMS LIKE MOVING FIRS.

London, September 27

A chaplain at the front says that the Germans' greyish-green uniforms at a distance look like moving firs, and are undiscernible until well within rifle range. . A PETROL WAR. THE STOMACH OF THE ARMY DE PENDS ON PETROL.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. (Received 8 a.m.) London, September 29. A French officer writes as follows to his mother: "This war is a petrol war. Everything is done by macninery. Victory is to the man who has the most petrol. The army crawls on its stomach and the stomach depends on the petrol supply."

THE MAYOR OF SOISSONS.

WOMAN HOLDS ON TO THE REINS OF OFFICE.

(Received 9i 10 a.m.) •• Poris, September 28

L The wife of a former senator oi Aisne continues to act instead of. the Mayor of Soissons. When the officials fled she took chargo of the police, the fire station, and the hospital, and aided the Bishop of Soissons, find ran the town throughout the Germans'., occupation. ■ ■ ''■" ■' ✓ WITH THE AIRCRAFT. BOMB DROPPED IN PARIS WITH FATAL EFFECT.

Paris, September 27

A German aeroplane dropped a bomb in Paris to-day, killing a man and injuring a child.

OFFICIAL.

The Higji Commissioner reports under date London, September 28 :

Reliable.—The news from Paris is favorable to the Allies. The centre ;'s', on the defensive. Both flanks' arel vigorously offensive.

German aeroplanes dropped four bombs in Paris. Only one caused serious damage, killing one man. Heavy fighting is reported from Termonde and Hopstade, where the enemy have fallen back, losing their big guns. A German attack on Antwerp is considered imminent. Communication with Antwerp is becoming difficult. Reports from Petrograd state that tho Germans retreated towards Suwalki. The Austrian army has fallen back in the west. The Russians have occupied Turka in Galicia. Thirty-six German ships, valued t:t £2,000,000, are held up at Antwerp.

The French fleet bombarded Cattaro for twelve hours. Several of the forts were dismantled.

The Russians have completely isolated Przemysl. They have cut the railways connecting tho fortress in the north with Warsolav, in tho east with Lemborg, in tho west with Tarnow, and in the south with Thyro.