Official

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 59, 5 November 1914, Page 6

Official

AN ENCOURAGING BUDGET.

[P*« ?R»8 A *ROCIASTON 1

The High Commissioner’s report from London on 4th November;— The Admiralty announces that tin British and French squadrons bombarded the Dardanelles forts at daybreak on November 3rd, and the fort: replied. The Allies suffered no loss. A large explosion with dense black smoke occurred at Holies fort. Official.—Berlin reports admit that German operations are impossible south of Nieuport, and, owing to floods the troops were compelled to retreat.

Paris reports that the Germans aban. doned the left bank of the Yser beyond Dixmude and the Allies re-oecupied the passages of the Yser without difficulty. Violent attacks by the enemy north of Lys and in the region of Arras were repulsed.

Reports from Africa show that Colonel Brit?, sent a patrol of 50 men in the direction of Scheitz Drift, where they encountered 150 of Maritz’s men. The patrol captured eight, and also reported that Maritz had lost several killed and wounded. No details are available. There were no losses among the British. Captain Benkes, Lieut. Furcher, and 50 men raised in Namaqualand surrendered voluntarily and were brought to Springbok. 1 '•

Official: The. War Office announces that since the forces besieging Tsingtao seized the enemy’s advanced positions on September 26, they have^ been energetically bringing np heavy siege guns. On October 31, a general bombardment with heavy siege guns opened. At the time of the blockading, the fleet, concentrated its fire on the enemy’s forts, with considerable effect. The result of these bombardments was great damage to litis Hill, the east fort on the right wing of the enemy’s land force defences, and to the works at Heiochanehan, in the vicinity of the dockyard inside Tsing-tao, and the town and oil tanks were set alight. The enemy did not reply to the bombardment with vigor.

The Hon, the Prime Minister has received the following from London, dated 3rd November: —

An eye-witness with the general headquarters staff contTnues his narrative published on the 27th ult. of the movement's of the British force. After the fall of Antwerp and the release to the besieging troops, the tenor was a gradual increase in the strength opposing and met with by us until 20th October, when the arrival opposite us of a large portion ,of new formations with a considerable number of heavy guns enabled the enemy to assume the offensive practically against the whole of our line at the same time that they attacked the Belgians between us and the coast Since that date up to the 25th the heaviest fighting we have yet , been engaged in has taken place, resulting ip immense loss to the Germans On the 21st the new permah formation again pressed forward in force vigorously all along our line on onr right south of Lys The attack on Yiolaines was repulsed with loss to our assailants We were driven from some ground close by to the north, but regained it by a counter attack. Still further north the Germans gained and retained some points. The total casualties to the south-east of Armentieres are estimated at over 1000. On the north of Lys in our centre a fierce-ly-contested action took place near Laghier, which village was captured in the morning by the -enemy and then re-taken by us. In this direction the Ce,rraan casualties were extremely heavy. They came on with the greatest bravery in swarms, be swept away by our fire. One battalion of their 104th Regiment was practipalh wiped out. Some 400 dead were picked up in our lines alone. , Incidentallyby our counter-attack we took 130 prisoners, and released 40 of our own men, including a subaltern of artillery who was cut off while taking observations'from a point of vantage. Oui men wero very well treated by their .captors,the Saxons, being placed in cel ]ars for protection from the bombard meat by our own guns. On our left we, advanced against the 26th. Reserve ]

Corps, near Pasachendaele, where we were met by a determined counter of-, tensive, which was driven back with great loss. At night the Germans renewed their efforts unsuccessfully in this quarter. They tried to rush us. They came up in a solid line, two-deep, and shouted out: “Don’t tire, we are Coldstream Guards!” Our men used tricks of this kind. They allowed the enemy’s infantry to approach quite close and swept them down with magazine fire. Apart from 400 dead found near our lines on our centre our patrols discovered 300 dead further out in front, killed by our artillery. The 22nd saw renewed pressure against us. We succeeded in holding our ground in nearly every Quarter. South of Lys the enemy attacked from Labasse and gained Yiolaines and another point, but their effort against a third village was repulsed by artillery fire alone, the French and British guns working together very effectively. On the north of the river there were minor attacks against us all day. All were beaten back. The Germans advanced in the evening against our centre and left an d were again hurled back, though they gained some of our trenches in the latter quarter. By this time the enemy had succeeded in bringing up several heavy howitzers. Our casualties were considerable. 23rd.—The action south of Lys on our right, continued by the artillery. Several of the hostile batteries were silenced. In the centre their infantry again endeavoured to force their way forward, and were only repulsed after determined fighting,leaving many dead. North of Lys the attack at different points was repulsed on our left. The 23rd was a bad day for the Germans. We drove them from the trenches, out oi'\ which they had turned us on the previous evening and captured 140 prisoners and released our men whom they had taken. As the Germans retreated our guns did great execution amongst them, after they had made five desperate assaults on our trenches,' advancing in mass and singing “Die Wacht am Rhein.” Each assault was easily beaten hack, our troops waiting until the enemy came to very close range before they opened fire with rifles and maxims, causing terrible havoc in the solid masses. During the fighting inf this quarter on the night of the 22nd and on the 23rd the German losses were again herfvy. We made 600 prisoners during that time and picked up 1500 dead killed on the latter day. Miiclj of the slaughter was due to point blank magazine fire by our men, whilst our howitzers and our field guns, working in perfect -combination did their share. When the enemy was repulsed, as they fell back, they‘were subjected to a shower of shrapnel. When they sought shelter in villages, the buildings were bat- • tered, and they were driven out by a high explosive shelf. Then they were again caught by shrapnel as they came into the open. The troops suffered severely on most of the 23rd. The corps were on their new formation. The way their advance was conducted showed a lack of training, and faults in leading, which the almost superhuman bravery of the soldiers could not counterbalance. It was a holocaust. The spectacle of these devoted men chanting the national song as they marched on certain death was inspiring. One. field battery expended 1800 shells. The fighting was confined to the artillery, except at night, when the Germans pressed on, to be repulsed. In the centre, near Armentieres, our troops withstood three separate attempts of the enemy to rush forward, our guns coming into play with good • effect. Against our left the German 27th corps made a violent effort, with no success.

On the 25th, it was our turn ou the offensive. This was carried out by a portion of the left wing, which advanced, gained ground, and took 2 guns and 80 prisoners. Six machine guns fell to the French. In some places 'the troops were engaged in a hand-to-hand combat. Towards evening we captured 200 prisoners. Up to the night of the 20th, not only have we maintained our position against the great effort of the enemy to break through to the west or to force us hack, which started on the 20th, but we have on our left passed to the offensive. It is true that the efforts against ns are made to a great extent by partially trained men. Some appear to be suffering from lack of food. They are fighting with the utmost determination in spite of the fact that many are heartily sick of the Avar. Though we have undoubtedly inflicted immense loss upon the enemy, they have so far been able to fill np gaps and charge. We have suffer, ed heavily ourselves.