In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 65, 19 March 1915, Page 5

In the West

THE FIGHT AT NEUVE CHAPELLE WHOLE COMPANIES SURRENDER “THE DEAD LAY THICK ALONG THE WHOLE FRONT.” United Puebm AasnouTloH. 'Received Hi-i§ Hiiii.) i LcJudoil; Match IS. I ‘‘Kye-Wifciless” says : “On the lltli round Xeuve Cliapolle the enemy made incessant efforts to regain what they had lost. The Germans on the 12th began to show signs of great exhaust-* , ion, and the attackers frequently held l up their hands when wo fired. Our infantry did not give them a moment’s rest, and whole companies surrendered. “The dead lay thick along the whole front, 2000 dead being found south !of the village, and another 500 lay stretched in front of one of our battalions east of the village. These do not include the large numbers killed in Xeuve Chapelle itself. A patrol found a dummy figure in front of a Gorman trench, and it exploded on removal, injuring the man. j “An officer who was taken prisoner stated that three Princes, including iLeopold of Hohenzollern, were serving at Xeuve Chapelle, and it is believed all of them were Idled.” OFFICERS’ CASUALTY LIST AT NEUVE CHAPELLE. GERMAN PRISONERS AT SOUTHAMPTON. (Received 9.30 a.m.) London, March 18. A further list which has been published shows that there were 119 officers’ casualties at Xeuve Chapelle, including 54 dead. Five thousand German prisoners arrived at Southampton in four days. Professor Pollard states that since October, the Britishers in France are using up rifiey at the rate of one per man monthly. TRENCH FIGHTING AT CERNAY.

MORTARS AND HAND GRENADES. (Received 10 .25 a.in. ) Paris, March 18. Official: Details show that the Cernay mine exploded and partly Idled np the trench trench. The Germans occupied it, but were subsequently driven out. They established themselves in the cavity caused by the explosion, and, bombarding with trench mortars and hand grenades, succeeded in re-occupying the trench. French artillery and infantry during the night expelled the enemy with heavy loss. The French occupied the cavity and connected it with the trench by a tunpel and defeated a German counterattack, killing IDO. FRENCH PROGRESS REPORT. (Received 9.30 a.m.) Paris, March 18. A communique states: The Belgians are progressing. They bombarded a convoy near Dixmudc. A French aviator bombarded the Conflan’s railway station in Lorraine. , I MISCELLANEOUS. London, March 18. Truth opines that FJeld-Maifshal French intends fighting his way to Lille with General Pulteney’s army corps. L’Pinette is within six miles of the centre of Lille. If the movement continues, wo may expect a series of pitched battles, in which the Germans will fight at a strategical disadvantage. If they are defeated, they will lose their lino of retreat down the Lys River. Aviators are seeking to prevent reinforcements from Ghent, where the bulk of tire German reserves are collected. London, March 18.

A British officer states that 3-10 guns at \euve Chapelle were firing as fast as it was possible to fire thorn. The German trenches seemed afire under an unbroken lino of bursting shells. The entanglements were blown beyond the trenches, which were reduced to a pulp of earth, boards, and wire equipment, intermingled with German dead. The foremost trenches aero only 150 yards from the British, who were petrified while they waited for the order to charge. {