In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 6, 7 May 1915, Page 5

In the West

CALAIS AS THE OBJECTIVE.

Pek Press lAesoruA'rroN. Amsterdam, May 6. There is a great concentration of

Germans at Konlers, Courtrai, and Lille, foreshadowing a determiner] elfort to reacli Calais. Guns of loin have been mounted a lew miles north of Nieuport. I , ■—■ | FIGHTING ROUND HILL 60. London, May 6. i Sii' John French reports that fighting is in progress at Hill (30, where the Germans gained a footing this morning under cover of gas, which was extensively used. The weather favored the use of gas. The Germans also made a feeble attack east of Ypres. It was easily repulsed, our artillery inflicting severe losses. The Germans exploded a mine in the neighbourhood .of Gevinchy and used gas. Four men were poisoned, hut otherwise the attack failed.

IN THE POISON BELT. "Eye-witness" states that the French made considerable progress west of the Ypres Canal and south of Pilkem, ' removing the German wedge in the French line between the canal, Ypres and the Langemarck Road, representing a gain of over a thousand yards at a central point. On May 2 the Germans assumed the [offensive against the British north of Ypres about live o'clock in the evening. Dense cloud's of suffocating vapor were emitted from their trenches on the whole front along the French right and our left. In the still of the evening the fumes did not carry beyond our first trenches, hut those were rendered untenable and a retirement was ordered. The enemy immediately bombarded with asphyxiating shells and shrapnel. The gas on this occasion looked like a great reddish cloud. Our batteries poured a concentrated fire into the German trenches. Between us there wavered poison belt. The xipper part became shredded, thin and vaporish, as it was shaken by the wind, while the lower and denser part was sinking in the inequalities of the ground and rolling down the trenches. Nevertheless the German infantry faced it and our hail of shrapnel. The troops held firm and shot through the cloud at the advancing Germans, while the men holding the front line managed to move flankwards beyond its influence. They waited until the Germans reached our trenches and then bayoneted them.' On 'the extreme left of the supports we charged through the vapor, and the men> met the oncoming enemy with bayonets. The Germans fled and large numbers were mown down and fell in,heaps. Many were unable to make.tlleir way through the gas cloud, and probably rtiost of the wounded pr>risljed by, : fumes before;'loiig.r We occupied trenches and re-established our original position. "Eye-witness" recounts a recent instance of Indian steadiness. A shell burst in the middle of a battalion of Pathans, killing and wounding sixteen men.) The columns immediately closed up and marched on. They advanced across twelve hundred yards of open country under a murderous fire, their war cry swelling louder and louder above the din. One of the British officers was hit four times, but continued to lead until he fell riddled with'machine gun bullets. Prisoners captured during the recent fighting state that one German corps lost 80 i>er cent. In the first week the losses from our artillery were very heavy. Many Germans suffered from gas.

"Eye-witness" emphasised fcliafc progress must not be measured bV the extra, ground covered, but by the drain of the .enemy's strength. The Germans' present policy is to acbieve'sufficient success to influence neutrals.

RELIEF FOR THE BELCIANS. (Received 8.55 a.m.) Amsterdam, May 6. Germany has threatened to prohibit the continuance of relief to the distressed in Belgium if railwaymen persist in their'refusal to work under the Germans. The latter have already arrested the burgomaster and Senator Xivellas for continuing relief against orders.

FRENCH PROGRESS REPORTS.

Paris, May "

We captured Sabos and repulsed an attack at Caloune, inflicting heavy loss.

Three regiments attacked our newly acquired positions in the eastern part of the Bois d'Ailly, and on the. open ground of the ridge they gained a footing near our first line. Our counter-attacks regained half the ridge. A second counter-attack is in progress, but the result is not known. We gained a marked success eastward of Bois Montmartre, capturing two successive lines of trenches, and ho repulsed three counter-attacks. Many of the enemy were killed and many taken prisoners. We progressed along the northern bank of the Keclit towards Steinbruck. SUCCESSFUL COUNTER-ATTACKS (Received 8.55 a.m.) Paris, March 6. A British counter-attack recovered portion of the lost trenches on Hill 60. Our counter-attacks have re-gain-ed more ground at Boisdailly. , HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Tin* Prime Minister has received the following from the High. Commissioner dated London, May Otll (2,30 p.m.). In Belgium Urn. Allies captured a

German trench and pushed their lines forward between Lizerne and Xetsas, of which they are masters. At Champagne, west' of Perthes, and in the Argonne, Four-de-Paris and Calonne, the trench German attacks completely tailed, the enemy's loss being heavy. At the forest at D'Ailly, the enemy gained a footing in the first line on ground recently taken by the Allies, but half of it was almost immediately recaptured. The result of a second attack to re-gain the remainder is yet unknown. In a wood at De Mortmare three German counter-attacks were repulsed with great loss to the enemy. In Alsace, on the north hank of the Fecht, the Allies continue to gain mound, and seized a peak east of Sillakervvasen, and progressed in the direction of the river near Steinhach. London. 6th May, 4.40 p.m.:—North of Ypres the Allies easily repulsed a night attack, debouching from Steenstraate. South of Ypres the Germans attacked near Zwartelsn the trenches on Hill 60, captured in April by the British. Their attack was very violent, and in the course of which they again used asphyxiating gas, rendering them masters of the position. A British counter-attack recaptured the position and the trenches lost at Bois d'Ailly. A pronounced counter-attack by the Allies at Legremont progressed, the Allies retaking a fresh position of the German position, where they gained a footing in the morning. During the night the Germans counter-attack-ed Mamelon, east of the Sillakerwasen summit, which they re-occupied. The rest of our gains in the direction of Lefecht were maintained and consolidated.