In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 25, 28 September 1915, Page 5

In the West.

GREAT SUCCESSES. ' 'i • 'ill • ‘ . ! -,n '■■l! '' I : I v r-• I , ‘ ’ .I■ -I ■ '. ! . 1 ' - I i SIMULTANEOUS “ FIGHTING 'LAND, SEA, AND AIR. -A/.IDKiL J v UnITBD t'KXM AISOOUTIOH Rotterdam, September 26'. On tly ranged widely, all arnis (being iyraijged. .There , Mas simultaneous fighting on land, on' the sea, and in the air. BetMeen one and ten o’clock in the morning the British squadron bombarded various ports on. the Belgian coast, including enemy trenches at Westendo and their line about Nieup<nt..|the French; heavy;; batteries ashore also v sweeping-' the line. Th«>l British sllips shelled i the positions,.*«tf i Seijjsjt* Dniubergeu >; and Knock, a«.r'veil as . the coastal batteries on the fflmd xlppes from „l)utcli frontier to Westende. Misty rain .hjjd the ships’ approach, and the first notice of theiripresences was shells burets, ing ashore;* ’lniintensity and ’duration all .previo'us homliaitlments were surpassed. "Many shells fell inland between Zeebrugge and Lajvsaueghe. 1 Seven columns of black smoke towering in the air-'showed that the bomibardment of Zeebrugge harbor was particularly severe, and it foiled tlie submarines to steal out. The Allies’ airmen, under cover of the mist, successfully bombed the German positions, and German aeroplanes were driven back to their own lines. There are persistent reports that at various points of the Belgo-Dutch frontier the Anglo-French forces have achieved great successes, and are steadily pushing forward. The movements behind the "enemy lines point to something in the nature of a retreat. The German losses owing to the Allies’ prolonged artillery fire are mounting enormously, while infantry losses in the last twenty-four hours have been terrible. Every available man in Belgium has been flung into the defence, and newly-arrived troops are being rushed into the firing line without a moment's rest. The villages and the' frontier posts are being denuded of guards.

FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. Paris, September 27. A Communique says:—We occupied, by main force, the whole of the village of Souche/.. and advanced eastward in the direction of Givenchy. 1* nrther south we reached La I 1 oile and pushed north to Thelitis, taking a thousand prisoners. After crossing almost the whole front between An he rive uuni Vi lies sur Tour he, jn • the Champagne, where a powerful network of trenches and forts 1 had been established and perfected by the enemy during many months, we advanced northward, compelling the Germans to fall hack three or four kilometres. Fighting continues on the*whole of this .front. We reached Kpine de Vilegrarule, further east, and hold the Alaissnn de C hampague farm. The enemy suffered Inanity from artillery and in hand to hand ■fighting. The material captured includes twenty-four field guns. Vi f * took sixteen thousand unwonnded prisoners, including two hundred officers, and on the whole front in two days the prisoners exceed twenty thousand, 20,000 GERMANS CAPTURED. , New York, September 26. 'JTie Allies captured 20,000 umvounded Gentians, according tci a French official communication.

TREMENDOUS GUNFIRE. >1 U. ' ALLIED AIRMEN AT WORK. 1 Amsterdam, September 20. The Telegraaf describes the gunfire as tWmendon.-i 1 ,-' and it- was followed by' a. 1 feiurfiil 1 bridging - back of , the, wourideQ. < I Soon all lavnihvble build-, jugs’ in Re fillers Itttid Oortemarck, were filled with injured. J.arge numbers of dead Mere buried in the numerous.! villages behind 1 the German lines. ; * The Allied airmen in the’raid on;i Ghent endeavoured to bomb the Phoenix ampiu’nitloh factory. They damaged sqnie houses and destroyed the new school for German 1 airmen. They also downed two enemy aeroplanes at Elzaeh, the pilots being killed. GREAT BAYONET WORK. v " Parifi, September '27.' ‘ After'a spasm of firing the guns quietened and the bayonets got to work’ 6i!i the German trenchek. .For i the first, time for a month'the French iusejl lithen: picked trodpfc’ dlio fought like demons anil dfbv'e "«jdt,'the GCr- 1 mail's, m spite of GcHelal Voli ’ Fal- ' beck’s’ furious 'reslistance'/ The enemy threw ■’jinridreds of suffocating shells and aeijiul torpedoes. The' Bi'itisb attack against. Prince Ruprecht’s forces is proceeding to the left of the Lens and La Bassee main road,and is directed towards the north of Lens. An army service driver states that the British artillery crumpled the enemy’s front trenches, but when the British reached them the Germans advanced to ■ their communication trenches. i ; ’ Tliere were sanguinary hand to hand fights in the new trenches and the bayonets (lid excellent work. The British gained a footing on many (sections of the enemy front. Prince Ruprecht’s troops fought well. Many Bavarians,.\yefe..Taken prisoner. •THINGS GOING WELL.” London. September 27. The Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent remarks on,,the calm wdierewitb the city received news of the success. Large, crowds mlio wei e walking the boulevards read the communique. and the general comment was:- “Things are going well.”

Paris, September 12

J Though the last communiques have proved inspiring, neither the press nor the public have displayed, a tendency to an excess of jubilation, hut accept the news with cheerfulness and equanimity,, convinced that victory will he theirs, however long and hard the road. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Amsterdam, September 27. A German communique states: The Anglo-French offensive, which had been prepared for months, progressed without bringing our assailants appreciably nearer. British warships attempted, without success, to harass us, and the enemy in the Ypres sector suffered heavy losses without success. The enemy south-west of Lille succeeded in repulsing one of our divisions near Loos from the advanced line. Naturally we suffered considerable losses in men and material of all kinds. Our counter-at-tacks are progressing favorably, We voluntarily evacuated the ruins of ,'louche/,, but easily repulsed other attacks. with heavy enemy losses. A German division between Rheifns and the Argonne. north of, Perthes, was obliged to evacuate their advanced positions, which’ were ruined

In- a seven! y-bonrs’ uninterrupted bombardment, retiring for throe kilometres. Otherwise all the enemy attacks to break through failed. The battle was especially stubborn north of Mourmelond and Egrand. close to the Western Argonne. .Here [we made the enemy suffer the heaviest losses. One of otlr warplanes shot down an aeroplane west of Camhra, and another was brought down of .Met/,. One of our airmen repulsed an attack on Freehurg by three French warplanes, two being shot down. New York, September 20. Berlin advices state that the Germans admit repulses north-west of Loos and also north of Perthes, with heavy losses. OFFENSIVE CONTINUES. NEW CAINS IN THE CHAMPAGNE DISTRICT.

(Received 8.40 a.m.f Paris. September 27. The new offensive is being continued I in the Champagne, the gains being maintained and new German positions captured. ALLIES' PROGRESS REPORT. The Higb Commissioner reports:—London ,Sept. 27 '5.5 p.m.) All positions east of Soncho/ are maintained. In Champagne there is violent fighting on the whole front. .Several new fronts have been occupied, notably at Iron Bncot, north of Jacques’ farmstead and some were passed by the Allies, where the enemy had maintained himself. THE ADVANCE CONTINUES. NEW POSITIONS OCCUPIED. VIOLENT FIGHTING EVERYWHERE. (Received 12.15 p.m.) Paris. September 27. A communique s,tates; We maintained our positions at Artois and maintained tlie advance east of Souche/. Fighting proceeds with bombs and torpedoes at Audechy. The enemy bombarded our positions at vieres, and we replied vigorously;; .After' tenacious fighting on the entire Champagne front, several positions behind our new front, in which the enemy had remained. There is intense bombardment between the Meuse and Moselle; also in Lorraine. A violent, storm -'brought• operations’ id" the Vosges to a standstill. 1 • ( oHe ! 1 illdft Epiir't] ' *'' BERLIN’S LATEST DETERMIN- :: •; > ,i ation. ; ... -:i 1 ' (Received. 12.15 p.m.) London. September 27. The Telegraph’s Rotterdam correspondent says that the General Staff at Berlin is determined to make one more great effort'- i'nt tlte'hmftf;* c '