WITH THE BRITISH FORCES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 59, 9 November 1914, Page 6

WITH THE BRITISH FORCES

FIVE DAYS’ DESPERATE .FIGHTING. * MOST BITETELY CONTESTED : • BATTLE OF THE WAR. - HIGH. ■ COMMISSIONER ’S REPORT. > WELLINGTON, Nqv. T. . ■ The following war news has been it? by the Prime Minister from tin Commissioner: — _ The official acount, communicated by W an -eye-witness with the General Head ■ ' quarters, 'continues the narrative of movements of the British force and ■ French armies which are in immediate touch. „ , In spite of the groat losses suffered in tfce attacks last week, the Germans continued the offensrve towards the ■wrest almost continuously during ( days (25th to 30th October). Opposite us the attack has gradualy grown in intensity In extent and application, as men and guns have brought up and pushed into the fight, It has been - The Most Bitterly. Contested battle fought in the western theare. ■ The Germans’ artillery has been increased by the transference of guns from Antwerp. As regards infantry, it is possible that some additional troops have been rendered available by the re luxation of pressure rgainst the Allies north of Ypres, caused by the desperate and successful resistance made md later by the harassing nature of the artillery fire brought by our ship: against the strip of country along tn. coast'and by the flooding in the area of the Yaer. Forces have been massed also from the south, whilst another new army corps has definitely made its tie but. Though attempts to hack a v.a% through have been made in other three - . tions, the attack has been seriously co.. ; e.entrated ‘upon the neighbourhood c f Ypres./ * ' On'the 26th, south of Lys, on. our .right,; 'the enemy attacked Neuve , Chapelle, held by us. In the evening under cover of a wood, they managed to gain possession of portion on tho north of the Lys. In the centre y the bombardment alone kept up the ~ -ground made for us. A detached post which Was attacked by a force during d the. night, drove back its assailants, winleft 56 dead behind. Near our left, th< / Germans .developed ; v’. Very Strong Attacks on tiie region of our line east of Ypres. p Though supported by great masses 01, artillery, this was cheeked. On Tues r;jday.:i|ie Germans rather focussed their .j.,principal attention on. our right aim - • centre right. Tho most desperate fight' •iV iug took place for the' possession '}/ Neuve Chappelle. In spite of repeater by the British, the ene- ./, jtiy managed to hold the northern part ,i /of: the* viliage | which they had gained y Ylie;daybef ore. . Towards evening wt / regained-the. greater part step by step host of reinforcementt was brought up, and tho entire village - was captured by the enemy. They madi abveral. assaults against the whole front; south of the Lys, but with the exception of their success at Neuve ’/ Chappelle won no advanage. The combat for the place was of the Most Murderous Description, while it is believed the enemy’s losses , in this quarter of the field were very f great.. An artillery officer observing their advance, reports that the effects of- our rifle and gun fire were stupendous ' ;. The Germans had thrown the corpses of their own men out of the trenches U -obtain cover. Four successive attach ( were made, each by a different regiment. In this way the whole of one division; was engaged ■ piecemeal about V the same locality. The last of these regiments- was practically, disposed of. According to prisoners, Their Condition is Deplorable. • j North of tho river, our centre was subjocted to heavy shell fire. One of om ’ .patrols found eleven German dead and ‘J one rendered unconscious by the fumet ‘ in a farm in which our lyddite shells detonated. Towards our left, the re adjustment of our line commenced on Monday and was completed. A redistribution of strength was effected. Ground : was gained at Neuve Chappelle against Desperate Fighting, our Indian trops greatly distinguishing ~ themselves by a well-conducted countev- " attack. They drove the Germans out of the greater part of the place with the bayonet. Emerging from the vil- .. lage, however, they were exposed to r concentrated fire by machine-guns and . had to remain contented with what had gained. Further left the ene- / my made attacks under cover of the heavy bombardment. Each effort was. 1 Bepulsed With Great Slaughter. r Oao of our trenches was carried am then recovered after the loss of 20i dead had ben inflicted on the enemy. . Oa- the extreme left our advance wah ./ not pressed and the enemy remained it /,• position. At Becel-Air a night attach - by them was repulsed. Against tm ■ right, the Germans delivered an as which failed. One battalion, it it estimated, left between Six. Hundred and Severn Hundred Dead whilst a trench watch they penetrated, recaptured by us. They lost 7< . killed and. 14 prisoners. A few Gwmaaf aurendered voluntarily. In tbit quarter, ire experienced for the fity Ttnueju-the northern theatre of u r. i n : th< mlnewerfa, or trench mortar. H bat p rtafe of some 500 yards and throu,

a bomb loaded with a high explosive weighing. 200 lbs. It is fired at an extreme elevation from a oomb pit in a trench. At midnight our line was attacked in two places. One did not mature as the ground . was well swept by bur guns. In the other case, the assault was carried against one of our brigades by a force of some twelve battalions. With great self-restraint, our men held their fire for forty minutes until the attackers got close to them, when they Drove Then Back with loss, 200 being killed. The nensy penetrated portions of one of >ur trenches, but were«driven out again, losing 800 men killed and captured.* A really important feature of this day’s operations north of Lys consisted of an onslaught by a great •force in the morning in the direction of Yyres. After a heavy cannonade the assault was driven home. A portion of our front line was forced back, but by evening the lost ground was recovered, and in places more than recovered, with the exception of one part, to which the enemy clung. Our losses were heavy, but not ' so severe is the enemy, who at one spot suffered tremendously from the concentrated fire of our massed machine guns. The 30th witnessed a renewal of efforts against, our right, but without success to the enemy. Tn the centre the bombardment was heavy. So Many Shells Fell around our position that the telephone wires were frequently cut. The atatk in the direction of Ypres was gen. ■rally renewed south-east of that town and pressed in great force. In places our lines were again forced back a short distance, but on our left the oncoming Germans were. Stopped by our entanglements under close rifle lire, and after two efforts to advance they gave why. On the Slst a most determined atack wa s made on oiir left and centre, measure being specially severe against ■he latter portion of our position. Part if our line was driven back temporarily by sheer weight of metal and numbers, but the lest ground was almost II recovered before night. Against ur centre the enemy did not advance, •Mist against our right they were not early so active as farther north. ;ith the Assistance of the French, who had been co-operating most effec- . ually, we succeeded in maintaining . mr lino, and in retaining possession if Ypres, upon the capture of which, by the end of October, the Germans lad set their heart. The fighting during the past five lays was of a most desperate nature —evidently a soldiers’ battle. Without exaggeration, or undue self-congratula-Ton, our men behaved splendidly in the face of heavy odds. Against the repeated onslaught of great masses, continually replaced by fresh men and backed by almost continuous fire of immense concentration of guns, they have, by dogged resistance, well Upheld the Reputation of our army. Heavy as have been our losses, we have taken far heavier toll upon the enemy. The French and Allies are fighting with all the dash for which they are famous. At Dixnude and along the Yser they made a name for themselves which will never die. The Belgians likewise resisted furious anslaughts with i,he utmost gallantry. The German Troops won Our Respect for the way in which they advanced. Whether it be due to patriotism or fear induced by iron discipline, the fact remains that they have steadily pressed on to what, in many cases, must obviously have been certain death. A wounded German soldier states: My section received orders to go forward to the attack. An officer warned as that if we gave way fire would be opened upon us from behind. This vas carried into effect when the losses we suffered compelled ns to retire. A German bullet wounded me. Our airmen harass the advancing hostile columns by bomb-dropping and machine gun fire. The tactical transfer of troops behind the German front line is now carried out to a great Bxtent by motor omnibuses