ON THE FRANCO-BELGIAN FRONTIER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 67, 18 November 1914, Page 5

ON THE FRANCO-BELGIAN FRONTIER.

the fighting at ypres. ENEMY’S APPALL 1 NG LOSSES. 100,000 MEN IN FOUR DAYS. Press Association.— Copyright(Received 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, November Ir. The Daily Mail states that the Ger--1 , * Lavh- i hundred thousand mans lost ntaily a men in four days at Y pres. ANGLO-FRENCH ARTILLERY, SPLENDID ACCURACY AND DESTRUCTIVENESS. GERMAN EXPLODED by aerial bombs. (Received 8.45 a.rn.) LONDON, November 17. An with headquarter’s mentions the splendid accuracy and destructiveness 0f..-the British and the terrific effect or the Mencn 75-centimetre guns. _ British and French two old torts at Lille use . - Germans as magazines. OPERATIONS AT DIXMUDE. allies counter-attack progressing. arrival or drench reinforcements. BELGIAN TROOPS RECEIVE WELLEARNED REST. (Eec. P.BO a.m.) PARIS, Nov. \i. The Allies’ counter-attack in the Dtami.de district is progressing. Iresn French troops have been strengthening some of tlie .veal, points. Some of the Belgian troops, ad * j whim have been fighting heroically,, have boon sent to Paris, and French soldiers substituted. IN THE ARGONNE SITUATION UNAPPRECIABLY altered. GERMAN LOSSES GREATLY EXCEED FRENCH. MARKED PROGRESS IN VERDUN DISTRI'jr. Mice. 3.30 a.m.) PARIS, No;. TE It is gemi-offici-illy Mated that the fighting in the Argonne has unapp'.eciably varied for the past two montus. Some of the trenches are only city yards apart and Mi tho or siege warfare are practiced. The merman losses greatly exceed the Fvenc i. VVe occupy the district around \ erdun and have generally advanced from five to ton kilometres beyond the line Reid a month ago. “L” BATTERY AT MONS. 1. NINE VICTORIA CROSSES : AWARDED. TWO RECIPIENTS DIE FROM WOUNDS. - (Ree. 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 17. "Five officers and four non-commission-ed officers, including two sergeants of .< < L ” Battery have been awarded the Victor.;t Cross. two of the oilierrs avho were iccipients have since d;ed from wounds. “ FOR HONOUR AND ENGLAND.” - DEFEAT OF THE PRUSSIAN GUARDS. •‘ONE OF THE NOBLEST EPISODES IN BRITISH. ANNALS. TERRIBLE HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT. INGLORIOUS RETREAT OF THE ENEMY. PARIS, Nov. 17. The French papers describe the British attack on the Prussian Guards at Zohnabeke as one of the noblest episodes in British anals. An aeroplane s searchlight revealed an army in force marhing on tho Allies southward of Zohnabeke. The first rank was lying, the second kneeling, and the remainder | sending. Suddenly the ranks opened, and machine-guns appeared. The Eng- i lish situation was critical, and the Gen- | eral immediately ordered a bayo; charge. 1 The Colonel at the head of his reg'. ; ment dashed forward, shouting, ‘ *' Pm • honour and England! ’ ’ The opposing ranks met with a terrible shoe!; and the bayonets frequently went home at j the same moment. The hand-to-hand j combat lasted for half an hour. Both i sides fought with the grPnost detenu in- I ation. The soil was bloodst; r:od. and uniforms and faces were splashed with crimson. Before this irresistible on - | slaught the Prussians reeled and broke, I and their general, fearing a rout, order- i ed a retreat, while the English again

FIGHTING IN BELGIUM. RAINS CAUSE GREAT DAMAGE. BELGIANS AND GERMANS PREPARED FOR WINTER CAMPAIGN. BRITISH TRENCHES LIKE FORTRESSES. ROTTERDAM, Nov. Iv. Heavy rains and snowstorms destroyed a railway bridge at Dendevleuw connecting Ghent and Bruges. It is rumoured that a big force of Germans in an advanced position at Dixmude was cut off by floods. As the result of the storms, the fighting is loss violent. It is stated that the Germans are admirably equipped for winter operations. The Belgians are ivell clothed with winter clothes. A Dutch journalist says tho English are entrenched so formidably that their trenches are veritable fortresses, only they are more difficult to take than real ones. BAD WEATHER INTERFERES WITH OPERATIONS. LONDON, Nov. 17. (Official). The weather is greatly interfering with the campaign on tho Contingent, tho country being flooded south of Dixmude. The enemy’s attempt to cross the Canal failed, being repulsed at various points. Eye-witnesses state that Gorman reinforcements consist of young untrained soldiers. BOYS SHOT IN DROVES. GERMANS FEELING THEIR TERRIBLE LOSSES. 12,000 KILLED IN ONE PLACE. LONDON, November 16. An eye-witness with the British headj-quarters staff csstimatejs that during the attack on Ypres on the Sth, the enemy’s losses in front of one square of the British section were about 12,000. There is evidence that the Germans are beginning to be affected by their heavy losses, a large proportion of the forces being comparatively untrained, but the great fact remains that these ill-sorted levies did not hesitate to advance against highlytrained troops. Boys of sixteen and seventeen marched steadily up to the muzzles of our rifles and met death in droves unflinchingly. LATEST OFFICIAL REPORTS. VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT BY THE GERMANS. ENEMY FORCED TO, EVACUATE FLOODED TRENCHES. ALLIES MAKE PROGRESS AT VARIOUS POINTS. FRENCH SUCCESSES IN THE SOUTH. (Rec. 10.2 oa.m.) PARIS, Nov. 17. A communique states: The Germans violently bombarded Nieuport, Dixmode and Ypres.- Our artillery prevented thorn from completing tho works south of Dixmude to prevent the inundation. The trenches were flooded and the Germans hastily evacuated them. Gorman attacks south of Bixschoote and Ypres failed. We progressed between Bixschoote and the Yser Canal. An artillery contest from Armentieres to La Bassee is particularly violent. Germans endeavouring to cross the Aisne near Vailly were either destroyed or repulsed. In the Argonc we exploded a number of German trenches by means of mines and advanced at several points south of Verdun seizing a portion of Chauvoncourt, which is the sole point hold by the Germans on the left bank of the Meuse in this region.