The Big Battle.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 78, 21 August 1914, Page 5

The Big Battle.

PROCEEDING IN BELGIUM. GERMANS ADVANCING. AWFUL CARNAGE. London, August 19. Reuter's Brussels correspondent states that a fierce battle is proceeding between the Germans and Belgians aron s an extended front. Many refugees have arrived from Tirlemont.i Diost and Aerseot. Brussels, August 19. On Tuesday, the FroncJi cavalry, by means of a brilliant forced march, recalling Stuart's great raid in the American Civil War, joined Belgians, and to-day are executing a great sweeping movement. They encountered consider, able German forces in the vicinity of Eamillies, who fled after a feeble resistance. One large body of Uhlans, with machine guns, fiercely attacked a Belgian infantry brigade, but the French dragoons opportunely debouched from a wood, taking the Germans in the flank. ■ The survivors fled helter-skelter and took refuge in a village near Ramillies, which they burned before retreating anew. The cavalry passed a series of Iburnt villages, which the Germans had 1 fired. The allies, particularly the Belgians, are maddened at these outrages, and avow that they will exact a full I measure of retribution. The Belgians I have nicknamed the Prussians, "The Red j Indians of Europe," owing to their farm burning propensities. The Germans on Monday made another attempt to cross the Mcuse by a bridge near Dinant. The French artil- [ lery repelled the attempt with considerable loss. A number of German prisoners will be shipped to England forthwith. Later reports of the battle at Dinant show that it was more important than hitherto realised. The loss on both aid** was heavy. It is now clear that the I French succeeded in foiling a German attempt to pass- a large force of troops across the Meuse. The German effected a surprise, one French regiment suffering severely. Out of one company only three returned. The French did some wonderful marching. One body J troops covered 120 miles in two days. ) Ten cyclist chasseurs made an ambuscade on the road, and killed eighty Germans. It is' reported that a thousand Germans were taken prisoners at Dmanj. Melbourne, August 19.

.Sir George Rcid' war bulletin says the papers are full of news of encounters between the Belgian and German armies. These are taken from Belgian and French newspapers, and all successes are greatly magnified. It is believed that the British tro*ips will arrive in time to participate in the great engagement. Sir George Reid adds that it is hoped that the French will attack the left wing of the Germans in South Alsace, and that this will necessitate the withdrawal of large masses of troops from the German right wing, and so cripple the encircling movement, which the Germans are obviously making against the allies' I left.

' London, August 19 (morningL An English oilicer, who was recently in Brussels, interviewed some, of the defenders at Liege. "As line after line of the German infantry advanced \v<! simply mowed them down. They made no attempt at deploying, but came on line after line, almost shoulder to shoulder, until the fallen were heaped up in an awful barricade of dead and -wounded which threatened to mask out guns. The (barricade seemed so high that we did not know whether to fire through it I or go out and clear openings with out j hands. Meanwhile some of the wounded were trying to release themselves. TV'S wall of dead and dying actually Maided the wonderful Germans to creep <nuite close and charge up the glacis, whence the Maxims swept them. The Belgians had losses, but they were plight compared with the carnage among the 'enemy. Many of the prisoners were ravenously hungry and begged for food by tearing at their captors haversacks and crying in German and broken French, 'Bread, bread!. Drink, drink!' Others devoured carrots and turnips in the fields.

THE GERMAX ADVAM-'r.. PATROIXKG THE NORTIIKKX DISTRICTS. CAPTURE OF TWO TOWNS. I Received 20, 9 p.m. ' Brussels, August 20 (morning). '■■ Latest messages state that a strong force of Germans on Tuesday blu-Ued and captured Diest and Tirlemont. The Telegraph's correspondent inserts that a tremendous battle is in merest between Diest and Xamur. Two divisions of French cavalry, iiy forced marches, reached Fainiurc. ten miles north of Houvalize. Cavalry conflicts took place at Tuniliont. twentylive miles north-east from Antwerp. German patrols have been seen at Chel and Moll continuously. The Germans have been in retivat UIfore the Belgians between Oembioux and Jadoignc since Monday. The French, after junctionin.tr w ; !h the Belgian right at GcmWonx, foivcd the Germans to further retreat. | ' London.. Augu-t It): The reports of the fierce battle in Belgium are not yet confirmed! ,