General French's Report.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 91, 12 September 1914, Page 5

General French's Report.

THE RETREAT FROM MONS ■DESCRIBED. MUTISII SURPRISE!)' BY ENOMOUS FORCE. '"M)T A .MOMENT TO BE LOST." MAGNIFICENT FIGHTING SPIRIT OF THE FORCE. c- t , „ I - K)ndon > September 10. Sir John French, reporting on the procccdings of l, 1(i f o ree up to September 7 says:— ' The transport of the troops from Enand by sea and rail was effected in the bast order and without cheek The concentration was practically complete on the evening of August 21, and I was able to make dispositions to move the force on the 22nd to the position I considered most favorable whence to commence the operations which General •Foiire had requested me to undertake. Ino line taken up extended alone the line of the canal from Conde on th B west through Mons and Biiiche'on the east.

During the. 22nd and 23rd the advau»led squadrons did excellent work, some penetrating to the forest of Soignies. Several encounters took place, in which our troops showed to great advantage. Reports were received on the 23rd that the enemy was commencing to attack the lions line, apparently in soii.e strength, and wire threatening particularly the right position from Mons to Bray. The commander of the first corps had pushed hi s Hank hack to some high ground, swuth of Bray, and the sth Cavalry Brigade evacuated Binche, moving slightly south. Thereupon the enemy occupied Binc-he, to the right ul Mons. The third division was at Mons, which was a somewhat dangerous salient. I directed the commander of the second corps, if threatened seriously, to draw buck the centre behind .Mons. 'This was done before dusk.

About evening I received an unexpcctcd telegram from Ccncntl .lollre that at least thrcj (icrman corps we;> moving on my position in front anil that u second corps was engaged in a turning movement from the direction of Tonrnai, also that the two reserve 'French divisions and tiie sth French Army on my right were retiring, the Hermans having previously gained possession of the passages of the Samlire, between Charleroi and Xamtir. When news of the retirement of the French and that a heavy Herman force threatened my front reached me I endeavored to conlirm it liy aeroplane, reconnaissance, and as the result determined to effect n retirement to Maubenge. A certain amount of lighting continued along the whole line throughout the night. At daybreak on the 24th the second division, from the neighborhood of Ilarmigics, made a powerful demonstration, as if to retake liinehe. This was supported by the artillery of both the first and second divisions, whilst the first division took up a supporting position in the neighborhood of Pcissant. Under cover of this demonstration the second corps retired on the line Dour-Quarouble-Frameries.

TFIK LEFT FLANK ATTACKED. The 3rd Division, forrr.'ig the right of the corps, suffered considerable !o<s in this operation from the enemy, who had retaken Mens. The second corps halted on this line, where they partially entrenched themselves, enabling Sir liouglaH Haig. with the iirst corps, gradually to withdraw to the now position. This was effected without much further loss. Towards mid-day the enemy appeared to be directing his prineipal effort against our left. 1 had previously ordered General Allcnby, with the cavalry, to act vigorously in advance of the left in an endeavor to take oil the pressure. About 7.30 in the morning (ieneral Allcnby received from Sir Charles Ferguson, commanding the sth Division, the message, "Very hard pressed; urgent need supports." Thereupon (ieneral Alleiiby drew in the cavalry and enedavored to bring direct support to the sth Division. During this operation General l)e Lisle, of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, thought he saw a good opportunity to paralyse a further advance of the enemy's infantry by making a mounted attaek'on the Hank. He advanced for this purpose, but was held up bv Wilabost five hundred yards from the objective. The !)th Lancers and lSta Hussars suffered severely in the retirement, (ieneral Smith-lXjnicn, with the assistance of the cavalry, was enabled to effect a retreat to his new position, although, having two corps of the enemy on his front and one threatening his Hank, he suffered great lo=s in doing so. X CRITICAL DECISION".

As the French were still retiring, I had no support exeept such as was afforded by the fortress of Maubctigc. The enemy's determined attempts to get round" my left flank assured me that they intended to hem' me against Maubenge and surround me. I felt that not a moment mfct be lust in retiring. The operation was full of danger' and difficulty, not only owing to The very superior force in my front, hut also to the exhaustion of the troops. The retirement recommenced early cm t the 25th, to a position in the neignborhood of Le Chateau. Owing to the continued retirement ot the French on ray left'and Hie tendency of the enemy's 'western corps to envelop me, the, commanders were ordered to retreat towards the general line. Ycrmond-St. Quciitin-Kibemont. <!encr;<l Sir Douglas llaig, with the lirst division, was heavily engaged on the 2.lth sout.i »nd east of Maroilles. Partly owing to the assistance of two French reserve divisions, but mainly owing to the skilful manner in which Sir Douglas llaig extricated his corps from an exceptionally dillieult position at a light time, they were able at dawn to resume their march south, on (luise.

TIIE FINAL STRUGGLE. On the 21th J asked General Sonlet. commanding three divisions ot the | French cavalry, for support on the ieit j Hank, hut General Sordct's horses were too tired. At daybreak on trie 'JOlli [it was apparent that th" enemy was throwing the hulk of his s.trengJi against the left of the position occupied by our second corps and the 4th Division. „ As the guns of four German army corps were in position against them Gen-ral Sniith-Dorrien reported Unit n was impossible to continue the retirement at daybreak as ordered. I ;>idered him to try to break oil the action and retire at the. earliest possible moinent, as it was impossible to send any support. General Sordcfs cavalry arrived on the left rear early m the morning. 1 Bent an urgent message to General Sordet to come and support the retirement of my left flank, but he was unable to do §q» owing to tup fatigtij

of tho horses. There was no time to entrench properly, hut the troops showI I'd a magnificent front to the terrible fire. Though the artillery was outnumbered by at least four to one, it aiade a splendid light and indicted heavy losses. At length it became apparent that, in order to avoid complete annihilation, the retirement must In; attempted. It commenced at 3Mt) in the afternoon. The movement was covered with the most devoted intrepidity by tin; artillery, which had suffered heavily, and the cavalry's fine work assisted, Fortunately the enemy had suffered too heavily to pursue energetically. The retreat continued till the iStli.' On the 27th and 28th General Soi'dot was of material assistance in driving hai'k some of the enemy to C'ambrai. The Hying corps was lired at constantly by friends. It did not hesitate to fly in every kind of weather, and by actually lighting in the-air destroyed five of the enemy's machines. 1 cannot close the brief account of this glorious stand by British troops without recording my deep appreciation of tho valuable services rendered by General Smith-Dorrien. 1 say without hesitation that the saving of the left wing of the Army on the morning of the 2(ith would never have been accomplished unless a commander of rare and unusual coolness, intrepidity and determination had been present personally to conduct the operations. General French concludes hy eulogising the magnificent fighting spirit displayed by all the officers and men and the admirable work of Sir David Render's Royal Flying Corps in furnishing him most completely and accurately "with information of incalculable value. *

ALMOST INCREDIBLE SAVAGERY. GERMANS ASSAULTING BRITISH WOUNDED. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, September 10. Ah the Gordon Highlanders were retiring from Mons in the darkness a shot came from the field. What was bidiuvcd to be a French picket stopped them, and 'endeavored to explain that the Germans had surrounded them, and then shot every man who was standing.

An invalided Britisher made sworn statements that he saw Germans culling the wrists of British wounded.

A Highland private says that the ■Scots Ureys last week decoyed the GerI niaits in front of the French maehinj. gnus, which killed thousands. He added, -The Germans deserved it." London, September 10. j A private in the Cordon Highlanders j .sttaes that during the retirement from ; iloiis the regiment was'marching on a I narrow road, believing it was apprcehing the French lines. Shots were lircd on the l"ft, and Colonel W. K. Cordon ordered the men to the right, and went alone to the other side, calling out "Anglais." Meanwhile the other party, who were Germans, worked to the rear, The colonel, realising his error, returned and placed himself in front of his men, lvlio stood helpless in the darkness. The" Germans fired at close quarters from all sides. IJawn disclosed "roups of dead every wln-re. The colonel lay dead apart from his comrades.

A BRIGADE ANNIHILATED. ONLY ONE IX EIGHT ESCAPE]). Paris, September 10. It is estimated that 20,(100 French priests are active combatants. A brigade of 8000 Zouaves went, with terrible dash, to the battle in thcMeau\ district. Fewer than 1000 emerged; the remainder were mowed down by mitrailleuses. During the German retreat in the Miiiiic Valley on Tuesday, the F'renJi and British cavalry smashed a German patrol. The whole of the horse artillery, directed by aeroplane, hammered the enemy appallingly with the new Impounders, from a screen of hewn trees. The artillery tire demolished the Germans.

IUZZUXG FEATURES. IS TIIKRE A NEW ALLIES" FORCE? ELSE WHY THE GERMAN RETREAT? London, September 10. Some military critics point out that no part of the German Army has definitely broken nor made any desperate effort to break through the eastern lines. There are several puzzling features in the recent operations. it is dillicult to account for the turn of the tide when the Allies are not on a strong line of defence. Possibly the arrest ot the German advance has been caused by a threatened new army in Belgium or northern France.

The Imttle is still proceeding. The Press ISareau yesterday stated that tlw enemy had been driven back all along the line, Sir John Freneli reports that the British first army buried 2(10 Germans and liad taken 12 Maxims and Mime prisoners ami a battery. Tile Germans suffered severely, and are said to be exhausted.

"HELL'S OWN WORK." RIUTUNS KOVGIIT TO THE LAST GASP. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Loudon, September 11. A wounded Minister Fusilier says: "The Germans came at us from all points, horse, foot, and artillery, and the air was thick with screaming, shouting men, waving swords and blazing away like blue murder. Our lads stood up to them without a sign of fear. We received the cavalry with fixed bayonets, the rear ranks firing steadily. The enemy collected all round us, until there was left hardly a hole for a mouse to get through. Then the hardest light occurred. "Wu wouldn't surrender. We tried our hardest to cut through flu iron wall oi Germans. It was hell's own work. If the battalion was wiped out, it fought to the last gasp, and the Germans have no more than dead and wounded men, if that's any satisfaction to them.'"' , ~"%....