Fighting in France

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 106, 28 September 1914, Page 5

Fighting in France

PAHTICULARLY VIOLENT FIGHTING. BOMBARDMENT OF RIIEIMS RESUMED. Received 27, 10 p.m. Paris, September 29. Aa official communique states: On the left our advance troops have been in contact with superior forces, and were obliged to yield slightly, but reinforcements were secured, and we took thcoffensive vigorously. The struggle here was particularly violent.

There is nothing new to report from the centre, but the enemy ig yielding in the eouthern area. The Woevre action continues on the heights of tho Meuse. The enemy has penetrated Saint Miehiel, but is unable to cross the Meuse. The bombardment of Kheims has been resumed.

On the left, between the Somme and the Oise, the battle continues violently. We have progressed slightly between tlie Oise and the Soissons. The enemy is not venturing any attack, and there 1b ■o important modification of the position between Soissons and Rheims.

The situation at the centre, from Rheims to Verdun, is unchanged. In the Woevre district the enemy crossed the Meuse in the region of Saint Jfichiei, but already we have for the most part driven him back over the river. Our attacks south of Woevre have not ceased to progress, and the 14th Cerman Corps is falling back after great losses. The effective strength of the German forces in Lorraine and Vosges seems to have been reduced. Some detachments which at certain points had driven back our advance posts were repulsed by the arrival of our reserves. ON SEA

A SHARP LESSON. INOCULATED AGAINST FUNK. Time* and Sydney Sun Services. Received 27, 5.45 p.m. London, September 26. A colonel commanding a French regiment at Argonne, when manoeuvring his foiee, changed positions under a heavy I Arc. He noticed that Borne companies I showed a disinclination to leave their shelter. He instantly marched the whole regiment into a bullet-swept area, •ailed a hart, and put them through a •eriet of elementary exercises. He said li<i hoped he would never have to repeat tke lesson. With cheers the men fell into marebing order.

j The Germans on the Aisne have adopt- :« 3 a new form of trench, in the shape of a square bay window, with mitrailleuses jlanted at each angle.

GERMAN LOSSES AT MAUBEUCE. TOTAL <O,OOO. Received 27, 5.15 p.m. Paris, September £6. The journal I.e Matin's correspondent at Brussels states that the German losses at Manbsuge totalled 40,000. ALUSe BTILL ADVANCING. TIBBIIia ARTILLERY DUEL IN PROGRESS. Received 27, 6.15 p.m. ! London, September 26. Tlis Allies' left wing has made steady {regress. The Germans in retiring used railway. Three trains passed before i the Trenail were aware of thiß, but their 'artillery wrecked the fourth and destroyed the trick. Tke Germans have made a stand in 'the stone quarries, and the Trench are sheltered by similai positions. A terrible artillery duel eontinues, each side hcjing to wear out the other.

ITTOHIBS FROM TUB BATTLEFIELD. fiALLAXT HIGHLANDER. MAKES OFJf WITH A MAXIM. Jteteived S7, 5.20 p;». Paris, September tS. Fiji ting it Solaaons on Saturday, Ger«n*n« surprised 150 Highlanders, who, I with c Maxim, «er« guarding a bridg*. We fiarmans, in overpowering numbers, Wept >eai and killed all the Maxim's «r»w. 0»e of the Highlanders lushed out &nidst a bail (A bullets, carried the Maxim *n liii kaek across the bridge, and «ii »lone, pouring a, fire oa the wear, who broke and lied to eover, leaving scores of dead. The Highlander was killed, and there were 30 bullets in his kody when lie was picked up. Reinforcements aauaed the enemy to abandon the attack.

YAftYINO FORTUNES 0» FIGHTING. VILLAGE CONVERTED IKTO A SHAMBLES. i>TRKBTS PILED WITH DEAD, Received £7, i.5 p.m. London, Beptember it. The Daily News elates that the Germain laet week-end left the trenches and oeeupied s village. The French o» Sunday night surprised the Germans aid drove tham baek into the Germau trauc&es. Xeit morning tho Germans •helled the village, and t&valry routed the French. The tame evening the Free eh re-occupied the village, which was like a «h»mb!e?, the streets being piled with dead, taking 800 French wounded to tfct hospital. The prisoiers were lake* and re-taken hour!/ in 6he leighI loring -tillages.

THE BRITISH ATTACKED. RECKLESS GERMAN CHARGES. FEROCIOUS WORK IN TREXCIIES. HUGE GERMAN LOSSES. Paris, September '25. The Germans incessantly attack the British near Soissons. Their infantry charges were mowed down continuously, | Twenty-two cavalry charges on Sunday night bad similar results. During the pursuit of the Crown Prince's army the rearguard constructed trenches, and, fortified with Maxims, were ordered to hold their positions at all costs. The French attacked under terrible fire. They reached the German trenches and fought ferociously, using their bayonets aa daggers. Numbers were found dead in each other's arms. Bordeaux, September 2a. lAdvices from Basle state that the Germans lost 10,000 dead and 15,000 wounded at Verdun. Three German and one Austrian army corps continue the attack. The Germans made gigantic preparations, and transported from iletz, during the past week, the heaviest artillery. The unremitting fire of the v'erdun forts has prevented them placing the gams in position. The German attacks followed each other with lightning rapidity, but all were repulsed. The plain eastward of Verdun ia strewn with 5000 corpses. Paris, September 25. Official.—On our left wing the battle is developing; in the centre there is a lull; on our right wing the German attacks seem to have been checked.

Count von Moltke, son of the Coin mander-in-Chies| was killed yesterday.

Tli«; Prefect of the Department of the Manic reports that German sheik at Rbeims destroyed tho main hospital, killing five nurses and wounding two. Seventeen soldiers and nurses were killed in another hospital. London, September 25.

French prisoners who wers passiug through Liege threw scraps of paper from the train saying: "We are 15/100 prisoners from Maubeuge, hut the Germans lost 80,000." Berne, September 25. Snow and floods have checked operations in Upper Alsace.

GERMAN PREPAREDNESS. CUN FOUNDATIONS LAID AT MAUBEUGE. . Received 27, 5.15 p.m Paris, September 26. A refugee from Maubeuge Btates that the Cerman siege guns were placed on platforms of cement, built in carefullyselected spots by private individuals years ago as foundations for factories which were never completed.

NO QUARTER! PUT EVERY CM MAN TO TnE SWORD. TAKE NO MORE PRISONERS. Received 27, 5.15 p.m. London, September 25. The Daily Chronicle's Bordeaux correspondent reports that General Stringer, commander of the 53rd Brigade of the German infantry, has issued an order to the troops not to take any more prisoners, but to put to the sword all falling into their hands, and to kill the wounded, whether armed or unarmed. The order concludes: "The Germans must leave no living Frenchmen behind."

FIGHT FOR THE STANDARD. GALLANT GERMAN EXPLOIT. .a-oLIOES ON TIIE BATTLEFIELD. Received 27, 5.15 p.m London, Sept. 26. An artilleryman in hospital at Leicester says that a German regiment was swept away in a mad attempt to cross a stream against a fiendis-n artillery and rifle fire The remnant of the Germans gathered round the regimental flag, and refused to surrender, but stood back to back till the last man went down with the flag in his grasp. There was no shouting when th< flag was captured, the French ond British soldiers passing bareheaded in respect to the brave men.