Fighting In France

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 112, 5 October 1914, Page 5

Fighting In France

AVALANCHE OF WOUXDEO, AWFUL CARNAGE REPORTED. RED CROSS OVERWORKED. TERRIBLE PLIGHT OF THE GERMANS. IN FLOODED TRENCHES. ENEMY'S POSITION SAID TO BE HOPELESS. DESPERATE ATTACK DECIDED OX. I Paris, October 2. The avalancha of German wounded | trom the Marne and the Aisne is taxing j 'he vrrncb. Red Cross organisation to jtlie utmost. Both German and British wounded are being hurried to England, j Although the British Red Cross organisation is perfect, the earnage exceeds all expectations. In Rouen, Nantes, Le Mans and Tours the little British graveyards are growing daily. The French sue paying the dead a tribute of flowers and tears. Copenhagen, October 2. Sixty thousand German wounded have reached Cologne. The Exhibition and otuer publio buildings have been converted into hospitals. Ifachine guns are mounted on the Cathedral and the roofs of hotels. The public are panic stricken, fearing air attacks. iParis, October 2. An appalling incident took place on tbe Allies' left wing on Monday. Five hundred Germans were caught in flat fields with slopes on every side. The French artillery quietly occupied the oortion and when the moment came to open fire the officer commanding the battery said ''Make mo a eemctery down there." The order was obeyed. The guns accounted for -most and rifle fire ior the rest; not a man escaped.

The Germans have nicknamed the French 75 millimetre guns "The Black Butchers." The shells spread missiles over an area of a hundred yards by thirty and often kill a whole row of entrenched men. London; October 2. During the fighting on the ifarno the conditions in the German trenches were terrible, the men living like rats for a week in undrained holes, fighting without pause. The wounded and dead had to lie as they fell. The cries of the wounded were heard at night when the firing ceased. In some of the trenches round Rheims the French enemy flooded the enemy out of their lines with hose pipes laid from the town. Mr Ashmcad Bartlett, writing from Paris, states that all the indications point to .the fact that the German commanders and troops realise for the first time their desperate position. The lat est attacks are haphazard all along the line. Their latest plan seems to have been a reversion to General von Kluck's original schemo for a general advance via Noyon, Compiegne and Senlis. General von Kluck has been attempting to crush the French left, Urns enabling General von Bulow, the Duke of Wurtemburg and the Crown Princo to cooperate in the march on Faris. An intercepted wireless message from General von Kluck on Tuesday said, forward movement o c my troops is cheeked. The enemy is developing forces ot quite unexpected strength."

Mr Ashmead-BartleU adds that the French forces arc now at Peronnc and unless their progress is checked the Germans will be faced with the problem oE withdrawing huge masses of disheartened troops to Germany, i Paris, October 2.

A communique to the press states that there is nothing particular to report except in the Roye district, where a violent engagement fortunately turned out in the Allies' favor, and in tho Argonncs, where the Allies have made some further progress. The general situation is satisfactory. London, octobcr~2. An oDicer, writing from the front, says the great thing is to keep the kit small and water-tight. The things most wanted are cigarettes, tobacco, woollen scarves, warm vests, gloves, and, above all, light waterproof capos. Tho difficulty is to keep the men dry. Dr de Rorine, principal medical inspector of the French forces, states that the sanitary conditions of tho armies is good. There are, perhaps, fewer sick than in times of peace. The wounded arc attended with wonderful devotion. A German artillery officer writes to the press that a British aviator had engine trouble and was forced to land in the German lines close to a motor-car containing five German officers. The airman kept them at bay with a ride while, his pilot repaired the engine. lie then escaped. INDIAN TROOPS LANDED. ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME FROM Till; FRUXCIT. KING'S MESSAGE- TO THE FORCES. Paris, October 2. The first contingent of Indian troops j iasrted at Marseilles. They received an enthusiastic welcome, and a triumphal ! procession was formed. The physique ' of the white Indian troops impressed the 1 spectators. There were stirring scenes at Marseilles when the Indian and British troops marched to their campingcrrouads. The streets and roads were crammed with excited spectators crying ''Vivent lea llindous," and struggling to shake hands. Women presented cigarettes aud fruit, and girls strewed flowers and pinned them in the tunics and turl.ans of the men. The enthusiasm reached fever-heat when the Gurkhas struck up the '■Marseillaise" ort their weird instruments. Many of the younger natives leapt three feet in the air waving the Union Jack and the Tricolor. The King has issued two messages to ihe.Ueeitt who koicd at Marseilles, The

| first, to the British troops, is as follows: ■ "I have implicit confidence in you, my ' soldiers. Duty is your watchword, and I know your duty will bo nobly done." Tha second message, to the Indians, says: — "I know with what readiness my brave and loyal Indian soldiers are prepared to fulfil their sacred trust, in the field of battle shoulder to shoulder with their comrades from all parts of the Empire. I bid you go forward and add fresh lustre to the glorious achievements and noble traditions of courage and chivalry of my Indian army, whose honor and fame is in your hands." FAMOUS BRIGADE DECIMATED. DEATH'S HEAD HUSSARS OVER- ! MATCHED. FLEE BEFORE THE FRENCH ARTILLERY. Received 4, 2.15 p.m. Paris, October 3. Details of the disaster to the Prussian Guards on the 20th ult. show that they included the regiment formerly commanded by the Crown Prince. The Brigade, taking advantage of fog, advanced unperceived against the French lines, hut had not reckoned on the strength of the French entrenchments.

When the, sun broke the mist the French commander ordered silence until the word of command was given. The Guards were deceived, and advanced until a bugle call was followed by a volley which decimated the first line. Despite the ofiicers' encouragement, the second line wavered.

The Crown Prince's regiment, officered hy tho flower of the German aristocracy, charged one flank, but found themselves opposed by the men of the battalions of We L'iAfriqu9 Guards. They made a heroic resistance, but were unable to live against the withering fire of the French, and dwindled away. A handful of Africans completed the task. Bordeaux, October 3.

The Guards' attack aimed at cutting the railway between Rhcims and Verdun, They encountered French batteries near Sousin.

Regiments of French saw the Death's Head Hussars a thousand metres away. They quickly took out the horses, and when tlii.' Hussars were 600 metres away the batteries were loaded. The Hussars continued their furious gallop, and the gunners fired. Then the plain beeame dotted with black masses of struggling horses.

The Prussian officers tried in vain to rally the men. The batteries fired again, and the Hussars fled. STRENGTHENING THE GERMAN DEFT. TROOPS TIUNSFICIIRED FROM VOSGES LINE. CAUSE TEMPORARY SET-BACK TO THE ALLIES. ' Received 4, 10.30 a.m. London, October 2. The Daily News publishes a message from the Aisne which attributes the recent lull in the fierceness of the struggle to the great changes which were then in prognes on both sides. French reinforcements were hurrying round to their left wing, while the Germans were burying reinforcements and an array from the Vosresi on the line of the Oise towards Peronnc. It was a mass of these troops, and the. rapidity of their swing across the inner lines, that enabled the Germans to anticipate the Allies' move, temporarily pushing them back at certain points between Lassingny, Chaulues and Peronnc. VIOLENT BATTLE NEAR ROYE. ENEMY'S ATTACKS REPULSED. NO GERMANS ACROSS THE MEUSE. Received 4, 4.15 pan, Paris, September 3. An official statement on Friday at midnight 6tated that a violent battle, continues on thci left, especially between Roye and Lassingny, where the Clcrr. ans concentrated largely and delivered violent attacks, which were shattered. The enemy attempted to bridge the Meuse near'St. Mihiel, but the French artillery destroyed the bridge. Reports Iron! the vicinity of St. Mihiel state that there are. no longer anv Germans on the left of the Meuse. The French detachment which was de'eouching from Arras has fallen back slightly. The French arc progressing before Albert. Progress continues in Wocvre. Elsewhere matters' are quiet. Received 4, 10.30 a.in. ] Paris, October 2. < The Allied commanders warmly praise the British volunteer motor-cycle, despatch corps. One Australian Cambridge undergraduate encountered fourteen German cavalry. Ho shot the officer and a man, and the reinaainder fled. The Australian delivered lii ri despatch, pi eventing an ambush. AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW. XO ROOM FOR MISGIVINGS. GERMAN RIGHT IST EXTREME DANGER. Received 4, 10.30 a.m. London, October 2. A British correspondent, telegraphing from Calais on Wednesday, after a tour of the country north of the Allies' left wing, says there can no longer be room for misgivings a s to the ultimate outcome of the battle. The German wing between Lassigny and Chauleus is in extreme danger, due to the fact that above Chaulues the lines which a few days ago faced west are now facing north-west, having been bent back on the line Chaulues, Cambrai, Valenciennes. The Gei-man Genernl Staff is active. The crowding of reinforcements upon von Kluck from the centre and left has made tho position on the enemy's right more precarious.

HEAVY FIGHTING ON OUR LEFT. ALLIES FACED BY BIGGER GERMAN ARMIES. Received 4, 11.25 p.m. Paris, October 3 (evening). Official.—The violent action on the left continues, especially about Roye. where the Germans have been further | reinforced from the centre. Thu Allies repulsed many day and night attacks, and have progressed (slightly between Argonne and the Mouse. The Germans at Argonne tried to slip through, but were driven back. Otherwise there is mo noteworthy development. SURGICAL TRIUMPH. Received 4, fi.s. p.m. London, October 3. The extraction of German bullets has been tried successfully at the Lyona military hospital by means of the elcc-tr6-magnet. One embedded 4 1 / 2 in in the flesb was extracted,. . , ;

BRITISH COMMISSARIAT. A MAGNIFICENTLY-ORGANISED SERVICE. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 4, 5.5. p.m. London, October 3. The feeding of the army is magnificently organised. Supplies of food and forage reach the base from oversea, and are forwarded thence by rail to a railhead station sufficiently advanced for motor transport to carry the stull' to the linos of communication, where horse vehicles receive and distribute it. The supply column of 38 lorries carries sufficient for 17,000 men and 4000 horses. In addition to his ordinary ratioji, eaci I soldier carries In his haversack a re- | serve of biscuit and tinned meat. ] In recent fighting the enemy's shell fire has been so accurate that the roads I are impassable by daylight, and transj port is only possible at night; and even then the roads are shelled periodically. I " ■*