SECOND RORKE'S DRIFT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 118, 12 October 1914, Page 6

SECOND RORKE'S DRIFT.

BATTLE OF TUURNAI. I ■ - i BRITISH OVERWHELMED BY } WEIGHT OF NUMBERS. (San Francisco Chronicle). London, August 29. Sergeant Loftus, writing to his brother in Eng'and of the experiences of the British in the battle of Mons, says: "It came unexpectedly at the time when we had given up hope of seeing any Germans. .lust- aftiir reveille our cavalry pickets fell back, reporting the approach of the enemy in force. "We lay in- trenches as our artillery opened on them in fine style, and they rei.urncd the compliment. They were a long time in finding the range. "After about half ail hour their infantry came into view. They were in soiid squares, standing out sharply against the i-ky-line. You couldn't help

hitting them. "We lay in our trenches without a sound, and they crept nearer and nearer. Then our oflicers gave the word, a shot of flame dickered along the trenches, and ' a stream of bullets bore through the advancing mass. They seemed to stagger like a drunken man, hit between' the eyes, ad then tbev made a rush at us. lla'f way across tiie open another volley tore through their ranks. SHELLS FORCE ENEMY TO RETREAT. "By this time our artillery began drop-

ping shells among them, and then tliev broke into open formation, rushing like mad towards the trenches. On our left the Germans fell back in confusion, and lay down wherever cover w,u available. We gave them no rest, and soon t.ley were again in flight. "Then came more shelling oi r our trenches, and another rush across the open on our front. This time they were strongly supported by cavalry, who suffered terribly, but came up to our lines.. "We received them in the good old Way, the front ranks with the bayonet and the rear ranks keeping lip an incessant lire, and after a hard tussle they retired hastily. Just as they thought themselves safe our mounted men swept elottA upon them, cutting right and left. "This sort of thing went on all through the day, without bringing the Germans any nearer to shifting us. "After the last attack we lay down to sleep in our clothes, but before sunrise we were told to abandon our position. Nobody knew why we had to, but we obeyed without a murmur. "The enemy'* cavalry, evidently) misunderstanding our action, came down on us again in force, but our men behaved very well and the Germans gave it up as a Lad job." BRITISH BATTLE IN BATTLE OF TOURNAI.

The Daily Mail's Boulogne correspondent, writing of the Battle of Tournai, says:—"The, battle of Tournai should go down in British history beside Uorke's Drift and Magcrsfontcin as a revelation of the prowess of the British army. At Tournai, a German cavalry force, of 5000 men overwhelmed a British force of 700, who hourly expected relief which never appeared. "The Germans were victors at a terribly price, and only after their tanks had been sadly thinned. The British stood their ground until all hope was lost and only 300 remained. Then tliey retired, calmly and coolly, carrying t hciinwoundi.il and harassing their pursuers all the w*y. "The story of this last stand is somewhat beclouded by the British charge that the Germans finally turned the tide of battle by mounting quick tirers in Red Cross woggons. The British sur-

vivors fell back on Wednesday afternoon, the light having lasted from 11.30 in the morning. WAIT IN VAIN FOR REINFORCEMENTS. Here is the story of Tournai in brief: —"On Wednesday morning our troops had taken position slightly lo the, rear of the town of Tournai, on high ground. Our artillery at lirst fired elVectively on the German advance, but later lost the range. Towards 1 o'clock our position became critical. "As every vital moment slipped by, anxious eyes looked back for the pro-

raised that was never (o come. Kve;i at this terrible. disadvantage of more than ten' to one, tlio infantry and artillery were holding their own, when 'hordes <if L'lilh lis seemed suddenly to swoop down from nowhere. "Tnrongh i hi : li'Wii t hey galloped villi *ll amazing disregard for themselves and ii'i to the vi'.-i ;:ii s of our field gaus. Their losses were appalling, but survivors insist that the JJritish stood their ground until ambulances, at least three m number, mud", their appearance vita rapid-lire guns- mounted on them. Towards '1 o'clock the 000 survivors began to retire.'' WIPIXC OUT 01'' BRITISH FORCE. The Chronicle'!) Boulogne correspondent in a states tlmt h<i met: a

wounded soidier who had arrived there, and who declared that !le was one of the 30 survivors of a British force of 2000 troops who were practically wiped out by the German artillery. His story was as follows: "Wo were five solid days in the trencher and moved iixickward and forward all that time with the var/ni.j fide of battle. "is, was about 2 o'c'oi'k in the liiornii'g when the end came. Things had gM quieter and onr ollicrs ca..;e r.'on" (lie line i.nd told lis to get pom-; flei ;i We were preparing to obey when a lig:it or something else gave us awv, and we found ourselves in an inferno of bullets. | "We could do nothing. Down oh 113 the shrapnel hailed and we fell by the score. At the sar.ie time the enemy's Maxims opened lire. We were almost without shelter when we were caught and wo crawled along in front to find cover. ONLY THIRTY LKI'T OUT OF TWO j THOUSAND.

" 'Leave everything and retire,' was the order, and we did what we could to obey. Mon't know how long it lusted, but when dawn came 1 could not see more than thirty men left in the various sections of the field. Thirty at the r.iost were left out of 2UOO.

"I wandered away from the others and eventually found myself at the first time that the' German artillery really got at us. As a rule their gunfire was mighty poor." (11l the above story the censor lias eliminated the name of the town near which the. fighting occurred). A private letter received here from ft British officer at the front tells how a British cavalry regiment suffered a severe loss through a ruse of (he enemy. j The regiment, it seems, sighted a German battery not far oil' firing in the reverse direction, and the British offi--1 cer decided that tins enemy were not

aware of their presence, whereupon lie ordered a cavalry charge down, 1 into the valley which lay hetwei 11 them and the battery. TRAPPED IX BARBED WIRE AXD KILLED.

Unfortunately the bottom of the valley had been very heavily studded with concealed barbed wire, into which o great portion of the regiment rushed before the front rank could give warning. Immediately the German .battery turned its guns'round, indicting heavy IoS9, "'They were on us like peas emptied from a sack." This was the phrase used by a British officer who arrived at. Folkestone from the front, in describing the overwhelming force of the German attack in the recent fighting. Further, he refused to discuss the battle. "We have been pledged,'' he said, "not to recount even our own personal experiences to our friends until fourteen days have elapsed.'' A Belgian civic guard named Dsiquet, who left Xamur shortly before the <!' rmans reached that for'lre-s. has arrive!

in London. He heard the story of the fall of that fortress from French officers after their retreat, and tells the 6tory as follows: "At last accounts five forts were sti'l holding out, though the\) are bound to succumb to the improved engines of Avar with which the Germans are now equipped.'" These new style siege guns have been placed out of range of the forts, and they p'ayed enormous shells over "V defences. The shells bur-t with such foj'ce that they tear gaps ten yards deep in the cupolas, and speedily put the fort guns out of action. GERMANS SWARM OYKR XAMI'R FORTS. "As soon as the iirst forts .fell an army of Germans swarmed in, overwhelming the small French and tielgiau force which was compelled to retire. "Five thousand Belgians from Naimir were subesi|uently surrounded by the Germans at Denee. The Belgians' tried to force their way through the German, cordon with the bayonet, but only seventeen got through. The remainder Wer: either killed or made prisoners."