Fighting in France

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 120, 14 October 1914, Page 5

Fighting in France

HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR PERONNE. GERMANS DELIVER STRENUOUS ATTACK. THE ENEMY OUT-MANOEUVRED. ALLIES CROSS THE SOMME. GERMANS BEAT A RETREAT. OBLIGED TO ABANDON' GUNS. London, October 12. Reuter's Paris correspondent says that the provincial newspapers gave details of the operations at Rove and Lassigny from September 24. The German right rested successively on Peronne, Albert, Bapaume and Arras. It was impossible to go beyond owing to the plain of Lower Flanders leaving go of the hills and valleys which provided natural defences.

The Germans, on the 28th, accordingly commenced numerous counter-attacks in the hope of piercing the Allies' line. The heaviest fighting was between Amiens and Pcronne. On October 1, the French from Roye junctioned at Mericourt with British reinforcements, the Allies forming three divisions, having a large quantity of artillery to cover their crossing of the Sommc. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Germans were awaiting the Allies before Jiray. The Allies decided to attempt a crossing on a 3 1 / 3 mile front between Vaire and Mericourt, where the ground was swampy and wooded and easy to defend. The Germans, however, did not believe the Allies would cross at this point and neglected to fortify the position. Massed on the road, at ten o'clock the French with 3in guns opened fire or Mericourt. The Germans replied vigorously, but the Allied infantry, swerving westward, descended on the Sommc towards Cortiee. lit mid-day the troops, wading through bogs and marshes, ..began crossing "by means of rafts and frail canvas boats. One regiment crossed l>y. means of a rope stretched between the two banks. The cavalry crossed by a ford at Sailly. Three divisions crossed in forty minutes and, before the enemy discovered them, the Allies in battle formation were Irnarching'to the assault of Bray. While the infantry attacked on the west, the cavalry captured the enemy's eastern positions, the artillery at Mericourt continuing the cannonade. Finally at the trumpet call the whole line of infantry, with colors flying, advanced to the assault. There was a great snout as the 'tricolors were seen waving on the crest of the hill and the Germans retreating northwards. Fresh cavalry near Albert charged the enemy, obliging him to abandon his guns. The retreat was not checked until Bapaume was reached. THE BATTLE OF LILLE. HEAVY FIGHTING AT CLOSE QUARTERS. A GAP CUT'IN THE GERMAN LINR.

BIG CAPTURE OE MACHINE GUV!. London, October 12. The Daily Chronicle's .Paris correspondent states that during the week the Ali'cs fought four battles. The most important; that' at Lille, began on Sunday and ended at nightfall on IViday. At the outset the Germans w 're reinforced by a strong force from Belgium, mainly cavalry, but the French were not caught napping. The German line stretched from Armeiitieres, Roubaix and Croix to the outskirts of Lille where there was heavy fighting at close quarters, the Germans sometimes entering the suburbs. The light was renewed on Tuesday when the Germans, reinforced though now outnumbered, had a preponderence of artillery. It is believed that many German guns were sent from Antwerp. Further reinforcements enabled the Germans to continue the battle well into the night, but by dawn the.result was certain. By Friday the Germans had been thrown back a dozen miles.

Meurnvjiilc a battle was being fought at Lens, where the Germans also lacked artillery. They showed no desire to await bayonet attacks and their losses were much greater than those of the French.

These lights made a gap in the German line which extended to within 10 iniies of St. Omer (2"> miles from Calais) and cleared the stretch of country reaching to Monin over the Belgian frontier, necessitating preparations to retreat along the valley of the Scheldt and l.ys. The Central News reports that the Anglo-French cavalry captured a German convoy and 850 mitraileuscs (machine guns). Paris, October 12. Four were killed and twenty wounded by Sunday's bombs. An aviator dropped a (lag inscribed with the words "We have taken Antwerp; your turn will come soon." The bomb which foil on Xotre Dame set lire to a beam, but the (ire was extinguished. THE BRITISH MARINES. REXDER GOOD ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES. Received 13, 11 p.m. Paris, October 12. An official communique declares that during the 21 hours' engagement at Las- . signy on Friday a brigade of British ! marines, killed 300 Germans and made ' prisoners of 500. The French loss "was 49, of whom nine were killed.

GAINING GROUND. ALL ALONG THE FRENCH LINE. RESUMPTION OF HOSTILITIES NEAR VERDUN. Received 14, 12.50 a.m. Paris, October 13. An official communique reports that several German cavalry attacks in the region of La Basse, Estaires, and Hazelbrouek were repulsed, especially between Lassigny and Roye. The Allies made progress along the plateau on the right bank of the Aisne be'.ow Soissons, and also to the cast and south-east of Verdun.

A German night attack on Bundecpt, north of St. Die, was repulsed.

ALLIES TAKING THE INITIATIVE. REGAINED ALL LOST GROUND. CONSIDERABLE ADVANCE MADE. Received 13, 11.40 p.m. London, October 13. The, Amiens correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says: —"The battle of the Aisne ended without anyone knowing it. The new battle front forms the letter "•/." beginning at the sea, passing north of Lille, through Corapiegne, and ending at Verdun. "The Allies are taking the initiative, because of the possibility of the German army corps from Antwerp reinforcing von Kluek's right. "Not only have we recovered every' foot of ground we lost in a'long series of heroic actions at Roye, but have developed advances to the, north, where the German cavalry .is operating north l and west of Lille, seeking to mask another enveloping movement." SNIPING ALLIES? OFFICERS. EASILY-DISTINGUISHED TARGETS. Received 13, 7.20 p.m. London, October 12. According to prisoners, at medium ranges the French and British officers are easily distinguishable. The Germans se'ect infantry marksmen, provided with field glasses, to pick off the officers. One sniper killed two of our officers and wounded two more before he himself was killed.

BRITISH CAVALRY IN RARE BUCKLE.-

EXEMY WITHDRAWING FROM THE AISNE.

Received 14, 1.35 a.m. London, October 12. Cassel is .a particularly important position, owing to a series of six or seven hills rising* v abovc the plain. The guns are mounted on a precipitous eminence. Cassel dominates the country for miles around.

The plain between Dunkirk and Lille is excellent cavalry country, delighting the Allies, •who Siolil in contempt the German horsemen and continually seek opportunities of fighting at close quarters. One troop a day or two ago rode through two German squadrons, charged back, and rodo through a third time with hardly a saddle empty.

The British horses siave had two or three weeks' rest, and are in line condition. Some of the riders have beenhaving a turn in the trenches. So enamored are they of the bayonet that they have adopted them in several squadrons. In every regiment it is no secret that the Germans have been withdrawing men from the Aisne, though they have kept up the appearance of undiminished strength by continuous rifle fire and a daily "concert," a trick the Japanese often played in Manchuria. Near Soissons, the French managed to get a battery into position and enfiladed some German trenches on the plateau.V

In order to turn out Germans in the tunnels on the Nouvreou plateau, northwest of Soissons, which protected the German siege guns live miles away, the French carried on mining operations for 11 days until they were within a mile of the tunnels, whereupon the commander ordered the trenches to lie taken with the bayonet. The dash was successful.