Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 131, 27 October 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

■ GERMAN'S LEAVE THE COAST. DRIVEN BY WARSHIPS' GUNS. A DISASTROUS LANDING. "THE iSlt-EXT DEATH." LONDON 'lil'S MEN AT BAY. London, October '23. Tho Observer's correspondent :it Calais states that the Allies liave forced the Germans to retire to Thielt, with the loss ol 1-00 prisoners and 700 wounded. It is estimated that the Germans tost thirty thousand men in consequence of the Hooding of the country south-east of Dunkirk. Five thousand were drowned, and the rest cut off and overwhelmed.

The Germans are concentrating for 'i:i attack oil Dixniun'le, where they will not lie exposed to the gaiis of the British fleet.

While a I'ritirfh shore party witn ma-chine-guns was landing, German sharpshooters, lying on the sand dum.s, picked them oir, and only a handful escaped,

and tho gun was In-t. During a light at Dunkirk on the Hth between French aeroplanes and German cavalry, the aeroplanes carried boxes of steel arrows, which tiny dropped from a height of two thousand metres, and made havoc of men and horses. Two officers in British uniforms and in a British motor-car, near Armentieres, approached an ammunition collumn which was carrying supplies for the British trendies. The captain of the column halted it, and went to speak to his supposed comrades. In a few minutes he drew a revolver and shot both dead. Thereupon a squadron of German dragoons galloped up. The lorrydrivers, mostly London 'busmen, lined a ditch on the roadside. Infantry came to the support of the convoy and saved it. The Germans retired with heavy losses. '

A French torpedo boat arrived oil O;tond on Friday. The German artillery on tho waterfront fired and the torpedoboat, which answered, shelled the Hotel Majestic, where the German staff oflicers were dining, and kil'ed four, including a medical ollicer. Several other buildings wire damaged.' The Germans anendeavoring to prevent the departure of the inhabitants fpue o>tend, in ord.-r to stop the bombardment.

Pari?, October 25. Official. —There is no umngo between the sea and Arras nor in the Ariionnes. Our artillery lias destroyed three more German batteries en 'be Mouse heig'it*. \ CALAIS AT ANY COST. i:v the v. Tin; k.uskr. t.KIIM.' '■< A< - A V AiIMiSTICE. I'aris, October 25. Tise I'rcs-- :'<>rei- t'uit tho Germans anmaking a frciitv to pirive L.ie Allies - lines. The Gaulois ftat'-s that King Willi im ordered his army to rea-di Calais at any cost.. He wants it as a base against Einr'and. Other papers point out that Melezieourt itself is unimportant, but the importance of its capture lies in the fact that it dominates one of the few roads I across the wooded Argonnes and prevents tlie junction of the army of tbe Crown Prince with that of General von Beringcn. .Military authorities think the enemy cannot gain possession of Dunkirk, but he may make a supreme effort to reach Calais, which he desires as a base f.sr submarine action. Official —The French on Saturday refusal a German I 'ljiiest for an anni-.-tice to bury the dead ami gather th ■ wounded, following the attacks on tlie height* of Thiancourt. London, 0.-t./ber 25. A correspondent in Northern Frame, fays the fighting near the sea is not regarded, in the lights of the new standards, as on a really extensive scale. For the time being the Germans have been allowed to act fur the most part on the efiVn-dve, though the enemy in the vicinity of Dixmumle and Yprehas been steadily pushed north and east. The Germans are trying, without success, to force the Allies' hands north ul Arras.

An doctor, commenting on the exhaustion of the soldiers, throng'! lack of slec.p. siv« that no mutter lio*a badJt wounded or lu»\v _i;reat pain they are in, tiley drop asleep almost immediately they reach the hospital. Tho French used a successful night ruse. The .Senegalese crawled near the Germans' lines ami powerful searchlights were flushed 011 the enemy, who, blinded ami unaW.- to tell the direelijji of the attack, were bavonetled, ay oh pinall loss to the attackers. ! An unconfirmed report from the lUirgoI master of Wendune, imrlh-rast of Unices. stales that the Allies have gained a victory and that 70.(H)0 Herman*. 3'tf) guns and .'!! 11u«m have been captured between Chalons and |

to acknowledge defeat, and repulsed every attack with heavy losses until the arrival of the British monitors. The British officers were surprised that they were able to hold the positions. The King was moving about the lines, comforting the wounded and cheering tho downhearted, when a shc'l fell close to the Monarch in the trenches. The soldiers, realising Ilis Majesty's peril, fought with new valour.

VERDUN NOT INVESTED. GARRISON FIGHTING IN THE FIELD. ■ THE FIXED FORT A BACK NUMBER. Received 2G, 5.13 p.m. London, October 25. A correspondent, in describing tho position at Verdun, says tho German papers reported that the investment of the fortress had begun when, as a matter of fact, the guns of the forts had never once been lired. "The garrison, acting as a held force, has had several encounter;) with the army at Metz, but that's all. There's no prospect of the fall of Venhm while the army in the field can pre'. i nt the Germans from getting within ra!!,';(• of the forts, which the latter

ere apparently unable to do. Tile whole his Lory of the war has proved the utter m-slessness of forts under present eonports that, when at Vera Cruz, he noticed gone."

TISKXCUKS FILLED WITH WAXIiR. r.ELCIAXS' EFFECTIVE DEFENCES. Received 20. 5.-15 p.m. London, October 21. A captured Bavarian officer slates that when the Allies opened the sluices at Dixmunde, his regiment was compelled to fight in trenches up to their hips in water for many hours. A KING IN A KING'S PLACE. GALLANT BELGIAN FORCE. Amsterdam, October 25. The Stall urged King Albert to leave the front, but he replied, "My skin is or no more value to my country than yours. My place is in the lighting line." There he remains in the uniform of a general, constant!)- encouraging the gallant little force at all points of the front.

Several buildings in Ostend, in ad litii'U to the Hotel Majestic, were dumng'd b\ the nival bombardment. The Ualile between .Nieuport and Ostend continues vigorously. London, October 25.

The Times' correspondent in France attributes the escape of the main Belgian army largely to the heroism of a few thousand who held tin the Germans

at Oulleiii, south of Ghent, while the remainder hugged the Dutch front'w end inarched coastwise to pin the Allies. The fi.r. i* at. Otilh'iii was cut up, but .-aveil tlie ;,rt.:v.

( KInVX iMtiXCE'S NARROW ESCAPE. from ax airman's p.omh. Received 20. 10.10 p.m. Paris, October 2(i. It is stated that the Crown Prince ne.rrott'h- escaped a French airman's bomb at Reviguy. Fifteen-were killed and 22 wounded within 15 yards of the Prince. "FAMISHED AND TERRGItSTJRICKEN." GERMAN PRISONERS DESCRIBED. Received 2fl, 11.40 p.m. London, October 2C. Mr Cihbes describes the German prisoners. many of whom are wounded, as beiii',' "famished and terror-stricken, and looking like hunted beasts.''