Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 133, 29 October 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

INDIAN TIUXn-s LEX jjyOet

BRITISH Po.mj iu.s i.\ DANGER. BUT RECOVERED BY THE INDIANS. liimli BAVO.sETs WRECK THE GERMAN ONSLAUGHT. GERMANS WOUNDED. v "KAy FOll THEIR LIVES." Loudon, October 27. The Daily Telegraph Paris correspondent states thai for a fortnight the Germans, showing the greatest bravery, have been making a desperate effort <rt La Basse to counterbalance the Allies' successes in the north. The countrr was extremely difficult, the hedges, canals, copses, and hillocks necessitating much fighting at close quarters. 'An eycwjtness narrates an incident at La Bassee at the end of last week. The German* lia.t hcavi y shelled the British trenches, also a line of miners' cottages runiiini; northwards. There was nothing to indicate an intention to rush any particular point, though aviators report' ed the massing of several brigades behind the artillery. Suddenly an avalanche of men-.was let loose on a section of the line. The British infantry' thinned out tiie enemy rank after rank, but their rush was irresistible and tli« 'entrenchments were carried, the British defending them to the last. Reinforcements were hurried up, but before they conld repair tho broken line furtder hordes of Germans 'appeared. For a while the situation was dangerous, and the (lermans were confident ! they had found a way to the coast,, but I they were rudely undeceived. Indian [ troops were supporting the British, and this was the first time they had ibeen in actioft. For days they had been watching the bursting of shrapnel and were thirsting to prove their quality. Now they were ordered forward with the bayonet. The forces "met and clashed. In an instant, saiil the eye-witness, the issue was decided. The German advance was not cheeked,: but beaten and broken. The Indians ran through them, pouring the foe back to receive right! and left fire "from the British infantry.

The Indians wejjc not content with recapturing the trench, bat, leaping it, pursued the Germans down the hill until their officers recalled them. A Central News correspondent, describing the fighting at La Basse states that the Sikhs and Gurghas took part in the charge. A staff officer estimated that 20.000 dead and wounded Germans were left on the field. The British losses do not exceed 2000. London, October 27. A corporal of the field artillery has arrived at Aberdeen. He narrates a thrilling charge of the Bengal lancers. ' GREAT BATTLE AT YPRES. . GALLANT BItITISTIEKS AT BAY. REINFORCED IN THE NICK'OF TIME. BELGIANS SUFFER TREMENDOUSLY. WRY GERMANY WANTS CALAIS. VIOLENT ATTACKS AT LA BASSE. Paris, October 27. Two hundred and fiftv thousand Germans were massed at Yprcs. The British force held them in check for five days, despite the employment of siege guns from Antwerp. Sometimes they had to bury dead men in the trenches. Again and again the Germans were within a few hundred yards and the Briti.ib •leapt, out of the tenches and charged ■with bayonets, and the Germans fled, many hundreds being captured. There were thousands of victims to shell fire and machine guns. The situation was critical until r< inforectnents arrived on Friday and the enemy were thrown back fifteen miles. The Belgians lost ten thousand dead and wounded in nine days' fighting on the Ysir. Two thousand German bodies were in the Yser Canal after a single night attack. Many were drowned; others were hayoncttud. The Belgians and Germans even wrestled and died, drowning each other. The Times says thai-'Copenhagen messages state thai, on the strength of the Kaiser's command that Calais must lie captured at all costs, Baron von Darrnne, of the fvneral adjutancy su'iff, in an interview, declared that when the Germans were in possession of Calais they would use 17-inc'h howitzers for protecting the bases and ti.ipcdo boats and submarines .surrounded by a triple row of mines and would scatter mine fields to Portsmouth and off the North Sea coast.

Amsterdam. October 27. The Te'egrjiaf reports that 1(1,01)0 Austrians arrived at Ghent on Sunday. I'aris, October '27. Official.—Nieuport wan violently bev-n----bardjsl by the Germans. The effort was continued on the Xieiiport-Dixmmido front without rcsii't. The entire La Uassec-Soinme front baa been the object of violent night attacks. All were repulsed.

London, October 27. A correspondent who visited Anas say s that it is the same tale as in a hundred other towns and villagers where fear of the Prussians has become dread. It is visible in the people's eyes. On the outskirts hundreds of women and girls arc pushing perambulators and other light vehicles, old men are stumbling wearily along, children carrviug chickens and ducks." At the approach of evening the refugees tear the straw stacks to pieces to build shelters from the wind anil rain. Inside the town the destruction caused by German shells is visible everywhere. Then' is hardly an unbroken pane of glass anvwht re,' and there is the acrid'smell distinctive of burning houses. The scent of Hie powder floating over from neighbouring French guns is almost invigorating compared with the heavy smoke. A fenpeople slink about the town, but the majority are living in vast subterranean cavities, originally built under the town by monk®.

A neutral attache says -that German officers admitted- siat their losses against the British-were terrible. Com-

turn during the great retreat from .Mons, they said: "We tried every means to get hiough. I was like pushing a wall of ing. It gave way every 'time we pushed, but still ".remained, firing at us all the time."

According to German prisoners, General von Kluck diiectcd the German right during the tattle of the Mavne, •but since lias remained at the Aisne. At present the Germans between the Oise and the sea,, com.nw.ncincr from the south, are led by von Bulow, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, and the Duke of Wurtem■burg, the latter being in Belgium. Copenhagen, October 27. recovery of Prince, Oscar, the Kaiser's sth .'son, is doubtful. He is fluttering from partial paralysis of the vagus nerve caused by the shock of seeing the Turcos kill all the officers of his staff.

■S-A.VAK GUNNERS PICNIC.

MAGNIFICENTLY DIRECTED FIRJJ. GERMAN BRIGADE WIPED OUT. BRITISH DESTROYERS TAKE A HAND. Received 28, G p.m. London, October 27. ■The naval gunners had a fair picnic on tho Belgian coast. The monitors watched a Oerman big.,gun taking a position, and waited until the range was found for them. Then they smashed the gun and men to pieces with the first shot. Destroyers with six-inch guns went up Uie river at Nieuport and fired a broadside at the Germans, and then turned round let drive the other broadside. She fired the stem gun as a parting salute. A thousand of the enemy were killed- in one field.

it is stated that one brigade marching near tiie sea coast from Nieuport to Middelkirke was completely wiped out by tiie magnificently directed fire" of the monitors and other vessels.

The British had been fighting hammer and tongs fpr three weeks and were exhausted. One brigade of German infantry attacked, and"-when halfway to | the trenches the Bengal lancers, who had arrived "the day before, made a slight detour to avoid the British line of fire ■ and then swept into the Germans from ■'the left, like a whirlwind. The Germans knew -the Turcos, but not these darkskinned lancers, who with shrill yells ■brought down a mail at every lancethrust. The Germans ran for their lives and the lancers, pursued them for a mile. The Indians were received, with wild cheers when they rcturnctf to the British lines.

GREAT STAND BY THE BRITISH. '

OUTNUMBERED BY FOUR TO ONE. j BUT BEAT 0FF V TIIE ENEMY. | "" Received 29, 1.15 a.m."' I Paris, October 27. An account of the fighting at Ypres states that the Germans outnumbered the British by four to one. They advanced in daylight by short rushes. The British volleys mowed tliem down. When 150 yards from the British the Germans retired. They were reinforced, and charged again. This time they reached within fifty yards of the trenches by -sheer weight of numbers, but again they'were driven back. At the third charge the British fixed bayonets,'but the British artillery opened fire and the Germans lied. French officers declare that the British stand at Ypres was even more magnificent than the retreat from Mons. PARTICULARLY FIERCE STRUGGLE. "ALLIES RETIRED NOWHERE." BCT ADVANCED AT SEVERAL 'POINTS.

Received 20, 12.45 a.m.

. Paris, October 27. Official.—A particularly fierce struggle continues between the mouth oi Yser and the Lena District.

The Allies retired nowhere on this line and progressed between Tpres and Koulers, also at Soissons. We had a successful artillery encounter at Berryambay, and destroyed several German batteries. We assumed the offensive east of Xauek, between the forest of Beyance and lirroy, driving the enemy across the frontier. A- MRD'S-EYE VEIW. DEVASTATION- IN DIXMCXDE DISTRICT* EFFECTIVES-ESS OF BRITISH CUX FIRE. Deceived 28, 11.50 p.m. London, October 27. A correspondent in a captive balloon with the observation officer seokiii" the position of the German batteries had a bjrds-eye view of the battle between Aieuport and Dixmu.idc. lie saw Ostnnd, and the ruins of several coast villages about Middhkcrke and Lombars.vde Xot a wall remains standing in Wcstkerke, Slype, and Xovie, all this having been c,u,,cd by the effective fire <)f the British warships which ultimately dislodged the Germans. Wanton destruction is continued around Koulers. A XEW BRITISH GUIS".

DEALS WITH THE GEBMAV AVIATORS. Received 28, IUO p.m. London, October 17 A new British gun has provided fresh terror for the German airmen. -

4 , A J ,; u .'^ '^' w »v.-r the hcuhjuarters of the Br,t,<h general stuff, scattering bombs j.n miscuuiisly. A sliot from the Rim found the target, and the machine was brought to the ground. Another laube tried to make amends for the future but before her pilot began droppinbombs the gun wn» fired. The Taube fired once, tlien hastily withdrew.

A PHYSICIANS' CUMPARIKUX

lU'ceivcd 2S, 1 8 p.m.

London, October 2S. Eminent physicians declare that the French soldiers fatigue is six per cent greater than lh,. Germans', but the immeii=e ( (Tort< demanded <,f the Germans poison tin- blood by fatigue, anil wh«n thee die the bodies immediately decern pose. GERMANS IIAlSlXf", FUNDS. Received 28. 11.40 p.m. Kolforlain. October 2S. Koulers has been fined £IO,OOO as a war impost. : Lost.—-The person who lost that bottle of DINGO EUCALYPTUS in the