Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 137, 3 November 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

[ BLOODIEST BATTLE IN | HISTORY. GERMANS FIGHT DESPERATELY. ALLIES DRIVE THE DETERMINING WEDGE. Received 3, 12.20 a.m. La 4 Amsterdam, November 2. While the Allies in Flanders art daily fighting with magnificent elan and splendid spirit, the Germans are struggling with valour born of desperatioa. Their spirit is almost at the last ebb. Occasionally by a superb dash they advance here and there, only to be driven back.

Repeatedly they returned to the charge, but were held everywhere. Friday saw on the Flanders front fighting as savage as any in the preceding fifteen days.

. Jhe battle was the bloodiest ill history.

The slaughter at the Marne and the Aisne pales before it.

Untold numbers of dead are littering the fields, dunes, and trenches. Trench after trench has been taken, and a deep wedge I driven into the German positions.

SEVERE STRUGGLES. GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS ADVANCING. . ENTRENCHING FEVERISHLY NEAR BRUSSELS. Received 2, ll*p.m. Amsetrdam, November 2. | More shells were fired between the sea i " Dixmunde during the past week than aDC ®- the whole of the Boer war. The firing struggles were during the night severest >. encounters. -forcements are advancing German reii. >f C nsive positions which to the strong dt . b( . twepn th< , f are being prepared . trenc - llin „ around line and Brussels. F*. , . , , • feverishly, the capital is proceeding . ' r 'c is progressMeanwhile a stern strung. 11( ] au ] t . ing in the vicinity of Passthi

GERMAN SOLDIERS MUTINY AN. SURRENDER. THEIR OFFICERS SHOT. Received 3, 12.40 a.m. Paris, November 2. Several German prisoners refci to a recent mutiny in a German regiment at Lorraine, stating that 150 men shot their officers and then crossed the frontier and surrendered to the French authorities. Caseß of suicide are frequent in tie German lines.

y IN THE NICK OF TIME. BRITISH SAVED BY ARMORED TRAIN.

Received 12.20 a.m. Calais, November 2.

In a recent skirmish near Ypves, between a British regiment and half a German division, the enemy's line advanced. almost encircling the Kritishers, who doggedly held the ralway linn, inflicting immense damage on their foes. Suddenly an armored train poured broadsides into the Germans until they were practically wiped out.

THE KAISER'S WIRELESS. BUT IS IT AUTHENTIC? TAKE i'PRES, OR RETIRE. Received 12.20 a.m. Calais, November 2. Dunkirk reports that the. Allies intercepted tlie Kaiser's wireless to the general in command, declaring that it was absolutely necessary to take. Yprcs before November 1, otherwise the army must be withdrawn behind the Rhine,

IJATTLE STILL RACING. ENORMOUS LOSS OP LIFE. Amsterdam, November 1. A number of trains filled with cannon and pieces of submarines from Germany for the Belgian coast have been detained at Bruges, until further order?, as the attack on England, according to the Germans, has been postponed until the present battle has been decided. The French army service corps buried in a little, over a week in the Ypress district, 25,000 German dead. The German losses in the Dixmunde district were on a similar scale. The dead in some places were piled a yard high.

i Several hundred German soldiers in [mufti attempted to enter Holland, but the Dutch sentries, recognising them, threatened to interm them. Paris, November 1. The British posted on the La Bassee Canal in an exposed position were subjected to a heavy (ire from German 'quick firers, and requested French assistance. Baron Doulenbourg's battalion advanced over open ground, under heavy fire, by short rushes, suffering severely, and finally charged with the bayonet, capturing farms which enfiladed tke Gasman trenches, enabling the British to advance. The British, admiring the courage of the French, stood up in the trenches and cheered them. The Brigadier wrote to the French general, thanking him, and congratulating the battalion. London, November 1. A German prisoner taken on the Yser said that an officer remarked: "We can do nothing here, yet we must proceed!" The prisoner said that the bayonet attacks were fearful hell. A great stream of volunteers was arriving, but when actually fighting many in anguish called upon their fathers R«d mothers. Weariness, shock, fear «f death, and the dreadful sights combined to break the soldiers.

Paris, November '1

Official: We progressed northwards at Sonan, and maintained our position everywhere else.

Havre, November 1

Two Belgian batteries, comprising eight guns, fired 8000 rounds on the Yscr in eight days. The shells destroyed most of the German batteries, which were unmasked,

Amsterdam, November 1. The Germans have evacuated Lehbekc and Wettercn.

King Albert had a narrow escape in | the trenches. A shrapnel shell burst, ■ and his aide-de-camp was severely wounded, but the King was untouched. * An official Berlin message states that j the Germans stormed French positions | at Vailly, inflicting heavy losses, and capturing a thousand prisoners and two machine-guns. The French retreated across the Aisne. Havre, November 1. The inundation "between the Yser and the Dixmunde-Nicuport railway ha« now reached Pervyse, lalf-way between the two towns. Amsterdam, November 1. TJIP Germans burnt the pier at Bl»n- - ordered the people to leave the coast towns. Many are fleeing to Holland. The fugitives state that the Germans began retreating the moment firing was heard from guns in the direction of Thourout. Everything indicates a German retreat from Dixmunde. British aviators dropped bombs on German war material collected at Lichtervelde, doing much damage, The Germans haye been further reinforced on the Coastline between Ostend and Knoeke, and more fortified trenches have 'been thrown up among the dunes.

THE OFFICIAL REPORT. FIERCE FIGHTING EVERYWHERE. GERMANS' TEMPORARY SUCCESS. I POSITION'S TIIEX RECAPTURED BY | ALLIES. Received 2, 10.30 p.m. 'Paris, November 1 (Evening). Oflici llleru is notllin o new to report onV' C frollt fro '" Nieu P° rt t0 Dix " munde. The Germans cont » ulc<l viol ™t attacks in the whols north t0 east and south of Ypres. . A " wcre We have progressed sliglu le nor " 1 > and perceptibly to the eat. ' )r(;s - Early in the battle the Germ, ca P"' tured the villages of Hollbeke ana -^ eos ' j sines, but these were recaptured in le evening by vigorous counter-attacks. '

Oil the rest of the front the struggle has been very lieree, marked by violent cannonades, the enemy unsuccessfully attempting to capture the ground we had captured in the last few days.

In Argonne the Germans made no progress during the week from the lJth to the '2oth. and 7(iS"> German prisoners were intefned. These do not include the wounded tended by our ambulances, nor the detachments despatched on their way from the front to the rear. Paris, November 1 (Midnight). Official: There is nothing fresh to report in Belgium. We repulsed violent attacks in the environs of Lihons and Quesnov, in Santerre, the valley of the Aisne, and Lagrubie. In the Forest of Argonne we continued our progress northward of iSouain. Our offensive in Vosgoy has made us masters of the heights adjoining Saint Marie,

OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. Wellinglou. Y rsc rdav. Tlie High Commissioner reports in a | cable lo the Prime Minister; Reliable —The Germans. when evaniatiiij? Poland, abandoned many Russian prisoners, Tiic entire army appeared to IK: demoralised. It is estimated that 1.000.f100 Russs ; an troops are marcl.iiiy after the Austro German forces. ' Am official communication from tin; Russian headquarters. relative lo '.he operations 'between "Warsaw and Skievnewice, dated London, October 31, stales that the Russian river line of defence ' ran along tie Nirnan. liabr. Nartw, Middle Yis'.ula and the San. The German, had not, previously tested the ' strength of the c"nU'e of this line. Russian reports so far issued have '•[.oken only of the northern and southern front. The Germans advanced principally from V.ou'li-west. The Gir-l-.ans reached a line south-east of Clone ami Prusskow. and were within six miUs 'if Warsaw. German aeroplanes dropped 'bombs in Warsaw, killiti;; 1(14) persons. The brunt of the defence fell on two .Russian corps, especially one containing Siberian troops which had to oppose three German corps. Splendid work 'vai done at Prusskow and Rakitima. The Germans, cjve v cd by woods and i'.irdpns. delayed the Hessian advance, and ■plax-d machine gr.ns on the roof of a church.

The Siberians lonpi refrained fi'omt returning the fire from the church, unci their regiment lost the colonel, many officers, and 270 -men, but held good till reinforced. Several [Russian corps arrived and drove ihu Germans back. Th<; rearguard engagements lasted eighteen days.

Another regiment distinguished itself ■t Cfl&imiorz by a brilliant bayonet, attack. They drove the enemy through a wood, inflicting heavy loss. The Germans retired rapidly, and the soutli-west. 1 country, west and south of Limiez ;<nd Skiernewice was recovered. The Germans seized provisions and some valuables, but the country was not devasttated. The population are strongly for "Russia and are offering every se:vicfc to the Russian soldiers.

Grwit enthusiasm prevails at Warsaw, 5* itrikihg difference to the attitude before the war and the Grand Duke's appeal. The Germans when retiring demolished bridgei, railways and stores. Every sign was shown of a deliberate and weil-exo-wted retreat, and less prisoners 'vere taken than in the case of the Austrian?. The Russian artillery worked with groat precision and effect. The Russian infantry attacked throughout. . There is bc sign of further German aggressive movements or. this side before winter, but there is always a possibility of an •arly conflict to the southward, where the Russians need to secure and complete their conquest of Galicia. The fsoimy must guard the base of 'the joint action "between Germany and Austria.

PHI GERMAN INFANTRYMAN. DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON THE ARTILLERY. LAST ROAD TO COAST BLOCKED. Received 2, 0 p.m. (London, November 1. A correspondent at the-front says:— I hear the same story that the German foot-soldier cannot shoot, and won't stop to fight when attacked, but runs away, fires over his shoulder, or throws down his arms and surrenders, but the superior German gun-lli;» makes havoc in our trenches. Without, it, the enemy would not have a chance. all. Referring to recent lighting in Br}giura, he declares that the last r®a,ct the coast has been finally closed; up _ ' I the Germans. -* ms

THE RHEIMS C!ATHKD r .. T avAJJ. MAT STffiU sE_lW jaeded SeeeiTcd 2, T / pm _ Herr Bcthmann-H o i]^,j^ 0 . V ,®J n p er Chancellor ha* rer.or2 ft 1?" against been nMuil,,J h the ? owcr Rholrna oat, "^ nl]) whid! wi n justify any i further bombardment,