Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 156, 27 November 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

SOME GALLLANT INDIAN

EXPLOITS. RE-TAKING LOST TRENCHES. GERMAN CAVALRY CUT UP. THE COASTAL BOMBARDMENT SUCCEEDS. HUGE GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS. London, November 25. The Press Bureau says the Indian troops have gallantly retaken some trenches lost yesterday, and captured three German officers, a hundred men, a mortar and three machine guns. A traveller, who has just returned to England, states that the British warships killed so many on the Belgian coast that corpses have been lying a month unburied. The other day a train of thirty carriages passed. Ghent with the blind's down. A sentinel showed him the interior, filled to the roof with bodies going eastwards.

Later details show that the French at Zonnabeye cut down trees and barricaded the roads to prevent cavalry charges. The Germans did not detect the move, and during the night massed their cavalry and made a desperate attempt to make a breach in the French lines. They were caught in an inextricable pile of logs and branches, and the Frenc7i infantry poured in rifle fire, adding to the panic. Few Germans escaped.

The inundated area continues to increase. Two German regiments were cut off by the inundations in the Yser valley on Friday and endeavoured to summon assistance by smoke signals. The Allies used the signals to direct their artillery fire and killed and wounded ICSO. On Monday the bombardment of the Belgian coast included Blankenberghe, where the Germans tried to use 12in. guns. At Ostend the German armed guns along the promenade demolished.

An cyc-witnoss in Flanders, writing on Monday, states that the cold is affecting both sides more than the operations. The men are no longer suffering misery in the mud and slush, but after a night in the trenches many are stiff with the cold and have to be carried out. Others are in hospital from frostbite. Aviators, after reconnaissances, have to be lifted out of their machines. The artillery bombardment continues day and night. The enemy using 42-centimetre howitzers, also a new gun whose discharge is silent; but it has done no damage hitherto. j _ _ Amsterdam, November 25. I Six trains of soldiers and sailors with planks, sacks and small boats left Lou-

j vain for Brussels, apparently on the way to West Flanders. Nine military I trains, six ambulance trains and another containing heavy guns passed LanI den proceeding westwards. | Another account states that 120,000, including many cavalry and 250 guns, arc reinforcing the troops in Flanders. Paris, November 25. ! Official.—The French refused the Germans' request for an armistice after the latter's attack on Bethincourt, northwest of Verdun, had been repulsed. Of 7000 French marines doggedly holding Dixmunde one half' have been killed or wounded. Several German companies surrendered and subsequently a German officer advanced under the white flag. Colonel Jeanniot, commander of the marines, advanced to speak and was foully stabbed and the interpreter'shot. i „ Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, November 25.

A correspondent in the north of France says there are more sick than wounded. The sick are filling the hospitals with cases, mostly frostbite, dysentery and rheumatism". There are'a few cases of pimemonia. The hardiness of the allied troops is, however, remarkable.

In consequence of the prevalanec of desertion the Germans at Ghent are required to report to headquarters twice daily. Sentries on the Dutch border arc instructed to shoot any persons whose identity is doubtful.

GERMANS RETREATING. COLLAPSE OF THE ENEMY'S EIGHT. Received 20, 8.40 p.m. London, November 20. Rcuter's Boulogne correspondent reports that the Germans, who were forcing the Allies' extreme left, are beginning to retreat towards Bruges. German batteries between Nieuport and Dixmunde have been silenced, and make no reply to the Allies' artillery on the Yser.

THE EMDEN IN THE TRENCHES. PLEASES TOMMY ATKINS. Received 20, 5.40 p.m. London, November 20. A British eye-witness says the news of the destruction of the Emden caused immense satisfaction to all ranks. At one place where the trenches were close the news was passed on with comments to the enemy. As a result, the Germans lred heavily into our trenches for some time. >:> ~i i ! i^^E

BOMBARDMENT OF ZEEBRUGRE. jr NOT A SHELL MISSED. DAMAGE IN THE DRY DOCK. Received 27, 1 a.m. Rotterdam, November 2fi. A Dutch eye-witness of the hotnhardment of Zeebrugge states that not a British shell missed. After two hours' shelling the whole port was aflame, the gasholders and petrol tanks exploded, and the mole, was partly destroyed. The first shot exploded in the dry dock amongst Germans who were working on the submarines, hilled seventeen, and wounded many others. I

seilles'WEMjflifct contingent of Indian a expedition that made every obsprrWuuarvcl. the armada of transports swung into harbour and moored alongside the appointed quays., A French officer was lost in .admiration. Afterwards lie confided to me with delightful frankness that the British army and naval authorities were the finest organisers in the world, and Great Britain alone of all the nations was capable of carrying out a, project of the kind with such success. *

• Found .at J. McNeill's Store, a little., packet containing a wpMerfnjhj