Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 152, 3 December 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

GERMANS' SUPREME EFFORT. GREAT BATTLE NEAR YPRES?" THE GERMANS SHORT OF REINFORCEMENTS. REVENGE FOR IPTO—GENERAL JOFFRE'S ; :>„AU Amsterdam, December 1. The ITainlelsblad says tliat a strong force of Germans has been sent to Ypres to make a supreme attack and capture the town. A great battle is raging between the Yser and the Lys. Paris, December l.

A commnnijue states that there was a lively cannonade in Belgium on Monday, but no German infantry attacks. The enemy was more active north of Arras. There was an intermittent cannonade in the region of the Aisne. Fighting continues in the Argonnes, but the situation is Unchanged. The IlagUe, December 1. .

Two British airmen on Monday dropped bombs in the military grounds at Ghent and wounded seven Gel-man soldiers.

Continual requests Have been received lat Ghent for reinforcements for the front. Tho last available batch of 250 was sent on Monday: It included a hundred imprisoned 'deserters who were released on a promise to ■fight. December 1.

General Jo lire, in a message to the fith French army, s»ys> "We owe to you ■-iiat towards -which all my efforts and energies have been directed for fortyfour yeats—revenge for 1870." A pressman who was received by General Joffte states that physical and moral vigour emanates from the Generalissimo. -General JoiTre said that only one thing mattered, that was to save 'the country. Paris, December 1. Le Temps states that Germany has :paid Luxemburg one and a half million marks.

BRAVERY OF PRUSSIAN GUARDS.

UNAVAILING SACRIFICE. THRICE REPUL'SED. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 2, 5.15 p.m. London, December 1. An ej'c-witness, describing the repulse of the Prussian Guards, says the German discipline was wonderful, but was occasionally forced beyond human en-\ durance. The Germain; were ordered toi attack our trendies across an open space ? of 200 yards. After the cries of ! "Vorwarts," the first assault was de- < livered and repelled. The second and third attempts were preluded by louder exhortations, but they also failed. Again the shouts of "Vorwarts," were heard, but were grated by the exclamations of ''Nein," and "No," yet the advance was made.

BRITISH LOSE HEAVILY.

AGAINST GREAT ODDS. London, December I. Lieutenant Aubrey Fletcher, of the Grenadier Guards, who is wounded find in England, relates that his division of fifteen thousand was ordered to hold a front of oijrht miles at all costs, till reinforced. They were faced by about seventy-fiv-e thousand men, including some of the Kaiser's crack regiments. The Germans occasionally broke through by sheer weight of numbers, but were always driven back. The British told tlicm for ten days, and when' help came, of the fifteen thorns md Guards, only twenty-eight hundred remained. His own . battalion, of -trie thousand, lost eight hundred men,, and twenty-eight out of thirty officers.

MORE &HURIU EXPLOITS.

GERJIAXS KXIFETSTfN TRENCHES. Pa-iis, December 1. The lateri German exploit second Dixmude. F«t twverd days the British had boon -suable to-dislodge a party of Germans -v/iiicli liact apparently been heavily reinf/vived. A Gurkha regiment arrived and entrenched iioxt to the Britishers, who nt&ced that ! ihe majority of the Indians hsid'disanp«aj;'d, but assumed they had been drafted to another part of the line. At dawn they noticed that the majority were back rat their -posts, j and timt the Majority fcid their left, arms aitd hands Sjandaged. The British-j ers did slot think of asking the Gurkhas: , for an explanation. They detected a' . curious fcilence it the Genman trendies; and feared a trap, but deeidbd to risk an ;, -.attack. Two Midland regiments eharg- - ■ed, and took the trenches -without op- ' position. They firnnd the :«ims in pis- '•; Sdtion, but only a row of dead Or-! .. mans within, The Gurkhas had evi- ' dtntly seized the bayonets of the Germans with their left hand, v/hile they knifed them. STGHTING UNDERGEODm London, Decen-fcr 1. Renter's Ca.'ais com spoiuh-nt states that the French and 'German -troops were entrenched on opposite sMes of the cemetery near Lifte. The Bbrench -mined towards the enemy, who counter-1-wined, and an encounter 'took placs; uni.fer ground. Elsewhere the Germans used tombs as trenches.. 'The Allies, on entering a village northward of Airas, di«ovcral three British guns and heaps ot live British shells which had hecn abandoned during the Mons retreat, and brought to the village by the iTiemy a*id again abandoned. GERMANS AT C/JUBTRAI. 1 Amsterdam, December 1. The Telegraaf says that the Germans at Courtrai have requisitioned two million francs worth of goods. The town has bei n transformed into a huge hospital. There is sufficient accommodation for the wounded. Five thousand arrived in one day.

TRIED A SAMPLE. "Some years ago I was subject to biliousness from which I could get no relief," says Mr W. G. Miller, Grocer, Lindfield, N.S.W. "I wag given a sample of Chamberlain's Tablets and a 1 few hours after taking them all trace jof biliousness wrr completely gone. I Whenever there has been a recurrence ( rf the trouble J have g?t 'XJj/iefiiale rn- ' |,,.f ri-r.ni [".hi.

UNOBSTRUSIVE LOYALTY.

SIGNIFICANCE OF KING GEORGE'S VISdT. Received 2, O.Q p.in. Paris, December 2. King George's visit has been received wdtlh the liveliest satisfaction. The newspapers contrast its unobtrusivoness with the Kaiser's theatricali.sm. President, Poincairc has gene to the north west. Rome, December 2. King George's presence in Francu ihas produced an excellent impression in Italy, where it is considered that it is calculated to convince thei (most incredulous thai. Britain is determined to prosecute the war to ihe bitter end.

ii "DYING LIKE FLIES." GERMANS SUFFER RIGORS OF WINTER. STARVATION THREATENED. Received 2, 9.40 p.m. London, December 2. Mr Donohoe, the Daily Clironicle's correspondent, says the Germans in Belgium arc suffering acutely from the winter weather. As a triumphant march to Calais was anticipated, no winter quarters were provided, many being shelterless and dying like flies, Desertions are daily increasing. The Dutch' treat military fugitives with every consideration, supplying clothing and warm food. The flooding of Flanders lias had a disastrous effect on the I Germans, pnuemonia, rheumatism, am' typhoid having attacked many of tl unwounded, with the result that the deathroll is heavy, but, perhaps, the Germans worst and most feared enemy remains, for it has been found impossible to adequately food the armies facing the Allies. • Every available train is being utilised for huTrying food to the front.

The fresh troops arriving are largely intended to replace the killed, wounded, and victims of disease. The German staff is between two conflicting resolves, being unable to decide whether to fling away the fresh army in an attempt to reach Calais, or cut the terrible task short by quitting the country which has entombed so many of the Kaiser's bravest.

GREATEST BATTLE IN HISTORY.

ITS RESUMPTION IMPROBABLE. Received 2, lO.lf! p;m. London, December 2. The Times disbelieves in the. probaIbilit yof a fresh attack being made on Yp'rcs or elsewhere,-and considers that the battle of FlandeTs has ended, because of the opposing armies have dug themselves in. From the standpoint of casualties, it was the greatest battle in history. It is estimated that the Germans lost 200,000. It fell to the lot of the British and Indians to withstand the most furious attacks, especially in the earlier stages.

GERMANY MOT EXHAUSTED.

SHE HURRIES—WE WAIT. Received 2, 10.10 p.m. London, December 2. Mr Maxwell, the Daily Telegraph's correspondent, -quotes the officers who are acting as intermediary in the Allied armies us saying that it is dangerous to imagine Germany has exhausted her reserves of fighters, though it is true that ' tremendous and irreparable gaps have been made in the best material, but Germany is always able to put new men in the field. Tire picked men of the new levies have been sent to the western area, as the Germans believe that victory must be won here, and not in the, east. They a:ie only just beginning to revise their opinion concerning the fighting quality of the Russians, and, in-cident-ally, of tin* AuStrians, who have so greviouslv disappointed them. There is no evidence 1 that any effective body has been withdrawn from the west to reinforce the army in the east, and it is - suspected that -such reports are of Gcr- - man origin, being intended to deceive. They have already'had a taste of the! quality of the new men being raised in Britain, arid arm aware that the danger <| is increasing monthly, hence the fran- 1 tic cndeawmTS that are being made to 1 render the Channel unsafe for the trans- I port of troops, but there will be no in- J terruption 111 the supply of young i soldiers proving themselves more than a i match for tSie Kaiser's finest and best a trained men. That is one reason why j he is.in a hurry, and we are not. j Received IV 10.25 p.m. 1 Paris, December 2. I

Commentiiij!; 011 'the German claim 5 that they "have 100. active reserve army corps in the field, a semi-ollicial French 1 note states'tirnt Germany really has 25J j tactivo army corps, whereof "211-8 are { •operating in the west, and the remainder .in the, east; also thirty-three reserve j KMi'ps, whereof 22A arc for the west. The I '.Note .points oust that. neither the Ger- j man nor the TVencli calculations include Landwftlir, u hereoi. eight army corps ! .-are in the west, and setven in the eftßt, '

1 THE ASSAULT RENEWED. >■ JK-m T SELY VIOLENT SIGHTING ON |' THE YSEB. | Received 2, 10.50 p.m. j London, Itaeember 2. A heuv.'ily ceit6ou:>d Rotterdam m«esag<- stiiti.-s that the Yser battle was renewed with intense violence, the artillery 'fire on land Icing tenific, while the liritiA ships were flinging shells into lihc German batteries. The Germans, on the eve of tiie battle, sent an additional 3000 men to garrison Heyst, fearing the possibility <£ troops landing in .tht4r rear. : THE RUIN OF RSTEIMS. I Received 21, !).20 p.m. Paris, 'Becember 1. The bombardment of Rbeims continues. All the factories .have been destroyed, the stocks of wool burned, and the textile industry is ruined. Tiie damage is estimated at four millio&s sterling. ENEMY'S REINFORCEMENTS IN BELGIUM. FRESH ONSLAUGHT ON THE YSER. Received 2, 10.50 p.m. Amsterdam, December 2. More German troops from the Yser and Ostend have been sent to Heyst and Zeebrugge, Additional artillery lias been, tent to • the a nrn.nt.im

Owing to the death of horses on the \ sor front, the Germans have seized all the avaliablc horses. Advices from Sluys states that a larger German force, with bigger guns than before, has been concentrated, with a view to a fresh onslaught on the Allies Yser positions. Numerous motor cars have carried the chief German officers thither from various points.

"FRENCH FOR EVER."

GENERAL JOFFRE IN ALSACE. Received 2, 9.30 p.m. ~ London, December 2. General Joflre visited Thann (a town in Alsace), and interviewed the notabilities who, since the occupation of the town, have loyally assisted in provisioning the troops. General Joflre said: Our return is definite. You will be trench for ever. France brings you i the spirit of liberty, and respects your | traditions, beliefs, and customs." One of the Alsations replied that for nearly fifty years they had suffered e\crj humiliation, and had been crushed, wounded, and tortured in the name ot a eivilisatlion 'boasting itself to be supenor to theirs, but this,'they well knew, was untrue. He concluded by devotion J ° lrre ° f their absolut 'e ALLIES' SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT. Received 2, 9.20 p.m. m Paris, December 2. .Oflic.al.—Tuesday, midnight. ; German infantry unsuccessfully endeavourcd to come out of the trenches southward of Bixschoote. We carried assault, after a hot encounter, gateau lark, Vennilles between .»'..'llmnc and Lens.