Western Campaign

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 5 December 1914, Page 5

Western Campaign

OPERATIONS REVIEWED. J PLUCK AND GALLANTRY OF TROQPS. A WAR OF EXHAUSTION AND SACRIFICE. SUCCESS DEPENDS ON RECRUITS. SEVERE TASK AHEAD. Received 4, 8.40 p.m. London, December 4. The Press Bureau states that an eyewitness, -reviewing the month's operations of the British in Flanders, declares them to be one of the most glorious chapters in our history. The dogged pluck of the troops and individual acts of gallantry and devotion repeatedly saved critical situations, our victory being solely due to their resource, initiative, and endurance. They contributed materially to the appointed task of holding the enemy in the west while tlie Russians attacked in the east. They con tinued the attack with courage which was little abated by failure. The prospect of.' ultimate defeat has never dawned on them, and won't do so until the Allies have made a further great effort and sacrifice's. The war is one of exhaustion, and final success depends on the manner in which the belligerents prepare to utilise the raw material of manhood to replace the regular armies when the latter have done their work. They have defended this line against tremendous odds, and at great ' sacrifices, and now, after a slight respite, they are as fit and willing as ever. Though the situation is relieved, there is no reason for assuming that the enemy-have abandoned their intention of forcing their way to the sea, and the same task lies before the British army of maintaining its share in the struggle until the nation in arms comes in to support them. The Germans are 110 unworthy foes. TWO MILLION GERMANS NEAR YPRES. AN ATTACK THAT FAILED. -FIERCE FIGHTING. . ATTEMPTED PASSAGE OF THE YSER. MOTOR-LORRIES FOR GUNS. GERMANS ROUTED ON THE AISNE. Received 5, 12.40 a.m. London, December 4. The Daily Chronicle's Calais correspondent says it is estimated that the Germans have two million troops on the Yser to Arras line, including half a million at Ypres, with.new guns of long range. . , During a skirmish at Bituchoote ten thousand Germans attacked a Frencli force, numbering only three thousand. They reached the trenches, and theFrench counter-attack practically wiped the enemy out. The Daily News' Dunkirk correspondent reports fierce fighting is proceeding . along a considerable portion of the northern battle-line. The Germans, anticipating the. Allies',forward movement, spiritedly attacked, principally north of Ypres, and towards Dixmude. The attacks were repulsed. - . | Larue forces of Germans, before dawn on Wednesday, under cover of artillery, | attemped to cross the Yser on rafts, . each carrying fifty men, accompanied b.v mitrailleuses in motor-boats. The Allies' artillery capsized many of the riffts, many of the Germans being drowned or killed, but they persisted until midday, when they abandoned the attempt. 1 Owing to the impracticability of moving heavy guns 011 soft ground, the Germans have largely increased the number of'gunu mounted on motor lorries. Paris, December 4. The Germans in attacking Missy, between Soissons and Vailly, on November 2G. hoped to destroy the railway on the other bank of the Aisne with their guns and then cross the river, but the British machine guns and French bayonets routed them and inflicted two thousand casualties. BATTLEFIELD STORIES. HUMOUR IN THE TRENCHES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, December 3. A correspondent who was conducted along the Allied lines states that the Allies' losses in killed and wounded in the Ypres-Armentieres battle were eighty thousand, and those of the Germans one hundred and twenty thousand. . He visited Ypres while it was still vn- ' der shell fire, and gives a vivid account of the ruined and deserted streets. Amongst many devastated buildings the Cathedral of St. Martin is a mass of ruins. • A correspondent describes the conai- | . tions around Woevre. The advanced ' trenches are sometimes only thirty yards apart. A certain amount of familiarity and good fellowwship has grown up between the opposing ranks, and in some places they have agreed upon fixed cloaj times daily for meals, drawing water and washing, when no shooting is allowed. The soldiers roll up German and French papers and toss them between the trenches. The French love to play tricks. A corporal stole out in the darkness and placed a gramaphono playing the Marseillaise near the German trenches. This caused a wild fusilade. and the Frenchmen, safe in their shelters, enjoyed the joke liugely. A cook, carrying some pots of soup, stumbled into the German trenches. Placing the soup on the ground, he knocked down two Germans, picked up the pots, and ran forhis life. He was the target for a few shots, but escaped. Another correspondent says that,_ for the assistance of aviators, ingenious methods of signalling are adopted. Tlie hands of church clocks, the bells in tneir towers, linen spread on the ground, lighted windows, and open or closed shutters are amongst the ruses employed. German shell cases picked up at I the commencement of the war were . dated 1914-7, now they are' 1913-14. ' Many new rifles have been captured from which no shot has been fired, which indicates that they were in the hands of . untrained recruits.

FRENCH OFFICIAL STATEMENT. Paris, December 3. A communique states that lively cannonades are going on at Nicuport and south of Vpres. There is a violent bombardment at Aix-Nomette, to the west of Lens. We repulsed several attacks in the Argonnes, and slightly progressed. The German artillery is active in the Woevre district. The French aviator, Maro Poirpre, famous for his Cairo to Khartoum flight "lias been killed while

reconnoitring in the Somme district. Bordeaux, December 3. Parliament meets at Paris on the 22nd. ■ . /. ~, .. - .v,

flew over Krupps works on Wednesday and dropped bombs on the cannon hall. The damage done is.unknown. The airmen escaped. (Essen is only about 120 miles in a direct line from Antwerp, and is little more distant from Dusseldorf and Cologne, which have already been visited).

PROGRESS OF ALLIES. SUCCESSFUL ADVANCE. Received 4, 7.30 p.m. Paris, Oecember 4. Official. —We occupied Lesmenil and Dexon, the signal station on the right bank of the Mosellp, also Faux, at the summit of the southward Bonliomme Vosges, which the enemy used as an observation post. We ajso occupied Bnrnhaupt station and the Aspach-Bum-haupt lin«. GERMANS IN FLOODED DISTRICTS. MAKE BRIDGES WITH TREES. Received 4, 7.30 p.m. Amsterdam, December 3. The Germans are cutting trees for the purpose of constructing bridges for passages across the inundated districts near Ypres. • .THE TROUBLE AT ZIEST. QUICKLY SUPPRESSED. : Received 4, 7.30 p.m. Amsterdam, December 4.

There were twelve thousand interned at Ziest, the unrest being largely due to the refusal to admit relatives and other visitors ejeept at prescribed hours. When some visitors were turned away a number of excited Belgians assaulted the Guards, who gave six warnings before volleying in the air, and then in earnest. The majority were severely and some critically wounded. IN PRAISE OF THE SAPPERS. A STEALTHY, CREEPY JOB. LIFE IN THE TRENCHES. '' SENTINELS AT CLOSE QUARTERS. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 4, 5.20 p.m. London; December 3. The Times' correspondent in the North of France says that the sappers have become the big men of the war. Tlie whole of the 350 miles of front between the Yser and Argonne is one fortress. The sappers are too busy even to swear. Unless left at the base to control the trains, they carry rifles, which they seldom use, preferring bombs and hand grenades. They sleep in the daytime, and work all night 011 the stealthy, creepy job of repairing entanglements apd blowing up buildings. -Mining is little used, because' tbev strike water at a depth of a few feet. Another correspondent states that, owing to the closeness of the trenches at Argonne, each side refrains from firing. The sentinels stand in full view of each other, and each could kill the other, but recognises the rules of the game, and confines himself to watching. When news discomforting to the Germans reaches the French, they sliout to the enemy, following up with singing "The Marseillaise.' Where the trenches are too far apart, dogs are employed as messengers. CONSTANT MOVEMENT OF FORCES. OSTEND DESERTED. ANTWERP—A CITY OF THE DEAD. GERMANS HEAVY LOSSES. A CAPTIVE'S STORY. Received 4, f1.35 p.m. London, December 4. : The' Daily Chronicle states that Dunkirk, like a Belgian town in German occupation, is garrisoned with a minimum of troops. There is a constant movement- of forces to and from Bruges and Ghent, but the garrisons consist of a few hundred.

Ostend is practically deserted, and Antwerp is a city of the dead, earthworks being thrown up there and elsewhere as if in expectation of retreat. The Germans are furiously bombarding Pervvyse and the Allies are pressing forward there.

The Germans are again advancing in large masses in the Ypres district. Their losses in the last few hours have been very heavy. Amsterdam, December 4.

A German soldier from the Yser narrates that out of 1200 comrades only 190 returned from the firing line. He adds that the Crown Prince will shortly attempt to force tlie Yser line, and if lie fails the army will go into winter quarters