France & Flanders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 162, 15 December 1914, Page 5

France & Flanders

BLOODY BATTLES. GERMANS lIURL MASSES ON OUR TUKNCHES. REPULSED WITH SICKENING LOSSES. PKAISK FOR TKKRTTOMAL UNITS. Received 14, 10.51) p.m. London, December 1-t. Tlic Daily Chronicle's Calais correspondent passed three days between Ypres and La Bassee. He reports that the Anglo-French have borne (!;<■ brunt of repeated assaults on the trenches. | Fighting began simultaneously from liiorin to "Warneton on one wing, and from Armeniieres to La Basse, on the other, pi-eluding the capture of La Basse itself. The 'Germans on the northern wing, suddenly abandoning defence tactics, made wild onslaughts with tin- bayonet. They sullered heavily, but came on in loose order at a stea*lv. brisk walk, every man firing at random and (.[ten advancing regardless of casualties. They succeeded in driving back the first line of the Allies' trenches. Their triumph was short-lived, ior the Allies' supporting trendies a hundred yards in the rear poured in deadly volleys and confused the ranks. Eventually they pursued the Germans in the bayonet into their | own trenches. ! A bloodier encounter followed to the t northward, in the forest, where the Britjj'ish position was made almost im- ! pregnable by means ui felled trees and barbed wire entanglements. The Organs shelled the obstructions with' smashing eli'ect, our guns responding. . Waves upon,waves of the eaemv pushed upon the entanglements, courting speedy destruction as the Allies' positions bristled with artillery. The Germans, by sheer weight of numbers removed tile obstructions, although they were mowed down from the trenches. The attacks cmied, abruptly, ilung" back with sickening losses. A regiment of Uhlans charging a battalion of British who were pursuing a broken infantry detachment, became entangled ill the underwood. Their horses weie shot. Some of the Uhlans fought afoot, while others fled with the infantry.

Several battalions of British Territorials participated in the lighting. The sixth battalion of Welsh held a trench as unflinchingly as any line regiment. The regulars do not conceal their ad- J miration for the Territorials. j A TERRIFIC STRUGGLE. FRENCH TRENCHES CAPTURED AND RETAKEN. I Received 10, 10.55 p.m. Paris, December 14. | The Germans determinedly attacked [ Dickebicsch and the French defences at Saintc Hoi, but were checked by heavy rifle lire. They repeatedly reformed and resumed the aggressive, suil'ering heavy losses. Having been reinforced, they made further rushes. They took cover behind heaps of their own dead. ( Mitrailleuses and rides continued to c decimate them, but the advance was con- c tinued until they were fighting at close r quarters and the first of tin; French line of ? trenches was captured. The French were „ then reinforced, their 3-inch guns quickly * shelling the ground preparatory to recapturing the lines. Several brilliant t rushes we're made, harassing the enemy who, already depleted and exhausted, yielded to four rapidly delivered attacks. Many prisoners \vere taken, and the losses oji both sides were seven l . ALLIES' VIGOROUS OFFENSIVE. OUR SUPERIOR ARTILLERY. * GERMANS UNABLE TO ADVANCE. >' Received 14, i 1.20 p.m. s pi London, December 14. Ihe Daily Telegraph correspondent at Calais writes: "The Allies are vigorously and successfully pushing their offensive in Flanders. The superiority of their artillery is incontestable, giving them marked advantages during strategy, and

are one of the initial cause of success. "The lino of battle forms a, zigzag from Ostend to Lys, along which the Allies are gradually advancing. They also hold a strong position north-east of Armentieres. Inundations stretch for several miles south of Xieuport to the south of Dixmude. "As the Orinans are clearly incapable of taking a serious offensive, their renewed bombardment is relatively unimportant in localities like Yprcs. Nieuport, l'oreoyse, and are interpreted aa a ruse to mislead the Allies." J IX TIIIC IUVJERA. j! ' S' Times and .Sydney .Sun Services. 11 Received 14, 5.30 p.m. f: London, December 13. a A correspondent travelling in France says that contrary to the general impression, the absence of winter tourists has resulted in a spirit of sweet reasonableness among hotels and tradesmen in the Riviera. " The whole of :!!•• south country is full of wounded and convak.;cent soldiers, revelling in restful sun- J shine and luxurious hospital fare. Hotel p tariffs have been greatly reduced. 0 j, GERMAN'S ( >N TH B SCHEI.I )T. J ■ DUTCH DKTAIN A STEAMER. Received 14, (1.30 p.m. (; Amsterdam, December 14. j. The Herman vessel Delia, from Ant- r werp, was seized in Dutch territorial f, waters and detained on the ground of j, attempting to use the Dutch portion of { the Scheldt for naval purposes. v ' ' n THK Oi'TU'IAL AfOil'XT. s x\\\) HERMAN ATTACKS FA 11,. » 1 Received 7.4-~i p.m. 1 I'aris, December 1-1. 1 Oilicial. —A Herman attack north-east ' of Ypres, and another against the rail- 1 way station at Aspach, were. repulsed. 1 | DAY OK INTERCEN.SfON. Received 14, 7.45 p.m. I'aris, December 1-1. Cardinal Lueon, in response to Cardinal liourne's re<|ue.-f, has appointed the 3rd a.lnuary a day of prayer and intercession for the Allies armies. HEADACHE AXD LASSITUDE. "For some weeks I suffered from stomch trouble which caused headaches and lassitude," says Mr Frederick E. White, JG2 Clark street, Northcote, Vic. "I had recn Chamberlain's Tablets advertised for such complaints, and decided to try 7hat they would do for mc. They are he best medicine I know of for stonv ch troubles and they did me a great eal of good." All chemists and

FURTHER GERMAN ATROCITIES.'

Received 14, 9.30 p.m. I Paris, December 14. Before quitting Comines, the Germans took as prisoners six hundred men, of ages from eighteen to fifty, and sent them to Germany. The Germans shelled Harbourdin, and took 150 prisoners. At Malines the latest atrocity is the shooting of a farmer's son for protesting against the ill-treatment of an octogenarian. Amsterdam, December lb. The newspaper llandelsbland reports that the Germans pillaged and burned ten houses at Ledrghtm, and siiot thirty inhabitants, also ten at Cortwarch. ■ THE DEVASTATION IN BELGIUM. OYER TWO HUNDRED MILLIONS STERLING. Received 14, 5.30. p.m. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, December 13. It is estimated that the devastation in Belgium, in the iirst twelve weeks of the war cost over two hundred millions sterling. At Liege the damage caused was estimated at seven millions, Loiivain seven and a half millions, Niunur five millions, Charleroi two and a half millions, ami Antwerp twenty millions. A FRENCH REPULSE. CLAIMED BY TIIE GERMANS. Received 14, 7.45 p.m. Amsterdam, December. 13. An official message from Berlin states that the Germans, midway between Saint Mihiel and Pont-a-Miousson, repulsed a frontal attack made by the French, whose casualties were heavy 000 prisoners being taken. '