France & Flanders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 172, 29 December 1914, Page 5

France & Flanders

FIERCE BATTLE AT TFESTEBUR. GKRMAIXS CLAIM A VICTORY, London, December 27. A wireless message from Berlin officially states that it is now possible to judge tiie success of the battle against the British and Indians. At Festubert and Bethune, nineteen officers,/819 men, fourteen machine guns, two French mortars, and other material were captured. Tiie British leffc three thousand dead on the field, and asked for an armistice to bury the dead. Tiie German losses were comparatively small. The above apparently refers to the exploit of the ■Manchesters. An eyewitness at headquarters reters described the fighting at Festubert as fierce and while tiie British were compelled to yield to superior numbers, they eventually recovered the lost ground. ' THE FESTUBERT INCIDENT EXPLAINED. BRITISH REVERSE ONsLY TEMPORARY. 'Received 28, 9.30 p.m. London, December 28. I The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at I [ Festubert, between Richebourg, Lavoue, and Givencliy, states that the latest fighting there was from the ISth to the 21st December. There was a temporary British set-back, but then they recaptured tiie lost ground. The British casualties have been grosslye exaggerated. An eye-witness at headquarters stated that a sort of armistice was informally arranged, to enable both sides to bury their dead. ADVANCE OF BELGIANS. c. THE YSER CROSSED. j Amsterdam, December 27. The newspaper Tyd states that large forces of Belgians have been transported over the Yser region, and Lombartzyde and Dixmude. The operation was difficult owing to the inundation and the Germans using isolated farms, each of which was stormed and taken.

| GERMANS REPULSED. (AERIAL WARFARE. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. Paris, December 27. A communique states that the enemy, after a violent bombardment, attempted to recapture trenches in the Fertile region, but our artillery and infantry repulsed the attack. We progressed south of St. Hubert in the Argonnca and bombarded a ravine where the eneiny evacuated several trenches. We repulsed two attacks on a redoubt at Bois Brule, east of St. Mihiel. A dirigible threw ten bombs on Nancy. Our aeroplanes dropped bombs 011 tin aviation sheds, barracks and railway station at Metz. Wo made further progress on the heights of Doznating and Cernay, repulsing several attacks. BRITISH AIRMEN BOMBING BRUSSELS. The Higil Commissioner reports.— On Thursday British airmen visited Brussels for the purpose of dropping twelve bombs on the airship shed. On the first attack eight bombs were discharged, and on the return four. It is believed that six hit the mark. The effect could not be distinguished, owing to the smoke from the shed. SOME FURTHER EXPLOITS. Received 28, 9.30 p.m. London, December 2S!. Official: Squadron-Commander Richard Davies visited Brussels on tlie 24th, and dropped twelve bombs 011 an airship shed believed to contain a Parseval. It is believed that six bombs hit the shed, but their effect' was Hoi rtistinguisliablo owing to smoke from the shed. Amsterdam, December 28. ( , ■ l\ wireless message from Berlin states that British airmen dropped four bombs afc Langeong on Christmas Day, without , doing damage. I Amsterdam, December 28. j An official Berlin report states that hostile airmen resultlessly bombed a new ( Zeppelin shed. The locality is not specified in the report. . THE CAPTURES AT PERTHES. Paris, December 27. Official.— I The captures in German trenches at Perthes 011 December 24 included two mitrailleuses, several siege guns mounted on carriages, and a 25milinietre bomb thrown by a SQ-jnili-mctre gun with tirnioureil cupola, and a revolving 37-iniliinetre gun. All this affords some idea of the (j'enuan defensive organisation. BOMBS IN GENERAL USE. t " London, December 27. The eyewitness at. headquarters relates that the. employment of bombs is the chief feature in the recent fighting and has become general along the line. The (icrmuns are using theirs greatly. A PLUCKY RUNNER. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, December 28. Henri Siret, a runner, has been specially mentioned in dispatches for carrying an important dispatch eight miles in forty minutes. A cyclist was not available, and Siret pleaded to be entrusted with the message. The captain accepted with tears in his eyes and warned him to swallow the message if captured. Siret set oft across heavy muddy fields with a long low stride as calmly as if he was on a cinder track. Under artillery and rifle fire, lie reached the artillery quicker, if possible, than a motorist keeping to the. roads. The cheapest, finest, richest Coffee in the world is "Camp." It warms, rerivna nnmforts. nulls you together, and

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WHITE FLAG TREACHERY. i > , NORTHAMPTON REGIMENT TRICKED. Received 28, 9.30 p.m. Paris, December 28. The Warwickshires, making a despt rate rush, gained some advance trenche in Flanders, only to find they had bee vacated and mined. The mines explodei killing and injuring several. Elsewhere the Germans quitted trench and hoisted a white Hag. Th Northamptons advanced, and tho Gel mans dropped upon their faces, where upon a withering fire from their com rades in the supporting trenches playei havoc with the Northamptons, but no one of the white Hag party was allowei to return. The Germans afc Roubaix found fifteei millions' worth of raw wool, and de spatched it to Germany. STILL MORE PROGRESS. Received 28, 9.30 p.m. Paris, December 28. There are official reports of unsuccessful German heavy artillery and infantrj attacks at Taboisselle,, and the consolidation of French positions in newlyoccupied ground along the front. BELGIAN COMMISSION'S REPORT. WOMEN AND CHILDREN SHOT. FORCED INTO THE FIRING-LINE. Received 28, 9.30 p.m. Havre, December 28. The Belgian Commission's seventh report details numerous instances of GerI mans screening attacking columns with I Belgian men, women, and children, many i of whom were killed and wounded by Belgian bullets, though the Belgians in I most cases refrained from firing. ! CHRISTMAS PRESENTS TO CHILDREN. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, December 27. ■Madame Poincare, wife of the President, has sent thousands of Xmaa presents to children in Alsace-Lorraine. FATE OF A SPY. Paris, December 27. A [courtmartial sentenced to death Bruno Masheim, a spy. He guided the Germans entering Epernay, and pointed out houses containing the richest boo'iy,