France & Flanders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 175, 2 January 1915, Page 5

France & Flanders

DUNKIRK BOMBARDED. BOMBS DROPPED BY GERMAN" AIRSHIPS. ANTI-AIRCRAFT OCXS FAIL. MAXY LIVES LOST. Paris, December SI. Four German aeroplanes droppevi seventeen bombs at Dunkirk. Fifteen civilians were killed, ami twciiti-two wounded. Paris, December 31 (Later). Four aeroplanes, at intervals of ten minutes, flew over Dunkirk, and circled over the market, which was in full swing. ii fifth hovered in the distance, watching for any of the Allies 'machines. The airmen's objective was to diniag" the military buildings, but it failed. Tl: ■ bombs fell mostly in pairs, killing an'! ! wounding pedestrians in the streets and the suburbs. Buildings and Vindows were smashed in many directions, and the tramway track blown up. Bombs fell on tin' fortifications, and also near the railway station and the arsenal. Two fell on a jute factory. An old women was mutilated and killed, and a child's, arm was blown off. Two bombs fell close together near tlie Town Hall, striking down several persons, and within twenty yards another slightly damaged the kitchen of the military hospital. The anti-aeroplane fire failed to damage the machines, while the Allied aeroplanes w.Te apparently busy elsewhere. HEAVY BRITISH LOSSES. FIERCE FIUHTS IX TDK TRENCH E-. Received 1, 7.5 p.m. London, December 31. An eye-witnes3 at British headquarters has inferentiiUy disposed of the Hamburger Frieadenblatt's claim of a victory at Festabert. He says that fiftv dead Germans were picled up in one "of the trenches fiat we recently re-took. It is estimated that in the attack on the village captured by the Germans on the 21st, that their loss in killed alonj was 400. An incident which oeeurral on the 24th. but which was not mentioned in the last report, led to a slijrlit loss of ground to us, bnt caused heovy casualties to the enemy. The Germais exploded a mine underneath a trench, and several yards were blown in. The German snipers cccupied the part destroys! and enfiladed the rest. Meanwtiib a larger body of the enemy advanced. Our guns opened on them with deadly effect, scattering the enemy, and killing many. Tbcy also bombarded the part of the occupied trench, killing the occuparts. GALLANT FRENCH MARINES. SIX HEROES IX A WHERRV. TRICOLOR STILL ADVANCING. Paris, December 31. The Cermans recently captured St. Georges, which was nearly surrounded by floods. During the Tc-eapturc a Belgian battalion was stranded on a strip of land, and in a critical position. Six marines volunteered to take a 7.V millimetre pun in a wl.?rry, via the c»al, whMi was alongside the villa?.'. The enemy opened a vigorous fire, and wounded the steersman. Another replaced him, and wa- nK> wounded. This continued until five were hors de combat. T!:e -ixth had almo-t reaihed the i-bmd he was shot, but tie Belgians sirceelid in landing the guns, and their fire destroyed the l,<nise« -l:i-lt.riu-- the Germans, who fled. Many were killed, j or drowned. j Received 1. 7.5 p.m. I Paris, December 31. j An official communique states' that j duriog the night the enemy blew un our trenches north of Sillery. We re pulsed a subsequent attack. 'We captund trendies p;„' sections of the I second line of •■;mee in the Meonll- i le.-hurlu- P'?;..!., ;,iid advanced towards j Fontaines ".. r ).i:ne by exploding a mine I o'-eiipyir." ■' niiow. We taV T.-.i laO metr s () f trenches in Monttnltr.- wood, and enrri'-d 11n 1 •"' of j Steinhjcli lmi!s ( . liv lions.•. I , Reecived 1. 10.20 p.m. I , Paris, Deoeniber 1. Ofliei.ii- We replied to the enemy's at- ■ tempt to eboiicli on l'.ois es Firge°. We 'have mainlined our position at Sein bach. REM N'SCENT OF THE INQUISITION. FROM THE BELGIAN- COMMISSION'S REPORT. I f : ved 1. 7 p.m. London, January 1. The Pros* -..ireau has issued the Belgium Comni: sion's latest report, which cites numtr. -is cases of Germans using . dum-duma.

A French soldier, captured at Aersclioot, was compelled to answer questions by having his hands plunged into boiling water. Another, who resisted, was held while his head was twisted till he died. A third had a linger chopped off. A Belgian ambulance column o£ 500 was attacked near Xamur, and only a hundred escaped. AM IMFORTAWT CAPTURE. VALUABLE ARTILLERY POSITIONS. Eeceivcd 1, 10.20 p.m. London, January 1. The Daily Chronicle's Dunkirk correspondent says the capture of St. Georges aiiVyd the Vivs Viiliiitl)];> artillery position-, i In: Germans at Wcstende are between two (ires. Many German companies at St. (ieorge-i Mirrendercd, after losing all thi Ir 0i1',.•(■;•.-. The 'Allies are now able to build bridges over the Y'scr eastward of Nieuport. SEVERE FIGHTING. , ALLIES ON THE ATTACK. UERMAIn SUBMARINES FROM ZEEBRUGGE. Received !, 10.20 pjn. London, January 1. The Tyd states that especially severe lighting has occurred near Lornbaertzyde since Christmas, the Allies making every effort to break through, the British naval guns participating. The sluices at Zeebrugge have been repaired, and submarines are constantly leaving the port. "NEVER SAY DIE!" AX IXCIDEXT OF THE MARNE BATTLE. DOGGED PERSISTENCE BEATS THE GERMANS, Paris, December 31. Newspaper.; p'lblisli General Toeh's telegram to General ,'offru on the l>th September, when the battle of the Manic si I'lued to )-.'■ turning in favor of the Germans. The telegram reads: "My right wing is being smashed, ami the left crushed in. Nevertheless, lam hammering at the centre" General Foch's manoeuvring, which was probably unprecedented in military history, was so successful that the Crown Prince's centre was compelled to retire, obliging both wings similarly to retire. COLONIAL REIXFORCEMEXTS. CANADIANS AT THE FRONT. PECULIAR FORTE OF AFRICAN TROOPS. SOME MARKED PROGRESS. Paris, December 31. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry have arrived at the front. Several squadrons of Moorish tribesmen and Algerian tiralleurs are at Nieuport. The former are experts at creeping by night into the German trenches, and gagging and making prisoners of the sentries. An official report mentions some marked progress in the Champagne districts. MORE GERMAN TROOPS FOR THE COAST. London, December 31. Forty thousand Germans arrived at Ghent between the 21st and 20th. A portion proceed to the Ypres front via Courtrai and Roiilers, and the remainder to the coast at Dixmude, via Bruges. "BLOCKS OF MUD." HARD LOT OF THE TOMMIES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 1, 7.10 p.m. London, January 1. A French eye-witness, describing the events of December 24th, says the operations were terribly difficult. The liquid and cold mud invaded the breeches of the guns, so that they were no longer able to fire them, and they had to fight with the butt-ends, also with their fists. He says our soldiers have become blocks of mud. Their unalterable good humor, however, enables them to endure with the best possible grace the rough life and severe winter cold. MORE TROUBLE COMING. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 1, 7.10 p.m. London, January 1. The Germans seized an aeroplane factory in a suburb of Antwerp for manufacturing Farnnin biplanes, and also seized a shipyard to carry on submarine work, which they were forced to abandon at Zeebrugge. A DESPONDENT GERMAN. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 1, 7.10 p.m. London, January 1. A German officer from the Y'ser declares that men are falling in thousands. He is convinced that Germany will never succeed there, but she cannot yield, because the morale of the troops would suffer too much.