France & Flanders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 13 January 1915, Page 5

France & Flanders

ALLIES ADVANCING ON OSTEND. STRENUOUS OPERATIONS AROUND SOISSONS. MISHAP TO AVIATORS FRENCH CHASSEURS FIGHT OX SKIS NEW BELGIAN" ARMY TRAINING. Amsterdam, January 11. The Tclcgraaf reports that the nearest Allied forces are nine miles from Ostcnd, and German civilians are leaving Paris, January 11. Tlio Government has arranged for selected artists to visit the front and make a series of precise drawings illustrating a history of the war. A comiminjijne states: "After violent fighting we .seized a trench near La Boiselle. We repulsed a counter-attack north-east of Soissons and then carried two trenches, ensuring complete possesion of the spur upon which they were situated. We repulsed counter-attacks north of Perthes and captured more trenches. German efforts to retake a redoubt north of Bcausjoure failed. The Germans suffered heavy losses in each attack, which were made with two battalions."'

A French aviator brought down a German at Amiens. The pilot of an observer killed a German aviator who dropped a bomb on Jlalo les Ijaine.s, near Dunkirk, killing five civilian*. Amsterdam, January 11. A bullet ill the petrol tank forced a Freneh aviator and a Belgian officer to descend at Zeebrnggc. and they were imprisoned. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, January 1). The youngest son of M. Viviani, tli3 ?reneh Minister for War, who was a frigate, was killed whilst attacking German trenches. j The French Chasseurs Alpines vent into action at Orbey upon skis, capturing a German blockhouse. They covered snow-clad hillsides and bayoiietted the defenders. The new Belgian army is nninerL'ally equal to the original army. It is in training in Normandy and will shortly be ready for the field.

A GERMAN ACCOUNT. FREXCH sru.'FSS at SOTSSONS. Amsterdam, January 11. A German communique states t''at a French attack at La lloisellc failed. The French occupier! a small portion oi oui foremost trenches north of Soissms, but further ell'ots failed. We vw.ptured a trench at Perthes. We have made slow progress in Poland and m West Vistula, owing to the weather.

BELGIANS BEAT GERMANS. THRILLING FIGHT IN THE AIR. SEVEN AEROPIJANES DRIVEN OFF DUNKIRK. HOSTILITIES 1)000 FEET UP. Received 12, 7.1-> p.m. Dunkirk, January 12. After the Germans drop-.n-d bombs, two Belgian airmen attacked M-vrii German aeroplanes. A thrilling encounter ensued. The Belgians rose to a height of 7000 feet, ami outmanoeuvred the enemy. They used mitrailleuses against, them. The battle tasted l'or 45 minutes, l'ivp ol the Germans lied, but the others lose until the linal phases were being fought at an altitude of 'JUOO feet. Suddenly one of the Germans crashed to the earth an ' was killed, and the seventh (led ill the direction of Calais, where they dropped bombs without ikiing damage. Aircraft drove them oil'. GREAT FIRE IN BRUSSELS. fteceived 12, 7.1.3 p.m. Amsterdam, January 12. Refugees report a great lire ill Brus-

GERMANS OVER PARIS. DRIVEN 01-'F l!Y FRENCH AIRSHIP, , Received 12, tUD p.m. Paris, January 12. Two German aeroplanes attempted to lly over Paris, bm a Kreiieh aviator scaled them off. CARDINAL MERCIER'S PASTORAL. OBNOXIOUS TO GERMANY. Received l:t, J2..j a.m. Amsterdam, .January 12. The Telegraaf says a German proclamation threatens seven' punishment of anyone in po>-e.-Mon of a copy of Cardinal Mercier's pastoral. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. NO CHANGE. Received 12. 9.15 p.m. Paris, January 12. Official: The situation i,v the front is unchanged. The now-famous Dingo Embrocation, or Training Oil, can be bought from the following saddlers: R. Edwards (Ne« Plymouth), A. T. Kibby (Waitara), Purchas and Ron (Urenui anil Urufci), C. Meuli (Eltham), E. Grossman ITariki and Ingkwood), T. C. Street (Okato), T. J. Mildeahall (Opunake), E. Tobler (Okaiawa), S. Aylward CWhangamomona), CosgTov« & Co. (Manaia),' &c., te.

THE ATTACK ON PERTHES,

RRILMANT FRENCH ASSAULT. GERMANS SURPIUSI3D BY NIGHT. • Received 12, 11.15 p.m. Paris, January 12. Prior to the capture of Perthes, a brilliant attack was made oil German reinlorccments coming from Grand Pre to prepare fresh positions behind where the Hermans were being heavily pressed. A battalion of Alpine Chasseurs and a mountain battery stumbled on the enemy's outposts, who were bayonetted or captured without a shot, and the march continued on the enemy's encampment in a hollow. Searchlights were turned on the unsuspecting Germans, and the Chasseurs charged witli the bayonet. A lucky shot from a French gun fell on the German batteries, and blew up a quantity of ammunition and discomlited the. enemy, who were considerably superior. The Frcncji withdrew and regained tlt'eir lines.

SWELLING THE NUMBERS. According to a Swiss who has returned to Basel after a long visit to Aix-la-Chapelie on the Belgian frontier of Germany, an ingenious method of magnifying the number of prisoners captured has been adopted by the Germans. '•'The German Government daily reports the annihilation of regiment after regiment of the enemy, and in order to give colour to its statements it has to produce formidable convoys of French, British and Belgium prisoners," he writes. "Aix-la.C'liapelle is the particular spot chosen. It is the busies!, railway station in the German Empire just now. Thu German General Stall' sends long train loads of prisoners through this junction going east every day. It is all very impressive. The German newspaper correspondents industriously record the passages of these train loads oi prisoners in their dispatches to Berlin, and they don't forget to refer to the downcast demeanour of the captives, and the cheers of the German populace. The crowds are unaware that these trains are switched on to a loop line at night, and the next day are again sent through Aix-la-Chapelle. One morning as a Dutchman was watching a train load of prisoners going slowly past lie saw a Belgian soldier excitedly gesticulating at a carriage window. lie was trying to explain that they were old prisoners. 'This is the twelfth time we have been through this station,' lie shouted."