NO CAVERY TO SAVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 198, 29 January 1915, Page 6

NO CAVERY TO SAVE.

2000 GERMANS WIPED OUT BY BRITISH. SKILL WITH THE RAFTS. Wet, reeling men stumbling along in the dark, rough night, lit up by the liell,ish light oi the enemy's shells, is one of the scenes described by a young German soldier, who has given a vivid narrative of the fighting at Dixmude, and the manner in which brilliant and daring work was performed by the British troops. "The only part of Dixmude We occupy is the bricks and stones with .which we cover our trenches," lie said. "We are all the time under a deadly fire from the British, who have succeeded in occupying a part of the right bank of the Yser. When the Germans left the trenches and were advancing north of Dixniude, the officer states that they met hundreds of their men returning in the direction of Lekc and Cortemarche. "It was our work to replace these wearied troops," he added. "We met a great surprise. The enemy witli wonderful skill had crossed the flood on rafts, and, taking advantage of the* darkness, they succeeded in occupyinig the ground just in front of our trenches. When we descended into the trenches ■just left by our comrades we came unler a withering riifle fire, and before we could judge the position 200 of our men were killed, and we could not see if our fire had any result on the enemy. TAP, TAP OF THE MAXIMS. 'iAt once we heard the blowing of bugles and behind us the tramping of horses iu the heavy ground. It was our 2000 cavalry coming to our assistance. The horses in a mad gallop dashed over the trenches towards the enemy, but many fell never to rise again in the boggy ground. But the charge was pressed onward. Then we heard the devilish tap-tap of the British Maxims. We saw the bright sabres of the cavalrymen flash in stabs of light. jSut their Hashes became less and less, the music of the sabres was silenced, and there were cries for help. Our captain shouted 'Forward!' and with fixed bayonets and bowed heads We dashed to the rescue of the cavalry. I fell into a ditch, and was hurt, and nearly drowned. My comrades advanced, but they found none left of our cavalry. The entire 2000 men had been wiped out, together with the whole of the 200 Britishers who had made the daring onslaught on our trenches."