The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 198, 30 January 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

ATTACK ON BETHUNE. KAISER WATCHES TREPARATI >NS. GERMANS CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO FIRES. Received 2(1, 10.45 p.m. London, January 29. Renter's correspondent states that the Germans on Monday, concentrating their important forces between Ea Basso*, and Fostbucrt, attempted to pierce the Allies' lino and capture Bethune. The Kaiser watched the preparations on Saturday and inspected the German positions at La Bassee.

The attack was supported by heavy artillery and an armoured train, which fired twenty shells into Bethune.

The Germans planned to draw the Allies towards Fostubcrt by a vigorous attack while two infantry regiments made a turning movement via La Bassee and the Bethune road. The Allies were aware of the plan. The German infantry, advancing in close formation, received a murderous fire, being caught between the English artillery in the front and the French artillery -n the flav.i:, and were literally mowed down.

A ample of rvTiiimit.!, in endeavouring to cutil.iiik the Allies, aovnrced towards Annequin. They were allowed to approach within five hundred yards of the Allies' line. Then the French seventyfive cannon opened fire. Those escaping from death were made prisoners. Two companies were captured. The enemy vainly renewed the attack five times, seeking to break through the Allies' lines. They charged once and reached Gibenchy church. The bayonets did deadly work in the plains and "round Verme'iles, Givenchy ind Guinchy, which were strew l with cVml.

A severe artillery duel continues ihroughout the district. Official—Chiefly artillery duels are ;aking place. The position is unchanged.

I GUERILLA BANDS. OF DETATCHED I LENTIL FOUR MONTHS' FIGHTING. J'aris, January 20. After the battles in Belgium and Luxemburg in August several small French detachments who were unable to rejoin their corps, carried on a guerilla warfare' in the dense woods for four months, ambushing passing Germans. On,- force of Job ultimately passed the German lines and rejoined the French at Argentic. Other bands continue the guerilla war.

KAISER'S BIRTHDAY ONSLAUGHT. GERMAN LOSS OVER 20,000. Paris, January 28. A communique states that the total German losses o n Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday exceed twenty thousand. The enemy made a great (llort on the Kaiser's birthday, but it was a good day for us on the whole front, as all the attacks iverc repulsed and all our attacks progressed. Our artillery demolished several trenches, and the Belgian and English artillery swept the German routeand points of concentration south o." the Lys. The Germans lost a brigade on Monday and Tuesday. In the Craonne region our losses were eight hundred, including two companies imprisoned by a landslide. We now hold all the. disputed ground, and have gained four hundred metres north of Srones.

CIVILIANS QUIT TIIANN. OWING TO GERMAN BOMBARDMENT. » Received 30. 12.15 a.m. Berne, January 2.1. The civilian population has quitted Thann, which the German bombardment fired. [Thann is a town in Upper Alsace, 22 miles south-south-west of Colmra, the capital.] BRITISH DRIVEN BACK. BUT RECOVER THEIR GROUND. Received 30, 1 a.m. Paris. January 28. Monday's fight was the biggest wherein the British have recently been engaged. La Bassee plains are a bog. The Germans found the only workable foothold highway. Suddenly they attacked the unsupported British position. The latter fell back before the rush, which was led by the Fifty-sixth Prussians and the Seventh Pioneers. The enemy swept along the road to the outskirts of Givenchy capturing half-a-dozen prisoners. English reinforcements crossed a sodden morass three hundred yards, knee-deep in mud and water under heavy fire, and secured a trench, though the lost heavily. They drove back the Germans, who left four hundred dead. A small force of the enemy entered Givenchy. The British fired "from the windows and wounded many. The remainder surrendered.

The British re-established their old positions and broke fresh ground.