The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 19 February 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

PRAISt FOR TERRITORIALS. INDOMITABLE PLUCK OF OUR REGULARS. VIOLENT FIGHTING AT GIVENCHV. GREAT HARDSHIPS OF OUR TROOPS London. February 17. Sir John French comments on the indomitable pluck of tbo Coldstream and Irish Guards in the storming of two sets of Barricades, capturing- tliree trenches, killing and' tafemg- prisoners many of the enemy on February 1, at Guinchy. The Flying Ciapa covered a hundred thousand miles. Though the weathe; was uniformly bud" only on thirteen were reconnaissances not effected. The principle of attacking hostile aircraft on everv opportunity has been continued and "has resulted in German machines immediately retreating whenever chased. The army corps commanders arc loud in their praise of the Territorials. They say tliev are fast approaching, if thev have not already reached, the standard of the regular infantry. The Artists' Rifles (a London Territorial regiment) is acting as a training corps with great success and is turning out a hundred officers monthly. The training includes ia 48 hours' tour of the trenches and the ivisiting of observation posts. On the morning of December 25 a strong artillery attack developed south of the Bethuiie Canal. The British Hno near the canal was a pronounced salient, which the Scots Guards and the. CoHsl reams were holding. The trenches 'li the salient were quickly blown in, forcing a retirement to a partially prepared second line, which was strengthened by the construction of a keep, half-way between the canal and the main La BasseeBethune road. The London Scottish were sent up in support and counterattacks organised north and south of the canal. This resulted in the Germans being driven back. Our Ist Guards Brigade, which suffered severely, was sent to the reserves. Meanwhile an equally severe attack was made at Givenchv after a heavy bombardment with high explosive shells. Despite the fact that our artillery was hampered by the constant, interruption of telephonic communication between the observers and the batteries its fire forced the Germans to crowd in the north-east comer of the village and finally they broke through the centre of the village to the keep. The Germans lost heavily. A well-timed local counter-attack by the Welsh reserves was completely successful after about an hour's street fighting. All the Germans in Givenchv were captured or killed and the original line re-established. Part of the 14th German Army Corns on December 2!), after a severe shelling made a violent attack with scaling ladders upon the keep. The Sussex Regiment from within inflicted serious losses on the Germans, who left 200 dead behind.

The troops have been subjected to the severest trial it. is possihk to impose upon a body of men. Til:; desperate fighting mentioned in the last, dispatch had hardly concduded when they were called upon to face a rigorous-Winter campaign. Though everything tjß t.li,science of medicine suggested omploved to mitigate + he hardshijwl the suffering was very great. Nevertheless the me,, now present a soldierlike and splendid, though war-worn, appearancv. Their spirits are high and confident. TV British battalions frrai India are particularly fine. Princess Patricia's Canadians are magnificent men and excellent at work in the trenches. Sir John French commends the Royal Engineers, and the medical corps, wlio are treating eleven thousand daily on the lines of communication. Then; have been only live hundred cases of enteric since the commencement of the war. He concludes by gratefully acknowledging the help ami supnort of tieFrench Generals Focli, Durbal, and Maudhuv.

PRIESTS DRIVEN INSANE. INHUMAN GERMAN TREATMENT. Times and Svdnev Sun Services. London. February 17. Monsignor de Wachter, bishop to Cardinal Mercier, preaching at Willesden. said that four priests who had returned from Germany informed him that while they were prisoners they were given the foulest and vilest work. They were brought out with the English and French prisoners and placed against a wall and told that they would be shot. Thev stood for an hour hefore levelled rifles. A fortnight previously they were told that their execution had been postponed. The same announcement was made daily. It was small wonder then that many were driven insane. London. February 17. The air raiders yesterday dropped 240 bombs, each weighing S. r >lb. FRENCH ARMY SUCCESSES. Paris, February 17. A communique states: ''We repulsed violent attacks by at least three battalions near " Four-de-Paris, inflicting heavy losses and taking many prisoners. We captured a hundred metres of trendies in the Bois de Malincourt."

ALLIES ADVANCE. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED. AMMUNITION AND CONVOYS CAPTURED. Received 18, R. 50 p.m. Paris, February 18. Official: Our artillery destroyed many bivouacs, ammunition, and convoys between the sea and the Oisc. We captured two lines of trendies north of Arras, inflicting lieavv losses, and c;in'i"d more positions near Perthes. We progressed at Lagrnrie. inflicting very severe losses, and also progressed at several points between Argonne and -he Meuse, also in Alsace.

GERMAN ATROCITIES. BELGIAN COMMISSION'S RETORT. THOUSANDS MASSACIiED. Received IS, 11.SO p.m. London, February 18. Tile eleventh report of the Belgian Commission details the outrages in the province of Naiimr. where nearly IiOOO men, women, and children were massacred. In some parts half the male adult population had disappeared. The supposed Vranee-Tirenr war against tlie Germans was mere invention.