The Western Front.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 275, 30 April 1915, Page 5

The Western Front.

FIVE MILES OF FIGHTING. GERMANS USE NEW CORPS LAVISHLY. RAILWAY JUNCTIONS BOMBED BY AEROPLANES. ■ BRITISH TERRITORIALS' BRILLIANT DEBUT. PRESSING THE COUNTER-STROKE. Received April 2!) 0 12.20 a.m. Dunkirk, April 29. On Wednesday the Canadians, worn out with the four days and nights of unceasing struggle were relieved, and retired covered with glory. Their ranKs were sadly thinned. The whole fighting took place along a front of five miles, the most critical day; being Saturday and Sunday, when the Germans brought up howitzers and heavy artillery to advanced positioiis. They covered every highroad with a curtain of fire to prevent reinforcements, the Germans using new corps lavishly. Many were badly demoralised in facing shellfire for the first time. There was a change on M< :iday, when the Allies made a general offensive, bombing the junctions, thus preventing the Germans from reinforcing their exhausted troops. The Germans sull'ered great losses at Railing and Saint .Mien.

The Britisii territorials fought with great gallantry. It was their baptism of fire for many units. When called upon on Friday afternoon to reinforce the Canadians, the territorials brilliantly assisted, capturing Saint Julien, and moved up on an open road along tlie banks of the river Haanebeck, though the Germans directed a murderous mach-ine-gun fire from ruined houses. Unfortunately, the territorials did not enjoy the full fruits of their gallantry, as St. Julien was found too far advanced on the line, which had to be remodelled nearer Yprcs.

t The British were now pressing the offensive home, the French making many prisoners, capturing machine-guns and recovering their own guns from the swamp. The Belgians and French also attacked t ! ie bridge-head froin the north of Stocnstraate, the British attack on the other side rendering the German tenure perilous.

British reports state that they| secured three thousand German prisoners during the 1 two days following the German check. The British successfully attacked Frelinghein, near Armentieres, Also Epinette, where the infantry, supported by an armored train and heavy artillery, smashed their way into the German trenches with grenades.

"THE BLOODIEST BATTLE IN HISTORY." CANADIANS' GREAT EFFORT. CANADIAN LOSSES :;,000 TO 10,0(10. GERMANS BAYONET UNCONSCIOUS MEN. Received April 29, 10.20 p.m. London, April 20. The special correspondent with the Canadians cables that "Never Beaten" is a motto Canada can now wear. It was Canada's battle. The Allied troops are now thinking only of revenge for the bloodiest battle of the bloodiest war in history. J.J; is estimated that the Canadian casualties vary from between eight to ten thousand but it must be remembered that hundreds were overcome .by gas. Officers on the extreme left of the Canadian lines state that the advancing enemy bayonetted scored of unconscious men.

ENORMOUS GERMAN LOSSES. EARLY IN THE CAMPAIGN. CROWN PRINCE'S EXPLOITS A JOKE. ■ Received April 29, 11.30 p.m. London, April 29. The Daily Chronicle's Luxembourg correspondent states that the Germans lost sixty thousand men at Sedan on the first and second September, forty thousand at Longwy, where the' Crown Prince suffered a nervous breakdown, and was only rescued at the sacrifice of an enormous number of men. The Crown Prince's military exploits are a standing joke since he spent the major portion of his time in riotous dissipation iit Luxembourg. THE GERMAN FUMES. HOW THEY WERE OPERATED. BRTTISH TO USE MASKS. Received April 29, 11.30 p.rn'. Paris, April 20. The Germans had metallic tubes projecting from the first line of trenches. At a given signal they lighted the tubes. Red flames shot up a. distance; of twelve yards, followed by thick green and yellowish smoke of chlorine. The Germans retired to their second trenches. They also threw fuses, giving oil' similar smoke. Turpin, the inventor of melinite, suggests that pumping liquid ammonia into tlft poisonous gas clouds and flasks of ammonia would enable soldiers to enlialc the German poisonous fumes. The War Ollice has ordered masks. '

MOVEMENT OF GERMAN TROOPS. ATTACK ON YPRES STOPPED. FRENCH SUCCESS. HOSPITAL BOMBARDED. Amsterdam, April 28. The wholesale movement of troops in Belgium is partly towards the Yser and partly eastward, presumably for tte Carpathians. The German losses round ;Ypres are said to be in the ratio of twenty to one of the Allies. Paris, April 28.

A communique states that the Germans suffered severe losses. Over six hundred dead were counted at a single point on the Yser Canal. London, April 28.

Sir John French reports that the German attack on Ypres has definitely) stopped.

Paris, April 28. A communique states: We gained a kilometre on the Les Eparges-St. Remy front, inflicting very severe losses. We The Germans bombarded the infirmary at Poperinglie, which was flying fie Red Cross, on Sunday, Three liuns were

killed; one had her head b'own of I while rescuing children, and several of tht inmates were injured. (Poperinghc is seven miles west 01 Yprcs, and a similar distance from the nearest point of the Yser Canal.)

AIRMEN'S EXPLOITS. FOUR GERMAN" AEROPLANES' DESTROYED. Berlin, April 28. An enemy biplane bombed the arms factory at Glerndorf (Wurtemberg). The. damage was insignificant, but six civilians were killed and seven severely wounded. The trawler Ricolo was torpedoed. Received iApril 30, 1 a.m. Paris, April 29. Official: French airmen on the 27th bombed the stations of Bollwillcr, Chaubley, iArnaville and Lepoldshohe, and ignited an ammunition store at Chaubley. A dirigible shed at Fredrekhsliaven was also destroyed, as well as four German aeroplanes. ' One French aeroplane was lost.

THE DEADLY GASES. EXPERT'S REPORT. London, April 28. Dr. John Haldane, who was sent to France to investigate the effects of the poisonous gas used bv the Germans, reported to the War Ofiics that postmortem examinations revealed that the deaths were <lue .to acute bronchitis caused by the use of an irritant gas. The symptoms indicated either chlorine or ciromine. Facts were also adduced indicating the use of German shells containing irritant substances, though in some cases these agents were not of the same brutal and barbarous character as those of the gas. used against the Canadians. The effects were not those produced by the ordinary combustion of explosives.' Captain Bertram, a Canadian, states that he saw twenty-four men hj;ng dead from the gas on a small -stretch of road leading from the advanced trenches. GAS TRICK FAILS. GERMANS ROUTED WITH GREAT LOSS. Paris, April 28. Le Temps says that the Germans on Monday nig'it attempted to repeat Saturday's manoeuvres with gases. The Belgians were warned and took the necessary precautions. When the Germans, confident that the gases had been effective, advanced south of Dixmude in compact masses the. Belgian machineguns mowed them down; then the Belgians made a furious charge, routing them with enormous losses.

CHLORINE GAS DESCRIBED. FRENCH URGE RETALIATION BY TUIU'ENITE SHELLS. A SPECIOUS GERMAN ARGUMENT. Received April 20, 8.5 p.m. London, April 29. Professor Sir James Dewar, who is a leading authority on the constitution of gases, says there is little doubt that the latest German weapon is liquid chlorine, which for some yiears Germany has been manufacturing tremendously, and practically supplying the world with inlorme. Tlicy, undoubtedly, have hundreds of tons available. When allowed to escape in the atmosphere it immediately evaporates and fpl'nis yellow •ga:scs. If the wind it would be the easiest thing in the world to inundate a country for miles ahead. Being heavier than air it drifts in aj thick fog along th.o surface of the ground, and escape from its deadly effects is well-night impossible.

JyiK-isi. Paris, jApril 20. Xlie newspaper La Temps says that the use of gases is the last crime left for the Germans to perpetrate. The German 'explanation that the Hague rules specify only asphyxiating projectiles is mere hypocrisy, for the rules are not aimed against any special engine for '.spreading gases, but against asphyxiating gas generallyj. The journal declares that it is necessary to employ some methods of retaliation without delay. If what is said about "Tnrpenite"' asphyxiating shells is true, no doubt 'Franco will he able to war' with these latest methods (in terms of certain equality -with the enemy. Rotterdam, April 20.

The Frankfurter Zeitung asks whether an enemy really believes that it makes any difference whether hundreds of guns and mortars and hundreds of thousands of grenades, are thrown in a small district, tearing every living thing to pieces and making the German trenches an inferno, or, on the other hand, whether the Germans fling grenades spreading gas more deadly than the poison of the English explosives, hut covering a wider area and obtaining its end more quickly without pain and suffering to torn bodies.

GERMAN ATTACK STOPPED. THE ALLIES COUNTER-ATTACK. GERMANS CONTINUE TOTJSE GASES. Received April 20, 5.5 p.m. London, April 28. Sir John French reports that fighting north and north-east of Ypres was continued on Tuesday. Our operations, in conjunction with the French, definitely stopped the German attack, though the enemy still holds a small bridge-head at Steenstraat. The situation required the delivery of British and French counter-attacks north of the Ypres salient. The Germans, resisting these, used asphyxiating gases, contravening the Hague Convention.

WHEN GERMANS WITHDRAW. BURGOMASTERS IX DOUBT. AS TO G'IvRMAN PROPERTY. Received April 20, f1.30 i>.m. London, April 2fl. Hie burgomasters (if a number of cities in Flanders aali what measures they are to take for the .protection of Gorman lives and property in the event of a German withdrawal. GERMANY'S VERSION. FRIEDRICHSEAFEN BOMBED. Berlin, April 28. X communique states that the English ittack on both aldo3 of the Ypres-Pilkin rood broke down 200 yards before our 'ront, and another attack further cast

aih'd. Severe Kng'.ish looses were sustained.

Amsterdam April 28. An airman from a westerly direction popped six hom.bs on Freid'richshafcn. Tlie damage was slight. The aviator was fired at out escaped.

THE CRISIS PAobtu. GERMAN ATTACK BBfjJlEtf. London, April 28. The Daisy Mail correspondent says: "It is even more apparent now that the honors belong to the Canadians for spoiling the Germans' plan, but let none suppose that the Germans gained nothing, for they gained a great deal, and the menace remains." A correspondent in the north of France says: ;'lt is generally believed here that the crisis has passed. The full forco of the German attack has, at any rate, been broken, and wound gained.' They have not materially improved their position."