The Battle of Ypres.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 1 May 1915, Page 5

The Battle of Ypres.

THE GERMANS EFFECT A SURPRISE.. BY MEANS OF POISON FOG. GALLANT HECOVEKY OF THE ALLIES. A GlUPiriC STORY. Received April 30, 7.30 p.m. London, April 30. An eye-witness before the battle of Ypre 3 states that the British line ran along the cross-roads at Broodscend, east of Zonnebeke, to the cross-roads half a mile north of St. Julien, following the crest of the Crafenstafel'ridge. The French prolonged the line north of Langcmarch to Stcenstraat'e. The movements of the German troops and transports were detected some days before. The surprise wa s entirely) due to the asphyxiating apparatus. The attack was originally fixed for the 20th, but was postponed owing to an unfavorable wind. On the 22nd a cloud of poisonous vapor rolled swiftly towards the trenches of t!i« Zouaves west of Langcmarck. The Germans charged practically an unresisting enemy. By the sudden irruption they were able to surprise and overrun a large proportion of the French troops billeted in this area, and to bring some British and French guns under a hot rifle fire at close range. When the British flank was exposed the troops wore ordered to retire to St. Julien, with their left west of the highToad. Their splendid resstance sieved the situation.

, _ The Germans meanwhile bombarded .the sector nortli of Ypres, using projeetiles emitting asphyxiating gas. Our reserves were watching the shells '■bursting when a staff officer' rode up, shouting, "Stand to arms." In a few 'minutes the reserves were quickly marching _ northward amid wild confusion; panic-stricken refugees swarming 'the roads. The officers mustered other reserves ■without waiting for orders and marched tlicm towards St: Julien.

Meanwhile the confused fight had progressed north and north-east of Ypres, the Germans advancing behind a wall of vapor, which swept aero 33 the fields, through woods and hedgerows. The Germans' noses were protected by pads soaked with bicarbonate of soda. A' battery of 4.7 guns to the left of the British line -was surprised and overwhelmed in a moment. Farther to the rear several field batteries were unabl* to come into action until the Germans were within a few hundred yards. But not a gun was lost. One battery was taken on the flank, but it swung'round and fired at point blank, checking the rush'. Another, with guns pointing in the opposite direction, had the enemy 'on three sides. Our infantry), facing a vastly superior force, but fighting every step, without the slightest confusion slowly retired to St. Julien. The reserveSj now.coniing up, attacked the Germans with the bayonet. A melee ensued, whorcin we held'our own, both sides losing heavily. fighting, was continued in; the moonlight, our troops driving back the enemy with repeated bayonet charges, wherein our heavy guns were recaptured. The position north of Ypres was now somewhat restored. The Germans, however, forced their way to the canal, and ■occupied Steenstraate and points on the western' bank of fcho ■ canal!,

The British) repulsed two heavy night, attacks at Broodstule, east of Zonnebeke. A part, of Ypres was now in flan os.

Early on Friday we made a strong, counterattack northwards in co-opera-tion with the French, penetrating the St. .iulieii wood, where the German's suffered heavily through our bavonet charges.. Afterwards wu.also lost heavil/

in the dash across the' opem We. dug ourselves, in at, H m tlic morning and held the. line- west from St. Julien, curving north, near Boesinghe. During the- afternoon we made progress, soutli of Pilkem, further straightening the. Una.

Meanwhile there was fierce fighting along the canal. The Germans captured Lizerne at night and threw several bridges over the canal and continued to gain ground west. They made further night-attacks under cover of gas east ot St. Julien, but effected little progress until mid-day on the 24th, when large jiodies of the enemy were seen advane-

ing on the Ypres-Poelcapelle road. These forced the British to fall back on St. Julien, contesting every inch and mak-

ing repeated counter-attacks. They were a gallant handful, being until late at night only about 200 or 300 strong. They held outi at St. Julien. We strongly counter-attacked on Sunday! morning, but we were checked before St. Julien. The Germans in the afternoon made repeated assaults in great strength near Broodseinde, hacked by a- tremendous , bombardment of asphyxiating bombs. All were beaten off with great 1 the troops showing een greater determination to pay the enemy tenfold for every act of frightfulness.

SAINT JULIEN RECAPTURED. BRITISHERS' FURIOUS ONSLAUGHT. DRIVEN OUT BY THE BAYONET. TWO-THIRDS OF THE LOST GROUND REGAINED. Received May 1, 12.15 a.m. London, April 30. The Germans were only in possession of Saint Julien for six hours on Monthly. The British attack commenced on Monday evening, and lasted all night. The Germans fortified themselves in the village, -which the artillery quickly shelled. All the houses soon collapsed, burying the defenders. Before a rally was possible, the Canadians, Scot and Irish troops had launched a furious onslaught, tin- Germans being driven out. They employed every imaginable ruse. They placed their own dead and wounded in piles iu front of their ranks, and in some eases lay concealed beneath heaps of human ilesh to escape the dreaded bayonet of the British, who are m;w using only nominal cover, their trenches being eighteen inches. The stretch of ground now regained is twothirds of the lost ground, and we hold the lino well in front of Saint Julien.

HEAVY FIGHTING., AT MORE THAN ONE POINT. A PARALYSING STROKE PROBABLE. YPRES A RUIN. AMBULANCES SUFFER. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received April 30, 5.1 a p.m. London, April 30. The Times' Paris correspondent says that in spite of the intense character oi

tlie struggle in Flanders, it mustn't he forgotten that there is heavy fighting elsewhere. He says that a body of Germans, estimated to number forty thousand, are trying to regain an important position at Epargcs. At present the French appear to have the upper hand, but the 'German attacks are not exhausted.

The military critic of the Debats suggests that the German attacks atYpres were a feint to cover a more violent and more dangerous effort efsewherc, probably in eastern France. There is every reason to suppose that the Germain, foreseeing the Allies' vigorous offensive, will try to anticipate it by a paralysing stroke at more than one point of the line.

Tiie Daily Mail, in its comments, states that if the German headquarters report contains even a fraction of truth, the ground lost last week 'ia-3 not yet been recovered by the Allies. On almost every important point that report flatly contradicts our 'bulletins. These matters are of the most extreme importance to the nation, and it is hoped that a clear and unambiguous official statement will tell the people that the German reports are pure romance. A correspondent in the north of France say|s that although the second tattle in Flanders lasted only five days, the fighting was so furious, «and suc'i deadly effects were caused by the engines of"war, and the enemy's diabolical devices, that the losses of the Allies exceed those in «nyj action since the war began. The enemy suffered heavier, and the temporary advantage that was gained would be inappreciable when the final bombardment was completed. The bombardment of Ypres lias left scarcely a house standing. Every village on the Ypres-Pope-ringhe road wa-3 shelled, and our ambulances were hit. Poporinghe suffered severely, especially at the railway station, wdiere our wounded were entrained. ,It was the main object of the attack, and was converted into a shambles. The wounded were removed to neighboring 'cellars.

THE TOLL OF LIFE. HEAVY LOSS OF OFFICERS. Received May 1, 12.15 a.m. London, April 30. The casualty lists from April 17 to .flics- 25th show that 110 officers were killed, 2f>9 wounded, including twentyeight Canadians killed and 99 wounded. Colonel Hartincharg, the champion shot, has died of wounds at Dunkirk. HEESCH OFFICIAL REPORT. Paris, April 28. A communique states: "We continue to- advance' on the right bunk, of the Ysor, and captured 150 prisoners and two mitralleuses. The enemy's aviators dropped incendiary limnbs on Enemay, which' is exclusively occupied by hospital units."'