The Weston Front.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 279, 4 May 1915, Page 5

The Weston Front.

FIGHTING NEAR ST. JULIAN. HOW THE ALLIES ADVANCED. STORIES OF HEROIC DEEDS. "OUR LOSSES HEAVY; THE ENEMY'S TERRIBLE." • Received May 3, 7.20 p.m. London, May 3. "Eye-witness" reports:—When the Frenchmen were retiring liefore gas clouds the British position was shelled by a high explosive for some hours. The Germans also fired poison shells for an hour. Their infantry entrenched 120 yards away and evidently expected a result, for they looked over the parapet to see the effect and poured in rapid rifle fire at intervals, when a strong wind dissipated the gases. We suffer; d seriously. The enemy did not attempt to advance.

On April 24 the Germans used gas on several occasions, but did not press forward quickly, a prisoner explaining that many German infantry were overcome by the fumes and could not advance. On April- 20 the Germans massed near St. Julian and made several assaults, increasing in fierceness, but reinforcements secured our positions. Further east our lines were pierced near Broodseine and a small body of the enemy occupied a portion of our trenches. The British, and French made a coun-ter-attack the same afternoon from Steenstraato to the eastward of St. Julian, accompanied by a violent bombardment. Evidently this was the turning point of the battle, for it causod a definite check to the enemy's offensive and relieved the pressure. A certain amount of ground was regained. During the attack guns on both sides were concentrated on a comparatively narrow front and poured out a great volume of fire. The infantry on our right stormed the German trenches close to St. Julian and in the evening gained the. southern outskirts of the village on the centre and farther west. A similar advance was made for six hundred Kilometres, though we could not maintain our gain. At all points opposite St. Julian we fell hack southward, the enemy making extensive use of gas and machine-guns. In the. meantime the French recaptured Lizerne. Our losses were heavy, but those of the enemy were terrible. In close formation the enemy made an excellent artillery target. There was a lull after April 27th, the enemy being greatly exhausted after five days' fighting. There were many acts of gallantry. A machine-gun on our left in an angle of trenches continued in action though five dead 'bodies lay around it. The sixth man took his place, though a brother of one of the fallen men. The Germans pressed on and lie waited until they were only a few yards away and then poured in a stream of bullets. The advance was broken and the Germans fell back, leaving rows of dead, while the gunner was wounded.

An air raid at Courtrai cost us a valuable life. The aviator started alone, und on arriving at Courtrai he glided down to three hundred feet and dropped a large bomb on the railway junction. Meanwhile he was a target for hundreds of rifles and machine-guns., and lie was severely wounded in the thigh, ile might have saved his life by descending in the enemy's lines, hut he decided 1o save the machine, and made for the British lines. Then he was mortally wounded, but he carried on, landed at his own base, made a report, and then died in hospital.

SHELLING OF DUNKIRK. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE. WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED. Received May 3, 11.50 p.m. Paris, May 3. A splinter of the first German shell at Dunkirk decapitated a girl and another shell fell on the Grand Palate, killing many civilians. The military; hospital was partially wrecked and a number of wounded were killed. A shell fell in the suburbs and swept away four .small houses, the inmates of which perished. Another home was reduced to ruins. The bodies o! a woman' and four children were found in the debris. British aviators recently blew up an ammunition depot at St. Quintin, killing 19 guards. They also destroyed the goods traffic lines. Four Tauhcs, despite gunfire, dropped twenty bombs, two incendiary, on Epinal. Slight damage was done, but there were no fatalities. Four others visited Remiermont, but were driven off by gunfire and French aviators.

EFFECTS FROM CASES. TERRIBLE SUFFERING INFLICTED. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received May 3, (i p.m. London, May 2. A medical correspondent in the north of France made an investigation of asphyxiation germs from gases. After carefully experimenting on animals, the terrible suffering inflicted on our troops could bn fully understood and measured beforehand. They caused subtle poisoning of the blood, like patients in the later stages of diabetes, suffering agony, choking, and scorching of the mouth ami throat. He was led to believe from the tarnished bottoms of the bayonets that chloride and bromide were used.

FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. A GERMAN ATTACK STOPPED. Received May 3, 0.20 p.m. Paris, May 3. Official: Machine-guns stopped the German attack on our right northward of Ypres. Eighty Germans armed with wire cutters, grenades, and brownings, attacked our lines southward of Chaiilmes. The majority were shot down. The enemy in the valley of the Aisne and in Champagne employed {pikis. Bombs charged with inflammable gases hung over the enemy's lines, but did lot roach ours. We bombarded the southern front of an entrenched camp at Metz. Effectiveness was noticeable. One fort, barracks, and an adjacent railway were also bombarded.

Shampooing, Hairdressing, and Twisting. Electrolysis for the permanent removal of superfluous hair. Switches, Toupees, etc. Ladies' combings made up to any design. Mrs. BEADLE, Egmont Toilet Parlors, Griffiths' Buildings, ebsj Carnegie Library.

FINE STAND BY BELGIANS. GERMANS MOWN DOWN. Paris, May 2. After penetrating, the Belgian line 'between Ypres and Langemarck the. tierman* entrenched, preparatory to a Jurt'»er advaneo. Meanwhile the Belgians concentrated a Grenadier battalion with many machine-guns in strong entrenchments, and silence was ordered.

The Germans confidently advanced in ■massed formation towards Yprcs and were allowed to approach within 150 metres, when a Belgian whistle sounded Und_ every rifle and machine-gun worked at its fullest capacity. The foremost German ranks were unable to escape owing to the pressure of the masses behind, and soon the ground was carpeted with German corpses, a thousand being killed or wounded. The remainder broke and fled. The Belgians had a few killed and 400 wounded.

GERMAN BIG GUNS. TO ATTACK DUNKIRK. London, May 2. Official.—A deserter to the French states that Krupp's engineers have been two months at Dixmude mounting a long range naval gun, which lie believed bom" Imrdcd Dunkirk - from a distance ol thirty-eight kilometres (2114 miles). As there were only nine shells in the second and third bombardments it is believed the discharges damaged the gun, or that French aviators* prevented it from firing. FRENCH AIRMEN KILLED. Taris, May 2. Two French aviators while reconnoitring near Chalons fell and were killed. GERMAN AIRMEN PICKED UP. London, May 2. A Dutch steamer picked up two German airmen in a wrecked aeroplane near the Nordhonder lighthouse. TRADE WITH HOLLAND RESUMED. Amsterdam, May 2. The Zeeland Shipping Company resumes its regular mail service -to England to-day.