The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

BATTLE OF FESTUBERT. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. L London, July n » Sir Jolm French's dispatch, rcferrin to th« battle of Festubert, states:—! pursuance of a promise given Gcnen Joffre to support an attack his troop were making on ilay '.) at Arras ! d reeted Sir Douglas liaig to attack t!i trenel.es at Rougehank. He !m wd tli jiosition mucli stronger than anticipa! Ed, and more extensive artillorv pre paration was necessary to crush tin- ri sistanee offered by the numerous forti lied posts. Repeated efforts to jirogrcs were made on the 9th and 10th," Im tlie enemy's machine-guns, from post' on the flanks, rendered the trenches s. difficult to hold that all the units of tin 4th Army Corps had to retire. 1 sane tioned Sir Douglas Jlaig's proposal ti concentrate all his resources upon tin southern point of attack. .Misty weatlie prevented the action recommencing be fore the 15th, when I placed a Canadiai division at (,'eneral Ilaig's disposal. On the 20th the Canadians brilliantly seized several trenches on the whol'c line of scleral hundred yards, and cap tured machine-guns. By the 24th tin .immediate object of the attack no longei existed, so 1 directed Sir Douglas Hah to consolidate the ground won. The battle! of Festubert resulted in six hundred yards being won along a front ol four miles. The enemy suffered very heavy losses, and we captured ten ma-ciiiiic-giins and destroyed a number of others. Throughout the ;lrd Army Corps was active in making demonstrations and holding the enemy on its front. .Referring to the attack upon the sth .Army Corps at Frezenberg, Sir John trench states that vastly superior German artillery fire, with unlimited ammunition, made it impossible to make efficient trenches and properly organise the line after the gas attacks. The German bombardment was finally concentrated on the morning of Hay Bth upon the line north and south of Frezenberg. The German fire completely obliterated the trenches and caused "enormous losses. A heavy infantry attack followed, causing our line to give way General Plumer narrates that during the morning of the Bth tlw right of one I brigade was broken, then the centre | and then part of the left. The next brigade, Princess Patricia's Canadians, however, stuck to their trenches throughout the day. By mid-day the centre of another brigade was broken, but the Ist Suffolk's, forming the brigade s right, held on, and were apparontfy surrounded and overwhelmed We launched a counter-attack at 3.30, which reached Frezenberg, but was driven backGeneral Plumer concludes that despite .the severe shelling and many casualties the spirit of all ranks was excellent, the enemy's losses, particularly on tne ,10th and 13th, were unquestionably serious. '

Sir John French continues:—Desultory fighting went on to May 24, when there was a virulent outburst of gas on nearly the whole front and a most determined attack east of Y.pres. A large .proportion of the men were asleep, and ihe attack was too sudden for them to be given time to put on respirators. The 2nd Royal Irish and Sth Argylls were overcome byi gas and driven out of ■a farm m front of our line, which the enemy fortified, and all atempts to retake it failed. We took up a position slightly in the rear of our old lines. The flying corps is becoming a more indispensable factor in combined operations. The officers have shown marked ingenuity in devising improvements in tactics. Since my last dispatch there has been a considerable increase in the number and activity of German aeroplanes. There have been CO combats in the air, in which not 0113 British acro•plane hag been lost. Most of the encounters were over the German lines, but it is known that six German aeroplanes have been wrecked and many others chased down and forced to land. Some divisions of the new army have reached France and ought to prove a valuable addition to anv fighting force. They appear thorough!'/ well officered and commanded, and their equipment is in good order and efficient. The- shooting of their artillery is extremely good and they are quite fit to take their places in the line. The pioneer battalions have created a very favorable impression. The officers are keen and ingenious and the men of good physique and good diggers. Experience has shown that the territorials have now rcaehed a standard of efficiency enabling them to be usefully employed as complete divisional units. Whatever the kind of work, the units have borne an active and distinguished part and proved themselves thoroughly reliable and efficient. General Joffre on May 27 inspected the Ith Division and expressed appreciation of their appearance on parade. Despite the constant strain owing to the arduous nature of tlie fighting, the spirit animating all ranks remains hiiih mid confident. The men meet even- demand with the utmost clieerfultie-s.' The spirit is particular!,- manifest in the »'"" i" hospital-*. Even with those mortally wounded the invariable nue-diou I bat .-erne- to their lii.-s, y,ho„ the- ■■>'■'■ bardly to utter a sound i's Dough,-- i lain's Milnnhie"!,:,.,',-,;" "',\ l-VslnU-rf and Sir iiorhcrt ,humor's fin,.! ■defence nr. Vines. i'M.'ii,.:.:!) n:;,,j n:-:.\i; alijas. I'm is, duly il. in portions ,0 t:.- i'=:---," Ii ~■?,■-, ',l,'; v,!.. We'di-l-.alged (he (.■.•rinaus mirth ward of Ana- fro,,, several portion, of the "'•■m-h. ■ in v.hiel, |!„.y had mniiiiniiiedl Cmmscdvo- in tile line iin-y captured on ! Taur-da.i. The (ieriuai, enuii|..r-,ittnek j "hi,',, do doped las- ni.jhl. nortuanl of i Sou,-he/, -lation was he-ton hack j A i-reia-:, aeroplane hronuht dov, n « i '.'......!!"_..'.."'''' ! "" :,> 'i AX KNEMV ni-si'A'i" n. Anisferdani, duly 11. A C-rman eon,muni, |iie stn|i-- : __Ti„. I'.iiii-li. norlbw.ird of Vpres, ~,, Safuihlay re,„-,u,l the attack agains! our position on the canal, hut w,-v<- rcpul.,,l with coiisiderahh. los-es fo them. The trench «.- captured north-we-t of Ih-au-ejour on Friday was lost on S.itu,. 'lay. i'i-t ,-iLMiu shir I and held. ,|,.- -pita f'Ue comifer-attacks. T!„. 1.-,,.,,,.], aitaik 011 our icy.- podtio,, at I'.ois-Ie-Ihcliv .-idhipsed will, l„. ;lv ,. ~m . ,„v losses. Th, attack aeaiusl. the Gennn'u P'-ithms est I soul ■ Souderil-,,1, and soulh-west 01 Muenstor were repulse,!. Our airmen attacked the railway at Gerardini'i-. A nrAIIAn'KKI-.'ITC ISOAST. London, duly 11. The German press is arrogantly lirao- ,-•,•. '' ■ ■' ■'..,- is- assured, and ass.-i that •,'■■■ .- ;r ■ - : '' - c- 1-1 ■■ renli---o ''■-' '' ■ -- ,; •> f the war is purp" "b-s-.. l.ecause tke'r victory is impossible.

t GERMAN ARTILLERY ACTIVE AURAS A.VI) RiIEIMS AGAIN SI'FKEI Received July 12. S.fiO p.m. I'iiris. July 12. I he Germans on Thurs.iav lirnl six tee lO.Vmillimctre shells into Sant Die air k'lled a civilian U ud slightly vou'ndei five others. Odicial: There, is violent bombiirdmen „. <>f our positions at La Fuitcitbellc, Me! I zeral and west of Animcrzwillcr. Th ( enemy again shelled Anas and Ulieims. , GERMAN" ACTIVITY. Received July 12, 11.fill p.m. r , , ~ l *:*>"««, July 12. General Goivrand lias been awarded tin . military medal. s Received July 12, 1.30 p.m. t Rotterdam, hily L> i Inusual activity among the German , in i.<landers continues. Brid«-es i m , : been strengthened to enable the i, rt s,a~ ( . of guns. A German offensive wi'tu tr! ) "'""Ions artillery is anticipated. A FINE EXPLOIT. ' BY FRENCH CHASSEURS. Received July, \-> t f) n., n ™ 1 PiU ' is - Jul y nine eleventh company of Chasseurs performed a heroic exploit during the lighting on the summit of Hilsefirst. By a ruse the Germans completely encircled the company, which hurriedly fortified a quadrangular space and held it for four days. On June l.f the (i.ermans attacked 111 column tour deep 'i| K . j.ivn-h position was critical when the 7omm guns at the rear opened fire. (',„„ u f the enemy columns was completely destroyed and the others fled. The ground was strewn with bodies. The last defenders were short of food, and a small patrol went out at night raided the German lines, and brought in a quantity of tinned meat. Early'on the fourth day the Germans renewed the attack The Chasseurs' ammunition was exhausted, so they rolled down hu«e rocks, crushing many of the enemy and checked the offensive. The French artillery got, the ran»c and terrifically bombarded the German lines, and enabled a battalion to rescue the company, who had two killed and three wounded. They captured ten men, a machine-gun, and four thousand cartridges. CROWN PRINCE REAPPEARS,

"WILHELM, OF THE FIFTH ARMY.' Received July 1,1. 12.55 a.m. Amsterdam, July 12. The Crown Prince, signing 'himself 'Wilhelm, leader of the Fifth Army" telegraphed to the King of Wurtemhir'g and stated that the Wurteinburgers contributed considerably! to the army's success and won strong positions from the enemy. CASUALTIES AMONG GERMAN' DOCTORS. Amsterdam. July 11. Seven hundred and eighty-three. German army, surgeons have' been lost during the war. Of these '228 have heen killed, 3.54 wounded, and the rest taken prisoner or are missing. A FINE PAGEANT. PARADE OF TROOPS. London, Julv 11. During Lord Kitchener'.* visit to the front the troops double lined the road, making a striking picture standing at the present, with endless rows of gleaming bayonets. The parade of the Indian cavalry was a fine spectacle with row after row of .bronzed warriors, with lance tips glittering and puggarees fluttering in the breeze.

SPLENDID BRITISH ACHIEVEMENT. GERMANS TAKEN BY SURPRISE. London, July 11, Router's correspondent with the British headquarters reports that the latest British offensive in the vicinity of Bocsinghe, on Tuesday, was well executed and achieved a considerable strengthening of the line. Heavy artillery bombarded for an hour, clearing the entanglements and enabling the attackers, with slight losses, to occupy the enemy trenches. Prisoners admit that they suffered severely from the bombardment. One battalion had four hundred casualties, nnd many others were buried in the trenches. The attack was a complete surprise, and every enemy counter-attack failed. Our artillery, in almost every case, got information that the Germans were massing, and stifled the assault, the enemy losing severely. The prisoners are most].- of a good class of .'Prussians. Tlie Freneli artillery helped in preventing reinforcements oommg up.