IN THE WEST

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1915, Page 5

IN THE WEST

MADE TO ORDER. GERMAN STATEMENT. Received Oct. 5, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 4. German Headquarters explain that the retirement from the first lines during the recent Allied offensive wa3 not due to the English commanders' abilities, ibut in consequence of a successful surprise attack with intoxicating gases. .. The- German Staff calculates the French casualties at 130,000, and those of the British .at 60,000, while toe Gernana did not lose one-fifth of that umbf-

A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE,

MORE FAIRY TALES. Received Oct. 6, 55 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 4. A Berlin communique states that? five monitors unsuccessfully bombarded Zeebrugge yesterday, killing three Belgians. Our offensive against the British front is progressing. The French successfully hold' a small portion of a trench northwest of Givencay. We repulsed their attacks elsewhere, and also repelled atticks at, Massiges and Ville-sur-Tourhe. vte caught l their troop concentrations by our fire, inflicting heavy losses. Our airships successfully bombed Chalons station.

AIR RAID ON ZEEBRUGGE. ONE ENGLISH CRAFT FALLS. Received Oct. 5, 8 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 5. fin' English aeroplanes bombarded points of importance at Zeebrugge. They were heavily shelled. One was downed, and another was hit at a height of fourteen thousand feet. It volplaned into Zealand territory, and was interned. OFFICIAL PROGRESS REPORT. Received Oct. 5, 6.30 p.m. j London, Oct. 4. Sir John French reports: The enemy, en Sunday afternoon, made a heavy bombardment, followed by repeated attacks over the open against our trenches between the quarries and the' VerniellesHulluck road. The attacks were pressed with- determination, but ail were repulsed with severe loss, the enemy failing to reach our trenches. The enemy further north-west succeeded in re-cap-turing tie greater portion of the Hohenzoljfern redoubt. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. Park, Oct. 4. A communique states: Northward of Arras our progress was continued at the Givenchy Wood and Hill 119, where we occupied the cross roads. One of our air squadrons dropped forty largecalibre bombs on the SaWons railway station at Metz. Other aeroplanes carried on a bombardment of railway junctions and stations behind the German front.

SUPPRESSING THE TRUTH. London, Oct. 4. flis Presß Bureau publishes a Flench official statement which points out that, in order to allay uneasiness in Germany, the German Headquarten have •nnouneed nothing regarding the Allies' victories in Artois and Champagne except the retreat of one division, and are silent regarding the capture of 25,000 prisoners and 150 guns. STRENGTHENING THEIR DEFENCES (Times and .Sydney Sun Services.) London, Oct. 4. The Central News' Amsterdam correspondent reports that Ghent. Liege, and Namur are being strongly fortified. Heavy have been transferred from Lille to Douai. The Belgian railways have been commandeered for exclusive military use. MUST NOT EXPECT RAPID ADVANCE. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) London, Oct. 4. .•dr. Uilairc P.elloc declares that if the crisis turns in our favor to decide the issue i.f the war we must not expect a continued rapid advance, Imt rather a series of rushes ending in the full retirement of the enemy or a halt not far from the first line. The disproportion of German officers to men capnired corroborates the evidence of a serious dearth of officers. SOLDIERS' PAY INCREASED. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) London, Oct. I. The French Chamber adopted by acclamation a Bill to increase the soldiers' pav by twenty centimes (2d) a day. r

HEROES FALLEN'. Received Oct. ">, )l.i."> |..m. London. Oct. ."i. Captain Clark, of the Si-au.rtli Highlanders, who was aide-de-camp to the Governor of New Zealand (LoTd Plunket) in 1910, and Lieutenant Leslie •Sweet-Escott, son of the Governor of Fiji! nave bees lulled in France,

THE NEW ADVANCE.

ALLIES IN STRONG POSITION. Received Oct. 5, 11.50 p.m. Paris, Oct. 5. The bombardment of the German second line positions continues, and there is preparation for another assault. The Germans have not been allowed to know whether the same points will be threatened, or others entirely different. Critics point out that only three British army corps were deeply engaged on September 23, and Sir John French therefore possesses ample troops for a future advance. Meanwhile time is being allowed for the German reserves to exhaust themselves in counter-attacks, wherein they are losing heavily, while the French and British are clearing up the ground of the recent advance. The new method of attack in overwhelming force on a large area necessitates the capture of the first line of trenches, .and then a rush beyond the system of blockhouses and isolated machine-gun pits, which form the advance works to the second line.

CAPTURE OF MESNIL HEIGHTS.

IRRESISTIBLE WORK OF THE FRENCH. AGAINST A HAIL OF BULLETS. Received Oct. 0, 12.50 a.m. Paris, Oct. 5. During the recent charges the. French did not stay to take each work, but sped on until further advance was impossible without further artillery preparation. Then they dug in, usually planking up a line of shell craters. An attack on isolated fortifications followed, commanding the height of Butte de Mesnil, six hundred feet, which resisted until yesterday. Machine-guns on the summit continually enfiladed the French lines. The capture has greatly consolidated the French position. Many of the machine-gun positions were cemented and armoured, and so covered that the attackers were unable to distinguish the source of the deathly stream of bullets. A FOOTBALLER'S STORY. AN INTERNATIONAL MATCH. Received Oct. 5, 11.30 p.m. London, Oct. 5. A well-known Rugby footballer, who participated in the recent fighting, writes:—lt was a real live 'battle. We advanced in short rushes for practically the whole day, the Germans meanwhile playing skittles with us. Our losses were heavy, but we had the surprise of our lives. When we expected a climax the Germans, who were rounded up like rabbits, left their trenches with the white flag flying, it was a wonderful sight, worth all the months of waiting, and when the Germans surrendered it Was like the end of an international Rugger match.