IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1915, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

. GENERAL BOMBARDMENT. iTinit commissioner's retort. Wellington, Last Night. The High Commisisoner reports:— London, Nov. 8, 1.50 a.m. On the Western front, the bombardrnsnt is still general. In the Argonne wc destroyed a German sap at Hill 235. Trench mortar combat is proceeding iu Belgium, in the regions of Hetsas and Bossinghe. Welsh Guards POISON OAS FACTORY DESTROYED. FRENCH AVIATORS' GOOD WORK. | Received Nov. 8, 10.35 p.m. j Basle, Nov. 8. French aviators destroyed a large poisonous gas factory at Dornach, in Alsace. The explosion suffocated 42 workers and the German colonel who was manager, while others are in hospital. THE FIGHTING AT LOOS. GUARDS' BAPTISM OF FIRE. A GALLANT CHARGE. Received Nov. 8, 10.35 p.m. London, Nov. 8. Correspondents at British headquarters give vivid accounts in their despatches of the baptism of Are of the Guards Division, including the newlyformed Welsh Guards. The Guards had hitherto been brigaded to the Second Division, since August, 1914, but were recently billeted and formed a new Division. They were aware that they were being reserved for a big part in tb,e gTeat push, and their chance came on Monday, when they were ordered to capture Hill 70, where the Highlanders had earlier gained a temporary footing. The Guardsmen marched into Loos at three o'clock in the afternoon, and smoke helmets were served out. Their objective was the "Chalkpit," which stood out brilliantly, while south-west, from the pit was a small wood covering the ground to Puitsfourteen, which i-; a collection of mining buildings. On the right, beyond Puitsfourteen, was " keep of square houses which the Germans had turned into a fort, bristling with machine-guns. Further on the right was the famous tower bridge of Loos, with' a gentle slope towards Hill 70, which is beyond lii The Second Brigade leapt out of the trenches at four o'clock. The Irish easily reached the wood and turned south-east to assist the Coldstream Guards, who were attacking Puits. The Coldstreams, in extended order, pushed on at the double, despite the most terrific machine-gun fire. When Puits was won, an officer of the Scots Guards led on the party to keep a fierce hand to hand fight with the enemy, who were concealed in emplacements iu the ruined buildings. This gallant effort enabled a platoon of the Grenadiers, under Lieutenant Riley Ritchie, to storm the way into tha keep and knock out a machine-gun on the second floor with a bomb. The Grenadiers and Scots Guards held the keep until almost every man was killed or wounded. Headquarters finally realised that Puitsfourteen and the keep were unten«fi e \t an - c * or^erei ' a retirement to the Chalkpit," which proved a sanctuary, owing to the splendid work done in the with sandbags and barbed wire. They held[out here until relieved on the 29th by French troops. Meanwhile the Third Brigade had been ordered to assault Hill 70 directly the Second Brigade captured the "Chalkw'i hen , the y reached the top the Welsh Guards found the centre position was a redoubt, which the enemy had cunningly built, not exactly on the crest, out on the reverse slope. The Welshmen gained the top after small opposition, but they were fully exposed to the Jire of the machine-guns in the redoubt, llic men were accordingly ordered to (Ug in, one hundred yards below the erected wire entanglements were