"VORWAERTS" SIEGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1919, Page 5

"VORWAERTS" SIEGE.

. GRIM FIGHT IN BERLIN. .. TERRIBLE EFFECT OF THE MINI* THROWERS. The fololwing graphic account of the storming of the Vorwaerts office by the troops of the Berlin Government fe taken from the Borsen-Courier'g report: The early hours were marked) by * strange and unusual calm; nothing was stirring. About 3 o'clock, however, ooisiderable bodies of troops appeared new the Halle Gate and drew a cordon round the entire area. Soon soldiers were to bo seen on every side. No one was allowed to pan. When the first tramcars approached the drivels were told to take them back; traffic cm the elevated railway was stopped; and everything was done to prevent the possibility of the Spartacist garrisons in the newspaper fortresses obtaining l rel inforcements.

The battle had really began at 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon, when frotti the Belle Alliance and' Bluchsr fllimnii fixe was opened on the Spartacist oatposts, compelling them quickly to withdraw. Other troops had entered houses in the Gitschanerstrasser and' soon appeared on the roofs, making, their way forward towards Belle Alliance square, while others yet succeeded in mounting a "revolver-cannon" on the baloony ofp. colonnade to the right of the square. During the later hours of the evening the Spartacists made tremendous exertions to complete their defences, btlbging in provisions and hurrying up reinforcements. THE FIRST STORMING PAHTffIS. At 5 o'clock in the morning! operations began in earnest. From the Belie Alliance and Bluohen Strsssen the first storming parties Worked slowly forward with heavy machine-guns, ami took the colonnade, where "in the meantime about 60 Spartacists had ma do their apnsarance, under heavy machine-gun f)*e. Ibis caused such heavy losses that Bios* of .them withdrew towards the Vorwaerts building, though a few still held their ground.

Thereupon the attackers brought up mine-throwers and placed them in position in the Belle AMMc&Strasse. Tlie first two projectiles sufficed to olear the Spartacista from two adjoining house* which they had occupied in the Gitcfieuerstrasse. Many perished amid the falling masonry, huge blockß of which fell in the street.

At 6 o'clock the mine-throwers were posted between the pillars of the colonnade, and two minutes lata* two gnat projectiles were fired into the Lindenstrasse immediately in front of the waerts premises. Up to this momunt there had been unceasing machine-jun fire, from the Vorwaertg windows, Hat . now for a moment there was compftte silence, quickly followed by eereejm and cries for help.

A TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT. In the .meantime- the attackers lad mounted machine-guns on a house in. the Belie Alliance Strassc, Bn i tMW opened from there aiso rmr oJt ,^ lm \ 'Vorwaerto" building. unoer oonf of this miniature barrage Mb Mtattrag troops m p lufl)m - ##, .- ward a mine-thrower tirto Wie middle of the Belle Allianee Square, and two others into the and"' flt 7.30 all of them opened against tho beU.iyuered building. The effect was at once evident. The occasioned desultory fire of the defend' ers eeased completely; thick clottda'of smoke rolled through the Lindenatrane * an.! over Belle Alliance Square fot a long time, shutting out the view. , And now the first trcoot bearing grenades advanced as far, a* the colonnade under the protection of a cvrtain of machine-gun bullets, whilst a aeeend party, which had been posted near the Willielmstrasse, crept along the right side of the square close to the houses. In order to prevent the use of the mine-throwers, a small number of •"rvnrfneists made a dash across the roof " of "V'orwaerts" to the adjoining houses and thence opened fire from groundfloor windows on to the men wqrkim' them- They succeeded in brkwing down four men before their B o»itie* was discovered but then a devastating flro was opened upon them from maofineguns.

APPALLIKG INCIDENTS. A few moments later the Government troops broke into the houses and • overpowered those who still offered resistance. Meanwhile an attacking party, consisting of Grenadiers) of a Jaeger re(f j. ment, had entered the "Vcrwaerfs" building and demanded the surrender of the garrisun. Thev were answered with shouts of "Sever!" an d the struggle wa«, therefore, resided. Heavier mine-throwers were now" brought up, and the projectiles directed on to the roof of the luilding. The first one fired fell on the foro part of the roof and crashed through all the floors into a cellar, into watch ■jtlw Spartaiists bad removed their severely wounded. The effect waa terrible, great masses of masonry falKn" into the depths. * " The sreond mine fell at a point behind the first, and sufficed to destroy wbnt was left' of the roof and every, thing on it- One severely-wounded i man was hurled by the explosion into tbe yard of an adjoining building where he lay a crushed and blcedm« > mass. Two more nuues were fired anS then thin fortress, which had .been for '■- sis days in the hands of the Sparta- ■ cists, was ready to be Btormed. ' ,?■ THE SURRENDER. f "No sign of life came from the Tfeild- * m.g as a company of with wen- 5 ides in their hands rushed through tfie trateway in order to finish the lob Tn ! the outer courtyard lay a great many \ <lead and wonnMl. the latter wyfa« for help, and a mimW of the Hwrtsmi - appeared with hands raised ta suntmwithin nasv f, : WMn had been so shaken hr the efattack that they *Hbg\ f bepwd the soldiers for rderey. n At a house in th« LindenstraM* - a ' machme-gm, was set m so M .ng, and only then * M iM fint ™.' :■ cession of prisoners fcrought ont '