A TERRIBLE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 7

A TERRIBLE WAR.

I » REVERSE TO SPANIARDS. RIFFS' STRONG DEFENCE. HUGE ARMIES GRAPPLING. (By Cable.—'Press Association.—Copyrigbt.) LONDON, September 10. The Madrid correspondent of the "Daily News" reports that the Spanish line was broken by the Riffs at Larache, Morocco. The Spaniards were in a desperate plight on the Tetuan River, and they appealed to the French Commander (Marshal Petain) to commence an offensive to relieve the pressure and avert a debacle. The French thereupon launched an offensive on the whole Moroccan front. The latest reports from Morocco state that French artillery is blazing from Ouezzane to the banks of the Wergha River. The roads are crowded with advancing battalions, and the sky is filled with aeroplanes. Some of the aeroplanes are being utilised to convey the wounded to the rear. SPANISH LANDING. Earlier reports from Madrid stated that the Spanish column which landed at Alhucemas had united with forces from Melilla, and they were continuing the offensive. The Spaniards had occupied Gibelchiban and Heleszawia, aud were advancing on Ajdir. Aeroplanes had bombed Skeshuan and Ajdir. Detailed accounts of the landing at Alhucemas Bay and of the preliminary operations did not mention the repulse described in French newspapers yesterday. On the contrary, they declared that everything had worked with mathematical precision under efficient leadership. The sea was calm when the warships, including a number of French vessels, arrived at noon on Monday. The warships immediately bombarded the mountains in the hinterland. Fifty Spanish aeroplanes assisted, and French seaplanes bombed the Tebel positions. The enemy's reply was ineffective. The wireless apparatus on one of the warships was slightly damaged, otherwise no vessel was hits HEAVY BOMBARDMENT. Orders to land were issued at eleven o'clock on Monday evening by General Saros. A Spanish column, consisting of ten tanks, two battalions of the Foreign Legion, tliree of Spanish riflemen, and three of natives, one field battery, two. mountain batteries, an ammunition party, four companies of sappers, and three wireless detachments had assembled by dawn without mishap. The warships' bombardment, both naval and aerial, was reopened at five o'clock on Tuesday morning, and was continued for four hours. Boats laden with troops started for the shore at ten o'clock, and the landing began at noon. The native regulars were the first ashore. They advanced immediately toward the enemy's position. The enemy resisted, but was caught by the fire from the warships and withdrew rapidly. The Spanish objective was soon occupied. The whole column had established bivouacs at Norro Mevo by sunset. They were not molested during the course of the operation. One aeroplane was hit by shell fire and sank in the bay. The crew were rescued. The Madrid correspondent of the "Daily News" says that the strategy of the delayed Spanish landing at Cape : Quiltaes failed to distract Abd-el-Krim's attention from developing a fierce attack at Tetuan.,^ It is now revealed that the Riff leader purposely only feebly resisted the disembarkation of the Spaniards with a view to drawing them out of range of the covering fire of the warships to a point 16 miles inland. There the main line of defence consists of a solid line of 4in and Gin guns. The Spanish have halted before the well-nigh impregnable heights of Adjir, where 25,000 picked Riff troops, well supplied with guns and munitions, confidently await their onslaught. NO QUARTER! A special correspondent of the "Daily Express" aboard a Spanish troopship off Alhucemas sends an account of the Spanish landing. He says:— "The same type of boats which took the Anzacs ashore at Gallipoli landed the Spanish troops on the bleak Riff coast. Two forces, one on either side of Alhucemas Bay, are now closing in like a giant pair of pincers on Adjir, Abd-el-Krim's late headquarters. "Tons of high explosives were poured out all day from naval guns of every calibre. The fire so diminished the resistance of the Riffs that the Spanish casualties were much smaller than was expected. "The Moors who were left alive on the shell-torn hillside neither asked for nor gave quarter. The attackers only took 12 prisoners alive. "The terrific naval bombardment gave the Moors no chance to remove their artillery, with the result that the Spaniards captured 22 large guns. "Behind and all around us was the Spanish armada reincarnated. It comprised almost 100 ships—giant cruisers, fussy destroyers, and big liners. Tugs steamed towards the landingplace. General Saros, from his flagship, Victoria Eugenia, gave the signal which sent the whole line of X boats forward. "The men crouched in the boats behind the shelter of steel plates. "It seemed as if nothing could live on the steel-wracked hillside, yet as the *beetle' boats chugged their way to the beach they were received by the rattle of machine guns. "The gang planks were run out, and tbe men poured ashore and spread out like a fan. "The enemy responded with a continuous volume of rifle fire, but the attackers had climbed 200 yds to the first crest by noon. They constructed redoubts of stones and sandbags as they moved forward. "The whole fleet cheered when the Spanish flag was finally run up on the crest of Cape Moor."—(Rcuter-"Siln.") LARGE CASUALTIES. LONDON, September 10. One hundred and fifty thousand Franco-Spanish troops are now engaged in Morocco. They are being supported by the Sultan of Morocco's Shereefian air squadron. This consists of American volunteer' pilots. They have bombed Sheshuan* 16 times in two days. A total of 250 Spanish were killed out of 1000 engaged at Fonbak.—l"Sun."l