The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1914. Progress of the War.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15111, 29 October 1914, Page 6

The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1914. Progress of the War.

Our cable messages this morning show that tho enemy is still concentrating tho most desperate assaults on tho Allies' left wing. No fewer than 200,0G0 Germans, it. is stated, have been massed at Ypres. Tho attack seems to have been, conducted in tho fashion .most favoured, by German military authoriiies. Nicuport has been violently bombarded by the enemy, and it is stated that the Belgians lost no fewer than ten thousand dead and wounded in nino days' fighting on tho Yser. Tho Germans, however, seem to have reserved their supreme effort for an attempt to break through, the British lines at La Bassee. As in other critical cases during tho war. they made use of night attacks. Having driven in their opponents' advanced troops during the day j they made a thorough reconnaissance, studying tho avenues of approach and 'fixing the artillery positions. Tho artillery fire, begins by day, that of heavy howitzers being especially relied upon. Perhaps the infantry will iisba'iit tho trenches before

dark, but more frequently they await the night. ; 'JI is recognise:], ,, says Colonel Itepinjrton, "''that the night«at-

" tack requires minute preparation. •' Routes nre v.-crko-:l oiA, guides and "dark lanterns xire provided. The '' troops receive white hands for rirm- " lets. Rifles as a rule arc not load- ■' cd. The first line is shoulder to '' shoulder, and supports, are kept closo ,: up. It is the rule that, troops should '• reach the position whence the assault ■' is to lie made in absolute silence. '"They then form shelters, inachine"guns are brought up. and pioneers " begin to attack the otetacles on the ''enemy's liont. ivhilo the artillery " cont/iiuf.'.-. its lire. Fire becomes "genera! to-.wmis daybreak, un<l pre- " pares the assault—which lu'ii some- " iimes be delivered at dawn by tur- " prise, but. may be carried out at •'night. The enemy's, attention is dis- ■' tfooted l>y simultaneous attacks at •'other points. All theso attacks are "'made without packs, and the men are "amply supplied with foot] and ammu- " nition. -) 'J be constant .■train imposed on our men in the trendies hy these operations during the las* tort night may be readily imagined- Ai'iiin and again, we are told, they !oapo:l out of the trenches! and charged with tlirir bayonets—a .form m attack which the enemy eccm quite unable to /ace. The Germans, however, pursued their fay-

ourito tactics of pouring in wave after ware of men, regardless of tho loss oi lifo, aud at one point it seemed they would succeed, the British entrenchments being rained, although stoutly defended by our troops to the last. Just as tho Germans thought. ihe\* had discovered a way to the coast, a number of Ghurkas and Sikhs, who had been kept in resorvi.-, were cleverly brought into aetioa. With tho bayonet they got to work in deadly fashion, and at once retrieved the position. "The. German advance," (says tho "Daily Telegraph's correspondent), "was not, merely checked, but beaten "and broken. -, The official account says tho German losses were '-heavy." An unofficial estimate places theni at 20,000 dead and wounded left on the field, while the. British losses," it is said, did not exceed two thousand.

Simultaneously with the news of this successful repulse of the Germans on the main focus of action in the western theatre, wo hare tho tidings, officially confirmed, of a great ltussian victory at Warsaw, tho enemy, it i s stated, being hurled back for many miles. great battle has now developed on the Piotrkow Eadora line, and on Saturday, near Rawa, the Germans lost heavily! In Calicia tho Russians are going to work methodically, with their, advance, carrying forward their broad gauge railway, while- further communication with the Austrian gauge lias been effected. They aro reported to havo killed five thousand Germans and capturod twenty guns in a recent action. While, progress of this kind is being recorded; wo can afford to disregard reports of a wonderful gun being made by tho Germans to carry shell across the Straits of Bover from Calais—after that port has been captured—and of equally wonderful ■submarines which are to transj>orfc troops and "can Be used "as a pontoon when on tho surface.

These stories may, perhaps, havo somo effect in deluding tho depressed population of.Borlim They, must sadly need cheering up just now.