THE WESTERN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15395, 28 September 1915, Page 7

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE ALLIES' OFFENSIVE. FRENCH SUCCESS IN CHAMPAGNE. GAINS ON A FIFTEEN-MILE FRONT. TWELVE THOUSAND PRISONERS. PARIS, September 26. It is officially stated that, after a terrific battle in the Champagne district, tho French penetrated tho German lines on a front of fifteen miles to a depth of two miles and a half at some points. Tho French captured twelve thousand Germans. Stubborn fighting continues. Later. A communique states: —• "We maintained throughout tho night our captured positions at Carteul and Souchez Cemetery, and also tho last German trenches eastward of the Labyrinth. ' "There is obstinate fighting along the entire Champagne front. "Our artillery made a successful surprise attack ajainst works in the Lannois region and at Bandesapt." The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON. September 26 (4.40 p.m.) The French penetrated tho German lines on a twenty-five kilometre front (about seventeen miles), and attained a depth varying from ono to four kilometres. Tho troops aro maintaining all the positions conquered. Tho number of prisoners actually counted exceeds twelve thousand. TWENTY THOUSAND PRISONERS. FURTHER FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. SUCCESSES IN THE ARRAS REGION. (Received September 27th, 9.50 p.m.) PARIS, September 37. An official communique states: — "We carried by main force the whole of the village of Souchez, and advanced eastward in tho direction of Givenchy. Further south wo reached La Folie, and pushed north of Thelus, taking 1000 prisoners. "After crossing almost tho whole front between Auberivo and Ville-sur-Tourbe, in tho Champagne, where there was a powerful network of trenches and forts established and perfected by the enemy during many months, we advanced northward, compelling the Germans to fall tetck throe or four kilometres. Fighting continues along the wholo front. "We reached Epin do Vi le Grande. Further east wo hold Maison-do-Cham-pagne farm. "The enemy suffered heavily from our artillery fire, and in hand-to-hand fighting. "The material captured by us includes twenty-four field-guns. Wo captured 16,000 unwounded prisoners, including two hundred officers. 'Tho prisoners taken on the whole front during two day 3 exceed twenty thousand." BRITISH SUCCESSES. BIG ATTACK NORTH OF ARRAS FIVE-MILE FRONT CAPTURED. SMALL GAIN EAST OF YPRES. (Received September 27th, 6-15 p.m.) LONDON, September 26. Sir John French, in a despatch dated Sunday morning, says:— "We attacked the enemy south of

the La Basseo Canal, and oast of Grcnay and Verxnclles on Saturday morning, aijd captured his trenches on a front of over five miles, penetrating his lines in some places for four thousand yards. / "Wo captured the western outskirts of Hulluec, and also the village of Loos, the mining works round it, and Hill 70. "Other attacks were made north of the La Basseo Canal, which drew strong enemy reserves towards these points, where hard fighting occurred, fasting nil day. with iarying success. At nightfall our troops north of tho 1 canal occupied their positions of the morning. "We made another attack njjar Ilooge. on either side of tho Moiun road. The attack on the north side of tho road occupied Bellewarde farm and ridge, but the enemy retook these positions. Tho attack on the south side of th© road gained six hundred yards. Wo consolidated tho ground won. /'Up to the present 1700 prisoners, eight guns, and several machine-guns have be£n captured. "The report in Friday's German communique that our attempted attack on Thursday south of tho La Bass6e Canal failed, was untrue. No attack was attempted." COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. TRAINS DERAILED BY AIRMEN. (Received September 27th, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 27. • Sir John French reports: — '"There was severe fighting on Sunday. Despite determined enemy coun-ter-attacks, we hold tho ground gained, including the whole of Loos. "Our aeroplanes bombed and derailed trains at Douai and St. Amand. Tho trains at the latter place were full of troops. Tho High Commissioner reports: — LONDON, September 27 (12.10 a.m.). Sir John French reports severe fighting to-day (Sunday) on tho ground won by us yesterday (Saturday), tho enemy making determined counter-attacks east and north-east of Loos. The result of this fighting is that, except just north of Loos, we hold all the ground gained on Saturday, including the whole of Loos itself. This (Sunday) eveningwe retook the ' quarries north-west of Hulhxeh, which were won and lost on Saturday. In this fighting, tho enemy's reserves , wero drawn in, thus enabling tho French on tho right to make further progress. The number of prisoners collected by tho British after Saturday's fighting amounts to 2GOO. Nino field-guns were taken, and a considerable number of mnchine-guns. Our aeroplanes on Sunday bombed and derailed a train near Loffers, east of Douai, and another, full of troops, near St. Amand. Tno Valenciennes station was also bombed. GERMAN VERSION RETIREMENTS ADMITTED. (Received September 27th, 9.10 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, September 27. A German official communique statos:— "Tho Anglo-French offensive, which has been prepared for months, has progressed without bringing the assailants appreciably nearer. ' British warships attempted, without success, to harass us. Tho enemy in tho Ypres sector suffered heavy losses without achieving success. "The enemy south-west of Lille succeeded in repulsing ono of cur divisions i near Loos from its advanced line. Naturally we sustained omskteraMo losltes in men and material of all kinds. Our counter-attacks aro progressing favourably. "We voluntarily evacuated the ruins of Souchez. We easily repulsed numerous other attacks with heavy enemy losses. "A German division between llheims and the Argonne, north of Perthes, was obliged to evacuate its advanced positions, which had been ruined by a seventy hoars' uninterrupted bombardment, retiring throe kilometres. Otherwise all enemy attacks to break throuch failed." (Received September 28th, 1 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, September 27. The German communique goes on to Kay: —' The battle was espocially stubborn north of Nourmalon-le-ferand. close to tho Western Argonne. Here w e mad© the enemy suffer the heaviest losse®.

"One of*our warplancs shot down an aeroplane west of Cambrin, another was

brought down south of Met*. Ono of our airmen repulsed an attack on Freiburg by three French war-planes, two of which were shot down." GERMAN ADMISSIONS. (Received September '-"tb. 6.15 p.m.) NEW YORK. September 26. Berlin advices show tnat the Germans admit repulses nortli-east of Loos and also north of Perthes, with heavy losses. DUTCH REPORTS. ALLIES PUSHING FORWARD.' TERRIBLE GERMAN LOSSES. ENEMY USING ALL RESERVES. BOMBARDMENT OF BELGIAN COAST. (Reeeivod September 27th. 6.15 p.m.) ROTTERDAM, September 26. A persistent report from various P°'nts on tho Belgo-Duteh frontier states that tho Anglo-French forces have achieved great successes, and are steadily pushing forward. The movements behind the enemy's lines point to something in the nature of a retreat.

The German losses from tlie Allies' prolonged artillery (ire are mounting enormously, whilo their infantry losses during the last twenty-four hours have been terrible. Every available man in Belgium is being flung into the defence. Newly-arrived troops are being rushed into the without a moment's rest. Villages and frontier post* are being denuded of their guards. ' On Saturday the battle raged over a wide area, all arms being engaged' »n simultaneous fighting on land and sea and in the air, Between one and ten in tho morning a British squadron bombarded various points on the Belgian coast, including the enemy's trenches at the seaward end of his lino abovo Niouport. French heavy batteries on shore were also sweeping the line. The British ships shelled positions at Hozst, Dutnbergen, and Knocke, as well as tho coastal batteries in the sand dunes, irom tho Dutch frontier to Westende.

A misty j-ain hid the approach of tho ships, and the first notice of their presence was the shells bursting on shore. In intensity and duration all previous bombardments woro surpassed. Many shells fell inland between Zeobruggo and Lawsagehi, and several columns of black smoke were seen towering in tho air.

Tho bombardment of Zeebrugge harbour was particularly severe, and foiled the submarines' attempts to steal out. The Allies' airmen, under cover of tho mist, successfully bombed German positions. Tho German aeroplanes woro driven back to their owri lines.

(Received September 27th, 7 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, September 26. Tho "Tclegraaf" describes tho Allies' gun-lire as tremendous. It was followed by a fearful bringing bock of wounded men. Soon all tho available buildings in Roulers and Cortcmarck were filled with injured'men. A large number of dpad wore buried in numerous villages behind tho German lines. AIR RAID ON GHENT. (Received September 27th, 6.15 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, September 2(5. Allied airmen mode a raid on Ghent and endeavoured to bomb tho Phoenix ammunition factory. They damaged some houses and destroyed a flew school for German airmen. They also brought down two enemy aeroplanes at Ezach] the pilots being killed. GERMANS AT LILLE. MORE EXACTIONS. (Received Septembor 27th, G.lo p.m.) , AMSTERDAM, September 26. Owing to the Lille factories refusing to supply the Germans with sandbags, the Mayor was notified that tho equivalent quantity of bags manufactured in Germany would bo used, at a cost to the city .of £15,000. This amount was deducted from the civic fund, and tho treasury was forced to pay it. An additional sum of £1,240,000 for war taxes was also demanded, and pending its payment the Germans placed seals on the banks and tho strongrooms of individuals as a guarantee that securities would not be removed. " The authorities insisted that tlie city eonld not meet tho payment of such huge sums. The-Huns thereupon agreed as a.- compromise to accept £640,000, with n penalty of £4000 daily until tho amount was paid. "FOUGHT LIKE DEMONS," PICKED FRENCH TROOPS IN THE ASSAULT. BRITISH STRONGLY OPPOSED. (Received September 27t{i, 10.25 p.m.) PARIS, September 27. After a epasm of firing the guns became quieter and the bayonets got ,to work in the German trenches for tne first timo for months. The French used picked troops who fought liko demons and turned the Germans out of tbcif trenches in spite of General von Falbeck's furious -resistance. Tho enemy threw hundreds of suffocating shells and aerial torpedoes. The British attack against Princo Rupprocht's forces is proceeding to the left of the Lens-La Basso 0 main road directed towards tho north of Lens. An Armjr Service driver states that the British artillery crumpled tho enemy's front trenches, but when tn© British reached"-them, the Germans advanced from the communication trenches and sanguinary hand-to-hand fighting erin sued with tho bayonet. Tho. excellent work of tho British gained them a footing in many sections of the' enemy's front. Prince Rtipnrecht's troops fought well. Many Bavarians woro captured. THE NEWS IN PARIS. (Received September 27tli. 9.£0 p.m.) LONDON September 27. The Paris correspondent of the ''Daily Telegraph" states that he was impressed by tho calmness with which tho city received tho news of the success. When the large crowds walking on the boulevards read the communique the general comment was "tilings. are going well." (Received September 28tli, 1 a.m.) PARIS, September 27. Though tho latest communiques have proved inspiring, neither the Press nor tho public have displayed any tendency to excess of jubilation. They accept tho news with cheerfulness and equanimity, convinced that victory will bo theirs, however long and hard the road. GERMANS IN BELGIUM. OPPRESSION AND DEPRESSION. and "Sydney Sun" ServlOM.i LONDON. September 26. A correspondent of "The Times" at Rooeendaal says ' that arrivals from Bms&els state that the Germans have established an iron rule in Belgium. Espionage is rampant, and nobody is safe from denunciation. Tho Germans are depressed, and officers as weii as men are deserting. Nine officers left their residence in mufti, leaving a . t

note behind' them stating that tiej weio sick of tho war. *n<Fdid not earn >• what became of Germany. Thousands of troops were coming into tho Wavo district, Overyssche. and Louvain apparently exhausted.