HEAVY FIGHTING ON FRANCO-GERMAN FRONTIER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2236, 24 August 1914, Page 5

HEAVY FIGHTING ON FRANCO-GERMAN FRONTIER

GERMAN POSITION IN DANGER DEADLY ARTILLERY DUEL AT MULHAUsisN (Rec. August 23, 5.5 p.m.)

Amsterdam, August 22, morning. The French and Germans in Alsace fought unceasingly from Tuesday afternoon till early, on Friday. Their fortunes varied. At nrst all went well with the French, but on the second day events favoured the Germans, who had about a hundred guns on the hills about eight miles from Basle. These wrought havoo among the French infantry, who made brilliant bayonet chargus in efforts to carry the hills The, French batteries at Alkirch (tho scene of the previous engagement), vainly strove to silence the German guns. Tho slaughter was very heavy. '. ■ . The French troops fought desperately to frustrate tho German attempt i-o ciit communication wjth : Belfo'rt (the French frontier fortress). On the third day tho French, in an incomparable general assault at the-bayonet's point, drovo the Germans from their advanced positions. Tlien a brigade of lancers and several companies oi Turcos dashed into Mulhausen. The .French, entrenching a strong position, brought up cannon from Belfort.. The German cavalry fought valiantly, charging right up to the trenches. The French artillery, snooting vnth deadly accuracy, docimated the Bavarians. Unless reinforcements quickly arrive, the position of the Germans on theleft bank of the Rhino, between Hunnnigen and Ncu Breisach, along a front of about 30 miles, .will be precarious.. A Paris telcaram asserts that in a conflict between . French troops and Gorman cavalry, between Limpoldshoehe and Huningen, the Germans fled, leaving fiyo hundred dead and injured on tho field. /V "■ ■' • ; ■■ ■■ ;' '■ '■■' . *.'■-■■• ■ ( LORRAINE NOT TO BE HELD AT PRESENT. . (Eec. August 23, 5.5 p.m.) -_~__' ■■"■' Paris i August 22, morning. Official.—Tlio French have made a general advance along thoir whole front. Engagements with the Germans are reported at Dieuze, Delme, Morhange, and Verny. The Germans? ps-'engagMl along the ,front made a particularly vigorous attack on the Fiench position, bnt wero repelled with heavy losses. Tho German right is m a strong position near Borny. The strength oi uie enemy makes it amunmt' that an atfcam.pt to hold' Lorraine at present ivoull bo-imprudent and useless • ■ Tho French have already captured ninety-one, pieces of German artillery, nineteen military motor-wagons; fdur flapjs, and other war ma.terial. 'Eight-three, Germans were arrested at Mulhausen for robbing dead and wounded. Somo'.used the R«d Cross badgo to cover thoir misdeeds. They will be court-inartialled at Clormont Ferrand. ''

Tho Germans at Mulhausen, know in? that the French were sparing tlie Alsatians as much as possible, concealed themselves in houses protected by tho Red Cross, from whoro they fired on the French. Tho latter directed a devastating infantry and artillory fire or all Gonnans coining out of tho houees and killed twenty-four, captured six euns and a hundred prisoners. Tho Germans bombarded tho open village of Mars la Tour fdr an hour, while tho inhabitants were in church,' celebrating the anniversary of the famous battle... The people took , refugo in cellars, but two wore killed. No French territory has been occupied, excepting a piece of enclosed lanS at Auduin-le-Roman, a small villago a few miles west of the Franco-German frontier, opposite'Diedenhofon (Thionville), and about twelve miles south W tho Luxemburg southern boundary. It is reported tlfat French aviators, as was cabled on August 16, destroyed a Zeppelin and three Tanbe aeroplanes at Fraecati, near "Mefes. Captain Finck, fnoTODlaninc; over "the vicinity of Metz, dropped bombs upon a hangar, wrecking a Zeppelin airship'and three aeroplane's which it contained —("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Special Services J FRENCH TEOOPS RECOVER LOST GROUND. V '■ (Rec. August 24, 0.20 a.m.) ' ' ««. . , m, ■ , ■ ' Parls i August 23, morning. Official.—The town of Mulhausen being .difficult to defend against attacks from the east and north, and as Gorman night attacks from the Forest'of Hard and from Neu Breisach threatened to cut off the retreat to Belfort, the' French commander, instead of ordering his reserves at Altkirch to counter the attack of the Germans threatening tho French rear near Senuhoim, ordered a retreat. General Joffre. tho French Commander-in-Chief, then entrusted operations in the district to General Pair." , The forces reformed under tho shelter of Belfort. The Germans meanwhile were suffering greatly from the French artillery, while the French were hampered by German howitzers, which were difficult to localise, defiling tho ravines. General Pan, strongly reinforced, advanced to Thann (18 miles N.E. by N. of Belfort). simultaneously advancing from the Vosges and threatening the German retreat. General Pau's attacks on Dammerkirch (15 miles east of Bolfort) and Thann were rapid and decisive, tho Germans burning the greator part of Dammerkirch beforo they evacuated tho town. General Pau then ordered the French left to advance on Colmar and Neu Breisach (towns about twenty miles N.N.E. and N.E. respectively of Bolfort), and tho right on Altkirch, about twenty miles east and a little south of Belfort, threatening the Germans on both wings. A hot fight followed including the capturo of twenty-four guns at Dornach, a suburb of sen. The Germans retreated across the Rhine and the French hold the Rhine bridges.