CORRESPONDENT'S DISPATCH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2580, 30 September 1915, Page 5

CORRESPONDENT'S DISPATCH

FIVE HUNDRED MILES BATTLE ON THE BRITISH FRONT TORNADO OF SHELL FIRE By Telegraph—Press Association—OopyrlgM (Rec. September 29, 10.10 p.m.) London, September 29. Tlio "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent, Mr. l'Jjilij) Gibbs, writing from British Headquarters oil Sunday, said: A five hundred miles battle commenced • at dawn yesterday. The enemy, suspecting the movements of troops behind our lilies, expended a quantity, of shells, especially in tho Ypres .salient. The ruins of Ypres were again churned up by high explosives. There was ;i lull on Friday, millions of men in bo tit lines waiting in tense expectation. German prisoners admit tliat they were ignorant of our strength and plans • and were blindly confident in their own security. Our men knew by various signs and portents that important operations were on band. Those detailed for tho attack had been enjoying a rest, many had been at home on leave, so they entered the fight singing old songs and making jokes. Tlio din of the bombardment became doubly intense at dawn. Our guns had never spoken ]ike this. The attack began in earnest east of Vermelles and south of the La Basses Canal, and tho Plain of Lens, where our men were soon at deadly grips with the enemy, advancing steadily over ground no; longer barred' impregnably by the' enemy's trenches, upon which they had peered through loopholes and' sandbags for many months. The- Generals and their staff officers woro_ gathered on rising ground, trying to pierce the veil behind which the ■ masses of'brown men wero struggling forward. Battalions and brigades vanished into, tho'fog. The British ad- •' vanciug through Loos fought beTiind the veil, from which came the thunder of battle and later tho first stream of wounded. Their positions were only known when the' telephone wire was laid.

,Hurts Dazed by' ths Cun-fire. The Germans in their d.ug-outs were dazed Dy the intensity of tie bombardment, and stupified into surrender. Among the attackers were many battalions of Kitchener's Army. All day on Saturday, ill heavy rain, the soldiers dug themselves in 'the trenches, which were half-filled with mud and. water. Tho rain ceased at nightfall, and the moon shone bright above the battlefield. With- Sunday came brilliant sunshine and .a" cloudless blue' sky. . , _ . '' In a field near to the railway were fourteen hundred German prisoners. A great mass of slate-grey men, lying on the grass awaiting entraiument. i walked among them, and studied the types. There was-nothing of hate in the eyes of. tho fresh-faced Tommies who stood on guard. The prisoners had a beaten and exhausted look.. Some were: wounded in the-arms-and legs, biit not _seriously. I noticed tlie care of the prisoners for their, wounded comrades. Many_ of the Germans seemed glad to be mado prisoners. ' Great batches were captured at Loos. One said: "The British at'. Loos gave. us, a great surprise. Tlie first we knew of the attack was tho sight of tho British streaming , into .the trenches. We were surrounded on three sides, and our. position was hopeless, but we fought to our last cartridge. Their officers spoke with profound admiration of the stoic charges of the British' infantry, which niado a fine showing.

Vivid Battle Pioturc. The battle of Monday was intensely concentrated, lyin<» between La Bassee and Lens, with tho French on the right, working from tho captured town of Soucbez. The weather was, so bad tliat artillery observations were difficult.'British and ' German 1 , wounded were' lying in . pools, in a pitiable condition. Although half-railed in the thick," grey mist', tho battle ground could be seen from the ridge of Notre dame De Lorette—an impressive, awespiring sight. ,"At Hill 70 a great strugglo was progressing. Largo bodies of British who fought their way through Loos confronted the German reserves, which' were hurried up after our surpriso attack on Saturday. Across the lower spur of Notre Dame Do Loretle there was a continual stonn of high explosive and shrapnel, where tho enemy was trying to thrust back the French advance. Overhead, all day, tho aeroplanes were on reconnaissance duty. Some remained 'for hours over tho enemy's lines. Mr. Gibbs sums up the results of Saturday and Sunday thus:—"Wo emptied the'enemy's trenches on a five'milo front south of the La Bassee Canal. The enemy north of tho Canal brought up heavy reserves, and checked our advance. Wo surprised the Germans at Hooge. Trapped, many were forced, to surrender, but the Germans retook Bellewardo Ridge, which we swept over in the first rush."