BELGIAN-COAST- BATTERIES BOMBARDED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2582, 2 October 1915, Page 5

BELGIAN-COAST- BATTERIES BOMBARDED

BRITISH FLEET AGAIN ACTIVE ■ '■ ' : 1 FRENCH GAIN GROUND IN THE, CHAMPAGNE •v > By Telegraph—Press ( ABBOoiation—Oopyrlulit ; i V 1 (Rec. October 1, 10.40 p.m.). . < i" ■ _ Paris, October 1. , French communique.—Our heavy artillery in Belgium supported the British I. Fleet's action against the coast batteries and-exploded several mines ofrtside Beaiivraignns, wrecking'the.German trenches. • . We. gained ground northward of Meinil and northward of. the Massiges Ville-sur-Toube and Cerney'Road, and imprisoned a number at the latter point. The enemy counter-attacked and regained a footing at a work named La-de-Taite. A second and more violent, counterattack 1 in the same'sector.was ropulsed with heavy enemy losses. The total field and heavy guns captured since September 25 on the Champagne front is 121. - A squadron of aeroplanes dropped seventy-two bombs on the Guigincouvt railway station, and apparently witli effect. The squadron returned safely.

, .WOUNDED FROM BELGIAN COAST SENT TO GERMANY.(Rec. October 2, 0.10 a.m.) • Amsterdam, Otcober 1. 'A great number of wounded from Ostend and' Blanketberghe have been conveyed to . Germany. "... ' - 1 TELEGRAMS TO NEUTRAL COUNTRIES SUSPENDED. (Rec. October 2, 0.10 a.m.) : ■■■ ' London; October 1. Private telegrams from .England and France to. all.neutral countries have been suspended-for forty-eight hours. ,

FOOTING GAINED IN SECOND DEFENSIVE LINE Paris, September 30. ; A communique states: The enemy's counter-attack on Artois was restricted •to a most: violent bombardment of our new _ positions east of Souchez. We have gained a footing at .several points in the enemy's second defensive position in the Champagne, and are firmly holding it. Wo even passed the second line at one point, but that progress was not maintained, owing to the enemy's violent curtains of fire and flanking bombardments. Our aviators bombarded the enemy's communications, and shells were thrown on several railway statione,' and also on a march column at Soinme-Py; , . , New York, September 30. A Reuter message states':—Paris, official: A footing has Been gained in the second defensive line in Champagne.-

GENERAL' 'JOFFRE'S ORDER PRIOR TO : THE 'ATTACK, Paris, September 30. . General Joffre's order before Saturday's attack was:' "The offensive will be carried on without truco or respite. Remember the Mama! Conquer or dio!" , v ' PRINCIPAL LINE OF GERMAN RESISTANCE IN THE • CHAMPAGNE. ' \ _ _ Paris, September 30. Tlie principal lilie;of German resistance in the Champagne included from N two to five trenches, -'stretching back for from three to five hundred yards. They were a mass of entanglements and clievaux do rise, 1 and. the small forts and trenches wero veritable labyrinths. The second defence line is dominated from the south bank of -the river. The effect of'the latest creations of tlie French artillery 011 obstacles and dugouts was terrible, while the long-range guns cut off the Teserves and supplies ; for forty-eight hours. ■ At the hour appointed for the attack a human wavo on a'fifteen and a half mile front fell on tlie German trenches, enveloping and overpowering them. Seven such waves swept forward.

THE RETREAT WAS SWIFT AND COSTLY, THE SLAUGHTER » APPALLING New York, September 30. ■ 'The-newspaper "American's" correspondent states that 30,000 Germans fell 011 a sixteen milo front. The retreat was swift and costly, especially northwards of Beauscjour. ■The'slaughter on the hill above the Dormoiso Bivor was appalling. Tho Frenchmen's impetuosity diovo the enemy from the crest of tho hill into, the rivers. Tho victors' shoutM mingled -with the screams of tin? ..fugitives, As they plunged into tho swift current they were swept off clutching .one another iu clnnui grips, ' ■ ' j r . •> > -^i , tam points the stream was fordubla over tlie pjiad bo'diesj

GERMAN. DEAD PILED Ul'. FOUR DEEP.- • y Paris, September 30. The German dead were piled four'deep in many parts of Loos. Tlio village was wrecked, the clmloli- is a shapeless mass, derricks and houses wcro blown to pieces, and hundreds of people wero burned in the ruins. : DRAGOONS 'AND 'CHASSEURS TO THE RESCUE. ' Paris,. September 30. A wounded soldier states that when the infantry 'were held up at tlio entanglements in the Champagne, the cavalry camc to thS rescue. It was tlie first ohanco t'iie Dragoons and Chasseurs liad 'had for months, and they were determined to .make up for lost time. 'It was a' magnificent dash. The Bosclies, hunted oil all sides, bolted, scattering an , unimaginablo quantity of material. Tho-flight-turned to panic when tlio Africans went int-o them with tlie bayonet and inflicted .appalling losses.. Noiie stood up to them. It was ycritablo carnago.

IMPETUOSITY; AND DASH OF THE FRENCH TROOPS. ®Ec, October 1, 10.40 p.m.) Paris, October 1. Paris accounts dwell on the impetuosity of th© French dash in the Champagne. Never can the acts of devotion and self-sacrifice in tho inferno of shell and machine-gun fire be narrated. . , j Despite the great destruction, of entanglements, great stretches of wire remained, and in negotiating these and bombing the irenohes everything that was heroic was displayed. The fire from sunken German machine-guns explains the enormous proportion of leg-tvounds among the French.

FROM THE FRINGES- OF AN ILL-ASSORTED EMPIRE. .("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.), \. London, September 30. A "Times" correspondent in France describing tho prisoners taken, says that a curious point is that the majority are of the Slav type, clearly drawn from the fringes^of Germany's ill-assorted Empire. They aro not inspired by any virulent antipathy to tneir opponents. Germany, in order to succeed, must not only keep her armies at full strength, but the reserves at white heat, and the . whole in a fanatical, unyielding spirit. If Germany still has numbers'of men, it is doubtful if they are of the right kind. Her stalwarts of tho first Jine have mostly lound graves in Flanders and Champaigne, and in. far-away Poland. ' ' .

BITTER BATTLES BEWTEEN REIMS AND *THE ARGONNE. London) September 29. A Berlill communique states: "Tlio euemy continued his efforts on Wed-' nesday to break through in the Champagne only. "We blow up a position occupied by two companies of English troops southward of-the Ypres-Menin Road. "Our counter-attack north of Loos, progressed slowly. "The' French penetrated two small sections of our lines southward of Souchez. Fighting continues. '"AVe repulsed the -French attacks south of Arras^ "Bitter battles have been fought-between Reims and tlio Argoune. An enemy brigade southwards of St. Marie broke through our outer lino of trenches, and encountered our reserves, who captured eight hundred and exterminated tho remainder. Other French attacks on tlio Sommepy-Souain Road were repulsed after bitter hand-to-hand fighting. Wo -lost Height 191,. north of Massiges, which, was badly exposed to the enemy's flanking fire."

INTENSE ARTILLERY FIRE IN THE ARTOIS. * London, September 30. The "Kolnischo Zeitmig" states that there has been extraordinarily severe fighting on the centre front, east of Aubreville. , The enemy attacked under the protection of the heaviest artillery fire, surpassing that of tho battle on September 25.,- Tho French were repulsed with severe loss. . The weather is bad, but clearing up. DUTCH PEOPLE HEART AND SOUL WITH THE ALLIES. , Amsterdam, September 30. There is jubilation here over the Allies' victory. It indicates that however, correct the Government's neutrality may be, the Dutch people are heart and soul with the Allies. ALLIES' AVIATORS' PAY A-- FIRST VISIT TO LIEGE. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, September 30. An aviator flew over Liege and dropped French papers, flags] and proclamations, announcing that the armies are advancing. ■ 'The people were deeply moved, as this was the first air visit since the German occupation of Liege. THE KAISER DISPLAYS CONSIDERABLE ANXIETY. ' ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) . |(Rec. October 1, 5.30 p.m.) j London, September 30. The "New York World's" Paris correspondent'states that the Kaiser continues in consultation, 'and is generally seeking means to stop the French advance in-tlwv Champagne, where tho Germans fear overwhelming disasters. The 6liells fired included tens of thousands more powerful than any previously used by the Allies.. EFFECT OF, HEAVY ARTILLERY AND PLENTY OF. SHELLS. . . , ("Times".and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. October 1, 5.30 p.m.) , • . London, September 30. The "Times's" Parte correspondent states that the French losses, were less than were expected; There was a particularly small proportion of killed to wounded, and a high proportion of slight wounds. ' This profitable result is due to the energy and money expended in providing heavy artillery and enormous stocks of shells.

LORD KITCHENER CONGRATULATES SIR JOHN FRENCH. (Rec. October 1, 8.35 p.m.) ' , ' London, October 1. lord' Kitchener has 6eiit the following message to Sir John French: — "My warmest congratulations to you and your troops on the substantial (success achieved, and best wishes for the progress of gour'important operations." ' / THE CAMPAIGN ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT GERMAN OFFENSIVE STOPPED RUSSIAN COUNTER-ATTACKS DISLODGE THE ENEMY 1 By Telegrapli—Press ABsooiatlon-^opyrlglit (Reo. October 1, 10.40 p.m.) - Potrograd, October 1. Russian communique.—Our cavalry stopped the German offensive southward of Lako Drisviaty. We dislodged the enemy, at Kuleko v itcry on-the.Styr, and retook Koclrichtclie eastward of Kolld. There was stubborn fighting v in tbe vicinity, of Silno, eastward of Luzk irlucli we abandoned two days ago. . 1 We have beon obliged to retire in some sectors, but by repeated counterattacks southward of Silno ire dislodged the onemy from bis trenches.

'ALLIES'- OFFENSIVE RELIEVES THE RUSSIAN FRONT. - .("Times"- and Sydney "Sun"- Services.) . • . _. . . ' , London,' September 30. A correspondent at Petrograd says that the Allies' offensive in the West instantaneously brought a certain relief.to tlie extreme tension on our front between Dvinsk and Oshmiany.by the withdrawal of tho whole of tho Gorman Guards Corps-from Vilina. ; Critics expect, the transfer to be followed up by others. Tho "Novoo Vremya" estimates the German, losses in rc-cent defeats on tlm East front at 75,000.." In order to fill up the gap in the Western lines, Germanv must recall an entire army from tho East.' " This will be a difficult task, in view of the heavy drain on tho German reserves caused by tho precarious situation" of her, armies. GERMAN INFANTRY REGIMENT PRACTICALLY ANNIHILATED ■ Petrograd, September 80 Tho 35th' Infantry Regiment suddenly, attacked the Russian positions in the Eclcau district. Despito a murderous machine-gun fire, tliey advanced rapidly.' The Russians set out three armoured motors, against which'tho German bullets were powerless, and tho' Tegiment .was practically annihilated A small force of guerillas, consisting of peasantry whoso homes had been burnt, surrounded a Gorman column in tho Pinslc marshes. Tlio Germans wore panic-stricken, aud the column disappeared in tho morass.

.VON HINDENBURG CAPTURES A RUSSIAN POSITION. London, September 30. 'A Berlin communique states: "General von Hindonburg, stormed aud broke through tlm Russiun position east of Soorgon, capturing 1000 men, Piiii'ui Leopold bloodily repulsed many uUiioy, General yon Liusiugea oaptured 800 prison? ths Upper Kormin.'i

SUDDEN; RAIDS BY, GUERILLA PEASANT, BANDS, • ' .("Times"-and Sydney "Sun'-'-Services.) (Rec'. September 1, 5.30 p.m-i) ' Umdorij September 30. The "Times" Patrograd correspondent reports -that PolieS refugees state that the enemy's horeesj guns, and transports are sinking in the treacherous mire of the Piiisk marshes. Guerilla peasajit bands perfectly knowing" the labyrinth tracks, are effecting sudden raids which the Germans aro powerless -to cope with. The peasants aro firing cottages and abandoning .villages in jtho\patli of the German advanco. ' -

. POSITIONS OF, RUSSIAN 'ARMIES NOW FAVOURABLE. (Rec. Ootobcr 2, 0.10 a.mt) - ' Potrogrart, October 1. Generally, as tlio result of a series of successful engagements, 7' the positions of the armie? along-our front aro favourable Our offensive was particularly successful eastward of the Svientsiauy and Oclimiana line. • , Tlio Germans' 'depression is riatideablo with abandonment of the slightly wouuded, also of wagons, arms, tod projectiles cm tie line of retreat. • "