FIGHT FOR LA BASSEE FIERCE BATTLE AT GIVENCHY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1915, Page 7

FIGHT FOR LA BASSEE FIERCE BATTLE AT GIVENCHY

HEAVY LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES LONDON, 27th January. Twenty-five thousand men on both sides were engaged in the battle at Givenchy (two miles west of La Baasee). . An officer states:— V A.fter three hours of all sorts of hell we retook the tranches. The first indication of an attack came from a Hanoverian soldipr, who deserted and toppled into the British trench. He announced that the

Germans would attack in force early in the morning, and spoke the truth. The Germans quitted the trenches and advanced in a dense mass. They reeled under the withering rifle and machine gun fire. Those who managed to get unscathed within fifteen yeards of our "trenches threw hand-grenades, 'which wrought death and destruction in our ranks. The Germans swept into our advanced line by sheer weight of numbers, aad a mortal combat at close quarters ensued. Meanwhile the Germans swept the space between our firing and support trench with shrapnel. We lost heavily retiring, and two companies of a famous Scots regiment were badly cut up. The German tide rushed on two points about four hundred yards distant before they were shattered by a crack British corps behind. The Hanoverians were no better than the Bavarians or the Prussians in the hand-to-hand fight with Britons, who, with clubbed rifles and bayonets, fell upon what remained. The Germans, who were crumpled up, surrendered in groups." ALLIES RECAPTURE POSITIONS PARIS, 27th January. , Official.— The British have reoccupied the positions at Givenchy after hot fighting on the Bethune-La Bassee road. The Germans penetrating the trenches westward of Craonne were thrown into complete confusion by aerial bombs ; we then counter-attacked, recovering a portion of the ground. We recovered the trenches near Saint Hubert find Fontaine-Madame. GERMAN REVERSE CONFIRMED (Received January 28, 8.30 a.m.) PARIS, 27th January. A communique states : The Germans on Monday, east of Ypres and at Givenchy and Guinchy, lost at least two battalions. We repulsed violent attacks near Perthe and destroyed the enemy's new pontoon bridges at Saint Mihiel. The Prime Minister received the following message from the High Commissioner :: — • c LONDON, 27th January, 5 p.m. Paris reports that the British repulsed a fresh attack near La Bassee, and reoccupied their former positions. Three hundred Germans were killed on the place, where the fighting was very warm. The Germans, who penetrated the Allies' trenches west of Craonne, were thrown into confusion by aerial bombs, and were driven out. In the Argonne the Allies attacked in the direction of Saint-Hubert and Fontaine-Madame, and regained the trenches previously lost. , LONDON, 27th January, 5.45 p.m. Paris reports : A German aircraft was brought down inside the Belgian Army lines. Prisoners' statements show that a brigade (6000 men), and not a battalion (1000 men), attacked the Allies' trenches east of Ypres. The enemy's losses were equivalent to a battalion and a-half (1500 men). The German severe reverse a.t La Bassee, and Givenchy and Guinchy yesterday is confirmed. The enemy left dead six officers and four hundred men. The total German losses were two battalions (2000 men). In the region of Perthe four violent German attacks were repulsed. In the Argonne region, at Saint Hubert, a German attack was driven back by a bayonet charge. A new German pontoon bridge over the Meuse, at Saint Mihiel, was destroyed. BRITISH WOUNDED ARRIVE AT BOULOGNE (Received January 28, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, 27th January. Many British wounded are arriving at Boulogne. Forty motor ambulances plied all night between the railway stations and the hospitals. AVIATOR'S GOOD WORK (Received January 28, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 27th January. ' The Daily Chronicle's Paris correspondent states that Aviator Pegoud, with nine bombs, blew up German military stores. He also dropped bombs on a company of infantry, and destroyed a 1 balloon which was directing the fire of the batteries. [The High Commissioner's report refers to German troops being tlirown into confusion at Craonne by means 6f aerial bombs.] IMPROVED WEATHER CONDITIONS (Times and' Sydney Sun Services.) ' (Received January 28, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 27th January. Amsterdam reports that the weather has taken up in Belgium. The ground is rapidly drying, and probably military movements will be much easier in the immediate future. .