DRIVE ENEMY OVER FRONTIER

Evening Star, Issue 15636, 29 October 1914, Page 3

DRIVE ENEMY OVER FRONTIER

.’res* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE CONTIN LED. WELLINGTON. October 2b. The Prime Minister has received the following from the High Commissioner dated London, October 21 (5.55 a.rn.) ; The descriptive, account, communicated by an eve-witness present with the General Headquarters Staff continues and supplements the narrative published on the 24th inst. : The British force ana French armies were in immediate touch when the arrival of reinforcements enabled the Hnttsa treon to assist in the extension ot the Allies’ line. The enemy in this area had advanced from the north-east and ea.f-t, and were holding a front extending fn.m the high ground about Mont cles Cats through McCim to Estnircs, on the river Lys, with ad. meed bodies of cavalry and other troops thrown out some distance in front. South of the Lys the enemy’s line continued clue south from Et-iaires through intricate country for about three miles, when it turned slightly south-east, passing three miles east of livthune to V ermelles.

The- Allies encountered ionic resistance on the 12th f roin the enemy's advanced troops. On the I3lh there was fighting all along the line between our advanced guards and those of the Germans, tv ho at some points made determined counterattacks. As the result of two minor engagements at Mont des Cals and Me tore n cm the loth, the enemy's right fell bark with considerable haste, making use of tho darkness to evade pursuit. Bailie al, which had been occupied lor eight days, was abandoned without a shot being fired. On the 14th the advance continued by our hit wing, the enemy being driven back so far that, tho rest of their line became endangered, as we have since learnt from captured operation orders. Those state that tho right lino having been forced to withdraw, the left was compelled to conform to the movement. Tho latter withdrawal left us by the night of the 15* hj in possession of all the country on the nTt bank ol the Lys to a point five miles bt low Armenticres. On the 16th the enemy retired from that town. After a few shells had been fired at a barricade on tho Mieppe bridge over the river, tho line to within a short distance* cf Trclinghetn fell into our hands. At Arracntieres the enemy left behind 50 wounded, rifles and ammunition. and a motor car.

Our richt wing south oi the Lvs was able to make little progress until the 15th. The resistance to its advance was of a most determined character. and the fighting resolved itself into a series of fiercelycontested encounters. In an attack on some villages all efforts of the infantry were unavailing until our howitzers had reduced the houses to ruins. Other villages would be taken and retaken three times before finally secured. On this from the French "cavalry gave our infant rv support. By the night of ttie 16th the resistance had Wn overcome, and the enernv had fallen back five miles to the eastward.

During the 17th, 13th. and 19th our rich? encountered strong opposition about La Piassce from the enemy, who were established behind embankments and were well provided with machine gnus. Our advance was slow. In the centre and on the left better progress was made, although the Hermans, everywhere entrenched. continued to hold some villages on the Lvs in spite of bombardment. At the close'of each of the three days night, counter-strokes were delivered acainat our fine. but all were repulsed without difti.ult v.

tin the 2Cth determined but unsuccess•'id attack? were made against practically Ihe whole of our line. At one point, where one of our brigades made a counterattack, 11.003 Herman dead were found in trenches, and 40 prisoners were taken. Among the prisoners captured lay the Belgians was n hunchback, who hud had no training before Aliens. 19 i.i-i. He said that many men in his regiment were b'o.wcen 17 and IS year- of age. There wi-re signs in many vi'iages of a hurried retirement. In one a great ejun tit it yof la nee- and ammunition was abandoned ; in another tlm Staff left behind a dinner, an . (aeration cnbr. and armorer! motor cars equipped. Tlv narhnie -mis were most sucees-fu! in tmalitv with -mall parties of Herman mounted to ops. The Belgian- are now fighting wdh ns and a- q;i’.ti:n.g rbcmsfT.a.i nobly. They hnv shown r'vni-elw-* expert. Thev acpt'iir t - regard t 'hi in-hunt-ing a- a f-,?-rn of sport, and groups of th'-ni dHri.iy dm utmost da.-h and .-kill in this form of '-'.airfare, often going rut mihs ahead of their oun advance Hoang and seldom failing to re’urn load-m! with -roil? in (lie -bape of lancer caiis. busbies, lau.es, rifles, and •■t-her trophies, whii a they distribute as souvenirs to crowds in die market- place. Although the struggle in the north-rn urea naturally ultra't? mar- attention, that on the Ai-ne '•ontimies. Th>-re is not alteration in the gi n.-ral situation, but the enemy have made certain changes in the positions of their heavy artillery, with the result, that <me or • w<. places that were formerly safe quarter? are now subject to bombardment. wild'- others which were approachable only at night or bv crawling on hand? and line:.-; now serve as recreation grounds. Recent official lists of casualties and captured show that the losses of the Herman? continue heavy. One infantry company in a single list reports 159 killed and wounded, and ether companies suffered as heavily.

HEADQUARTERS’ REPORTS. The following account from General Headquarters has Wen received In* the Prime Minister: October 17.—-Noiwi th.-( anding the trying nature, of the fighting in Belgium and the wet weather, the troous arc very ft, -in fact, we are steadily advancing, ami fire enemv are giving way. This proved u most welcome and inspiriting change lor those who have been experiencing weeks of monotony in the trenches, where —-y had to endure continuous loses without the satisfaction of knowing for certain that losses were Wing inflicted upon the enemy, except when they attacked. This is not our only advantage over the Germans; we still hear from prisoners that their advanced troops are short of, food and exhausted by continued outpost | work. We can afford to give our troops more rest, and there is no lack of good food. | Many of the troops opposed to us at | present have had only two months’ ser- I vice ; and some of the prisoners state that | these men will not expose themselves in ] the trenches. Nevertheless, the enentv in I front are fighting well and skilfully, "and ! axe showing considerable powers of endurance, They generally contrive to remove their wounded, and often bttrv the killed before retiring, their escape Being facili- I iated by numerous deep trenches. 1 Many cavalry patrols are wearing Belgian uni/orme. The practice is nob excusable on the ground of lack of their own. The inhabitants of one small town now occupied by us state that a large force of German cavalry was recently billeted there, but retired hurriedly on’ (ho night | ofOctober 13, having some 600 wounded, j

Sixty-eight serious causes wotc left behind. 'l'he truth of this last part of the statement has been confirmed, as our troops found that number in a building over which an immense Red Cross flag was flying. As the British approached the town smoke signals were being made from a chimney close to the building flying the flag. The Conrans, consisting largely of Bavarian cavalry, who occupied this town eight tlavs before did not burn the place, but otherwise behaved in a way that merits the worst ever said of them.

In spite of adverse weather, aviators on both sides have not been idle in the northern theatre of operations. On October 12 German airmen flew over St. Omer and dropped five bombs, apparent ly under th? impression that the place was occupied be ns two women and a little girl wore killed. On Wednesday a hostile aeroplane was brought down by rifle and machinepun Are, both observer and pilot being captured. The pilot was decorated with the Iron Cross, which, according to his account, had been awarded him for being the first German to drop a bomb in Antwerp. On. October 15 three British aeroplanes gave chase to a German machine : unluckily one of our machines, which was faster than the enemy’s, met with a slight accident, and had to give up the chase.

A German airman recently mode an unsuccessful attempt bv moans of incendiary bombs to explode a French captive observation balloon. Missiles fell simnltaneouslv within a circle fifty yards

in diatneb-r. As they struck the ground they emitted vivid red flames •’ollowed by columns of dark smoke 60f high. At the point wffi-iv each fell then was found a large mass resembling dark prmire stone, and the stubble was burnt iu patches of about a yard in diameter. An incident. which occurred during October 13 -bows th--- resource and bravery of some of tiie enemy's scouts. Gemini: iil-till wy, while retiring, was from time o> time coining into action. An officer of our think cavalry patrols had been standing under a tree, when ho noticed a fine wire banging down close to the trunk. Following the wire upwards, he -a as astonished to -eg one of the enemy in the tree. As ho drew bis revolver and fired the Herman dropped on the officer’s head, also tiring at him. The officer was stunned. When he came te> he found himself alone, the peak of hi- can blown away, and his uniform covered with blood not. hi- own. So far'as the campaign goes, the teneiercv of the Hermans t f > rely on t.nc splendid war material with which they have been so amply provided rather than on the employment ot masses of men has Itccnm more marked. Now- there are 'indications that tho supply _ of inareri.il is , not inexhaustible, A significant- circular i.-tinvl bv the Prussian Minister of War, enjoining careful search of battlefield*-' for enidptnent. and even the collection of euiplv cartridge caf.cs, lies been quoted in a previous letter. The circular seems to have been prompted more bv necessity than bv habits of economy, for in recent fighting both gtin and rifle ammunition of old patterns has been found in trenches ♦" acuated bv the enemy and on dead prisoners. Amongst tho latter Mauser cartridges, similar to those used by the Boers in South Africa., were found. Following if a translation of a leaflet Herman aviators have beer; dropping over the French lircs :—“ French soldiers, — The Hermans are only unking war against the French Government, who are sacrificing you and your country to the egotism of the British. Your commerce, industry, and agriculture will be ruined by this war, whilst the British alone will thrive on the enormous profit from it. You are pulling the chestnuts out of th:: lire for the British. 't he news spread by your Government, that the Russians aro near Berlin, is false. On the contrary, the Russians have been beaten in two great battles ; 150.000 Russians have been captured. and tho rest have been driven in rout from German territory. French soldiers, surrender, so tlutu this win, which ,i 3 ruining your country, may be ended as - soon as possible-. Rest assured that prisoners and wounded are well treated. In order to let you know the truth the I following testimonial from Surgeon-major |Dr Sauve, of tho French army (Rue I Luxemburg, Paris), is given‘ I, the ' undersigned, declare that I have seen, ,n I German hospitals in Commepy and Aure, 1 French wounded receive exactly tho same | treatment as the Germans. I may add that not only the French wounded, but also their prisoners, whom I saw, wear© very well looked, after.’ ” The term* of this summons to surrender 1 cannot be said to be tactful, and it has not had the desired effect. Apart from endeavoring to influence the enemy, news is disseminated amongst the German soldiers by means of a special military newspaper called the ‘Patrol,’ published in Berlin. Its historical value j can he gauged by this (statement made in j its September C\, as follows i

“It may confidently bo asserted that the resistance of the active army of the French has been overcome. Reserve troops and new formations will no doubt give our heroic forces plenty to do” (rest of sentence mutilated). However, the facts must have convinced the German troops that this assertion was not justified. In a captured letter, dated September 22, the following passage occurs: “We are very anxious about the result of the fighting. We have nothing but reports of great successes, but don't now put much faith in them. To-day we got papers of the first and fifth September. It was really painful to read boastful announcements of the inarch on Paris, fo- we are no nearer to Paris now than then. I don't know whether you realise this : it is no use trying to hide it.” Information recently received corroborates the impression already made that the enemy's troops suffered severe privations during August and September. Many letters bear this out. Extracts are given as follow: —“ September 22—My best pals have been killed or wounded. Our company has dwindled to two-thirds of its original strength. We want peace quickly. Wo'have been driven to exhaustion, and have marched for entire weeks, eve.” through the night. We have not had bread every day, and have not washed for a fortnight nor shaved since the commencement of the war. But all this is nothing; we shall soon be heme, for it will ail soon be over. We have just been under the enemy’s artillery lire for eight da vs,”

“Wo get no letters. Have passed thou ends of full mail hags on the road, but no tiic ers 'leal out the letters.” "After 56 horns' march without halting vc arrived just in time for a fight. For three days we did not have a hot meal, '■(.■ cause the field kitchens went astray. Wt- had a hot meal yesterday evening. We are all ready to drop, but must march in." There is no doubt the Hermans have to ; great extent recovered from the tondi ions implied by these letters, but their foii c- arc by no means what they were. UALLANT STAND AT YI’REK PARIS, October 27, An account of the fighting at Ypres states that the Hermans outnumbered the Rritidi by lour to one. They advanced at, daylight bv short rushes, but the Drills!! volleys mowed them down at 150 yd Hermans retired, were reinforced, an-, recharged, when they reached to within o yards of the trenches by sheer weight «i numbers. Again they were driven bad* At the third charge the BritTh fixe, bayonets, but the British artillery ojt-mn. tire, and the Unman- Hcd. French officers declare that the British stand at Ypres was even more magnified.; than their retreat from Mens. ADVANCE AT VPRES AND SOIafcONS PARIS, October 27. Official ; A particularly fierce etruggh continues between the mouth of the Yscr and the Lens district. The A.hies have not retired anywhere on this line, and have progressed between Ypres and Roulers. also at tkiissone. ALLIES ATTACK NEAR NANCY. DRIVE HEILMANS OVER FRONTIER. PARIS, October 27. Official ; We had a successful artillery encounter at 1 Jerry-an-Bac, and destroyed several Herman batteries. Wo assumed the offensive east of Nancy, between the forest of Dayein.e and Panov, driving the enemy across the frontier. SMART WORK BY NAVY. (London ‘Times' and Sydney ‘Sun’ Serrioesd LON DON, October 27. 'The naval gunners had a fair picnic on the Belgian coast. The monitors watched the Herman big gun taking its position, waited until the range was found, and then smashed the gun and men with the first shot. The' destroyers, with 6in guns, went up the river at Nieuport, fired a broadside at the Hermans, turned round, and let drive the other broadside, and fired the stern gun "as a parting salute. A thousand of the enemy died on the field. It is stated that one brigade, marching on the sea coast from Nieuport to Middlekerke, was completely wiped out by the magnificently-directed fire of the monitors and other vessels. VIEW FROM BALLOON LONDON, October 27. A correspondent, in a captive balloon with an observation officer seeking ‘the position of the German batteries, had a bird’s eye view of the battle between Nieuport ami Diimutle. Ho saw Ostend and

the ruins of several coast villages from Middlekerke and Lombardyde. Not a wall remains standing at Westkerke or Slype Novie. All this was caused by the effective fire of the British warships, which ultimately dislodged the Germans. NEW BRITISH GUN. LONDON, October 27. A new British gun has provided a fresh terror for the German airmen. A Tnubc aeroplane flew over the headquarters of the British General Staff, scattering bombs promiscuously. A shot from the gun found the target, and the machine was brought to the ground. Another Taube tried to make amends for the failure, but before it began throwing bombs the gun fire caused the Taube to hastily withdraw. CARGOES OF GERMAN VESSELS. SYDNEY, October 28. A meeting of merchants interested in the cargoes of German steamers sheltering at Java and adjacent ports considered that f he Dutch Government had power under the clauses of the York-Antwerp rules to compel masters to discharge the cargoes. The meeting resolved to obtain legal opinion as to whether action in the Dutch courts was likely to prove successful, and also to ascertain whether the result of the Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company’s action was due to the courts.

THE AUTHOR OF THE WAIT SAID TO ENJOY HIS POSITION. .London ‘Times’ and Sydney ‘Sun’ Services) LONDON, October 28. It is reported that the Kaiser has undertaken the leadership ot the An.-tro-l lorman armies. Hs is in good health and spirits, thoroughly enjoying his position as war lord. PARIS, October 2 1. M. Aghion. correspondent for ‘Le Matin.' saw the Kaiser at Coblenz, fie -nys that everybody ru.-hod to the door when the Kaiser was passing to inspect the forts in the suburbs. Commanding trumpet-calls re ml the air, and a while motor . ar appears, with a black eagle re-a-mhling a monstrous butterfly painted on the side. The Kaiser wears a double caked army cap and the timc-lumond •apo of nriaht hluo. Has eyes ?cm burin. ,n the folds of his eyelid,-. His nmus ache is onlv slightly twisted up. \\ ith aim is an officer with a Ik- 1 met too small for ins broad fare. Ho ir, very pale, be aiise tho Kaiser seems angry. The crowd wnt'-h, silent and subdued. The Emperor •tag boon robbed of the hcart ot the people .'v the Crown Prince. MORE GERMAN MINES. BRITISH STM A MLR SUNK, LONDON. October 27. Official : Herman mines, laid off the north coast of Ireland, sunk the steamer M anchester Commerce. Fourteen persons weie drowned. A tiawicr rescued 5(3 survivor.-. [The Manchester Commerce was built in 1899. She was a steamer of 5,365 tons, and owned by the Manchester Liners, Ltd.] It is stated that a minefield has been laid 20 mile.- north of 'lory Island, and tlx© Admiralty notifies that it is not sale to approach within 50 miles of Tory island. A BRITISH PROTEST. WASHING TON. October 27. Sir Edward Grey has notified America that Gieat Britain is possessed ot proof that much American oil, useful for aircraft and submarines, exported to neutral has been re-exported to belligerents. Sir Edward warns shippers that their papers must show that tile shipments are destined for neutrals. AN ITALIAN PROTEST. ROME, October 27. The ‘Sccolo’ (Milan) protests against Italy being transformed into a vast field for supplies of grain, meat, vegetables motor cars, and chemicals for making ex plosives for Austria-Hungary. HELP FOR THE BELGIANS. LONDON, October 27. Immense quantities of clothing and comforts are being sent to the refugees i Holland by the International VVN>men Relief Committee. One thousand tone o' provisions will leave England to-morrov for American distribution amongst indigent Belgians.

IN THE FAR EAST. AT GRIPS WITH THE GERMANS. PEKING, October 27. Letters from English soldiers at Tsingtao relate that recently they got to grips with the Germans, who asked for an armistice to bury their dead. This was refused, and the British chased the Germans to their innermost defences. The British casualties were alight. A CHINESE DEMAND. PEKING, October 27. China has demanded the surrender of a Japanese torpedo boat and crew which entered Chinese territorial waters and attempted to tow off the wrecked Soo, substituting the Japanese, flag for the Chinese on that vessel. IN SOUTH AFRICA. DE WET AND BEYERS TURN TRAITORS. PREFER GERMAN CULTURE TO BRUTISH FREEDOM. LONDON, October 28. Official : Generals Christian De Wot and Severs have headed a rebellion in Northern Orangia and Western Transvaal. They seized the Government officials at Heilbron and made them prisoners. A train was stopped, and the Reitz defence force taken therefrom and disarmed.

The Government have taken drastic [ measures to cope with the now develop- j merit. i COLLAPSE OF ONE REBELLION. CAPE TOWN, October 27. j An additional 124 men (including five ) officers) who were connected with Maritz’s i renellinn have surrendered. '■ THE OFFICIAL REPORT. ! CAi'K 'TOWN, October 27. i Official: The enemy at. Kakamas com- ] pused Germans and German Boers, i Maritz was wounded in the log, but not | dangerously. The South African losses j were seven wounded. j Manv rebels surrendered, including j -cvoral who were wounded. Maritz re- , .rented to iScbnidrift. abandoning his • amp stores and a waggon-load of ammunition.