EUROPEAN WAR

Grey River Argus, 27 October 1915, Page 2

EUROPEAN WAR

IMFRESSION OF THE ALLIES. GENERAL JOFFRE A GENIUS. AN EXHAUSTED GERMAN ARMY. r ~~* ~* t. [be* press association— corraiUM.} j LONDON, October 25. J The Daily Telegraph's Rotterdam correspondent learns from a German staff officer that Berlin military circles regard General Joft're as a \ trcnius. Berlin militarists were ex- *~~ '. A^ trei/iely nervous in the early stages o? tlio French attack In the Chain- ! pagne, but became calmer Avhen the l ' French troops did not succeed in fj breaking the line. General Joffre's plan was perfect and unsurpassed by any tactics during the Avhole war. There Avas a Avonderful co-ordination ] betAveen the general and his staff. The plans and arrangements for carrying out the attack Avere success- L ful. The elaborate manner in which Pthe details Avere Avorked out constitutes a remarkable achievement of P ( careful generalship. m Tlie Germans highly praise the cc Anglo-French troops and regard the vi Indians' Avoi'k as a revelation, in tl: striking contrast to the newspaper P< scoftings at these "coloured Englishmen." : jj They liave no such liigh admiration U1 for British attack; but lvn T e nothing ] c but praise for the troops. They are d< inclined, however, to criticise the tac- Tl tical scheme upon points Avhereon they re have eulogised French officers. cl It is admitted that the offensiA r e on | v the west front relieved th c German pressure on the Russians, perhaps at the most critical moment when Gen eral Hindenburg's attempt to envelop tlte Vilna triangle threatened a great disaster. The Germans Avere compelled to Avithdraw large forces from the eastern front. They reached Belgium terribly exhausted, ragged, and wayworn. They had not rested .after three months' continuous fighting in p Galicia and elseAvhei - e on the eastern va front. They suffered the severest ; pm'ations. Tliey Avere often pushed b on ahead of supplies and told to get j food in llu-ssian villages, but were p compelled to seek th c dead Russians v on the battlefield for bread rations. F They Avere compelled to march westAvard for ten days, travelling in a tlie train for Hve days. They bitterly o complained of tlie harshness of their S officers. The reserves in Belgium have been AvithdraAvn to the last man. j Brussels and Antwerp on September /• 26th were denuded of troops for the first time since the occupation. Every man was hurried to the front, leaving -y only Landsturm, avlio are greybeards. GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED. 1 1 , HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. § The High Commissioner reports as " follows from London under date of " \-to\mr 24th:— { The Germans last eA-euing attempt- n ml another attack on a foit in GiA rt'uchy Wood and our adA'anced posts ° in Ute neighbourhood of Hill 140, but ' a were decimated, 'even at the starting * ( from their trenches and were compolled to return. This is th c eighth' " check infh'cted on the enemy in nVe 'Jays in this region. The artillery " lighting is very lively and is almost c ' iiicessant south of Somme. In the S Champagne district our batteries effectively punished the trenches and works of the enemy. p CONFUSED FIGHTING. COMBAT FOR A REDOUBT. A TEST OF ENDURANCE. f 1 LONDON, October 25. £ A correspondent at the British -^ headquarters says : Our capture of the kernel of the Hoheuzollern Redoubt and the maintenance of ground won at Tangiblest Avill affect our at- . tack. On October 13th Aye had auother triumph. A British infantry attack .Avas launched at two o'clock . after a severe bombardment. The * enormous strength of the German « first line foj"tress Avas then reA r ealed. Despite the heaA'y artillery prepara- i tion, our men met a violent crossfire from machine guns, yet they made a . brilliant and fine advance. While the centre streamed into the main , trench of the redoubt, our right and left wings hurled themselves into the communication trenches. The men j were over impetuous at the wing attacks and Avere compelled to give " ground under the German machine ■ gun fire. Ouc men sheltered in innumerable sholl holes with which the redoubt is? pockmarked.' The struggle resolved itself into a test of endurance of tho combatants and bombing parties. Under coamji- of the smoke b horn 'the bombs, Aye consolidated our S positions on tl?e kernel. Others forced their Avay up the trenches, stretching out the centre. Bombs were continually used in large num.-. bers. Our losses in this arm were 1 heaA'y but the enemy's Avere greater, p This sort of confused fighting puts a S premium on personal initiative and a coolness. I have heard no finer story s< than that of a colonel Avho was shot in a the knee. He Avas discovered sitting w up, Avrapped in a rug, directing tho w fight. The struggle at Hohenzollern si was only an episode of the huge Ci whole. The fact that Aye have main- . tamed our slightly increased initial " success and the fact that strong Ger- $ man positions have been repeatedly fo shelled Avith sucoess is encouraging. — T- P