BENDING BACK THE FOE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 239, 23 September 1914, Page 5

BENDING BACK THE FOE.

Stubborn Fight for Supremacy. Allies make Siow but Sure Progress. Both Armies Strongly Reinforced. The High t "omi..i -miont-r reports under date, London, 22nd September, ; :.;o a.m.: - ■ RELIABLE.— !t is probable that the battle, now being fought -< with unparalleled fury. vh continue for some days. A new step in the constant progress on the extreme left wing is marked by the presence of the French at Lassigny, situated ten miles west of Noyon. This movement is of extreme importance, and explains why the Craonne region has been the centre of violent conflict and bayonet charges. The Germans, who are making desperate efforts to diminish the pressure on their extreme right wing, are everywhere forced to give way. Little is said about the happenings in the centre, but the French have completed their line running from Alsace to the Argonne, and thus the Germans’ centre between Reims in the west and Souain in the east no longer has scope for movement. ■ Received 23, 9 a.m.) London, Sept. 22. The French left Ijas been reinforced by heavier guns, capable of reaching the huge German ordnance, and they are now searching the enemy’s trenches with paralysing effect. Received 23, 12 noon.) Paris, Sept. 22. It is officially stated that the fighting is less violent. We have made appreciable progress, particularly between Reims and Argonne. London, Sept. 22. The “ Daily Mail ” states that fresh German troops are arriving from Belgium, via Ninove, Ath and Peruwelz. Strong Anglo-French reinforcements have arrived at Cambrai, and enormous convoys are gathered there. The Germans hastily evacuated Arras, a town about 20 miles west of Cambrai. POSITION OF THE ARMIES. FROM THE OISE TO THE VOSGES. Paris, Sept. 21. OFFICIAL.— On the left wing, on the right bank of the Oise, we have advanced to the height of Lassingly. On the east of the Oise and north of the Aisne, the Germans have manifested renewed activity, and violent combats ending in bayonet charges have ensued in the region of Craonne. Everywhere the enemy were repulsed. Round Reims the Germans hate not attempted infantry attacks, and have limited themselves to cannonading our front with heavy artillery. In Champagne and on the western slope ot the Argonne beyond Somaine we have taken Mesnil and Woevre. The enemy continues to hold Thiancourt, and has cannonaded Hassonchatel. ( There is nothing to report from Lorraine and the -Vosges. The Germans are fortifying themselves on the Dehne side and to the south of Chateau Salins. THE BATTLE OF SOISSONS. DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE. . BY MR. P. GIBBS, WAR CORRESPONDENT. ’ London, Sept. 21. Mr. P. Gibbs, cabling from Chalons on Saturday, says a great storm was raging at Soissons on Thursday and Friday, flooding the trenches, and the British had the most trying time pf the war. It tried the nerves and souls to the last point of human endurance.

Several men who left the trenches on a special mission looked as if they had been through the torture chamber and had suffered nameless horrors. They were chilled to the bone and shaking 111 every limb. Nevertheless, there was no grousing among the army of dirty mudlark,, unshaven, tattered, but still confident and ready to joke even.

The strength of the German position made it very difficult for the British to cross'the marshland intersected by rivers and canals. At preseni it was utterly impossible for infantry, cavalry and heayv guns to cross the swamps. The German I i-mchers on the surrounding hills were giving a lot of trouble to the British gunners. There had bee imi artillery duel lor days, covered by which both sides had been entrenching and rushing over the open ground with rifle fire and bayonet charges >n order to obtain advantageous positions for further entrenchments.

The British showed superiority in this battle of the trenches, and gained good ground, though at heavy cost. With the experience of the Boer War the British were far better than the enemy in taking advantage of every scrap of cover. Fighting in open formation on several occasions, they took trenches which by all the rules of war should have been impregnable.

The British were- assisted by the Zouaves, who repeatedly charged under the deadliest fire and reached the enemy’s positions. The Germans only fled when the trenches were tilled with the corpses slain by tin- Frenchmen, who tossed them out of the pits as though haymaking. as .me of them said.

General Von Kluck on F.udm. night ordered a general advance of infantry from Chavignon and Amzy-le-Chateau upon the foremost British trenches round Soms. >ns, while the artillery again searched the position endeavouring to unnerve the British. The wind was howling .md ‘he rain lashing down. The British needed all then courage. The shrapnel killed many, but the Germans were not .he right stuff to turn out entrenched British soldier-, ;.nd th *v retired quicker than they came. The British guns ■■•und--! them, and the rifle fire laid them in heaps. ENEMY’S ACCURATE CUNFIRE. A TARGET MADE Gl‘ BRITISH HEADQUARTERS. Receix<-d 2 . .;.o i m.) London, Sept. 22. Mr. Gibbs states that the av.:ura<y and rapidity of the German gunners was particularly r'markable at Soissons. They were assisted by aviators, vvir > dr >p scraps of papers and bombs acting as smoke signals. In one case on Friday an > i-uich gi.!;.dropped a shell close to the British headquarters, and lev-'almi the staff had a narrowescape. Headquarters w; s immediately shifted, and within half-an-hour fifty shells dropped on tlhv ame spot. DEADLY GERMAN CUNS. i London, Sept. 21. The German 17-inch siege guns di'.dhnrge a projectile weighing 2i,0001b, which describes a parab|.b covering twelve miles and rising in height 1200 yard-. >

It is discharged electrical!}’ fi"in a considerable distance, the operator not daring to remain m its vicinity. The shell on exploding liberates deadly gases.