FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 19 May 1915, Page 5

FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

ON THE YSER FRONT.

ENEMY ABANDON ALL POSITIONS WESTWARD OF CANAL.

A BRITISH NIGHT ATTACK.

GERMAN POSITIONS STORMED

WITH THE BAYONET

ENEMY LOSSES HEAVY.

INCENDIARY SHELLS AT YPRES

THE ZEPPELIN HAIDER

WRECKED

CREW TAKEN PRISONERS

PARIS, May. 18. Official.—The enemy is threatened with complete envelopment by our recent successful attack, and. they have evacuated all positions westward of the Yser Canal.

_j The British were subjected to very strong counter-attacks northward of La Bassee from Sunday night till Monday, and continued the battle victoriously m the daytime on Monday, inflicting very heavy losses. A detachment of 700 Germans was caught between the British machine guns and German, artillery, and was exterminated to the last man Tinder the British cross-fire. The British took a thou&and prisoners and captured machine guns. We captured several works at Bois d'Ailly and took three machine guns and 250 prisoners, including several officers.

LONDON, May 18. On Sunday night hell broke loose, and before daybreak the British army 6tormed the German lines from Festu"bert to Richebourg and Glavone. Sir John French considered it necessary to risk a night attack in order to support the Allies. Several days previously the Allies kept up slow, persistent and well-directed artillery fire against the German lines, and there was nothing to indicate from where the attack would come. In addition to providing troops for the assault, it was necessary to provide for a long line of trenches, and^ also • have regard for the situation at Ypres, I .J* where the German guns were causing' heavy losses. Our artillery fire wrecked the barbed wire in places. Although the effect was good it could not be described as overwhelming. Late in the afternoon Sir John French addressed the troops and received an ovation. After dusk the units took up positions silently. The night was dark and warm. Our left attacked at 11.30 p.m., and the greater part succeeded in overthrowing the German defence. The bayonet and the grenade were chiefly relied on, as it was too dark for .effective shooting. The left and centre dashed in with the bayonet and penetrated two lines, killed or wounded most of the defenders, and made good on a front of about eighteen hundred yards on the German position. Our extreme left's attack was, less fortunate, but the Indians eventu-: ally penetrated the opening made by the left and centre. We soon begun to outflank the enemy, As morning dawned the Ger- j man supports opened a. severe lire, but our heavy guns get to work on the supports and greatly aided the advance. At three o'clock a fresh and formidable line of British infantry advanced on the right against the Germans, in the direction of Festubert, and stormed the position with the utmost gallantry. Soon they mastered a front of 1400 yards and overwhelmed the enemy's secend line. They penetrated the Germans' reserve trenches, causing the Germans heavy loss. By eleven o'clock in the morning we penetrated a mile and promised to extend round the Germans, who still held a front of trenches between our right and centre. The enemy tried many attacks, Vvhich proved, costly. There were the inevitable German counter-devices to arrest attack by employing petrol bombs. At one point, despite the German infantry's ill-directed vacillation, the method's of the attack were furious. An_ artillery bombardment in the afternoon deluged the woods of Festubert. Shells fell thick on the enemy's communication trenches, causing heavy

losses. One batch of prisoners belonged to the Seventh Army Corps, thp same as was at Neuve Chapelle, but whereas the latter were well set-up. the quality of the present prisoners vra# ■of the sorriest, being mere youths. Sir John French reports that the firstarmv had further successes south of Ricliebourg and Lavone. All the German trenches on a front of two miles were taken. Bruges telegrams report heavy lighting on the Ypres stream. The German wounded are practically incessantly ar- ' i-ivin^, and a great number of private houses have been turned into hospitals. Sir John French reports that the British continue to fight with great gallantry and determination. .Several bodies of Germans voluntarily surrendered to-day. One body, trying to sur> reader, was o:mo-ht by German artillery and practically Tmnitiilated. Five hundred and fiftv prisoners have already fceen sent to the base.

"Eye-witness" says there is a denso ball of smoke over Ypres and many fierce fires as a result of incendiarv shells. A similar bombardment in November synchronised with the German abandonment of the efforts to capture the town, and. possibly has the same meaning to-day. He gives a typical act of heroism. A machine-gunner remaining in action was choked and blinded by fumes and died the following day. It is reported that the Zeppelin raider was wrecked by gunfire at Cape Gnsnez and fell near Dunkirk. Seven officers and thirty-three men were taken prisoners.