"FRIGHTFUL CARNAGE"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 17 August 1914, Page 5

"FRIGHTFUL CARNAGE"

AT BATTLE OF HAELEN. GE±fcMAN OFFICER'S ACCOUNT. LETTEiI TO HIS WIFE FRIGHTFUL, (Rec. Aug. 17, 8.15 a.m.) jIsKUSSELS, August 16. A German officer, who was taken prisoner at Haelen, writing to his wife says:—"The march towards Haelen ■was difficult, the enemy having destroyed the bridges. Haelen was covered with dead and woun-ded, and the scenes were terrible. The enemy- took the village, although Haelen was oecui pied 'by our troops and we had hard 1 work to escape. The enemy's shrapnel was terrible and the carnage frightful. Our retreat was hindered by a great number of wandering horses audi by fugitives from the Second Cuirassiers. We made a mistake in attacking such a strong position across ground full of hedges and ditches and surrounded with barbed wire. We advancedi as for an imperial inspection—not as if we were at war. This cost us great loss, and will cost enormous losses in the future. I hear Ave lost twelve cannon, all the horses being killed." GERMAN KILLED ESTIMATED AT - 15,000. (Rec. Aug. 17, 8.40 a.m.) BRUSSELS, Aug. 16. Entrenchments have been thrown up on the main. roads around l Brussels, against the enemy's cavalry. This is a police measure, and not part of the military operations. It is estimated that the Germans have lost 15,000 in killed in Belgium since the beginning of the conflict. There has been heavy cannonading in the vicinity of Bost and Hongard<e villages, close' to Tirlemot, since 3 o'clock on Saturday, afternoon.