WESTERN CAMPAIGN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 7 April 1915, Page 5

WESTERN CAMPAIGN

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OFFICIAL NEUfSr PROGRESS OF THE FRENCH. (Official.) q ' PARIS, April 6. three successive -lines of trenches south-east of St. -Mihiel, and gained a footing in the enemy's works north-east of Regnieville. ; - The "High Commissioner /reports:— _. London, April" 6, 1.15 p.m. Palis "reports that in 'the wood of' St. Mihiel,'the .Allies carried, three successive lines of trenches, and also'obtained :a footing-in part of the enemy's organisation north-east of Regnieville. SIR JOHN. FBENCH'S-REPORT. "SITUATION QUIET." (Rec. April .7, 9.15 a.m.) i LONDON, April p. Sir John French's bi-weekly report states that the situation is quiet. A change in the weather is limiting the airmen's- activities. We exploded a mine. on April 3rd, destroying a hundred yards of trenches. Onr snipers' superiority on the extreme comparative immunity in the front trenches. ACTIVITIES ALONG THE WHOLE ' •' FRONT. GREAT CUMULATIVE EFFECT. The 'High Commissioner reports:—7 "London'', April 6', "£3O p.m. Sir John French reports that early-on Saturday 1 morning we - successfully . exploded a. mine under -the German trenches in .the' neighßourhood of La Bassee on 1 a* length-of a hundred yards of trenches, 1 and- part of the "brickstack was destroyed, with the result that German activity in the immediate neigh"bdurhood *-was quelled/ The German' arhowever, subjected Tour front ' in that quarter to a heavy bombardment. Onxmr extreme left th? local superiority of~onr snipezs was - rewarded' by the comparative immunity with which the x the. front line of trenches was carried-out. Although.no communique has. been 22nd owing to lack of incidents worthy of special mention, individual, activities are- -of daily and nightly occurrence 'along the -whole front. The general effect of these activities,' in which, our troopsrcontinue to show marked superiority, is cumulative, and "of great military value.

I THREE WEEKS'BAHLE FRENCH OFFENSIVE AT CHAMPAGNE.: • v :.- TERRIBLE STRUGGLES FOR ENEMY TRENCHES: LONDON, April 6." The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent saysithere has been ah almost continuous •battle in" the Champagne region for three, weeks, the French taking the offensive. The 'fighting has been most violent nortsrof le Mesnil leg Hurlus. Nothing of Mesnil remains but a heap of ruins. It has "been a perfect tempest of fireswept ground for nearly a month, not a yard; of. ground being unploughed * by shells. -. " < j - ; .;;•;.-:-.-' .T&re- have been terrible struggles for the trenches, 'the -melee being indescribable. Without roomr.-to.:—fire the riflemen .'fought with Tinfixed -bayonets, pickaxes, iron bars .and their -fists. , The /French tenaciously hold the ground they have taken. CAUGHT 1H A TRIP GERMANS AT NEUVE CHAPELLE. ■. : LONDON, April 6. AVcombatant at Neuve Chapelle relates final "success was largely due to and Berkshire .- Regiments' tfie primary assault. The hand grenades "thrown into. th» enemas trenches caused" many to surrender. The

iGermans were caught in a trap, and the L±ncolnshires drove them across a strip of -water five; feet deep stretching along the front. .The Lincolnshire lost seven officers, including Colonel Macandrew, killed, and 298 men killed ancT wounded. , (With prolonged fortress-like operations | the grenade has latterly come to its own | again'. But the modern grenade is more scientifically constructed and highly danferous than its predecessors. The Marten [ale hand grenade, which is being■: used by the .British, is not only constructed for hurling at the enemy ,by hand/ but can be fitted to any type of service rifle. Its range when thrown by hand,, by means of a rope tail, is from 40 to SO yards; when fired from a rifle, 300 to 500 yards. The grenade, when delivered to the Soldier in the field, is locked at .safety by means of two pins, and. these have to be released before discharge, the missile explodirig when the needle at the end of the striker fires the detonator on impact. These pins ,are retained in place by a wind 'vane or propeller, -which hy-;flight through the air, and-the striker -is not released until the grenade has travelled some 15 yards. Lake the discharged torpedo a premature ' explosion- is thus impossible. But the grenade. ,is so sensitive .that it will ex-, plbde on water, ■ soft mud, loose earth,; or even snow,,and on bursting the ser- j rated outer casing -breaks up into shrap- j nel segments. When thrown by hand j the rope, tail is sci'ewed into the base, I the safety pin is removed, and the safety ring is' withdrawn by hand and locked back. The grenade can also be used for blowing _up bridges, rails, stockades, grouna etc.) - FRENCH CAMPAIGNERS INSPECTED BY GENERAL JOFFRE. ANT)' DESCRIBED BY AN ALLY. LONDON, April 5. ■General- Joffre on 24th March inspected the French troops who have been though the whole of the fighting. -'He permitted Russian, British, Belgian, Servian, and Japanese officers to accompany him.. —One of these -was impressed "by the cHaractef written on the faces of the rank and file. * He said it was impossible, .after seeing these men, to feel that' wtar-.-was an unmixed evil for a nation accepting itr as the" French had done. They showed a pride in the war, and a certain chivalry, which not all the modern machinery and explosives can stamp out. - - ' ' - "There is an idea in many circles (it was until recently quite general in the British Army) that the French have ' a number of army corps, or • divisions, somewhere in the background, ready to ■ be thrown into the fight when the great victory "is at hand. The idea-should be dismissed. The army corps *of France are" fighting with all her resources, and her reserves will enaole theni to keep fighting .hard as long,as the nyar continues: ; 'He laughs best who laughs last.' It will be found that, as the French Army first hegan fighting, it will bo the last to stop." v '.'■'; v suppliesofTunitions ACTION. BY LORD KITCHENER. (Rec. April 7, 12.35 p.nu) ' - • LONDON,; April 6. The Press Bureau states -that Lord i Kitchener has appointed a committee to take steps to secure a supply of muni- j tions of war sufficient for all require- j ments. j