BIG GERMAN GUNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15821, 19 January 1915, Page 8

BIG GERMAN GUNS.

THE SURPRISE OF THE WAR

Captain Sydney M. Noakes. R.F.A.. a native of Sydney, and an old Grammar School boy, who is now attached to the Bth Battery. 85th Brigade, Seventh Division Expeditionary Force in France, in a letter to his parents, now resident in England, thus vividly describes his ex. penence in a fierce battle in the neighbourhood of Ypres in November :— •' Have been "at it' in the very hardest fighting of the war ever since I landed —about she week* ago. Everyone says who was in the previous battle that this is simply continuous hell. Have never seen anything like these Germans. They come on and on in hordes day and night, without any cessation at all." The whole country is a vast slaughter-yard, and there is no doubt they must "chuck it' in time. From what 1 have seen with my own eyes, and heard with my ears, they" have been steadily preparing for this for about a solid 50 vears.

" Those guns of Krupps are the one thing that keeps them going. Without, those we could do vers- well. My major the Hon. Stanley, M'.P. (Lord Derby's brother), is a splendid fellow, and he told me that they are the one surprise of this —nobody knew they liad them. 1 have had the shells from them all round me. of course, and the explosion is terrific. Am not certain they were not Krupps' private property. so" carefully hart, thev been concealed. Their soldiers are wonderfully brave, and we are up against a big army. 'If we had more men"' is tho great cry through all this fight"