ASPHYXIATING GASES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15932, 1 June 1915, Page 10

ASPHYXIATING GASES.

SUFFOCATING VAPOURS.

THE NEW GERMAN TACTICS.

The use of asphyxiating gas by the Germans in the Ypies area has not met with the success in the last few days that attended its earlier appearance, says the British "eye witness," writing on .May b. The gas lias not prevented advances by the French east of the Ypres (.'anal and south of Pilkem. This advance, it is declared, has removed the wedge occupied by the Germans in the French line between the canal and the Ypres-Uiigemarck Koad, a Cain of more than 1000 yards. While the French continued their advance in this section,, it is asserted the | Germans attacked the British south of | Neuve Chapelle and at Hill No. 60, in I both eases using gases. In the latter attacks, however, owing to a change in the 'wind, the fumes were blown back toward the Germans, who are believed to have suffered, as no attempt to advance was made by them. Similar tactics are said to have'been adopted by the Germans in their attack north of Ypres on last Sunday. " About five o'clock in the evening. ' the eye witness says, " a dense cloud of suffocating vapors was launched from thentrenches along the whole front held by the French right and by our left from the Ypres-Langemarek Road to a considerable distance east of St. Julie". The fumes did not cany much beyond our front trenches, but these were to a great extent rendered untenable and a retirement from them was ordered. "No sooner had"this started than the enemy opened a violent bombardment with ; asphyxiating shells and shrapnel on our trenches and on our infantry as they were withdrawing. Meanwhile, our guns had not been idle. From a distance, perhaps owing to some peculiarity of the light, the gas on this occasion looked 'ike a great reddish cloud, sod the moment it was seen our batteries pour*) * concentrated fire on the German ■rencl.ei " Curious situations then arose between i us and the enemy, the upper pail of the I poison belt shredding into thin wreaths of vapour as it was shaken by the wind, and the lower and denser part sinking into all inequalities of the ground and rolling slowly down the trenches. Shells would rend it for a moment, but it only settled down again as thickly as before. " Nevertheless, the German infantry faced it, and they faced a hail of shrapnel as well, In some cases whore the gas had not reached our lines our troops held firm and shot through the cloud at the advancing Germans. In other cases, tho men holding the front line managed to move to the flank, where they were more or less beyond the affected area. Here they waited until Die enemy came on and then bayoneted them when they , reached our trenches.

"On the extreme left our supports waited nntil the wall of vapour reached our trenches, when they charged through it and met the advancing Germans with the bayonet as they swarmed over the parapets. •'South of St. Julien the denseness of tlltff vapour compelled us to evacuate trenches, hut reinforcements arrived, who charged the enemy before they could establish themselves jn position. In every case the assaults failed completely. Large numbers were mown down by oar artillery. .Men were seen falling in heaps aiid others scattering and running back to their own lines. XUny who reached the ■'»a cloud could not, make their way through it, and, in all , rcbahiiitv, a great number of tuc wounded perished lrom the fumes."