A FRENCH FORECAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 23

A FRENCH FORECAST.

PARIS, June 8. Hebuterne, about four miles north of Albert Moulin=Sous=Stouvent, lies in the centre of an angle between the Oise and the Aisne, five miles north= east of Compiegnc. The country here is undulating and thickly wooded, and the Germans have organised their de= fence to a high degree. It is antici* pated that the Allies, after riveting the German attention by a powerful blow at one point, intend to follow this up by a series of blows, gradually ing the offensive over the whole front. ACTION AT PERVYSE. DUNKIRK, June 8. The Germans made desperate attempts to pierce the Allies’ line near Pervyse, where they hold Chateau Vicigne, assisted by 30 machine guns. The Belgians half surround the chateau. A body of Prussians a few nights ago almost succeeded In breaking the Belgian line. They omitted to inform the gunners at the chateau of what was occurring, with the result that when nearing the Belgian trenches they wore attacked in the rear by their own machine guns. The majority were killed, and 20 surrendered, with three new model portable machine guns strapped on their shoulders. BRINGING FORWARD NAVAL GUNS. LONDON, June 7. A correspondent on the Swiss from tier learns that 20,000 German naval troops are at Brussels, and they are bringing heavy guns which have been dismounted from the battleship fleet. This accounts for the increase in the large=calibre guns recently active at many points, and notably at Alsace. An army corps of Bavarians has been transferred from Alsace to Trentino. Refugees declare that Italian labour is being used for extensive mining of Alsatian towns in expectation of a French advance compelling evacuation by the Germans.

A “TOMMY’S” EXPERIENCE. LONDON, June 7,

“ Eye-witness” recounts a heroic incident at Ypres on May 23. When the Germans occupied some British trenches an officer and 10 men in one trench refused to leave, and fought throughout the day. They were almost surrounded, and were incessantly attacked by hand grenades. The gallant handful held their position till nightfall, and then withdrew. During our attack on Fromelles early in May one of our men got into a German trench, only to find he was the sole survivor of our advance party. He crawled into a deep shell-hole, which the Germans could not approach owing to our fire. But they lobbed grenades into the crater. These the British Tommy picked up and hurled back at them all the day, crawling into our lines when night came. MR ASQUITH’S VISIT. LONDON, June 7. ■ Mr Asquith’s four days’ tour along the British front was denuded of ceremonial functions. He drove to Poperinghe (west of Ypres), and from the hill he enjoyed a wonderful panoramic view of the ground where the fiercest fighting has occurred. Far away to the south the ridge of Notre Dame de Lorette makes a thin, blue line on the horizon. A half-turn to the left brings Fumes, Dixmude, and Dunkirk into focus, with the dunes gleaming white through the haze. Between these two extremes lie the British front, as it has existed, with certain minor alterations, for the last eight months. In the centre of the landscape lay the shattered remains of Ypres. A murky, dusky red pall of smoke arose thickly while Mr Asquith climbed to the top of the hill. The Germans were again shelling the town, trying to demolish the remains of the cathedral and the Cloth Hall, and several houses were burning fiercely. Puffs of smoke to the north also showed that the enemy were still shelling Steenstraate, while at intervals shrapnel could be seen bursting over the British lines at Wytschaete and Messines. The clear daylight enabled one distinctly to trace the opposing trenches within a few yards of each other, looking like the white weals of an old wound upon a man’s sun-tanned face.

The hospital for convalescents, to receive men run down by the strain of trench warfare, delighted Mr Asquith. In it 13G0 beds are provided, and since it was started 13,000 cases have been treated, nearly a regiment being returned monthly to the firing line full of vigour. Mr Asquith drove through the men who carried out the great push on Neuve Chapelle, chatted with his ex-colleague Brigadier-general (formerly Colonel) Seely, and examined the Avire entanglements, dugouts, and weapons of trench warfare, returning to the British headquarters through an interminable stream of motor vehicles of every conceivable description, carrying supplies to the front. REINFORCEMENTS BY MOTORS. PARIS, June 8. Official : Germany on the North Aisne has brought up reinforcements on automobiles from a distance of 80 kilometres, but the counter attacks Avere repulsed, and the Germans left 2000 dead. HEAVY CASUALTY LIST. LONDON, June 8. The casualty list for France and Flanders, dated May 26, shows a total of 3221, including ;—Black Watch—killed 119, wounded 403, missing 126; Seaforth High-landers—-killed 164, Avounded 77.