GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 21

GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS.

BRITISH ATTACK IN FORCE, AMSTERDAM, June 19. During the nine days’ dosing of the Eelgo = Dutch frontier 400,000 German troops traversed Belgium, of whom 300,000 were sent to the fighting line where the French pressure is dangerous, and 100,000, with 200 heavy guns, were held in reserve at Courtrai and Roulers, hoping for an opportunity to break through; but during the last three days they were hurriedly sent to defend the trenches at La Bassee and Ypres. The British attack in force was a magnificent surprise, and smashed the enemy’s plan.

BRITISH FORCES. LONDON, Juno 18. Sir John French reports that fighting on both the northern and the southern portions of our front continued throughout June 16, in co-operation with our Allies’ attack about Arras. All the first lino of trenches captured eastward of Ypres remain in our hands, despite two counter-attacks, which were repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. We, however, were unable to retain those

of the enemy’s second line of trenches which we had occupied in the morning. We slightly advanced eastward of Festubert as a result of further attacks, and judging by the number of dead in the German trenches our artillery fire was very effective. MACHINE GUNS AND HAND GRENADES. PARIS, June 18. The German recapture of portion of the Festubert trenches from the British was largely due to their machine guns and hand grenades. It is stated that on some parts of tha German front there is one machine gun for every 12 men. AT LA BASSEE. BERLIN, Juno 18. Official : The British north-east of La Bassee suffered a new defeat; the attackers were annihilated, and only a few escaped. GERMANS USE DUM-DUM 5 BULLETS. LONDON, June 18. Reuter’s correspondent at the British headquarters reports that a cartridge belt and German machine gun were picked up in the Ypres area. The lead of all the bullets had been pulled out and reinserted with the base frontwards. A stream of water running from the German trenches into ours was analysed, and found to bo poisoned. These outrages are increasing our soldiers’ bitterness. PROGRESS IN ALSACE. 'PARIS, Juno 19. Official : A violent artillery duel waf fought northward of Arras, where tha front was not modified. We have reached the outskirts of Mofci zeral, and hold the enemy’s communicar tions between Metzeral and Munster under artillery and infantry fire. We have taken more prisoners and captured machine guns and a large quantity of rifles and cartridges. BELGIAN AND FRENCH SPIES. PARIS, June 19. Emile Cauvelier and his wife (Belgians) and Henri Gouraerdt (a native of Dunkirk), all conducting a potato business at Capelle, were sentenced to death fer spying. They were caught at IJerseek in possession of luminous fuses for the purpose of signalling to the Germans. They confessed after 49 witnesses had been heard. “THAT SETTLED IT.” PARIS, June 19. A French officer, describing the combat southward of Hebuterne, says : “The battalion on our right assailed us with handgrenades and knives. That settled it. Our comrades rushed across a space 400 metres deep and 1200 long, and took the first trenches with knives.” FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. PARTS, June 20. Official : After a very sharp struggle we invested on all sides and carried by assault Buval Bottom, which the enemy had ob : stinately defended since May 9. We captured some machine guns, and only 10 prisoners as the German resistance had been desperate. We captured several trenches on the slopes east of Lorette, and took 300 prisoners. We hold the slopes of Hill 119, where the troops cling to ground beyond the last German trenches, despite the enemy’s attacks. South of these slopes our line advanced to north-east of tho Labyrinth. A German battalion at Embermenil captured a small post. We immediately coun-ter-attacked, and though our forces were numerically inferior, reoccupied the whole position and put the assailants to flight. Our advance in Alsace on both banks of the Fecht continues. Despite a dense mist and torrential rain we bombarded the Munster station and blew up ammunition depots. Wo have completely invested Metzeral, to which the Germans set fire before evacuating. A DIFFERENCE OF PERSPECTIVE. LONDON, June 19. An officer of the loth London Territorials describes its share in the advance at Bois Grenier and Festubert and in the operations at Richebourg: “What official and unofficial reports dismissed in a few lines was to us 15j hours’ desperate and bloody fighting. Our battalion was on the extreme left, and the pivot of tho whole attack. It was the only battalion that succeeded in doing the work allotted to it. The moment our bombardment cease'd we were over the parapet and charging right through. We captured three lines of trenches with the bayonet while two companies, turning to our right and left, bayoneted or bombed the Huns back along the trenches for 200 yards on either side. Then we settled down to hold the ground. Some of the regulars should have advanced in the same way. Their front was connected with us, but they were Unable to get through.

“Meanwhile we held our ground against steadily ' increasing counter-attacks. We stuck to it grimly for eight hour’s. Guns on both sides of us kept up a deafening bombardment, shells pitching everywhere. We had a nasty enfilading fire from machine guns which we were unable to locate, and from snipers. “Then we got a promise of reinforcements. We saw them approach and fade away, and the Germans advancing in force on our flanks. We were ordered to retire and had to fight our way through to our trenches across ground raked with withering cross-fire. General Rawlinson commanding the Fourth Army, declared: ‘ By your splendid attack and dogged endurance you and your fallen comrades won imperishable glory, for the 13th Battalion. Its feat has been surpassed by no battalion in this great war.’ ”