THE MAY CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3200, 14 July 1915, Page 22

THE MAY CAMPAIGN.

SIR JOHN FRENCH’S DESPATCH. LONDON, July 11. Sir John French’s despatch, referring to the attack upon the Fifth Army Corps at Frezenberg, states : The vastly superior German artillery fire, with -their unlimited -supplies of ammunition, made it impossible to efficiently man the trenches or properly organise the line alter the gas attacks. The German bombardment was finally concentrated on the morning of May 8 upon a line north and south of Frezenberg. The German fire completely obliterated the trenches, and caused enormous Josses. Heavy German infantry attacks followed, causing our line to give way. Sir H. C. O. Plumer narrates that during the morning of May 8 the right of one brigade was broken, then the centre, then part of the left. The next brigade. PRINCESS PATRICIA’S CANADIANS, however, stuck to their trenches throughout the day. By mid-day the centre of another brigade was broken, but the Ist _ Suffolks, forming the brigade’s right, held on, though they were apparently surrounded and overwhelmed. We launched a counter-attack at 3.30 p.m., which reached Frezenbei’g, but was driven back. Sir H. C. 0. Plumer concludes that, despite the severe shelling and many casualties, the spirit of all ranks was excellent. The enemy’s losses, particularly on May 10 and 13, were unquestionably serious. Desultory fighting went on up to May 24, when there was A VIOLENT OUTBURST OF GAS along nearly the whole front. A most determined enemy attack was made east of Ypres. A large proportion of our men were asleep, and the attack was too sudden to give them time to put on their respirators. The 2nd Royal Irish and the 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were overcome by gas and driven out of a farm in front of our line, which the enemy then fortified. All attempts to retake it failed. We took up a position slightly nearer to our old line. OUR FLYING CORPS is becoming a more and more indispensable factor in combined operations. Its officers have shown marked ingenuity in devising improvements in tactics. Since my last despatch there has been a considerable increase in the number and activity of German aeroplanes. There have been 60 combats in the air, in which not one British aeroplane was lost. Most of the encounters have been over the German lines, but it is known that six German aeroplanes have been wrecked, and many others have been chased down and forced to land. Some divisions of THE NEW ARMY have reached France, and ought to prove a valuable addition to any fighting force. They appear thoroughly well officered and commanded, their equipment is in good order, they are efficient in shooting, and their artillery is extremely good and quite fit to take its place in the line. The pioneer battalions created a very favourable impression. The officers are keen and ingenious, and the men are of good physique and are good diggers. Experience has shown that the Territorials have now reached a standard of efficiency enabling

them to be usefully employed as complete divisional units. In whatever kind of work, the units have borne an active and distinguished part, and proved themselves thoroughly reliable and efficient. General Joffre, on May 27, inspected the 7th Division, and expressed his appreciation at their appearance on parade. Despite the constant strain, owing to the arduous nature of the fighting, the spirit animating all ranks remains hi eh and confident. The men meet every demand with the utmost cheerfulness. This spirit is particularly manifest in the men in the hospitals. Even among those mortally wounded the invariable question that comes to lips hardly able to utter a sound is : “How are things going at the front?” Sir John French pays a tribute to Sir Douglas Haig’s valuable services at Festu bert, and General Plumer’s fine defence of Ypres. Referring to the battle of Festubert the despatch states : In pursuance of a promise given General Joffre to support an attack by his troops to be made on May 9 at Arras", I directed Sir Douglas Haig to attack the trenches at Rougebanc. He found this position much stronger than had been anticipated before. An extensive artillery preparation was necessary to crush the resistance offered by numerous fortified posts. Repeated efforts to progress were made on May 9 and 10, but the violent resistance of the enemy's machine guns Jrom posts on our flanks rent ered the trenches so difficult to hold that v 11 the units of the Fourth Army Corps had to retire. I then sanctioned Sir Douglas Haig’s proposal to concentrate all his resources upon the southern point of attack. Misty weather prevented the action recommencing before May 15, when I placed the Canadian Division at Sir Douglas Haig’s disposal. During the night of May 20 the Canadians BRILLIANTLY SEIZED SEVERAL TRENCHES, rushing along the whole line for a depth of several hundred yards, and capturing the machine guns. By May 24 no immediate object of attack existed, so I directed Sir Douglas Haig to consolidate the ground won. The battle of Festubert resulted in 600 yards being won along a front of four miles. The enemy suffered very heavy losses. We captured 10 machine guns and destroyed a number of others. Throughout these operations our Third Army Corps were active in making demonstrations and holding the enemy on their front. AT YSER CANAL. GERMAN ATTACK REPULSED. PARIS, July 11. A communique states : The British on the Yser Canal on Saturday evening repulsed a German attack. The enemy, after gaining a foothold in portions of the first line, were driven out by an immediate counter-attack. We dislodged the Germans northward of Arras from several portions of trenches, in which they had maintained themselves in the line they had captured on Thursday. A German counter-attack, which developed last night northward of Souchez railway station, was beaten back. A French aeroplane brought down a German machine near Altkirch (Alsace) to-day. BRITISH OFFENSIVE NEAR YPRES. LONDON, July 11. Reuter’s correspondent with the British headquarters reports that the latest British offensive in the vicinity of Boesinghe, north of Ypres, on Tuesday was well executed, and achieved a considerable straightening of the line. Our heavy artillery bombarded for an hour, clearing the enemy’s entanglements and enabling the attackers to succeed, with slight losses, in occupying the enemy trenches. Prisoners admit that they suffered severely from the bombardment. One German battalion had 400 casualties, and many others were buried in the trenches. The attack was a complete surprise, and every enemy counter-attack failed. Our artillery in almost every case got information that the Germans were massing, and stifled the assault, the enemy losing severely. The prisoners are mostly a good class of Prussians. The French artillery helped by preventing reinforcements coming up. A STRIKING PICTURE. LONDON, July 11. During Lord Kitchener’s visit to the front the troops double-lined the road. They formed a striking picture, standing at the “present,” with endless rows of gleaming bayonets. The parade of Indian Cavalry was a fine spectacle—row after TOW of bronzed warriors, with lance-tips glittering and their puggarees fluttering in the breeze. MORE FAIRY TALES. AMSTERDAM, July 11. _ A German communique states : The British northward of Ypres on Saturday renewed their attack against our positions on the Yser Canal. We repulsed them with considerable enemy losses. The trench we captui’ed north-west of Beau Sejour (Champagne) on Friday was lost on Saturday, but we again stormed and held it, despite five counter-attacks. The French attack on our new position Bois le Pretre (Woevre) collapsed, with heavy enemy losses. ilie attack against the German positions

east and south of Sondernach and southwest of Munster (Alsace) were repulsed. Our airmen attacked the railway at Gerardmer. FRENCH CHASSEURS SHINE. PARIS, July 11. A company of Chasseurs performed a heroic exploit during the fighting for the summit of Hilsen. First by a ruse the Germans completely encircled the company which hurriedly fortified a quadrangular space and held it for four days. On June 15 the Germans attacked in column, four deep. The French position was critical, but when the 75’s at the rear opened fire one enemy column was completely destroyed, and the others fled, the ground being strewn with their bodies. The last defenders were short of food, and a small patrol went out at night, raided the German lines, and brought back a quantity of tinned meat. Early on the fourth ‘ day the Germans renewed the attack. The Chasseurs’ ammunition was exhausted, but they rolled down huge rocks, crushing many of the enemy, and thus checked their offensive. The French artillery got the range, and terrifically bombarded the German lines. This enabled a battalion to rescue the company, who had two killed and three wounded. They captured 10 men and a machine gun, and 4000 cartridges. WOUNDED IN FRANCE. LONDON, July 11. The army casualties include Major Saunders, Captains E. G. Fraser, K. M. Gresson, P. R. Henderson, and Lieutenant Melland—New Zealanders. GERMAN MEDICAL CORPS. AMSTERDAM, July 11. The number of German army surgeons lost during the war is 783, comprising 228 killed and 354 wounded, the rest being prisoners or missing. GERMAN BOMBARDMENTS. PARIS, July 12. The Germans on Thursday fired 16 105milliraetre shells at St. Die, which killed one civilian and slightly wounded a few others. Official: There has been a violent bombardment of our position at La Foutenfcelle, Metzeral, and west of Ammerzwiller. The enemy again shelled Arras, Rheims, and Zurich. MORE GERMAN HYPOCRISY. LONDON,’ July 12. A party of British women and children and several Irish nuns have returned from Belgium. They relate that the Germans placed a huge 'wreath on the grave of a nun.and a child, who were killed by- Lieutenant Warneford’s wrecked Zeppelin, inscribed : “Look here; this is what the English have done.”