GERMANS USING GASSHELLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3201, 21 July 1915, Page 31

GERMANS USING GASSHELLS.

TEMPORARY SUCCESSES NULLIFIED. LONDON, July 18. Sir John French reports that the situation has remained unchanged since July 9, though considerable activity was shown by the enemy and ourselves to spring several mines. Our front was also subjected to a heavy bombardment at, various places. The enemy on July 10 developed a small attack north of Ypres, and gained a footing in the front line of trenches. Our local supports immediately recaptured what was lost. The enemy on July 13 rushed an advance post on the Ypres-Menin road, but ivere driven out immediately. Further north on the same night we lost a trench held by one company, but bombing parties drove out the Germans and reoccupied it. The feature of the incident was the German employment of many gas shells. HILL 627. PARIS, July 18. A French eye-witness of the fighting in the Vosges describes the attack on Hill 627, dominating the region of Fontenelle and Laumois. The Germans, by saps and exploding powerful mines, approached within 20 metres of our position. The hill was then assaulted. At the cost of very heavy losses the Germans .succeeded in establishing themselves on the summit on June 22. The Germans at once endeavoured to transform the hill into an impregnable fortress. The French preparations to recapture the hill were completed on July 8, when three columns, supported by numerous artillery, scaled the height and carried it after two days’ fighting. The whole garrison, comprising two battalions of the sth Bavarian Ersatz Brigade, wore killed or taken prisoner. Thanks to the rapidity of onr movements the French losess were barely a quarter of those of the Germans. The principal attack, against the centra of the hill, was successful in loss than 10 minutes The chief credit is due to oor artillery. The prisoners were all suffering from nervous shock due to our bombardment. They expressed their horror of the shelling, to which they had been exposed. The German defence was practically wiped out, though it comprised five lines of trenches, in which the dug-outs wore extremely deep, besides flanking works which could enfilade the position if we got a foothold. The works were protected by trunks of trees, while corrugated iron and gunshields formed the embrasures. A CAPTURED TRENCH RECAPTURED. PARIS, July 19. A communique states: Sharp actions have been fought on the heights of the Meuse. We recaptured a trench in the section which the enemy occupied on Saturday upon a ridge on the south slope of the Sons Vaux Ravine, and repulsed a fresh German attack accompanied by jets of burning liquids, inflicting very heavy losses and taking over 200 prisoners. “ KITCHENER'S ARMY.” GLOWING TRIBUTES BY “REGULARS.” LONDON, July 19 Mr Phillip Gibbs, writing to the Daily Chronicle from the British headquarters, quotes a sergeant-major’s opinion of ‘‘Kitchener’s Array” in France: “A very cheerful lot of men they must have been when they entered the recruiting offices. They have come over trained, having been working hard for 10 months, and now you couldn’t find a better regiment. You'll find plenty of hotheads, but not cold feet.” Mr Gibbs adds: “The new army has received its baptism of fire by being led into the danger zone by easy stages. Regular officers have never seen soldiers of finer physique or stouter qualities.”