SLOW BUT SURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13575, 31 December 1914, Page 9

SLOW BUT SURE

PROGRESS OF -ALLIES.

ENEMY IN THE MUD.

(Sydney Bun Special.)

LONDOX, Dec 23. The Official Press 'Bureau supplies the following narrative of an eye-witness wiiitteh on the 17th inst. : —

"There is now some definite action reported in conjunction with the French, who are also pressing forward. Movements have been started which have resulted, in. a small gain in ground. "On the might of the 13th, south of the Lys, the Indians rushed and captured two German sagheads. On the 14th the artillery on both sides were kept employed, our guns talcing the greater share in the action. After the bombardment of a section of the German position our infantry advanced to the west of Wytschaete s capturing some section of tho Enemy's trenches. The Germans were also forced . back for some distance along the line running from St. Eloi to Stonnebeke. At night the enemy -poured 250 shells into Armentieres.

"On Tuesday no advance was made by either side. The French were opposed by a stubbo^it;Tesistanca;\iand did not progress durii^ Jthe night* trA.Near Givenchy an assault in thfe^jijodifis against the German saps was macttj and in two instances was suagljßsful.*<**jf "On the 16th the j£££nch 400 yards of trenches -iiorth of road, from which we had been driven out by the Prussian Guards on October 11. On the 17th the Germans, in the night, were slowly forced back east and south of Nieuport.

GERMANS WHO WOULD SURRENDER.

■''A.Jager who was captuted said that never before Jiad he seen mud lake that in ■which, the Germans were operating. The troops axe suffering very much .from the water dn the trenches. We have reason to believe that many of the Landwehr are heartily sick of the war and of the recent harsh treatment of their officers. They have been persuaded that the British ill-treat their prisoners, otherwise they would be willing to surrender. "The Germans are discarding their 1 PickelJiaubeiL. (peaked helmets) and also covering the red bands of their forage caps with stripe, while, some of the troops are wearing peace clothing, which, "is even brighter than service dress. There^ is evidence that certain units are much under their war strength. The opposition which is now being encountered resembles to some extent that met at the beginning of October, when the enemy first reached the Belgian frontier, •. and before the Germans up a full force and assumed the offen- | sire. It has one great, difference, how-' ' ever, -which is that the enemy ds in much greater force and hia positions are much stronger and better organised. Then an advance by either side implied a movement across enclosed and very difficult country, as it does still. For us it meant an attack upon skilfully but hastily fortified strong points or villages held to a large extent by Cavalry Jagers, with a large proportion of maendne' guns. ' .. ■ MAZE OF FIRE TRENCHES. "What we have in front of us to-day is no longer, a succession of isolated points, but a' practically continuous defensive zone, consisting in some places of several lines cunningly sited, and of works carefully constructed. This zone really amounts to a maze of fire-trenches. Obstacles of every known form are used. The entanglements vary from loose coils of wire to securely-staked networks from 18in to nearly 6ft in height and_of different widths.. "The rate of advance is necessarily slow. When it is reported that ground has been gained at a certain point, topographically the. gain may amount to only a few yards, but tactically the progress implied will facilitate further operations.

"Siege approaches, such as saps, help the attacker to advance under cover and minimise 'the losses, but they cannot obviate the liability to surprise receptions. The : only certadn method of preventing these is a prolonged bombardment with high explosive shells . till the trenches, mines, and guns are reduced to scrap* heads or to undermine them and blow them into the air."

GERMAN GUN STRATEGY : DEFEATED BY THE FRENCH. ' There is a noticeably greater feeling of confidence in the Epernay theatre of war. though the Germans are still clinging tenaciously to their .pitch round Rheimsj and shells plump spasmodically amidst the ruins of the unhappy city. Tli© principal reason for the improved situation is undoubtedly, the increased, efficiency of the French artillery. The enemy batteries have been silenced or destroyed at, a dozen points. Artillery affairs in some cases have been followed, by infantry attacks, when trenches have totean captured, the Germans finding it expedient to shift their, guns. Intervals of unwonted silence on the line between Nogent and La Bassee one night caused the citizens of Rheims eagerly to discuss the possibility of; a .German re> treat. Early in the. morning the French airmen reconnoitred, " and discovered that whatever , had,' been done with the artillery, tlie infantry had not budged, and that nothing suggested the evacuation of the lines. Cavalry were' sent to draw the German gun-fire, but failed, to do so. Suddenly, at noon, shells began- to fall on 'Sillery. (seven miles S.E. of Rheums) compelling the French to aban4on -their work of entrenching. It was then realised that during the night the German-, uattemes had- moved 15 kilo-south-east. "French airmen rose to discover the guns, but every timo-thoy api proached, tbe batteries Avere silent. Two hours elapsed, -and the French were compelled , to leave another section of trenches, 'which batteries had bom-~ barded without .them being, able to reply.

- BRAVE FRENCHMEN. Then tho*' commander called for two volunteers to locate the German guns. These men, aiined with a portable telephone, crept out of the lines. Their, objective was an abandoned farm, which they reached in an hour. They climbed a loft, and through a gabled window noted the situation of the Germans. Tliev telephoned the (information, and the "first- few ►shots of the .French found the range exactly and smashed several guns. The Germans decided, to move the rest forward, and. they advanced, through a wood toward tKe* farm where the French officers/ were hidden- They established their ifiruns within 30 yards of the building. Tho telephone quietly informed the French •commander of every movement.. The .volunteers .Refused to attempt to escape. They finally announced that the 1 Germans were, about to .open fire,, and concluded: "Don't mind us; firo upon them." • " 1 -The" brave' *men were taken at their word. A salvo of guns sent % hail of shells, upon the farmhouse, dos^roying the biiilaing, and sweeping away friend and foe in common ruin. , ; ,