Last Week’s Fighting

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 26, 17 September 1914, Page 5

Last Week’s Fighting

THE LESSONS OF THE BOER WAR NOT FORGOTTEN.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEFORE SOISSONS. s

(Received 9.G0 a.m.)

London, September 10. •Lust week tile battle was fought in the fruit country of France. Even the open roads were lined with avenues, of pears and apples. Tinder a cannonade of our own artillery the British infantry/ fought steadily forward through orchards and unharvested corn. The lessons of the Boer war were not forgotten. The British swept from their trenches in open order, often under the withering fire of 'German machine guns, but, stooping low, each man made ‘for the nearest cover. After a fusiladc, they poured on again, until with a fierce cheer they drove the Germans from] the trenches with their bayonets.

During the fighting at Soissons on Sunday, the Germans occupied the heights along a narrow , valley of the Aisne. The British tried to cross the river near Yenizl, just below Soissons to the French in the city and on the heights south of Soissons- Zouaves had crossed |the river at Viosuraigue, trying to outflank the German right wing. The Germans shelled the artillery positions and roads with big siege howitzers, but the radius of destruction was only twenty yards. Some of the French were killed by concussion of the brain, but fewiwere seriously wounded. The German shrapnel oftem exploded at three hundred tb four hundred feet, while the French shrapnel exploded low and did much damage. By the .afternoon, the Germans’ fire at Soissons had slackened, and the French and British crossed the Aisne, and the Germans were forced to retire to Lub'n 'and Lafert.