THE BATTLE OF SOISSONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 27, 18 September 1914, Page 5

THE BATTLE OF SOISSONS.

FOUR DAYS’ FIGHTING FAVORS

THE ALLIES.

Loudon, September 17

The battle around Soissous lasted for four days. The Allies found the river swollen with rains, and it was necessary tp build pontoons under a withering fire. The French and British on Sunday brought up their guns, and a violent artillery duel opened. The Allies began to cross and won the 'heights by sunset, the Germans having gained twelve hours’ respite. Similar desperate fighting occurred at half a dozen'other spots, where the French and British threw pontoons across the Aisne to replace the bridges which the French had destroyed during their retreat,;av r ffirtnight earlier. The British gained the northern bank in sever, al places on Sunday, but the German guns got the range and forced the British to withdraw on Monday.

During Monday evening, the Allies brought up heavier cannon.’ These changed the aspect of the battle and forced several German batteries to retire. The rest of the siege guns had Been hidden in the woods capping the hills, overlooking the river. It had hitherto been impossible to locate them, but when the British succeeded in getting their battery across the river the Germans in the wood were unable to hit it, hence they were forced to seek a new position. The hottest fighting occurred around Soissous, which lies across the ParisLaon road,’ in a cup formed by two ranges of hills, whereof the northern are the more continuous. General von Kluck saw that the hills north of the Soissous gap, into which several valleys lead, must be held if the bulk of the army were to escape. Fortunately for the Germans, the big siege guns destined for the Paris forts had reached the spot, hence the inferiority of the Allies heavy artillery until Tuesday, when the Germans abandoned their position. The Germans’ heavy fire forced the British to retire, leaving six guns, but the German guns meanwhile had been located, and under the protection of a heavy bpip bard merit of the northern hills,' two British batteries crossed a bridge and soon the six guns were recovered and two German batteries captured. Meanwhile, to the west, the

French got ' three batteries and a regiment of infantry over the river, and captlil'edplSOO Germans on Tuesday. 'l’he Gorman stand, however, enabled the armies (around Rheims and the Argonues to retreat safely. The Allies’ success was due to General J off re’s clever use of the French railways, enabling the Allies to concentrate huge forces of reserves and throw them swiftly where required. The scattered fragments of General Von Bulow’s armies, recently in northwest France, now occupy a line from west Noyoh to Loan and the hills north of Rheims. The armies of Von Hausen and the Grand Duke of Wurtemherg and the Crown Prince stretch from ,Rheims, north of the Argonnes and Verdun, and towardk’Motz:'"* - ''

GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS FROM LORRAINE.

Paris, September 17

It is reported that tho German right lias been heavily reinforced from Lorraine. It is stated at Amiens that the Allies’ now army, marching from the west, encircled the, Gormans’ extreme right wing/ The British are now supporting the right wing of the French left for twenty miles on the south bank of tho Aisne, east of Soissons. They will probably not cross the river until the French left has advanced further.