BATTLE IN THE WEST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 364, 10 April 1915, Page 9

BATTLE IN THE WEST.

A THOUSAND CORPSES. TRAIL OF THE ALLIES' ADVANCE. PAEIS, April 9. An official statement says: . • . . "Since.-'Sunday we have inflicted, heavy losses on the enemy between the Meuse and the.Moselle, capturing strong positions at Les Eparges and D'Ailly Wood, and several villages elsewhere."We further advanced at Les Eparges on Thursday night, and held the ground, despite three violent coun-ter-attacks; We have already counted ;, a thousand We; wiped out ft; company during a lively infantry ae-,: tion near liamorville, south of Les Eparges,, and captured the ten 'survivors. " :

Summarising the, results of the Allies,'.,attacks, in the.last four days, | the communique points out that there I have been., extensive gains in several ! places, the. displacement o'f Germans I from strong positions, the defeat of repeated'violent attempts to regain, positions,,. and formidable losses suffer-' . ed by* German troops. • .'; •: ; . April 8. The ..High' Commissioner reports:—r . The following British ' Army casual- ■ ties are reported: OFFICERS; i • Killed .. '... .. *♦, 2 Wounded .. ... y. «» 3 MEN; Killed , .. >, ;'. M :~ ». 18 ' Wounded* ~ ■..,.. w # », 36 WORK-IN WESTPHALIA. VAST QUANTITIES OF MUNITIONS. "times" and "Sydney Sun" Services. (Received April. 10, 8 a.m.) - LONDON, April 9. ... The «f Frankfurter Zeitung" describes Westphalia as an dnlmense work-' * shop, producing vast quantities of rifles, shells, : armour plates, and' other muni-; tions. : ;

The journal boasts of a unique combination'of science and enterprise, and says it is expected to greatly profit abroad by the methods which the war has taught. It is believed that Germany /will.recover any of the world's markets which she temporarily lost. Many' of t|ie workers are voluntarily , contributing 3 per cent, of their wages > tt> the war relief. :

TREMENDOUS HAVOC. MORE DETAILS 0* NEUV£\ CHAPELLE. LONDON, April 9. :':> Two lists of British casualties .at>« Neuve Ghapelle contain 1877 names. ; • The ■'• British bombardment created tremendous havoc in the German trenches. Whole traverses were blown away,.and most of the dugouts wrecks ed. A card- party of five Germans were found sitting in natural■■ poses, asphyxiated by> lyddite fumes. One was about to play the ace of spades. A London Territorial regiment did fine work in the capture of trenches by a frontal attack across.2oo yards of . open eouatry. Two . companies left the breastwork in the. .face of a murderous fire, went straight across the awful open space with bayonets at, the charge, and reach- .'.; ed the enemy's trenches. The Germans surrendered. The Territorials lost 80 men. They afterwards repelled a strong counterattack. GERMAN METHODS. BLAZING OIL AND POISONOUS GAS LONDON, April 8. "Eye-witness" says: —"We blew up. 100 yards of the enemy's trenches-on

April 3. The Germans thereupon bombarded oar defences around Guinchy, throwing over 1000 shells. . "It is reported that the Germans in the Argonne pumped blazing oil or pitch into the French trenches. Prisoners state that the enemy is preparing a more novel reception for the Allies. It is proposed to asphyxiate us, if we advance, by a poisonous gas contained in steel cylinders. The gas is of a heavy nature, and spreads over the ground, and does not dissipate for some time. "A notice placarded at Neuve Chapelle says: 'Hindenburg is coming with fcalf a million men.' "