GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 310, 1 October 1915, Page 7

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

500 MILES OF BATTLE LINE. LONDON, Sept. 29. "Writing to the "Chronicle" from the British headquarters on Sunday, Mr Phillip Gibbs says:— _ A 500-mile battle commenee'l at dawn yesterday. The en-3:ny, the novements cf troops behind oir lins. expended a quantity of shells, especially at tine Ypres saljent, and the ruins were again churn rl <p by Kgh explosives. There was a dull on Friday, niiillicns of men on both Hips voting in tense expectation. German prisoners admit that they were ignorant of our strength and ;)la~.is, ar. :1 ohitly confident of their own •e?'"./ On.' men knew by various sign,* and portents that important 1 tre on hand. Those detailed for the attack [had been enjoying a rest, many having been home on leave, but the overworked fighting forwards also entered into the fight with old songs and jckes.

The Germans in the dugouts were dazed by the intensity of the bombardment and stupified into surrender. Among the attackers were many battalions of Kitchener's army. AH Saturday tlhere was heavy rain. The soldiers dug themselves in, in trenches half filled with mud and water. The rain ceased at nightfall. The moon was bright above the battlefield. On Sunday there was brilliant sunshine, with a cloudless blue sky. In a field at the rear of t!he railway were fourteen nun-

dred German prisoners, a great mass of slate-grejy men lying on the grass awaiting entrainmnt. I walked amongst them and studied the types. There was nothing of hate in the eyes of the fresh-faced "Tommies" who stood on guard. The prisoners had a beaten, look. Some were wounded in t!be arms and legs, but not seriously. I noticed the care taken of the prisoners and their wounded rnmrades.

Ml* G : bb s concludes: Mnv seined glad to b e made prisoners. Gre.-it hatches were captured at Loos. Tl ey 'said: The English at Loos ga/e 'is a great surprise. The first we know of the attack was the British streaming into the trenches. We were surrounded on three sides, and the posil <n va~> hopeless, but we fought ~o tho lust cartridge.

Officers spoke with profou id adi iration of the stoic charges of 'he llrit'sh infantry and their fine showing. The battle on Monday was inteisely cmcntratd, lying between La Bassee and Lens, with th e French on the right working from the captured town of Soluehez. The weather was so bad that artillery observations were difficult. British and German wounded were lying in pools in a pitiable condition.

Although half-veiled by a thick grey mist t!he battle ground could be seen from the ridge at Notre Dame de Lorette. It was an impressive, awe-in-spiring sight. At Hill 70 a great struggle was progressing. Large bodies of Britishers who fought their way through Loos were confronted by German reserves hurried up after our surprise attack on Saturday across the lower spur of Notr e Dame de Lorette. There was a continual storm of high explosives and shrapnel where the enemy was trying to thrust back the French advance. Overhead all daJy the aeroplanes were making reconnaissances. Some remained for hours over the enemy's lines.

Mr Gibbs sums up the results of Saturday and Sunday: We emtpied the enemy's trenches on a five miles front south of La Bassee canal. The enemy on the nortfh of the canal brought up heav,y reserves and checked our advance. W e surprised the Germans at

Hocge, trapped many, and forced them to surrender, but the Gemans re-took tl;? Bellewarde ridge, which we swept over in the first rush.