FIGHTING IN FRANCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144484, 19 September 1914, Page 3

FIGHTING IN FRANCE.

LAST WEEK'S FIGHT!MG. A GENERAL SUMMARY. WELLINGTON, Sepi. ! ‘A Tlio lli<jh Commissioner j-eports under date I.on .en ptombi.r Ji (f .15 p.m.): Otiifiu . -A u-esertpiivc account oi llie op;,utuiits of the British from iiio 10th to Huh given. Since, the AOlh the army has „iado steady pi-ugrc.'-x in an elide;..our to drive the enemy bark into country undulating and covered with pai-chcv of th'f-k wood, within the aiea into which ,I iv forced the 11 ntisli before liie advam-e eommeueed to Lnon. The chief leant.e was six rivers runnine across the direction ol the advance, the rivers -Marne, (inrco. Vesle, Ai-otc, Ailette, and Oise. The enemy held the. .Marne, which was crossed by our forces on the 10th. Urn pas-aye of the Ourcq was not contested and the Vesle. was lightly held. Resistance along the Aisno was of a determined character. On the 11th little opposition was met along any par. ol me front, and the dire .'min of our advance was turned slightly north-easi. The day was spent in pushing fmnard and gathering hostile" delacoineuls. At nightfall our torces laid icaciicd a line ninth o! the Oun-ij extending Ivoiu Oubhy-le-Ciialeilii lo Long Pout. On this day there was a general advance on the part of the Flench atony the whole htv whieh ended in substantial successes, the Grand Buko ol \\ tn-fc-iuberg s fourth army being driven across the Saultu and a whole corps of artillery and a German corps captured. Un the 12th the enemy were' found occupying a iui'inidahte position opI posit u rm the north ol the Ai.sne at Samsons. They held iinth sides of the river and were entrenched along the line ol lulls to the north. ’1 he road bridges and railway bridges over the Aistte had been demolished. Working from west to cast, our third army corxts gained the high ground south oi the- Aistte, overlooking the I Aisno valley and east, ol Soissoas. A long-range artillery duel continued during the greater pan or the day and did not cease till midnight, 'the enemy had a number ol heavy howitzers well concealed. -V movement of tin' army corps was effected with too eo-opera- ' turn oi tho French sixth army on our hit, which gained the southern half of the town during tho night. The second army corps did not cross j the Aisno. The fust army corps got over j the liver Vc-sle, south of Aisno, after I the crossing had been secured by the j first cavalry division. It then reached a. j fine -oath of the Aisno without light wig. At Braino the first cavalry division i met with considerable opposition from infantry and iuachine-gun.s holding the town and gnat ding the bridge. V>iti: aid from sonic of our infantry it gained possession at mid-day, driving the enemy nor.h. A hundred prisoners wore gained | round Braino, where the Germans had ! thrown their iioki-guu ammunition into I the liver Vesle. This day begun an i action along the Aisno, which was linI ished and may he the commencement of a battle of a more serious nature, j It rained heavily on .Saturday afterI noon and ; jverely handicapped transport . On the loth an extremely strong resistance was encountered along the whole front, filTeon miles in .length. The .action consisted in long-range gnn tiro by the Germans over a great extent from howitzers in cleverly-concealed positions. At nightfall portions- of the threo corps were across tho river, tho cavalry returning to tho .south side, tty night threo pooloou bridges had been built and tho troops managed lo got across the river. On tho left tho French passed on. but were prevented by artillery luo from building a bridge at Soissona. During the last four days isolated Germans were discovered _ hiding in woods behind our hues. They seemed glad lo surrender. At, Senlis the Germans assembled the mayor of tho town and live leading citizens and forced them to kneel before their graves. A requisition was made for supplies and the six citizens were then shot. Twenty-four people, including women and children, were also shot. The town was pillaged and fired before it was evacuated. It is believed chat the cathedral remains undamaged. . There were ,-imih.r proceedings at Creil and C’rocy. At \ diets CaUorets the mayor behaved judiciously, though supplies far in excess of the capabilities of trie place were demanded. Tho tov. a was not seriously damaged. Tho Germans evacuated the place on tho 11th, in haste. Rheims was occupied, by the enemy on tho 3rd, and rc-occupied by the French, after considerable lighting, on tho loth. The Germans had taken tho mayor of Rheims and eighty inhabitants as hostages. LONDON, Sept. 18. Official.—Paris reports that no important change in tho position of the armies has occurred, although tho ouemy is slightly giving way, but is entrenching at Montfaucon. A battle is proceeding along the whole lino. The Allies have repulsed night and clay counter attacks. It is estimated that the Germans have lost three thousand daily for tho uast fortnight. LONDON, Sept. 18. Parisians are greatly interested in an exhibition of war trophies, especially in cloven cannon. Over twenty trains of Gorman war material have been sent to Paris since tho opening of hostilities. During the last week, 00 cannon, 30 machine-guns, and 40 motor-vans were captured. It is a •curious fact that Generals Joffro, Galliene, Pan, and Castellan are all Southerners. This is considered a proof that tho Latin peoples can play a waiting game, besides one requiring courage and dash. General Joft're and General Sir John French are both remarkable for their humanitarianisin. Both have systematically saved their men and declined battle when victory was only puroha: able with terrific loss of life. -The goou results of this policy are now vl-.blc. General Joff re has now an immense reserve on which to call, and tho resources of France are by up means exhausted. Tho Daily News’ special correspondent asserts that a new army, of secret composition, has arrived against the Germans’ right, which is retreating in front of the Aisno. The battle covers over a hundred miles. -PARIS, Sopt. 18. A Saxony • officer admits that tho German artillery near Malines annihilated a Prussian regiment, mistaking it for the French infantry; also that near a frontier village -two battalions of the 28th Gorman infantry mistook one another for French and shot down every man. AMSTERDAM, Sept. 18. Many Gorman regiments have traversed Liege, going towards France.