FRANCE & BELGIUM

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144671, 4 May 1915, Page 3

FRANCE & BELGIUM

GERMAN ATTACK CHECKED. BRITISH AIRMEN ACTIVE. PARIS, May 3. Official.—Machine-guns stopped, the Gorman attack on our right northward of Yprcs. Eighty.,Germans armed with wire cutters, grenades, and Browning revolvers attacked our lines southward of Chaulnes. The majority were shot down. Tl*e enemy in the valley of the Aisne and in Champagne employed bombs charged with inflammable gases. The gases hung over the enemy's lines, but did not reach ours. We bombarded the southern front of the entrenched camp at ?Jetz. Effectiveness was noticeable. Ono fort, barracks, and an adjacent railway were also bombarded.. A splinter of the first German shell at Dunkirk decapitated a girl and another shell fe l ? oa the Grand Palace, killing many civilians. The military hospital was partialy wrecked and a number of wounded u A shell fell in the suburbs and swept away four small houses, the inmates of which perished. Another home was reduced to ruins. The bodies of a woman and four children were found in the debris. British aviators recently blew up an ammunition depot at St. Quintin, kill- ; mg 19 guards. They also destroyed the goods traffic lines. Four Taubcs, despite gunfire, dropped twenty bombs, two incendiary, on Epi? ral. Sbght damage was done, but there were no fatalities. Four others visited Remiermont, but were driven off by gunfire and French aviators. THE BATTLE NEAR YPRES. SOME FURTHER DETAILS. LONDON, May 3. ‘‘Eye-witness” reports:—When the Frenchmen were retiring before the clouds of gas the British position was shelled by a high explosive for some hours. The Germans also fired poison shells for an hour. Their infantry entreuhed 120 yards away and evidently expected a result, for they looked over the parapet to see the effect and poured in rapid rifle fire at intervals, when a strong wind dissipated the gases. We suffered seriously. The enemy did not attempt to advance. On April 24 the Germans used gas on several occasions, but did hot press forward quickly, a prisoner explaining that many of the German infantry were overcome by tho fumes and could not advance. On April 26 the Germans massed near St, Julian and made several assaults, increasing in fierceness, but reinforcements secured our positions. Further ea.se our lines were pierced near Broodseino and a small body of the enemy occupied a portion of our trenches. Tho British and French made a coun-ter-attack the same afternoon from Steenstraate to the eastward of St. Julien, accompanied 'hy a violent bombardment. Evidently this was the turning point of the battle, for •it caused a definite chock to tho enemy’s offensive and relieved the pressure. A certain amount ,of ground was regained. During the attack guns on both sides were concentrated on a comparatively narrow front and poured put a great.volume of fire. The infantry on our right stormed tho German trenches close to St. Julien, and in the evening gained the southern outskirts of the ; village on the centre and farther west. • A similar advance was made for 600 ■ kilometres,.though wo could not main- ] tain our gain. At all points opposite : {JI. Julien we fell back southward, the j e-nomy making extensive use of gas and : machinerguns. In the meantime the < French recaptured Lricrne. Our losses j were heavy, but those of tho enemy were terrible. In close fomaiion the ] enemy made an excellent ariilhry tar- ]

get ■ There -was a lull after April 27, the enemy being greatly exhausted after five days’" fighting. There were many acts of gallantry. A machine-gun.on our loft in an angle of trenches continued in action though five dead bodies lay around it. The sixth man took his place, though ho was the brother of one of the fallen men. The Germans pressed on and he waited until they were only a few yards away, and then poured in a stream of bullets. The advance .was broken and the Germans fell back, leaving rows of dead, while the gunner was wounded. An air raid at Courtrai cost us a valuable life. The aviator started alone and on arriving at Courtrai he glided down to 300 ft. and dropped a large bomb on the railway junction. Meanwhile ho- was a target for hundreds of rifles and machine-guns, and was severely wounded in the thigh. He might

Lhave saved his life by descending in the enemy s linos, but decided to save the rnachine, and made' fbr the British lines. -Ljien he was mortally wounded, but lie Car fi lGC landed at his own base, I pit'af a re P° rt ) a-nd then died in hoa- . GERMAN LOSSES AT YPRES. CONCENTRATION OF TROOPS. (Received May 4, 9.5 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, May 3. The German Staff in Belgium admit , that they lost twelve thousand killed in d the ipres fight. h i now a battle of big guns on both sides, riaking a curtain, of artillery, g lire to screen concentration, d _ 1 MEDICAL REPORT ON THE GASES 0 s TIATES AND SYDNEY SUN SERVICES. t . LONDON, May 2. A medical correspondent in the'north f of France made an investigation of as- ,. phyxiation from the German gases. .. After carefully experimenting on ani--0 mals, the terrible suffering inflicted on our troops could bo fully understood.I Tho gases caused subtle' poisoning of . the blood, like that of patients in the -later stages of diabetes. They suffered t- agony, choking, and scorching of the j mouth and throat. He was led to be--1 Jicve from the tarnished buttons and r bayonets that chlorine and bromine . wore used. 3 r SIR JOHN FRENCH’S REPORT. • GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL. 3 1 (Received May 4, 8.00 a m.) « - LONDON, May 3. | Sir John French, in his weekly report, 1 states that the Germans attacked Hill 7 60 on Saturday, evening, also St. Julien on Sunday, using poisonous gases from the trenches and poisonous shells. The attacks failed with Heavy losses. HEAVY TOLL OF CANADIANS. (Received May ,4, 9.5 a.m.) - LONDON, May 3. , The casualty list of April 27 includes , 661 Canadians. ; THE KAISER AT ANTWERP. ’ (Received Way 4, 8.53 a.m.) i . AMSTERDAM, May 3. The Kaiser and Prince Henry exam- , ined the harbour fortifications and sub- • marine yards at Antwerp on Friday. The visit was secret, as an attack on the Kaiser’s life was feared.