THE ASSAULT ON LA BASSEE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144712, 22 June 1915, Page 3

THE ASSAULT ON LA BASSEE.

LONDON, June 21. A British officer, in a letter describing the assault ou La ISassec, says:— The artillery poured a tempest of shells on.the Givenchy brickfields. You could see a high explosive shell crash into a square fort like a block of brick baked solid, and watch a great cloud of smoko roll away and expect to see tho brick stack shattered, out would find hardly a dent. Nevertheless your own experience tells you that, tho defenders are suffering from fragments of shells and showers of broken bricks, which arc breaking their bodies and shattering their nerves. Tho bombardment continued day and night, tho British meanwhile enjoying the advantage of attackers and were able to rest in well-covered positions until tho moment for an advance, while the Germans did not know when or where tho attack would fall. The first infantry rush was made at six in the evening, and inside an hour the front lino, of trenches was taken and most of tho defenders killed. Tho fight was continued in darkness, lit ,up by a constant succession of flares, while the Germans hurried up reinforcements in trains and motors. AA e, however, have got our teeth in a bulldog grip, which will, not come away without tearing out a piece. THE FUNERAL OF AVARNEFORD. PARIS, Juno 21. There was a touching demonstration before tho bodies of Warneford and Needham. Crowds defiled past, and there wore many wreaths, including a representation of an aeroplane, inscribed: “Honoured by the King, admired by the Empire, and mourned by all.” General Gallicni sent wreaths on behalf of, Paris. Warneford, at tho time of tho accident, was wearing tho Legion of Honour, and the cross deeply penetrated bis chest. In Berlin a topic of absorbing interest is the construction of the monoplane with which Warneford destroyed a Zeppelin. Experts opine it is highly efficient owing to its quickness of ascending, and the construction facilitates observation downwards on both sides. SIR JOHN FRENCH. THANKS A CAVALRY DIVISION. (Received Juno 22, 8.5 a.m.) PARIS, June 21. Sir John French inspected the 3rd Cavalry Division and thanked them for their wonderful performance in the trenches at Ypres. Ho described the gas attacks as dastardly. The gas came as a bolt from the blue, and many of tho troops dropped dead on tho spot. H was impossible to see anything, as tho darkness was rendered more opaque by the asphyxiating _ fumes. A certain amount of confusion was unavoidable, but tho troops recovered with superb quickness and filled tho gap in face of a wall of gas miles long and yards high. They could not bo too highly praised. He especially thanked the 3rd Dragoons for their work at tho Chateau Hooge. As he was leaving the men broke tho ranks and cheered and waved their caps. It was an impressive picture, Sir John French in the middle of his men, with his hand stiffly at tho salute, and indicative of the perfect trust and loyalty existing between the troops and their commanders.

FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT.

PROGRESS IN LORRAINE. (Received Juno 22, 12.15 p.m.) PARIS, June 21. A communique states: We carried further trendies and are now approaching the north-west of Souchez. In Lorraine, near Reillon, we followed up our advantage and captured all the enemy’s forts and a trendi along a front of 1500 yards. The enemy’s counter-attack dispersed our scouts who had advanced close to Chazelles, Goudroaxon, and lies Romabols, tho enemy having abandoned the territory. All the Gorman trenches were full of corpses. In the region of tho Le Bon Homme wo carried by assault a spur of the Calvaire du Bon Homme and reached the outskirts of Lo Bon Homme. We advanced beyond the cemetery at Metzeral. Hand-to-hand fighting continues. To the south-west we gained ground and took 150 prisoners.