FRENCH CAMPAIGN

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15456, 19 September 1914, Page 9

FRENCH CAMPAIGN

DIARY 01< THE "WAR. SEPT. lOtli TO 13tli. GERMANS RETREAT TO THE AISNE. MAKING A STAND. IN A STRONG POSITION. (High Commissioner's Cable.) LONDON, Sept. 17 (1.15 p.m.) The following is an official descriptive account of the operations of the British from the 10th to the 13th*— Since the 10th the army has made steady progress in its endeavour to drive the enemy back into country undulating and "covered with patches of thick wood. V* ithin the area which faced the British before the advance commenced to Laon. the chief jeature was six rivers, running across tho direction of the advance—tho rivers Maine, Oureq, Yeslo, Aisne, Ailotte, and Ouse. The enemy held the Maine, which was crossed by our forces on the 10th. Our passage ;-f the Ourcq was not contested, and the Yesle was lightly held. Resistance along tho Aisno was of a determined character. On the 11th little opposition was met along any part of tho front, and the direction of the advance was turned slightly north-west. 1 he da\ was spent- in pressing forward and gathering hostile detachments. At night Fall our forces reached a line north of the Ourcq, extending from OnMiylo Chateau to Longpont. This day witnessed a general advance en the part of the French along the whole line, " hivli ended in a su'i^tan-

tial success, the Duke of "Wurtemburg's Fourth army being driven across the Soultu, and a whole corps of artili'.ery and a German corps were captured. On tlio ] 2th the enemy were found to bo occupying a formidable position opposite, and nartli of the A sne. At Soissons held both sides of tho river, and were entrenched along a line of lolls to the north, and road bridges and railway bridges over the Aisno had been demolished. Working from west to cast our third army corps gained the high ground south of tho Aisno overlooking tho Aisne vaffiey east of Soissons. A long range nvtiilery duel continued during the greater part, of tho day and did not cease till midnight. Tho enemy had a number of heavy howitzers, well concealed. | Tho movement of tho army corps was effected with the co-operation of the French eighth army on our 1 'ieft, which gained tho southern half of thetown during the night. The seoond army corps did not cross the. Aisne. ! Thn first army corps got over the river | Yeslo south of tho Aisno after a crossing had been secured by tho first cavalry divis : on. It then reached the line south of tho Aisno without fighting. At Braine tho first cavalry division met with considerable opposition from infantry and ma china guns liold- | ing tho town and guarding a bridge, i "With aid from sump of our infantry the cavalry gained possession at midday, driving the enemy north. A hundred prisoners were gained round Braine, where tho Germans had thrown field gun ammunition into tho river. On the right tho French reached tho .lino of tho river Yesle. This day began an action aiong tho Aisne. which was not finished, and may be the commencement of a battle of more serious nature. It rained heavily on Saturday afternoon, and this severely handicapped the transport. On the 13th extremely strong resistance was encountered along the whota front, 15 miles in length. The act : on consisted in long-range gun fire by the Germans, to a great extent from heavy howitzers in clcverly-concea'.od posit oils. At nightfall portions of three cavalry corps across tho river returned to tlio south side. Hy night three pontoon bridges had been built and troops managed to tret across tho river, (in tho loib the French passed on, hut wore prevented by artillery lire from building a bridge near Soissons. INCIDENTS. During the last four days isolated Germans were discovered hiding in tn.» woods l>ehind <ur lines. Tiiey seemed glad to surrender. GERMANS MURDER. CITIZENS. At Sen!is the Germans assembled the ni the town and live leading

citizens, and forced tliem to kneel before tlioir graves. Requisition was made for supplies and tlio six citizens were then shot. Twenty-four people, including women and children, were ailso shot. The town was pillaged and fired before it was evacuated- It is believed that the cathedral was not damaged. There- were similar proceedings at Creil and Crecy. At Tillers M. Gottercts, the Mayor, behaved judiciously, and though supplies far in excess of the capabilities of the place were demanded, the town was not seriously damaged. The Germans evacuated the place on the llth in haste. Rheinis was occupied by the on the 3rd and reoccupied by- the Fronch after considerable fighting on l?.th. Germans had taken the Mayo* of Rheims and eighty other inhabitants as hostages.