SANGUINARY FIGHTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 1 September 1914, Page 5

SANGUINARY FIGHTING.

FRENCH ARTILLERY DOES GOOD WORK,

GERMANS DISPLAY GRIM COOLNESS,

THE ALLIES FORM A CRESCENT

(Received Last Night, 11.5 o'clock.) LONDON, Aug. 31, (Morning.) The Dailv Chronicle's Amiens correspondent states that after the battle'of Dinant, the Second and Seventh French Army Corps were heavily outnumbered, and retreated slowly, awaiting reinforcements.. The artillery, perched in the wooded heights above the Meu.se, swept the G^ m^J^ nfantryi entrenched, on the right bank, *nd supported by fipM machine-guns, held tenaciously to each position. UoGMnfans were utterly reckless of life, particulaly when fighting for the possession of bridges, of which the French destroyed thirty-three as they retreated down the Mouse Valley. Twenty thousand German infantrymen at Ban-die engaged five thousand French with quickfirers. . The French held off the enemy for twelve hours, inflicting heavy pun;ciimon+ and suffering comparatively slightly. lAm £*the GermL fought l th.eir way down the Valley oi: the Meuse. Netr bv is the gap which led to the Sedan battlefields of 18/0 This time the French determined to possess the heights, and took up a magnificent position commanding Charleville's three bridges. Tiie mitrailleuses were hidden in abandoned houses. ...... Ninety-five field guns, captured from the Germans in the fighting in Hip Meuse Valley, were also put in good positions. , The German outposts wore allowed to cross the bridges into apparently d, i*^^ l j.^ , | JI !i dBOS wore blown up, and the Germans' retreat cut off ' The mitrailleuses ,m the houses slaughtered the Uhlans. The latter had a few quick-firers, with winch, they fought to the last. When the main body of the Germans came up the Valley, the Fiench artillery from the heights raked them. ' .., • The Germans, with grim coolness, built pontoon bridges until their slu-lk forced the French gunners to retreat. Tin Allie-s how occupy a crescent from Abbeville, at the mouth of the Somme ivver, round to the south of Amiens.