THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14403, 21 September 1914, Page 6

THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE.

A STUPENDOUS STRUGGLE. GERMANS IN STRONG POSITION. PARIS, September 19. Despite the severity of the , Aisne battle, there Is no anxiety iif Paris. If is pointed out that the German right is very strongly p'aced. It is difficult to locate the German guns, nevertheless the Germans have been obliged to retire at certain points. They are less favourably placed in other parts of the line. The evacuation of Varennes indicates that the left is yielding. The Geiman army’s position in general is perilous. They have fortified the frontier. On the left the Belgians are threat? enlng the rear, where the lines of communication are quite inadequate. [Varennes is a small town 18 miles north-west of Verdun. Here Louis XVI. and his family were captured making for the frontier cm June 2nd, 1791.].

A TERRIFIC ENCOUNTER. / ALLIES’ ATTACK DEVELOPING SATISFACTORILY. I PARIS, September 19. The concensus of opinion is that the battle of the Aisue is the most important of the campaign. It is evidently not a rearguard action, but a supreme encounter, closing the era of big operations in France. The French general staff consider that the Abies’ frontal attack is developing under favourable conditions. German counter attacks are being repulsed. The Allies’ gains must necessarily be slow, owing to the strength of the German fortified positions. Final success will probably be achieved by threatening the communications rather than by carrying positions. Meanwhile, they hold Tergnies and Laon. They are not so precarious as some suppose. While thov 'hold •I'ergnier and Laon they have two' lines of railways running across Luxemburg, and the Belgian railways .’’a Mous and St. Quentin.

BRITISH SUFFER SEVERELY. BUT GAIN GROUND. PARIS, September 19. Furious fighting occurred on Thursday in the British section of the line. Some famous regiments' suffered severely. They performed their task unflinchingly, and' occupied some advanced German positions at terrible cost.

A DING-DONG STRUGGLE. GERMANS REPEATEDLY REPULSED. FEARFUL LOSSES BY ENEMY. PARIS, September 19. A French officer states that the battle of tho Aisne is the fiercest fought so far. It became general on the afternoon of the 14th. On the following day there was a ding-dong snuggle, the Germans awaiting reinforcements. During the night, there was a furious attack on the extreme left, where the British and French met furious onslaughts and repulsed the Germans ten times. There were fearful German losses. The Germans continued the attempt to pierce tho French lines. They hurled denge masses in a supreme endeavour to check the French, but at dawn the French had gained some ground. An artillery duel took place on the following day, desperate infantry lighting recommencing on the 17th, when hte French threw the Germans back ten kilometres, capturing a number of« machine guns. The Germans on Thursday finally evacuated Soissohs and fell back.

GERMAN LOSSES. NEARLY 20)089 IN A WEEK. PARIS, September 20. An American Army officer who was present intimated the German dead during the fighting of the centre around Eebais and Charapenoise between September :sth and September 12th at from 15,000 to 20,000. The majority were bayouetted in the trenches during,hand to hand fighting by the Turcos and Senegalese. ALLIES STILL ADVANCING. PARIS, September 19. It was officially announced, at midnight on Friday that the Allies had made a continual advance with the left wing. There had been a slight lull in the battle.

FRENCH REGIMENT ANNIHILATED LONDON, September 20. Another report states that at Acy a regiment of French territorials were outnumbered. They were forced to refuge in a large barn. They shut the gates and fought to the last man. Guns battered the building to pieces. Fire added to the horror of the struggle. DEEP GERMAN TRENCHES. PARIS, September 18. The German trenches north of Chalons were over three feet deep. They have splinter screens every 20 yards, and resting places. The trenches consist of several parallel rows flanked by others running at right angles, with concealed machine guns.

GERMANS STRONGLY ENTRENCHED. OSTEND, September 19. The Germans are strongly entrenching along the Sambre from Manbeuge to Namur. There are - important works at Thuin, Farcienncs. Tamines, and I’loreffi. There is also a deep semi-circle extending from Buggenhout through Campenou to North Louvain, where it turns south-east. All the trenches and redoubts are of reinforced concrete.