GERMANS MAKING STRENUOUS EFFORTS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14742, 22 October 1915, Page 5

GERMANS MAKING STRENUOUS EFFORTS.

ALL REPULSE© BY THE FRENCH. The High Commissioner reports:— . LONDON. October 21. Following yesterday’s bombardment of Rheims on a front of eight to nine kilometres extending beyond Butte. Detire, and Prunay. the Germans renewed the attack which had failed miseraoly on the previous day. Despite the violence of the preparatory artillery fire, and the still increasing density of clouds of asphyxiating gas, the enemy sustained a fresh repulse. On three occasions the assailants .attempted to penetrate our positions. Decimated by the fire of our machine-guns, and the hurricane fire of our artillery, the enemy finally stopped before our wire entanglements, unable to gain a footing at any point on our first lino of trenches. In the course of the night we also repulsed a German attack on Bois and Givenchy.

In Lorraine, a surprise attack of the enemy on our listening stations failed completely.

VIOLENT ENEMr BOMBARDMENT.

Press Association.—Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 21. The High Commissioner reports:— Paris reports; The bombardment is general on tho whole front and violent at Loos Wood, Givenchy, and Lillo Road, where munition depots were exploded. East of Rheims, there was a violent enemy bombardment with suffocating 'shells. GERMAN ATTACK AT LOOS. SHATTERED BY THE BRITISH. LONDON, October 21. Mr Phillip Gibbs, the war correspondent, was an eye-witness of the repulse of the counter-attack at Loos on the Bth iust. The Germans had for days brought np reserves of men and guns. Our troops crouching in the old German trenches, stood the ordeal of the concentrated bombardment. The trenches were strew'n with shrapnel and were black as a coalbox. Shells flung up the earth in all directions, yet the casualties wore com-, partively sfight. Finally the Germans, m the middle of the afternoon, opened a violent rifle and machine-gun fire, 'flic fifty yards between the opposing trenches were filled with poison gases and smokeballs. Then, through the dense curtain loomed a line of grey figures. The advancing Germans came on swiftly, four deep and shoulder to shoulder. The British rifles and ma-chine-guns were ready, and plunged streams of lead into the shadow figures. Numbers fell and others tried to crawl back into the trenches. We coin oentrated our fire upon the groups and few escaped. Meanwhile enemy aeroplanes had directed the curtain of fire to prevent our supports coming up. The task of the British infantry, however, was finished, and they had only to watch the heaps of German dead- in the smoke, whence a few survivors now and then wriggled back to their own - line., The German attack was not only repulsed, but shattered. FURTHER ENEMY ATTACKS. ALL REPULSED BY THE BRITISH. LONDON, October 21. Sir John French reports; The cnenn yesterday afternoon attacked the trenches from the quarries to Hulluch. Our fire completely stopped an infantry attack across the open. There were a number of bombing attacks in tho neighbourhood of Holienzollern redoubt and Fosseight, but they were repulsed with very severe losses. THE POPE AND PEACE. KING ALBERTS NEGATIVE REPLY. THE POPE DISAPPOINTED. Received October 22, 10-0 a.m. LONDON, October 21. Renter’s Rome - correspondent statethat the Pope, in an autograph letter, begged King Albert to initiate steps towards peace. The King answered in flu negative, thanking Pope Benedict for hipromise to use all his influence to obtain the evacuation of Belgium as a condition of peace. He concludes by emphatically declaring that- he will never lav down his sword while the country is" in slavery. The Pope is greatly disappointed.

TREATMENT OF WOUNDED

SUGGESTED HOSPITAL IN SICILY. Received October 22, 9 a.m. MALTA. October 21. A commission lias gone to Sicily tr consider the establishment of hospitah for convalescent and slightly wounded soldiers from the Dardanelles.

MERELY FREAKISH.

LONDON. October 21. - At a meeting in tho Strand, the Hon. S. Beresiord moved that King Georgf Should dissolve Parliament and take personal command of the armies in the field The motion was carried amid cheers. Tlu suggestion is regarded as merely freakish"!—(limes and Sydney Sun Services.)

BRITISH SUBMARINES BUSY

WHOLESALE SINKING OF GERMAN BOATS. LONDON, October 21. The British submarines in the Baltic sank twenty steamers in a week and eight -esterday. Many steamers arc refuging in harbours—Times and Sydney Sun Services. BERLIN CLAIMS. AMSTERDAM,- October 21. Berlin claims that German submarine* in Sentember sank twenty-nine steamer of a total tonnage of 102.315. also sever fishing vessels and two transports. Mine destroyed six steamers.