*1,100 Dead in a Single Trench.*
[Official Summary, Dated Oct. 27.]
The Official Bureau makes public today the story of an eye-witness,
supplementing the account issued on Oct. 24, and bringing the story of
the general course of operations in France up to Oct. 20. The arrival of
reinforcements, it says, enabled the British troops to assist in the
extension of the Allies' line where the Germans advanced from the
northeast and east, holding a front extending from Mont Descats, about
ten miles northeast of Hazebrouck, through Meteren, five miles south of
that point, and thence to Estaires, thirteen miles west of Lille, on the
River Lys. The statement continues:
"South of the Lys the German line extended to three miles east of
Bethune to Vermelles. The Allies encountered resistance all along the
line on the 12th and 13th, when the enemy's right fell back hastily.
Bailleul, seventeen miles northwest by west of Lille, which had been
occupied by the foe for eight days, was abandoned without a shot being
fired.
[Illustration: GEN. VON BÜLOW
Commanding One of the German Armies in the West
(_Copyright, Photographische Gesellschaft, by permission of the Berlin
Photographic Co., N.Y._)]
[Illustration: CROWN PRINCE RUPPRECHT OF BAVARIA
(_Copyright, Photographische Gesellschaft, by permission of the Berlin
Photographic Co., N.Y._)]
"On the 14th our left wing advanced, driving the enemy back, and on the
night of the 15th we were in possession of all the country on the left
bank of the Lys to a point five miles below Armentières. The enemy
retired from that town on the 16th, and the river line, to within a
short distance of Frelinghien, fell into our hands.
"The state of the crossings over the Lys indicated that no organized
scheme of defense had been executed, some of the bridges being in a
state of repair, others merely barricaded, while one was not even
defended or broken.
"The resistance offered to our advance on the 15th was of a most
determined character. The fighting consisted of fiercely contested
encounters, infantry attacks on the villages being unavailing until our
howitzers reduced the houses to ruins. Other villages were taken and
retaken three times before they were finally secured.
"The French cavalry here gave welcome support, and on the evening of the
16th the resistance was overcome, the enemy retiring five miles to the
eastward."
Describing an incident of the fighting on this night, the narrative says
that the important crossing of the Lys at Warneton was strongly held by
the Germans with a barricade loopholed at the bottom to enable the men
to fire while lying down.
"Our cavalry, with the artillery, blew the barricade to pieces and
scattered the defenders," the narrative continues. "Advancing
three-quarters of a mile our troops reached the square, when one of the
buildings appeared to leap skyward. A sheet of flame and a shower of
star shells at the same time made the place as light as day and enabled
the enemy, ensconced in surrounding houses, to pour a devastating fire
from rifles and machine guns. Our cavalry extricated themselves with the
loss of one officer wounded and nine men killed and wounded, but a party
of volunteers went back and carried off their wounded comrades from the
inferno.
"During the 17th, 18th, and 19th of October our right encountered strong
opposition from the enemy about La Bassée, where they had established
themselves behind embankments. On the centre and the left we made better
progress, although the Germans were everywhere intrenched, and, in spite
of the bombardment, held some villages on the Lys. At the close of each
day a night counter stroke was delivered against one or another part of
our line, but they were all repulsed.
"Tuesday, Oct. 20, a determined but unsuccessful attack was made against
virtually the whole of our line. At one point where one of our brigades
made a counter attack 1,100 German dead were found in a trench and forty
prisoners were taken."
The narrative points out that the advance of the Allies has been
hindered by the weather and the nature of the ground, together with the
impossibility of knowing beforehand the reception that advance
detachments were likely to meet in approaching any village or town. "One
place may be evacuated hastily as untenable," the recital continues,
"while another in the same general line will continue to resist for a
considerable time. In some villages the inhabitants meet our cyclists
with kisses, while at the next one the roads will, in all probability,
have trenches cut across them and blocked with barricades and machine
guns. Under these circumstances an incautious advance is severely
punished, and it is impossible for large bodies of troops to push on
until the front has been thoroughly reconnoitred. This work requires the
highest qualities from our cavalry, our cyclists, and our advanced
guards.
Armored motor cars equipped with machine guns are now playing a part in
the war, and have been most successful in dealing with small parties of
German mounted troops. In their employment our gallant allies, the
Belgians, who are now fighting with us and acquitting themselves nobly,
have shown themselves to be experts. They appear to regard Uhlan hunting
as a form of sport. The crews display the utmost dash and skill in this
form of warfare, often going out several miles ahead of their own
advanced troops and seldom failing to return loaded with spoils in the
shape of lancers' caps, busbies, helmets, lances, rifles, and other
trophies, which they distribute as souvenirs to the crowds in the market
places of the frontier towns.
Although the struggle in the northern area naturally attracts more
attention than the one in the Aisne, the fighting in this region still
continues. Although there has been no alteration in the general
situation, the enemy has made certain changes in the positions of his
heavy artillery, with the result that one or two places which formerly
were safe are now subject to bombardment, while others which were
approachable only at night or by crawling on hands and knees now serve
as recreation grounds. At one point even a marquee tent has been
erected.
A story from this quarter illustrates a new use for the craters made by
the explosions of the "Black Marias," the name given by the men to the
projectiles of the big German howitzers. An officer on patrol stumbled
in the dark on the German trenches. He turned and made for the British
lines, but the fire directed at him was so heavy that he had to throw
himself on the ground and crawl. There was no cover at hand, and his
chances looked desperate, when he saw close by an enormous hole in the
ground made by one of these large shells. Into this he scrambled and
remained there for a night and a day. When night again came he succeeded
in reaching our lines in safety.
Official casualty lists of recent date which have been captured show
that the losses of the Germans continue to be heavy. One single list
shows that a company of German infantry had 139 men killed and wounded,
or more than half of its war establishment. Other companies suffered
almost as heavily. It further appears that the number of men reported
missing--that is, those who have fallen into the hands of the enemy or
who have become marauders--is much greater in the reserve battalions
than in the first line units. This is evidence of the inferior quality
of some of the reserves now being brought up to reinforce the enemy
field army, and it is all the more encouraging, since every day adds to
our first line strength.
The arrival of the Indian contingents caused every one to realize that
while the enemy was filling his depleted ranks with immature levies, we
have large reserves of perfectly fresh and thoroughly trained troops to
draw upon.