Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-30

English Cavalry Work
The English cavalry moved toward
Hazebrouck, clearing the way for two
army corps which advanced rapidly in a
northeasterly direction. For several days
the progress of the British was only
slightly interrupted except at La Bas-
see, a high position. which Gen. French
mentions as having been stubbornly re-
sisted.
General French says the Second Corps
under Gen. Smith-Dorrien was opposed
by overpowering forces of Germans. but
advanced until Oct. IS, when the enemy 8
opposition forced a reinforcement of the
Second Corps. Six days later the Lahore
division of the Indian army was sent TO
support the Second Corps. On Oct. is Sir
Henry Rawlinson. who had covered the
retreat of the Belgian army from Ant
werp with two divisions of English cav
airy and two divisions of French infan-
try. was stationed on the line east of
Ypres under orders to operate over a
wide front and to keep possession of all
the ground held by the Allies until the
First Army Corps could reach Ypres.
General Rawlinson was opposed by SUI
peror forces and was unable to prevent
the Germans from getting large REIN
forcements. With four army corps hold
ing a much longer territory than their
size justified, Gen. French SAYS he faced
a stubborn situation. The enemy was
massed from the Lys and there was i'm
perative need for strengthened line.
/ However, Gen. French decided to send
the First Corps north of Ypres to stop
/ the German reinforcements which might
enable them to flank the Allies.
The endeavors of the shattered Bel
gian army and the worn French troops
/ to check the German reinforcements
/ were powerless, SO General French
! sent fresh troops to prevent the enc
my executing movements which would
have given him access to channel
ports.
Sir Douglas Haig, with the First
/ Army Corps. was sent to capture
/ Bragsess and drive the enemy back
I toward Client, if possible. Meantime,
/ the Belgians entrenched themselves
along the Ypres canal
General French commends the valor
] of the Belgians, who, he says. ex-
hausted by weeks of constant fight
i ing, maintained these positions gal
! lantly.
Because of the overwhelming num-
bers of the Germans opposing them.
Gen. French says he enjoined a de-
fensive role by the three army corps
! located south of Ypres. While Gen.
/ Haig made a slight advance, Gen.
/ French says 1t was wonderful that he
| was able to advance at all. owing to
/ the bad roads and the overwhelming
number of Germans who made 1t i'm
possible to carry out the original plan
j of moving to Bruges.
The fighting gradually became bay
onet charges. General French says
that Oct. q brought forth the hardest
/ attack. made on the First Corps at
/ Ypres in the checking OF which the
Worcestershire regiment displayed
great gallantry. This day marked the
most critical period in the great bat
tie, according to General French, who
says the capture of the village Of
Gheluvelt through a rally of the Wor
cestshires was fraught with muc1
i consequence to the Allies.
! After referring to some of the bat
ties in which the Indian troops took
part, Field Marshal French says:
Since their arrival in the country
and their occupation Of the line allot-
| ted to them, / have been much i'm
pressed by the initiative and resource
| displayed by the Indian troops. Some
of the ruses they have employed to
deceive the enemy have been attend
ed with the best results and have
doubtless kept the superior forces in
front of them at bay.
"Onr Indian SannarS and ntner3
have long enjoyed high reputation
for skill and resource. Without going
into detail / can confidently assert
that throughout their work in the
campaign they have fully justified
that reputation.
1.-The general officer commanding
the Indian army describes the con-
duct and bearing of these troops, in
strange and new surroundings as
having been mighty satisfactory and
am enabled from my own observations
to fully corroborate this statement
General French goes on to say that
',while the whole line continued to be
heavily pressed, the enemy's princi-
pal efforts from Nov. had been con-
centrated upon breaking through the
line held by the First British and the
1NiIltf Il ISIiCI SUEPS anu tHuS gaining
possession of the town of Ypres.
Three Bavarian and one German
corps, in addition to other troops, were
all directed against this northern line
according to General French.
About Nov. 10, after several units
Of these corps had been completely
shattered in futile attacks, Gen.
French continues division Of the
Prussian guards, which had been OPP
Grating in the vicinity of Arras, was
moved up to this array with great
speed and secrecy. s4a3s -
Documents found on dead officers,
the report says. proved that the guard
received the German Emperor's spe-
cial command to break through and
succeed where their comrades Of the
line had failed.
They took the leading part in the
vigorous attacks made against the
center on the 18th and 18th, says Gen.
French. but like their comrades were
repulsed with enormous casualties.
General French pays high tribute to
Sir Douglas Haig and his divisional
al and brigade commanders who he