The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-09-30
OFFICIAL REPORT
BRITISH COMMANDER TELLS OF
FIGHT Up TO FRIDAY.
ARTILLERY F Re HEAVY

Sir John French Leads Up to Open
ing Brush at the River !aisne Over
Week Ago and Says the Battle
so Far as British Troops Are Con-
cerned, Is Still There.
The following descriptive account
from Field Marshal Sir John French S
headquarters of the British armys
operations up to September is was
issued Tuesday night:
General Headquarters,
"1S September, 1914.
cat the date of the last narrative,
September IA, the Germans were
making a determined resistance along
the river Aisne. Opposition, which
at first it was thought might possibly
be OF rear guard nature not entail
ing material delay to our progress,
has developed and has proved to be
more serious than was anticipated.
"The action now being fought by
the Germans along. their line may
have been undertaken to gain time
for some strategic operation and may
not be their main stand. But if this
is so, the fighting is naturally OH a
scale which makes it undistinguish-
able in it's progress from what is
known as a pitched battle, though
the enemy certainly showed signs of
considerable 'disorganization during
the earlier days of their retirement
phase.
Whether originally it was intend
ed by them to defend the position
they took up as strenuously as they
have done, or whether the delay gain
ed for them during the 18th and 18th
by their artillery has enabled them
to develop their resistance and force
their line to an extent not originally
contemplated, can not yet be ascer-
tanned
so far as we are concerned the
action still being contested is the bat
tie of Aisne. The foe We are fighting
is just across that river along the
whole of our front to the east and
west. The struggle is not confined to
the valley of that river, though it will
probably bear its name.
.'The progress of our operations
and the French armies nearest US for
the 14th, 18th, 18th and 18th will
now be described.
ION Monday, the 14th, those of
our troops which on the previous day
had crossed the Aisne, after driving
in the German rear guards on that
evening, found portions of the enc
my's forces in prepared defensive
positions on the right bank and could
do little more than secure a footing
north of the river. This, however,
they maintained in spite of two coun-
ter-attacks, in which the fighting was
severe.
During the 14th strong reinforce
ments of our troops were passed to
the north bank. Close cooperation
was maintained with the French
forces and the general progress was
good, although the opposition was
vigorous and the state Of the roads,
after the heavy rains, made move
ments slow.
Zone division alone, after repuls-
ing repeated attacks, captured 500
prisoners and II guns. The cavalry
also took a number of prisoners.
Many Germans taken belong to the
reserve and landwehr formations,
which appears to indicate that the
enemy is compelled to draw OF other
classes of soldiers to fill gaps in his
ranks.
There was heavy rain through
out the night of September 14-15,
and during the 18th the situation
underwent no essential change. But
it became evident that the enemy's
defensive preparations were more ex-
tensive than at first was apparent.
Ito counterbalance this we took
measures to economic our troops
and to secure protection from the
hostile artillery fire, which was fierce,
and our men continued to improve
their own entrenchments. The Ger
mans bombarded our lines nearly all
day, using heavy guns.
Cali their counterattacks, how
ever, failed, although in some places
they were repeated six times. One
made on the Fourth Guards, was re-
pulsed with heavy slaughter.
IAN attempt by part Of our line to
advance slightly was unsuccessful,
but led to the withdrawal of part of
the enemy's infantry and artillery.
Further counterattacks made dur
ing the night were beaten off.
"On Wednesday. the 18th, there
was little change in the situation op-
posite the British. The enemy's
bombardment continued throughout
the morning and evening. Our artil-
lery fire drove the defenders Off one
of the salients Of their position, but
thy returned in the evening. Forty
prisoners were taken by the Third
division.
"On the 18th the situation remain
ed unchanged. The German heavy
fire was more active. The
only infantry attacks made by the
enemy were on our extreme right,
and were repulsed with heavy loss,
chiefly by our field artillery.
ITO convey some idea of the ma
ture of the fighting it may be said
that along the greater part Of our
front the Germans have been driven
back from the forward slopes on the
north of the river. Their infantry