The sun., 1914-08-19
HEAVY CASUALTIES
IN DINANT BATTLE
Only Three Men in One French
Company Survive Early
Skirmishing.
GERMANS BEATEN BACK
Correspondent. Who Finds
Several Belgian villages Burn
ing, Tells of Suffering.
By JOHN BOON.

Special correspondent Of THE suN and the
London ''Ddiiy Wdn"
Special Cable D,spdtch 10 Tn. suS
BRUssELs. August is.
In the course of long motor ride yes
terday ! was able to get additional In
formation Of the lighting at Dinant. The
Germans got into Dinant before daybreak
and effected something OF n surprise.
one French regiment suffered heavy
losses out OF one company only three
men escaped. About 6 10 o'clock French
reenforcements came on rapidly, one de-
tnchment from Hastieres la Vaux covering
four miles In half an hour.
The French batteries opened fire on the
Germans on the other side OF the Meuse
and some shells fell into the town. Bou-
vignes was finally occupied by a French
regiment The French got seven batteries
into position. three above Dnant and two
each to the north and south. The can
nonade forced the Germans out OF Dinant
proper and about II o'clock the Germans
went lower down the river about mile
toward Givet.
There they started to build a pontoon
bridge across the river. The work was
finished and the troops were in the act
OF crossing the Meuse when a French
battery at Houx opened fire, sweeping
the bridge and it's occupants to destruc-
tion. Many were drowned and only a
few escaped death. but these were made
prisoners.
Germans Are swept Back.
After this there was lull for a short
time but the Germans advanced again TO
the river bank. Several French quick
fircrs were In position and the Germans
were again driven back. The Germans
then started a movement along the road
In an attempt TO seize the French batter
les at Hommieres. The gunfire OF the
Frerch took them sideways, sweeping
all the road. The Germans were unable
to go to the north so they tried the south,
but each time the French gunners had
them In range
The Germans were unable to plant their
artillery effectively. The French bat
teries too were always moved out of posi-
| tion after two shots. The trees in the
zone of fire were torn down by explod-
ing shells. Each battery would timber up.
go forward some 500 yards and then fire
again on the same spot at which the
previous Are had been directed. The guns
were firing at a range of about three
miles yet. In spite OF the constant change
OF position, the shells always found the
mark The regulation OF the nre was
wonderful.
The German Seventh Army Corps was
eventually cut in two, one-half retrtatine
toward Assesse and the other in the di.
rection of Givet The former were bonn
barded by the Namur forts.
March 80 Miles "a Day.
The French troops did some wonderful
marching One regiment made Sc mile,
in day and 1875 miles In two days The
exploits of individual bodies OF troops ar,
marvellous Ten cyclist chasseurs ambus
caded German force and killed so Of
the Kaisers soldiers.
German officers are using dumdun
bullets in their revolvers
My correspondent at Maastrecht tele
graphs tonight as follows:
II have been through the German line,
to see the ruins of Wise, which is a mas,
of smoke. Other Belgian villages ar,
red with the glow OF lights and smoke
Ia ascending from Mouland, Fouron ant
Berneau. The German troops In passing
this morning set fre to few houses
which were still standing.
IAN day Belgian fugitives passed me
They were In "A pitiable condition. Som
walked and a few rode In carts. All wer'
weeping. In Mouland not living sou
remains of village which a few day
ago had a population OF $50, Occasional
ly wretched peasant ventures TO wha
was once his home to rescue even a stlcl
of his belongings. a priest said to me
Even my overcoat was stolen.
THE dead are only half buried The
are thrust into tho ground with thei
legs protruding and only their heads GOV
cred with "A few inches of earth
"The Germans forced some OF the cap
tured burghers to construct defenc
works"