The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-09-24

attack on Mons a fortnight before, II
from reports received the order tic
retreat when so close TO Paris was a
bitter disappointment. From letters
found on dead soldiers there is nc
doubt there was a general impression
amongst the enemy's troops that they
were about to enter Paris,
Hand-to-Hand Fighting.
"On Tuesday, September s, the Ger
man movement northeastward was
continued. Their rear guards on the
south of the Marine were being
pressed back to that river by our
troops and by the French on our right,
the latter capturing three villages
after a hand-to-hand fight and the in
fiction of severe loss IN the enemy.
The lighting along the Ourcq con-
tinued on this day and was of the most
~sanguinary character, for the Ger
a had massed a great force of ar.
tillery along this line. Few of their
infantry were seen by the French.
THE French fifth army also made
a fierce attack on the Germans in
Montmirail. regaining that place.
"On Wednesday, September 3, the
battle between the French sixth army
and what was now the German flank
guard along the Ourcq continued.
British Take Up Pursuit.
"The British corps, overcoming
some resistance on the River Petit
NORM, crossed the Marine in pursuit OF
the Germans, who now were hastily
retreating northward. One of our
corps was delayed by an obstinate de.
Tense made by a strong rear guard
with machine guns at La Ferte-Sous.
~Jouarre, where the bridge had been
destroyed.
ON Thursday, September 10, the
French sixth army continued its pres.
sure on the west, while the fifth army,
by forced marches, reached the line OF
Chateau ThieTTy and DOrmans on the
Marine. Our troops also continued the
pursuit on the north of the latter river,
and after a considerable amount Of
lighting captured some 1900 prisoners,
four guns, six machine guns and fifty
transport wagons.
Many of the enemy were killed or
wounded, and the numerous thick
woods which dot the country north OF
the Marne are filed with German
s~tragglers. Most of them appeared
to nave been without food for at least
two days.
Germans Eager to Surrender.
Indeed, in this area of the opera.
tons the Germans seemed to be de
r,n,,l;,ol ,~I ;nn1;.ol - ,,,-,,,lo,, -
small parties, and the general situa-
ton appears TO be most favorable tC
the allies.
Much brutal and senseless damage
has been done in the villages occupied
by the enemy. Property has been wan.
tonly destroyed. Pictures in chateaus
have been ripped up and houses gen.
orally have been pillaged.
Interesting incidents have occurred
during the fighting. On September
10 part of our Second army corps ad.
vanced into the north and found itself
marching parallel with another in.
fantry force at some little distance
away At first il was thought his was
another British unit. After some time,
nv" ~ ""c low SN tli"t ~ vas
a body of Germans retreating.
Germans Caught In Trap.
Measures promptly were taken to
head off the enemy, who were sur.
rounded and trapped in a sunken road,
where over 400 men surrendered.
"On September 10 a small party un.
der a noncommissioned officer was cut
Off and surrounded. After a desperate
resistance il was decided to go on
fighting to the end. Finally the ION.
commissioned officer and one man
only were left, both of them being
wounded.
The Germans came up and shouted
to them. Lay down your arms!' The
German commander, however, signed
to them TO keep their arms and her
asked permission to shake hands with
who was carried of on his stretcher
with his rife by his side.
One of the features of the cam.
paign on our side has been the success
obtained by the Royal Flying corps.
Praise to British Aviators.
1T is impossible either to award too
much praise to our aviators for the
way they have carried out their duties
or to overestimate the value of the in.
t~elligence collected, more especially
during the recent advance.
"The constant object of our aviators
has been to effect an accurate location
of the enemy's forces, and. incidental.
ly, since the operations cover so large
an area, of our own units.
Nevertheless, the tactics adopted
for dealing with hostile air craft are
to attack them instantly with one or
more British machines. This has been
so far successful that in five cases
German pilots or observers have beer
shot while in the air and their ma
chimes brought to the ground. AS a
consequence the British flying corps
has succeeded in establishing an in
dividual ~ascendancy which is as ser.
viceable TO us as ii is damaging to
the enemy"