New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-04


rection the German casualties also
were extremely heavy. They came on
with the greatest bravery in swarms,
only to be swept away by our fire. One
battalion Of their 10ith Regiment was
practically wiped out. some 400 dead
being picked up by us in our lines
alone.
Incidentally, by our counter attack
we took 1870 prisoners and released
some forty of our men who had been
captured II is agreeable to record
that our men were very well treated by
their captors. who were SaYons, being
placed in cellars for protection from
the bombardment OF our own guns.
"On our left our troops advanced
against the Germans 26th reserve corps
, near Paaschendaele and were met by
determined counter offensive. which
was driven back with great losses.
German Ruse Fooled.
AT night the Germans renewed their
efforts unsuccessfully in this quarter.
At one point they tried a ruse which
no longer is new. As they came up in
solid line, two deep, they shouted
out, Don't fire; we are the Coldstream
! Guards! Our men, however, are get
ting used 10 tricks Of this kind, and
the only result was that they allowed
the enemy's infantry to approach quite
close before they swept them down
with magazine fire.
apart from the 400 dead found near
our lines in the centre, our patrols
afterward discovered some 300 dead
further out in front Of our left, killed
by cur artillery.
Thursday, the ODD, saw renewal Of
the pressure against us. We sue
coeded, however. in holding our ground
IN nearly every quarter South of the
Lys the enemy attacked from La Bassee
and gained at Violainos and at another
point. but their efforts against a third
village were repulsed by artillery fire
alone. the French ard British guns
working together very effectively.
THE Germans advanced in the even
ing against our centre and our left and
we're again hurled back, though they
gained some of our trenches IN the
latter quarter. By this time the enc
my had succeeded in bringing mp sew
eral heavy howitzers and our casual
ties were considerable.
ION Friday, the Odd, all action south
Of the Lys, on our right. was confined
TO that Of artillery, several Of the hos
tile batteries heing silenced In the
centre their infantry again endeavored
10 force their way forward and were
only repulsed after determined fight
ing, leaving many dead and several
prisoners. North of the Lys their at
tacks at different points were rcpulsed.
"On our left the Odd was bad day
for the Germans. Advancing in our
turn, we drove them from some of the
trenches out of which they had turned
us on the previous evening and cap
tured $50 prisoners and released some
of our men whom they had taken. As
the Germans retreated our guns did
great execution. They afterward made
five desperate assaults on our trenches,
advancing in mass and singing "Die
Wacht am Rhein" as they came on.
Each assault easily was beaten
back. our troops waiting until the
enemy came within very close range
before they opened fire with their rifles
and Maxims, causing terrible havoc in
the solid masses.
During the fighting in this quarter
on the night Of the ODD and the Odd the
German losses again were extremely
heavy. We made more than six hun
dred prisoners and picked up fifteen
hundred dead, killed on the latter day
alone.
much of the slaughter was due TO
the pointblank magazine fire of our
men against the German assaults.
while our field guns and howitzers,
working in perfect combination, did
their share when the enemy were re-
pulsed. As they fell back they were
subjected to shower Of shrapnel;
when they sought shelter in villages or
buildings they were shattered and
driven out by highly explosive shells,
and then again caught by shrapnel as
they came into the open.
Lack of Training Costly.
"The troops 10 suffer so severely
were mostly of the Odd Corps. one of
their new formations. Certainly the
way their advance was conducted
showed a lack of training and faults
in leading which the almost super
human bravery of the soldiers could
not overbalance. II was holocaust.
"The spectacle of these devoted men
chanting a national song as they
marched to certain death was inspir-
ing. II was at the same time pitiable.
and if any proof be needed that IN
I trained valor alone cannot gain the
day in modern war the advance Of the
23d German Corps on October % most
assuredly furnished it.
Besides doing its share of execu-
ton on the hostile infantry our ar
tillery in this quarter brought down
German captive balloon. As some
gauge Of the rate which our guns
were firing at. what was for them an
ideal target may be mentioned one
field battery expended 1900 rounds OF
ammunition during one day.
"On Saturday, October "a, the action
,n our right once more was confined to
artillery except at night. when the
Germans pressed on only to be re-
pulsed. In the centre. near Armen-
there's. our troops withstood three sep
arate attempts OF the enemy TO push
forward. our guns coming into play
with good OBJECT. Against our left the
German 9th Corps made violent
effort with no success.
"On Sunday, October %, It was our
turn to take the offensive. This was
carried out by a portion Of our left
wing, which advanced, gained some
ground and took two guns and eighty
prisoners. In the centre fighting was
severe. though generally indecisiye IN