Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-10-28

London.-The official press bureau
Issued long reports from Field Mar
shall General Sir John French detailing
the operations Of the British expedi
t~lonary force in France and their prog
ress from August 20 to October IS.
This covers the retirement Of thu
British from Mons southwark to thu
Seine and the advance back to the
River Aisne and the first stage of the
desperate encounters along the line O.
that river. 1t was September S wher
the allies took the otfense.
The report contained this startling
information:
1T is q fact that between September
~ and October 5 the total of killed
wounded and missing among the Brit
fish expeditionary force has reached
561 officers and 1880 men, proving
the severity Of the struggle in which
our troops have been engaged"
Following is the statement issued
by the press bureau: Z
VI oAA OOAA5 NACACA . III ~ 4CpOAI ~ udtCN
September II says:
In spite of very determined resis
lance on the part OF the enemy, who
Is holding in strength and with great
tenacity a position peculiarly favor
able to defense, the battle which com
menced on the evening OF September
~ has SO far forced the enemy back
from his first position, secured pas
sage Of the: river, and inflicted great
loss upon him, including the capture
of over 1900. prisoners and several
guns" 49,. ,.t& % ri,
The dispatch gives details Of the
retreat on August % and 20. Gen.
erals Cough and Chetwode, with the
Third and Fifth Cavalry brigades,
covered the retreat, repulsing the Ger.
mans with great loss. +
German Pursuit Vigorous.
"The pursuit by the enemy" contin-
ues the report, twas very vigorous.
Some five OF six German corps were
on the Somme facing the fifth army;
on the Disc at least two corps were
advancing toward my front and were
crossing the Somme east and west Of
Ham; three or four more German
corps were opposing the Sixth French
army on my left. w.. -
ION September S General Jofre de-
cided to take the offensive, as he
considered conditions very favorable
to success r. " + o.?
- - -.--.A.
Field Marshal French believes that
about noon on the 9Th the enemy re-
allied that a powerful threat was
being made against the flank, of his
columns moving south and east and
began the great retreat. which opened
the battle.
This battle, SO far as the Sixth
French army, the British army and
the Fifth and Ninth French armies
were concerned, was concluded on the
evening OF September 10, when the
had been driven to the Sois-
sons-Reims line. with the loss of
of prisoners, many guns
and enormous masses of transport.
On the 9Th both the First and Sec
ond army corps made large captures
and took some guns. On the 9th
after forcing the passage Of the Marine,
they inflicted a heavy loss in killed
and wounded on the Germans, while
the Second division took some hun
dreds Of prisoners and a battery of
eight machine guns. q.
Field Marshal French's second re-
port, dated October 8, concerns the
operations of the British forces since
the evening Of September 10. It reads:
early in the morning of the 18th
three corps crossed the Ourcq, fur
Their pursuit Of the enemy being prac-
unopposed, the cavalry reach
Ing the line Of the Aisne, two brig
AIDES south of scissors and three brig
AIDES at 'Couvrellis and Carseuil, on
the afternoon Of September -.
Battle Of Aisne Opens. r-tD.a
1.-THE Fifth division approached Mis-
BY, but were unable to make headway.
The west army corps reached the
of Vauxcere without
much opposition. In this manner the
battle of the Aisne commenced.
1.-THE position Of the enemy was
very strong either for delaying action
or for defensive battle. RI
ION the morning of the 18th I or
dered the British forces to advance
and make the passage of the Atsne.
The first corps and cavalry advanced
On the river. The first division was
directed on C~hanouville, via the canal
at Bourg. i
d by nightfall the first division oc-'
cupied the area around Moulins, Passa
and Geny. The Second division bfv-
ouacked on the southern bank of the
river, leaving only the Fifth brigade
on the north bank to establish a
head. ~, w..
Checked by Artillery. ,
I'm the approach to Missy, where
the Fifth division eventually crossed,
there is some open ground, which
was swept by artillery fire from the
opposite bank. The Thirteenth bril-
gade, therefore, was unable to ad-
vance, but the Fourteenth, directed to
q less exposed point, was RATED over,
and at night established itself on the
left of Sainte Marguerite, where later,
with the Fifteenth brigade supported
by the Fourth division on their left, it
succeeded in repelling heavy counter
ON the Third corps.
"On the morning of the 18th the
Third corps found the enemy estab-
ished in strength on Vregny plateau.
The Twelfth infantry crossed at We
1izel, but the bridge was SO damaged
hat the artillery could only be man
handled across it. Meanwhile the con-
struction of a bridge began close to
he road bridge at Venizel.
AT 2 p. m. an infantry attack in the
direction of Chivres and Vregny had
->~-@ np-ahs aArnA r.