Evening star., 1914-10-09
STORIES FROM BATTLE FRONT
AS TOLD BY AN EYEWITNESS
Germans Make Speciality Of Night Attacks
and Keep Allies Constantly on
the Alert.

occasions have been used. Latterly
these attacks have become more and
more half-hearted.
No Test With Bayonets.
Against our men the enemy never
mas closed with the bayonet. The Ger
naAh trenches I have seen were deep
enough TO shelter a man when firing
from standing position. AS regard
our own men there was at first con-
sioeraoie reluctance to entrench, as
%,ways % mas been the case at the COM
| hencement of fighting, Now. however
having bought their Experience dearly,
| IheH oeIenses are such that they can
oeIy the German artillery.
On the lighter side of the picture
Is r .ne 1oiiowing anecdote. which is cur
truth is not vouched for. On a recent
| occasion a British cavalry subaltern,
VINO was cut of from his men, hid
himself IN the edge of a wood by a
road. IT was not long before he saw
an unsuspecting armed German SOL
der patrol1ing the road. He could have
shot the man without warning, but felt
| tnat 1t would be akin to murder to kill
him IN cold blood. In order to instill
a little Of the spirit Of combat into tho
affair. the subaltern crept from his
cover and ran up behind the bosch"
as our French allies would call him,
and gave him ferocious kick. Instead
OF showing fight the startled and pain
dear life. leaving the subaltern laugh
ing too hard to shoot.
Became veritable Inferno.
The Times' Boulogne correspondent.
who has been on the scene. relates some
phases Of the fighting on the French
left wing.
The correspondent says he went un-
suspectingly to Arras September Is.
The battle Of Arras began October 1
ana the whole region became a verita-
bic inferno. All around was an un-
ceasing hail Of shells and shrapnel,
violence. destruction and death.
On the previous Thursday;'' the cor
respondent continues, 'the allies were
patserinE at the gates Of Cambria.
on Lens and from Cambria and Bo-
paume on the allies position south and
east Of Arras.
Saturday the enemy. greatly REIN
all along the line. The allies were COM
PEELED to fall back from Lens and
Douai. fighting stubbornly the while.
The enemy occupied Bethune and sent
troops into Lille, firing from windows
as they went.
when left Arras the enemy's shells
were bursting within three kilometers
OF the town. I since have heard that
shells fell in the town and that three
streets were set on fire. The enemy
it. They cut line between Arras and
st. Pol, seeking to effect q junction
with their Bethune force.
They came into contact with strong
back in the south. In the north they
retired to La Basses, with their right
wing resting on Lille. The tide Of the
battle has been stemmed-perhaps has
turned in favor of the allies.
Battle Develops Suddenly.
This battle Of the north developed
with amazing suddenness. as may be
gathered from the diary of my expe-
riences."
The diary describes the beginning of
the battle October 1 and goes on to
say:
stained soldiers began streaming into
Arras and for hours the air resounded
with the din they made. Throushout
the night the boom of guns could be
heard in the distance from the east and
southeast
The next morning opened quiet in
town. but the roar of guns was stifl
heard and apparently as the day ad-
vanced the sound was coming nearer.
and had plenty Of occupation tendine
the wounded, who were being brought
In continuously. SO that the hospitals
The losses on both sides. am told.
nave been very heavy, In one action
alone today hve German Regiments
were cut up and the horses Of their
conveys stampeded. They were ,ad-
a n =,
River scarpe. and at the village Of
Plouvain they came under the devastat-
ing hre from our artillery and the
whole hole nye resiments broke and fed.
gether favorable for the allies, as the
French line was obliged to fall back
considerably, and this evening the
enemy's shells are falling within a
few ki1ometers of the Arras station.
Again tonight squadron after SQUAD
ron Of war-stained and tired dragons
ride into Arras, while long lines of
limbers are rattling out on the Douai
road, laden with shells for tomorrow.
1t is serene moonlight night, but the
ceased since daybreak.
Awakened by Big Guns.
October I am awakened at day-
break by the thunder of heavy guns.
now from the north and east, where
the third days battle is raging in a
triangle formed by Arras. Lens and
Douai. During the day I watch a
daring aeroplane flight in the air, and
am invited to watch the battle at
closer quarters.
IT am conducted to some rising
ground outside the town, where a won
derful battle scene bursts upon my
view. In front. on the horizon, q
farmstead is blazing fercely, ana the
black smoke trails across the evening
sky. Within 500 yards of US the French
batteries are in action shelling the
woods to drive out the enemy
Flashes of flame burst over the woods
like lightning dancing in the tree tops.
Presently the German artillery begins
shelling the battery near us. We watch
spellbound and as the shrapnel fire be-