Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-06
TEUTONS TURN FIRE
ON COMRADES, SAY
BRITISH OFFICIALS
Bullets in Back Penalty for
Failure to Win Through
Allies Lines, Charge in
Eyewitness" Report.
LONDON, Nov. 6.

That German soldiers lighting In north
ern France were fired upon by fellow
troops when they gave way before the
attacks Of the Allies is the information
secured from a wounded German prls-
oner, according to an official statement
from tho Government press bureau to-
day The statement Is the latest OF the
series OF eyewitness" narratives written
by member OF the star of Field Mar
shal Sir John French and deals with the
operations Of the British expedItionary
force.
That section of the statement dealing
with the shooting of Germans by their
own men fellows:
"a wounded prisoner gave the attend
Ing surgeon the following Information
relative to German methods Of warfare:
on october 20 my section was ordered
forward for an attack. our officers
warned us that, II we gave way, we
would be fired upon from behind. This
threat was actually carried into efEect
when our terrible losses compelled us to
retire My wound was inflicted by a
German bullet"
The same prisoner told his captors that
OF food since he entered France"
Tie eyewitness statement continues:
I'm spite OF the great losses which they
suffered in their attacks last week, the
Germans have continued their offensive
toward the west almost continuously dur
ing the five days from the 26th TO the
3Oth of October Opposite us It has grad
ually grown in intensity and In extent
OF application as more men and guns
have been brought up and pushed into
their right, and II has developed into
the most bitterly contested battle which
has been fought in the western theatre
OF the war
NEW GERMAN CORPS APPEARS.
Forces have been masscd from the
south, while another of the new army
corps has definitely made its debut be-
fore us, and though attempts 10 hack, or
rather to blast and hack, a way through
us have been made In other directions.
they have for the last few days been most
seriously concentrated upon the neiBhbor-
hood OF Ypres,
whether the motive inspiring the pres
ent action of the Germans against that
place is an ambition to win through to
the port of Calais. as Is to be gathered
from articles in their newspapers. or
whether the operation Is due TO a desire
to drive the allleu tOTCes out or tnc WnOle
OF Belgium In order to complete tho con-
quest OF that country with view to it's
annexation and to gain prestige with neu-
trails is immaterial.
what concerns US more closely is
that they have been making and are still
pressing desperate attempt to gain the
town"
An attack began on Monday against
Neuvechappelle. n village held by the
Allies. and ground was gained by the
Germans.
ION Tuesday tho Germans rather TO-
cused their principal attention on our
right centre and right. and most des-
perate ightng took place for possess
sion of Neuvechnppelle. In spite OF re-
peated counter-nttacks by our troops, the
enemy during the day managed to hold
| on to the northern part OF the village.
which he had gained the day before,
Toward evening we had gradually
regained part OF the place by step-by-
step ighting, when fresh hostile REIN
forcements were brought up, and the en-
tire village was captured by the enemy.
They made several assaults against
| our whole front south OF the Lys. but.
with the exception of their success at
Neuvechappclle. won no advantage. The
combat for that place, as is usually the
case with village 1ghting, was OF a most
murderous description. 1t is believed
that the encmy's losses in this quarter
OF tho field generally were very great,
BODIES FILL TRENCHES.
IAN artillery officer. who was observing
their advance. reports that the effect OF
our rife and gunhre on the Germans
was stupendous. and that they had to
throw bodies of their own men out OF
their trenches as they came on in order
! to obtain cover"
Fighting In the Vicinity OF Neuvechap-
! pelle continued all day and night.
| 1.-THE next day the centres OF pressure
were for the most part our two fianks
south of the lays.
"The really important feature In this
days operations occurred north OF the
I.ys and consisted OF an onslaught in
great force made in the morning In the
direction of Ypres. After a heavy can
nonadc the assault was driven home and
a portion OF our front line was forced
back. BY evening the lost ground was
recovered and in some places more than
recovered. with the exception OF one part
10 which the enemy clung.
our losses were heavy, but not so Sc
we're as those of the enemy. who at one
spot suffered enormously from the con-
centrated fre of our massed machine
guns"