The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-09-30
CAPTURE TRENCHES
HOW ALLIES TAKE ''NPHEGNA
BILE" GERMAN POSITIONS.
Big Guns of kaiser's Forces Is the
Chief Obstacle in the Advance OF
the Allies in the .Aisne Struggle.

the Allies IN Che t1lSue SCruSSlc.
Writing to the London Chronicle
Philip Gibbs, an Englishman, gives
the following account of the first
days of the battle Of the Aisne. For
four days, he says, there has been an
incessant artillery duel under cover
of which both sides are entrenching
themselves like armies of and rush
ing over open ground with rife fire
and bayonet charges in order to at
tain advanced positions for further
entertainments. 1t was in this battle
of trenches that we have shown our
superiority and gained good ground,
though at somewhat heavy cost.
With the experience of the Boer
war behind them, our troops are far
better than the German in taking ad-
vantage of every scrap Of cover and
fighting in open formation. AS a re-
suit of this we have been able to cap
ture positions which seemed secure
to the German, and with dogged per-
sistence and fine pluck our men on
several occasions during the last for
ty-eight hours have taken possession
of trenches which, according to all
rules of war were impregnable for
an infantry assault.
In this part of the fighting we have
been assisted by the reckless valor
of the Zouaves. I have already de-
scribed in previous dispatches the
gallantry OF this famous regiment,
but in the battle around scissors
they covered themselves with new
glory. They charged again and
again under the most deadly FIRE and
were successful repeatedly ir reach
ing the enemy's positions.
German soldiers fired before them,
but not until the trenches were filed
with their dead, slain by the long
bayonets of the sFrenchmen, who
tossed them out of their pits Gas
though they were haymaking," as
one of them said when they returned
with twisted and broken weapons.
Unfortunately, the German artil-
lery has been very effective during
the present battle in the neighbor-
hood Of scissors. CAS- socn as one OF
Four men puts his head above the
trenches" said soldier who had
just left them for a spell, ''it Is blown
off by shrapnel. We have to lie low
and hug the earth.
"The accuracy and rapidity with
with the German gunners find their
range.is quite remarkable, and is due
largely to the skilled work Of their
aviators who indicate the positions
by dropping scraps Of paper and
bombs, which act as smoke signals.
The great 11-inch guns were par
ticularly distressing, owing to their
formidable projectiles and length OF
range, and it was joyful thing to
the Allies gunners when three OF
them were located and put out Of
action by successful rushes of infan-
try.
"The Germans had to retire from
the positions which had been taken
up by this heavy artillery, and as it
was impossible for them to shift the
three guns imbedded IN cement, they
abandoned them to u.s.
cat the time of writing the great
battle is beginning to slacken down,
while each side is engaged IN
strengthening its position, but the
German shrapnel is still busy, espec-
tally where they see the flicker OF
the heliograph or locate wireless sta
tions. so that this work has to be
done under heavy fire.