The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-25
How ARMIES Fight
ENGLISH Military REPORTER
TELLS OF HABD SERVICE
BITTER WINTRY WEATHER

D5aaE1 NStYsMa WLRakE@
Hand to Hand Struggles. Wherein
i Many Soldiers Are Bayonetted-.
1 German Artillery Bombardments
\ Continue-Fierce Attacks Of Insad.
i ers Make Little Change.
| The following descriptive account.
communicated by an eyewitness with
general headquarters, continues and
supplements the narrative published
November II OF movement Of the
| British force and ;ie French In imme-
diate touch with it.
November 16. The situation on
Iour front has not altered. The Ger
mans have continued to press gen
erally along our line and have focused
their attention mostly around Ypres,
talthough up to now there has not
been resumption Of violent attacks.
Friday, the 18th, was windy. with
rain Trying AS life In the trenches
is, under such conditions our men
knew the enemy we're in e worse
plight, for the wind blew steadily IN
their faces.
ION our left the morning passed In
\ desultory sheuing, which gradually
swelled into fierce bombardment rs
a prelude to an attack along our
whole line. Around Ypres the enemy
/ rushed our trenches at one point, but
were driven out again. Here again
our losses, though heavy, were much
| less than the Germans.
"As each successive attept to take
Ypres by assault fails the lombard
ment Of the, town Is renewed with
ever increasing fury.
Farther south, on our left centre,
/ the situation remained practically un-
changed. On our centre and right.
and indeed along the whole OF our
line, the hostile artillery appears TO
have received orders on this day 70
search the area in the rear Of our
trenches. This, no doubt, is part OF
the policy OF wearing down.
"On the right, on the night OF the
13th-14th, a German trench las
taken, the occupants being bayoneted
or taken prisoners. Part Of a bat
talon, which advanced during the
night. encountered the enemy at-
tempting a similar operation. a
hand-to-hand fight ensued, in which
we came off the yictors:. we killed
twenty-five Germans and lost only
two men ourselves.
Saturday was cold and there also
was rain. On our left proceedings
were started with the usual heavy
shelling and the Germans again re-
sumed the offensive south OF the
Menin-Ypres road, with a similar re-
suit to that obtained on the previous
day. They penetrated our line at one
or two points, but were driven OUT
and the line was almost completely
restored. -.
FARTHER south the French attack
ed near Wytschaete and gained
ground under cover Of a heavy nre.
Our left centre was subjected to Shell
ing alone, and in our centre Armen-
rie-es was subjected to similar treat
ment. The town is now deserted,
During the day Rethune was bonn
hsr5=t by the enemy, who continued
10 devote his attention to'the towns.
VILLAGES and roads in the rear OF our
line. rather than to the trenches
themselves.
..On Sunday on our left, east OF
yrres. a well conducted counter at
a.: w-ss carried out against that por-
.ior - the line occupied by the enc
nv on the previous day, where he had
established hinseIf IN stables and
trenches. Two attempts already had
sailed when, at $3.50 a. M, a gun was
oroasat up to within 800 yards
raBes. After four rounds had been
Sred > party carried the position, the
Spba1tern in command being killed.
The attack was led by the COM
,any sergeant major. This non-coIn-
nissioned officer was awarded the
DISTINGUISHED conduct medal, OUT
since has died Of his wounds.
"The bombardment slackened con-
slderably in this quarter during tne
day. On the southeast OF Ypres, pc
tween Hollebeke and Wytschaete,
theer was some hard fighting, IN
which the French held their ground:
On our left centre nothing occurred
beyond the usual shelling. In the
center we scored local success.
Some trenches and houses lately cap
.ured by the Germans were heaYliy
fbombarded by. our howitzers.. Fne
defenders bolted and were caught oy
the fire of our machine guns, losing
about half of their number.
| ION our right all was quiet. the
weather this day was bitterly colo
and rain fell in torrents. In spite OF
his our aviators carried out sue
cessful reconnaissance. They hover
I'd over the German lines in . storm
of driving snow.
Further Information has come 70
hand regarding the enemy's method
Of sniping and spying. Non-con-
n;ssioned officers are offered IRON
crosses to penetrate our lines at
night"
! The "eye-wi.ness" closes with 8
| eulogy Of French doctor, who, with
| several nuns, remained in France
during the bombardment, nursing
| ffty-two German wounded. end final
sly was killed by shell. The day al.
}, ter his death the nuns and Woundeo