Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-22
EYE WITNESS" TELLS OF BRITISH
SOLDIERS FIGHTING QUALITIES As
MANIFESTED AT BATTLE OF ST. ELOI

! Lcldon. March -1.--G:+1 r. Nj
lighting qualities of the British sol.
uleF again We're demonstrated in thn
pattie OF st. Eloi. although it Was Of
comparative unimportance since II
left the situation much rs il was be-
| fore. according to an account of tn
operations in this district given by d
British eve witness and made public
this afternoon hy the press bureau.
/ St Eloi is considered to have SOM,
strategic Importance because it lies;
az the junction of two main roads.
one from Hpres to Arinenticres ana
the other from Ypres to Narneton.
ON the evening of the 18th" says
he eye witness, After an extremely
/ heaVy artillery fire directed agains:
our trenches along the eastern and
southwestern sectors. the Germans
endeaVored TO rush our lines. The at
tempt succeeded as far as the latter
sector was concerned, for the trenches
had been blown in and were abso-
lutely untenabe. To the east Of the
! village, however, our infantry made
a most determined stand. Their fire
; was SO steady and well directed that
the losses among the assailants were
terrible, our men sticking to their
posts until the last-in fact until that
were overwhelmed by sheer weight of
numbers
German Reinforcements
The Germans then rushed supports
to the trenches and also to a mound
which they had blown up by mines
Following up their success. they pen
etrated to the village itself. They were
rot allowed to remain long in undis-
puted possession of it, however
Our first counter attack took place
at 2:30 A. Mon the 18th and was
only partly successful, the enemy re-
tanning possession of st. Eloi and
some breastworks and trenches
BY another effo-, made nearly two
hours later. we succeeded in driving the
enemy completely out of the village
and in recapturng all the trenches
which had not been destroyed. The
mound, however. remained in the hands
of the Germans, although it was sub
iected to SO heavy 4 fire that little use
could be made of IL
The fighting in ST. Eiol itself, as is
usual in such cases. was of the feroest
description Upon gazing the place the
Germans erected barracades across the
streets defended by machine guns. These
has to vbe stormed one by one until the
village had been cleared OF the enemy
When morning came a search was car
RED on for wounded and on this .occa-
sion The Germans displayed n humanity
which, unfortunately they do not always
for they refrained from firing on our
bearer parties which We're engaged in
carrying away the injured within quite
close range.
During the day of the 18th, the Ger
mans made last effort to recover their
ground by assault. Presumably it was
not intended to be more than forlorn
hope for not more than 20 men took
part in the attack.
Few can have escaped scot free since
a comparatively large number of bodies
afterwards was counted in front OF our
trenches. Prisoners captured during the
fighting said the, German losses were
very heavy, the support especially suf-
ferins severely from our shell fire, while
our Commandment during the previous
days had done much damage TO their
trenches.
I'm spite of the general monotony
of the war there have been some dra-
matte moments. One such moment
Immediately preceded the attack on