, 1915-10-16

has been received from Field Marshal Sir
John French: "lhe German attack on our
front south of the La Basaee Cnual on the
9th INST. was made III grent strength, Their
main efforts being directed against u eli Tx
pit north OF Hill 70 aud between Hulluch and
the HohenzoIlern redoubt. Iu the chalk pit
attack the enemy assembled behind woods
from 300 to 500 yards off oar trenches and
between these woods an orr line the attack
was mown down by our combined rifle, ma
chlne-guu and artillery fire, not one mnn
getting within 40 yards Of our trenches.
Further north between Hullnch and the
quprfles the attack was similarly beaten off
with very heavy loss. and on. troops follow
ing The beaten enemy secured the German
trenches west Of CitesteIie. The enemy auc-
ceeded IN penetrating our front line ut only
one point III the southern communication
trench OF the Hohenzollern redoubt, which
is still III orr hands, but be was promptly
driven out by our bombers Our reserves
were not required ut auy part of he front,
and while it is certain TINT we inflicted
u very severe reverse on the epemy,
our casualties were even under the first
low estimate. The German otficial com
mnnicatiou that II strong British attack
northeast Of Vprne|les fuiled with great
loss, IS entirely false; no attacks were made
md no losses we've incurred except those
described IN the foregoing. On Sunday IL
nights III the air took place, ana IN 8 OF hem
our airmen were successful. One host Ie
aeropIane was driven 10 the ground inside
the enemy's lines and was almost certain "
destroyed, and on Monday morning another
enemy machine was brought down III our
lines. We lost one aeroplane.'
A Serbian official communicate states: sOur
troops occupy the following lines Lipovatz
VloLnpt,rnty Dnosn.s .- - C.. L..
on the lower Moraya front Kloupes and
EkmekIouk on the Belgrade front; Obre-
noyatz and Orunovatz on the Save front, The
enemy is using formidable and heavy artlI-
lery, especially the $50 milIimrtre canuou,
rendering the combat very sanguinnry. the
losses being enormous on both sides, plrtl-
cuInrly IN officers. It is reported that on
our front near Belgrade are he Twenty
second German Corps, the Eighth Austrian
Corps and u German division, and near Ram
there IS another German division, but the
formation Of these two divisions is unknown.
Near Pojarev Z there are the Eleventh Bava-
rim division and the Tenth and Twenty
sixth German divisions, Near Kovln aud
Bavarichte the numbpr Of the enemy's troops
is unknown. Near Obrenovatz there is u
division and u half Of Austtians. IL he vi
ciuity OF Ornuoyatz and Badorinite there are
2 Austrian brigades. Near ObreOova'z tine
enemy IS using nsphyXiating gas in abundance-
Our troops abandoned Belgrade und fell
back to secured positions, to spare the city "a
continuance Of the bombardment. The oc-
cupation OF The city gives the enemy 10 nd
vantage from a military standpoint"
A German official statement says: ''Furth-
ef BATTLES have developed on the Drina front,
between SabQv md the Grand Isle. The
crossing Of the Danube has been completed.
and south Of Belgrade the heights between
Zalko7o and M%irjevo have been cnptured,
while further south the attack is proceed n@.
A position in the bend of the Danube ut
Ram has been stormed, and further down the
river, near Orsova, there has been local artlI-
lery fighting. The Germans have captured
already fourteen officers, 1912 men, seven
teen cannon, including several heavy ones,
and five machine. guns.
An Austrian official report says: "The Aus
tro-Hnngarians aud Germnns advancing b.
yond Belgrade have d~isIodged the Serbians
from their entanglements south-east and
southwest Of the Capital, and eur troops
have stormed Gutenberg, Velky aud Vracar.
In the regions of Semendria and Pojarevz
the allies have gained considerable ground.
In the occupation of Belgrade nine naval
guns, twenty-six field Gun barrels. one search-