The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-18
death STALKS
YPRES' Streets
Battle Each Day Of Past Week
Leaves Slain in
Piles.
FOES GROUPED WITH FOES
FOES GROUPED WITHFOES
Dawn Lights Fields of History
Most Horrible Car
mage.

Pas de Calais. May lin the week
just closed seven distinct and separate
battles have been fought and there is
little doubt that the days from May
to May IA will rank amongst the most
bloody in the history of Western Europe.
Saturday night had seen no lessening
of the struggle on the front at fpres.
Though outnumbered and in constant
danger of being outfanked. the British
still held their ground. Again and again
they hurled back the German attacks.
giving way ohly step by step. and re-
turning to counter-charge stubbornly
whenever the occasion presented itself.
In the da rkness OF the night the Germans
continued to hurl themselves against the
lines, as though they knew that with
every hour their opportunity was slipping
away from them ana the day OF their
cnemyS strength drawing nearer
British Use Bayonet.
They launched attack after attack. At
one time their infantry managed to hack
its way through to the northeast of
Yprcs and take the little village of
WieItje. Ia the small hours of the morn
ing the British drove them out with the
bayonet. IitterinS the paVements with
their dead.
To the east of Ypres also the Ger
mans effected breach. but again in the
darkness the British attacked them. This
encounter. which WAS especially bitter,
resulted in checking the German advance.
but not in repellinG IL. The men who
lived through this night shot until they
could no longer hold their rifles. and
when they came to close quarters with
the enemy the fury of the assault was
beyond description.
Chastity Scene at Dawn.
The dawn of Sunday showed in the
fields in front of Ypres the dead lying
piled like corn shocks in the harvest,
British and Germans side by side. The
infantry attacks had abated. but the
sullen guns still fired at intervals across
tie scene of carnage and the shriekine
shells resounded in the battered streets
Of the old French town of Ypres. TX
was a place of the dead An officer de-
scribed il as the ultimate of ruin.
The deserted streets were full OF dead
horses and dead men. The shattered
houses yawned open into the streets;
OF life there was scarcely a sign. Else
where as soon as the light became strong
enough to permit the laying of guns the
work of killing began anew
French threaten herman HOId.
The Belgian troops succeeded in gain
ing a victory of Importance which has
been oyershedowed by greater events
This was the winning of Tete dc Pont
on the right bank of the User, north of
Dixmude
This achievement is the more import
ant in view of the fact that the inunda-
ton is of less extent now than it was
during the winter. The Germans had
often boosted that as soon as the water
fell they would advance.
The French fuSileers and marines also
scored a success i'll Belgium as a result
OF their attack upon the farm of lUnion
and the fortified woods in the neighbor-
hood This farm lies to the east OF the
village Of St. Georges, near NieupoSt.
BY these joint actions OF the allies the
German hold upon the User is being
threatened. because should an advance
be mad along the coast northward the
value of Tcte de Point on tie right ban,t
of the river farther south. would be
greatly increased.
In the record Of the battles around
NieupOrt. DiNmudr. YpreS, LaVentie
RichehourEh-Loos. and Carency. each a
fierce encounter costing many lives. the
truly murderous character of the present
struggle Is made manifest. Germany is
lighting like wolf at hay and her very
fury seems to suggest early promptings
OF despair.