The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-05-07
CAN WHIP THE GERMANS
ONLY BY BIGGER FORCES
Recent Offensive a Sign of Mill
tary Desperation.
BY BRITISH EYEWITNESS.
writer Points Out That 1t Only
Proves the Determination of
the Foe.


the Foe.
London. May 5.-The British Off
cial eyewitness in a long account Of
the engagement of the last few day,
In the Ypres region. records that the
Germans have continued the use of
asphyXiating gases but with less sue
cess than on tie first occasion.
The narrative says the French
have made continual advances east
of the Ypres canal, south of Pilkem,
the result of which was to remove
the wedge occupied by the Germans
in the French line between the canal
an dthe Ypres-Langemarck road.
During these advances many German
prisoners were taken.
While the French continued their
advance in this section it is asserted
hat the Germans attacked the Brit
ish south of Neuve Chapelle and at
Ill Now 60, in both cases using
gases.
In the latter attacks, however.
owing to change in the wind, the
fumes were blown back towards the
Germans, who are believed to have
suffered. Similar tactics are said to
nave been adopted by the Germans
n their attack of Ypres last Sun
day.
PRECURSOR OF ATTACK.
About o'clock in the evening" :"
the eyewitness says, "a dense cloud
OF suffocating vapors was launched
from their trenches along the whole
ont held by the French right and
our left from the Ypres-Lange-
marck road to a considerable dis
tance east of st. Julien. The fumes
did not carry much beyond our front
trenches, but these were to a great
extent rendered untenable and a re-
treat was ordered.
mo sooner had this started than
the enemy opened violent lombard
ment with asphyxiating shells anil
shrapnel on our trenches and on our
infantry as they were withdrawing.
Curious situations then arose be-
tween us and the enemy, the poison
belt, the upper stratum shredded
into thin wreaths of vapor as it was
shaken by the wind and the lower
and denser part sinking into all in
equalities Of the ground and rolling
5lowly down the trenches. Shells
would rend it for a moment, but il
only settled down again as thickly as
before.
WORKS AGAINST GERMANS.
Nevertheless the German infan-
try faced it and they faced hail of
shrapnel as well. In some cases
where the gas had not reached our
lines our troops held firm and shot
through the cloud at the advancing
Germans.
"On the extreme left our supports
waited until the wall of vapor reach
ed our trenches, when they charged
through it anw met the advancing
Germans with the bayonet as they
swarmed over the parapets.
South of st. Julien the denseness
OF the yapor compelled us to evacu-
ate trenches, but reinforcements ar
rived who charged the enemy before
they could establish themselves in
position. In every case the assaults
failed completely. Large numbers
were mown down by our artillery.
Many who reached the gas cloud
could not make their way through
it, and in all probability a great
number of the wounded perished
from the fumes.
"It was not long before all our
trenches were reoccupied, and the
whole line re-established in its orig.
inal position. The attack on the
French met with the same result.
SAVED THE DAY.
"a great deal has been said Of the
troops on the left which saved the
situation on April 1928, but the SER
vices rendered by the British infan-
try farther east we're no less re-
markable. The area to the north and
east of Zonnebeke, representing a
narrow horn of the salient, formed
a kind of bastion. Throughout the
fighting this garrison held firm un-
der a raking artillery fire from all
sides and under repeated assaults
which were delivered with so much
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