The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-31
POISON Winning
GERMAN BATTLES
British Eyewitness Tells
How Gases Forced
Retreat.
TAUNT FOE WITH SIGNS
Men in Trenches Exchange News Of
Victory-French Progress by
Bombardment.
TAUNT FOE WITH SIGN$

London, May 3o.-The official press bu-
reau tonight issued the following EYE
witness account Of operations on the
western front under date of May IS:
Monday. the cath, witnessed a fresh
development Of the situation on our
front. violent bombardment with gas
shells was started against the section of
our line in this quarter extending from a
point north OF Wieltje. The Germans
released poisonous gas from cylinders In
large numbers along the whole line The
gas continued to pour southwestwards
for some hours in great volume.
This attempt to asphyxiate US was. OF
course. preliminary to an assault against
the salient for which the German infan-
try had been massing on the east 1t
was carried out from three directions.
being pushed forward under cover of a
heavy bombardment.
''On q greater part Of the front our
troops were able to stand their ground
and maintained their positions in spite
Of the poisonous fumes, but on certain
sections they were forced to evacuate the
trenches.
Progress BY Bombardment.
/. THE German infantry succeeded in get
ting a footing in our front line near the
farm north Of Wieltje, for some distance
along the Roulers railway, and north
and south of the Menin Road. The enemy
lost considerably both from our artillery
fire and rife fire.
Counter attacks were organized in the
morning. and by midday our infantry
had succeeded in reoccupying their for
mer line north OF the railway. and by
evening there were no Germans west of
their original position south of the Menin
Road, though we were unable to reoc-
cupy the line on that quarter, nor near
Wieltje.
The advance Of the enemy stopped In
the neighborhood of hill No. 60 A party
of our infantry. during the night, bonn
barded their way forty yards up trench
which the Germans had taken and de-
stroyed the enemy's barricsde. recon-
structed it and held the trench.
Tainted by Sigma.
On our center. near Bots Grenier. we
gained slight success. our troops seiz-
ing ground near Bots Grenier.
'On Tuesday matters were more quiet
along the center. though German guns
were active against certain points.
Throughout the day. near Festubert, our
infantry took a short length of trench,
by bombarding. but were forced by the
German machine gun fire to give up part
of it. Later we gained three points south
of Festubert and captured thirty Ave
prisoners.
"On Wednesday. the 2th, there was
no fresh development. On the night
of the 25th and 18th. we carried another
small portion of the German trenches
and captured a machine gun. on officer
and twenty-one men. Some progress
was made.
THE night of the oSth and 18th passed
uneventfully.
"On several parts of the front COM
munication, chiefly OF the kind likely to
prove unpleasant. is maintained by the
enemy by means of signs For instance.
the Germans recently announced their
success in the Carpathians on q bulletin
board and the same means was adopted
by us in announcing the Intervention OF
Italy.