Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-11-25

BERLIN, Nov. IS. Correspond
ence OF the Associated Press THE
lighting around Loos where the Brit.
sll succeeded in capturing a part OF
the foremost positions Of the German
lines In September Is still the subject
OF descriptive reports in the press
One Of the most animated OF such dc
scriptions is from the pen of Bern
hard Kellermann, known In America
az the author Of The Tunnel"
He says that after four days OF In
conceivably heavy artillery fire ho
British began a gas attack on the
morning Of Sept. 20. Four separate
waves OF gas, alternately white and
dark gray, we're blown forward to
ward the German lines: and at the
same time the British artillery was
hurling gas bombs upon the Germans.
The latter cOughed and held their
ground as long as they could, but many
fell, unable to resist the fumes. In
the midst OF all this the Germans
were preparing for the expected in
fantry attack. Finally the British ap
peared. emerging suddenly as II from
nowhere behind cloud of gas, and
wearing masks. They came on In
thick lines and stormins columns. The
first line Of the attackers was quickly
shot down by the hail Of rifle and ma
chine gun bullets that rained upon
them from the shattered German
trenches; the hand grenades especial
~ wrought terrible havoc, some Of
them cutting down six or eight men.
The dead and wounded soon lay like
h4 ktNv1
The second and third lines of English
suffered the same fate. 1t was esti-
mated that the number of British
killed before this German division
alone reached 5000 to 10000.
The fourth line Of attackers, how
| ever, finally succeeded in overrunning
who stood by their guns to the very
last; those of them who had not fall.
en- were made prisoners. Not one OF
them returned to tell what happened
in this terrific fighting. On the
neighboring front, too. the British sue
ceeded in breaking the German first
position; and gained here from 500 to
1000 yards of ground. At the second
German position, where their reserves
were in waiting, the attack WAS COM
pletely checked The fighting lost
something Of Its ferceness as the aft
ernoon waned; and September rs
ended with hand-tohand encounters
and hand grenade attacks at various
points along the front. The Germans
made an attack during the night and
regained part OF the lost ground.
The British renewed the next morn
ing their attempts to break through
| the German lines "They tried with
quite new tactics--or, rather, with
very old tactics that are out OF date
in this war. It was thing wholly
unexpected: and the staff officers
looked on with open-mouthed wonder.
Shortly before noon It was observed
that the British thickly massed and
In echelon formation OF eight ranks.
were advancing from Loos to attack
us. Their artillery was sending down
a hail OF shells to beat open path
for these storming masses. At the
same time the enemy mounted ar
tillcry, in broad daylight. rode up to
take a position upon Hill 70 to the
east OF Loos, which Is nothing more
than slight elevation in the land
scape hardly noticed in riding across
the fields. The batteries were car.
rying bridge material with them to en-
able them to make crossings over
trenches and natural distractions.
Still more--one or two mounted cav
airy regiments were observed on the
plain far to the rear.
Eight ranks of infantry; mounted
artillery; cavalry in the background
that was too much! A veritable bat.