The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-13
Big BRITISH GUNS
BETTER THAN FOES
New Weapons Show Their SUI
periority in Field, Says Of
fetal Eyewitness"
TAKE MANY PRISONERS

Special Cdbe Despatch 10 Tur srN.
LoNpoN. Feb 12.-The offlcal EYE
witness at headquarters In France gives
in despatch dated February 3 details
OF various happenings, the most inter
estlng OF which is the successful attack
on the German defences among the brick
fields south OF La Bassce Canal on
February for which the British and
French artillery prepared the way. The
eyewitness" says:
"Our heavy howitzers took part in the
bombardment. The boom and detona-
tons Of the shells were audible twenty
miles away above the roar OF other
artillery. Volumes OF smoke and debris
were thrown up The effect OF the
lydditc shells was terrific. One house
was thrown bodily into the air. Shells
burst among the brick stacks and Gre
ated great havoc among the enemy.
AN assault was launched against "A
strong position among the stacks held
BY the Germans. our stormng columns
rushed from three points at once and
captured them with very little loss for
as the prisoners afterward stated. the
noise Of the bursting shells was 81
great and the clouds OF dust were 50
thick that they did not see our men
advancing until It was too late At
the same time the trenches to the north
Of this 20 mt were stormed by another
party.
by Selling these points we were en-
abled to occupy a continuous line to the
southwark, which formed am advan-
tageous position We captured nineteen
unwounded prisoners IN addition to
mauy wounded, "A trench mortar and a
machine sun. The Germans LETT seventy
/ dead. our casualties were insign.fca Mt
our artillery, whose accuracy has
! been great feature in the recent fight
| ing, obtained here such an ascendency
ithat after an assault our troops were
actually able TO put up wire entangle-
ments in front of Their trenches In broad
/ daylight without being fired on by the
| enemys infantry.
THE prisoners captured here are
Respondent and are much shaken.
/ The Germans rely very much on an
| incendiary shell for damaging towns,
and in their recent bombardment Of
! Armeutieres they made use OF projec-
| tiles OF this type packed with candles
composed OF Celluloid. phosphorus and
wax, which material is so inhammable
that it Will ignite II placed in the
! sun"
The eyewitness" says that some of
the prisoners captured lately have been
OF comparatively poor physique, and
toll nf n NJ "A
. dead German two medical certificates
stating that he was suffering from con-
! sumption. The certificates We're accom-
, panied by an application from the sol
( dicr's father asking that the son he
relieved from the necessity of going into
| active service. The official observer
also quotes letters which he says were
| received by soldiers from home, and
which were found on bodies. complaining
Of the increase in the cost OF living
and the scarcity of bread and stating
that even schoolboys were being called
into the military service
ReVerting to the German attack on
/ CuInchy on January rs the eyewitness
says that the Germans pressed on In
swarms, many being moved down, but
yet in places reaching the British
trenches and in others penetrating be-
yond them
EBut even Nntll our line was Dfoken
he continues. portions of it continued
to resist, and our infantry, holding them
when assailed from the rear, remained
steady, faced about and met the enemy
with rifle and bayonet
Some of those in the village, who
had been engaged in clearing the enemy
out of the houses, had got somewhat
scattered. until of one party only hfteer
remained together. When these saw
that some of the enemy were established
in one of our fire trenches, just outside
they at once charged down the com,
munication trench. led by their officers
and killed or captured all the Germans
forty in number"
The eyewitness" tells of German
soldier who, noticing "A British officer
who was partially buried I'm a trench
stopped to dig him out and give him
, brandy, despite the fact that he wal
, under fire. THIS German afterward was
! killed by stray bullet.