Evening star., 1915-05-18
Clashes Will Rank Among
Most Bloody in History Of
Western Europe.
GERMAN ATTACKS TURNED
INTO ALLIES VICTORIES
London Times Correspondent De-
scribes Piercing of the Teuton
Lines by British Bayonets.

LONDON May ls.-Seven separate
and distinct battles were fought in the
week lust closed and there can be lit
tic doubt that the days from Saturday
the Sth unit! Friday the 14th Will rank
among the most bloody in the history
of western Europe, says the Pas de
Calais correspondent of the Times. He
adds: ...~.
Saturday night saw no lessening in
the intensity of the struggle. On the
Ypres front. although outnumbered and
in danger of being outf1anked. our men
again and again hurled back German
attacks. During the darkness the Ger
mans, as though aware that with every
passing hour their opportunity was
slipping away, continued to hurl them
selves against our lines.
Men who lived through this night
shot until they could no longer hold
their rifles The fury of the assault
was indescribable. Dawn of Sunday
showed in the fields in front OF fpres
the dead piled like cornstalks at har-
vest time, British and German lying
side by side"
Piercing of German Line.
The piercing of the German line is
thus described by the Times corre-
date of Sunday:
Last night hell broke loose, and De-
fore sunrise this morning the British
army had stormed the German lines at
Festubert and Richebourg LAvoue
After the failure on the 9Th, the sit
cation was reconsidered. and it was n
ually decided for good and suff1cient
reasons to risk a night attack
1T was necessary for Gen. French to
act in order to support his allies. and,
q he was unable to emulate their ex-
ample and smash the German parapets
with high explosives, it was to the
British bayonets that the task of over
throwing the enemy was confded.
"He had not only to provide troops for
the pro, ,ected assault, but to hold long
length of trenches and consider the stu
alton at Ypres where the German guns
had been causing us heavy losses. In
the late afternoon Gen. French rode out
among the troops to wish them good luck.
addressing TO all few inspiring words.
The night was not very dark, but
there was no moon and scarcely any wind.
All the dispositions were made silently
after dusk. We were anything from
seventy to 800 yards from the enemy s
front trenches, and many nasty obstacles
had to be overcome We had to depend
on bayonets and grenades. 1t was too
dark for shooting.
Used Cold Steel
Our left attacked at IL 80 o'clock. and
succeeded In storming the German line
and ovsrthrowing the defenders Before
long our left center was dashing in with
cold steel It penetrated two lines Of
German trenches. and killed or wounded
most Of the defenders. and made good a
nont Of about 500 yards in the German
Doattaoo.
Our extreme left attack was less
fostunats. as q Maxim FIRE on this flank
dan soe. ana on sSs Side
p40eefAted through the opening made
by the LEFT center and soon began to
@u16Ank and break down the defenses
In ffont of the original left of our
attack.
-As the morning dawned a severe
hFo was opened from supporting posi-
lions In the rear Of the German line.
and against these our heavy guns re-
piled as soon as the light served US.
greatly aiding our advance. Our ar
tillery work was better than that Of
last week.
Take German Second Line.
AT o'clock in the morning a fresh
and formidable line of British infantry
advanced from our right against tho
German trenches in the direction of
Festubert. The men stormed the Ger
man lines with the utmost gallantry
and soon made themselves masters of
front of l.400 yards. They over
whelmed the second line and then pen
etrated the reserve trenches, causing
the enemy heavy losses.
By IL o'clock this attack had pen
etrated for mile into the German
lines and promised to extend round
the Germans who still held onto their
front trenches between our right and
our center attacks. We had, in short
by noon overthrown almost completely
the Germans on our front, and when
the writer left the scene there seemed
good hope that the inevitable German
counterattack would prove costly and
ineffective"