The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-13
BRITISH USING
LYDD|TE SHELLS.
HEAVY HOWITZERS GAIN
ASCENDENCY OVER GER
MAN GUNS
BOOM HEARD ABOVE
OTHER ARTILLERY
Eyewitness Tells of Fighting in
Brick Fields South of La Bassee
Canal.


The British army IN France is using
heavy howitzers which. according to
report from the official "eyewitnP9:"
with the expeditionary force, have
gained ascendency over the heavy
German guns. The howitzers, he
states, were used in successful at
tacks on the German positions in the
brick fields south of La Bassee Canal
week ago tonight.
THE boom of these pieces" the
eyewitness said. land the detonations
of their shells were audible 20 miles
away above the roar OF the other ar
tillery. The effect OF the lyddite
shells was terrific.
THE assault was launched against
strong German position among the
brick stacks. Our storming columns
rushed the work and captured it with
little loss. Prisoners afterward said
the noise of the bursting shells was
so great and the clouds of dust so
thick that they did not observe our
men advancing until too late.
I'VE captured 10 unwounded pris-
oners and many wounded, trench
mortar and machine guns The Ger
mans left 20 dead while our casualties
were insignificant.
"The Germans showed no inclination
to accept this reverse and In the ear
ly hours of February z body ad-
vanced along the canal bank shout
ing: Don't shoot! we are engineers
This form of strategem now has lost
its novelty. Our men held their fire
until the supposed sappers were only
q few yards away and then opened
with a machine gun with the result
that the engineers fell back, leaving
80 dead
"A great feature Of the recent fight
ing has been the accuracy of our ar
tillery fire. On one occasion our guns
blew the Germans out of trenches on
an embankment only 40 yards from
those we were holding.
"On- February 6 most of the enemy's
casualties were, due to our shell fire.
The whole of the area both behind
and in front of the trenches we now
hold were Uttered OF the bodies Of
hundreds OF Germans killed since
January 25. Our artillery fire here
he's obtained such ascendancy .hat
after the assault on that day our
troops actually put up barbed wire
entanglements in front OF their
trenches in broad daylight without
being fred al
diary shell for damaging towns and
m their recent bombartiment Of Ar
mentieres used projectiles packed
with material so inflammable II will
ignite IL placed in the sun"
.s.Ar--
toner's captu1ed lately have been of
poor physique and tells of finding in
the pocket Of dead German two
medical certificates stating that he
was suffering from consumption.
Reverting to the German attack on
Cuinchy, January 20, the "syewit-
ness" says the Germans pressed on
in swarms. being moved down but
yet in places reaching the British
trenches and in others penetrating
beyond them.
"But even when our line was brok-
en-" he continues, portions OF 1t con-
tinued to resist and our infantry hold
ing them when assailed from the rear
remained steady, faced about and met
the enemy with rifle and bayonet.
Some of those In the villages who
had been engaged In clearing the enc
my out OF the houses, got somewhat
scattered until out OF the party only
Is remained together when they saw
that snine nf the enemy were estab-
lished in one of our fire trenches Just
outside. They at once charged down
the communication trench and killed
or captured all the Germans. forty In
number"
who was partially bHried in trench,
stopped to dig him ont and give him
brandy despite the fact that ne was
unuer fre. This German afterwards
was killed by stray bullet.