The Washington herald., 1915-05-03
fumes DEFEAT
: ARMY'S ADVANCE
Fighting Around St. Julien
Satisfactory to British.
Germans Use Gas.
FRENCH MAKE HEADWAY
Briton Who Drops Bombs Over Cour-
|. trai Wounded. Returns to His
Lines and Then Dies.

London. May THE official press
bureau issued the following narrative
under date of April 80, from the army
eye witness" attached to Field Mar
shall French's staff.
''On Saturday. April "a, at dawn
an airship appeared in the sky and
dropped four red stars which fioated
downwards slowly. When our men,
whose eyes had been fixed on this
display of pyrotechnics. again turned
to the front they found that the Ger
man trenches had been made invisi-
BILE by wall of greenish yellow
vapor bearing down on them. Through
this the Germans started shooting
During the day of Saturday they en-
ployed stupefying gas on several oc-
ca sions in this quarter, butthey did
not press on very quickly for the
reason. given by a German prisoner,
that many of the enemy's infantry
were SO affected by the fumes that
they could not advance.
Captured British Trenches.
"On the morning of the 2Sth the
Germans, who had been massing at
st. Julien, made several assaults
which grew more and more fierce
but British re-enforcements were sen,
up and the position was made secure
'HNi W inc east our line was
pierced near Brodseindc where a
small body of the enemy established
themselves in portion of our
trenches. In the afternoon a strong
combined countersttack was deliy-
cred by the French and British along
the whole front from Steenstraate to
a point east OF st. Julien accompa-
MED by violent bombardment.
This moment marked the turning point
Of the battle for. although it affected no
great change in the situation, it caused
II definite check to the enemy's offensive
relieved the pressure and gained a GER
tain amount of ground.
During this Counter-attack guns con-
centrated by both sides on a compa rative
narrow front poured in a great volume
Of fire.
"Our infantry stormed the German
trenches close to St Julien and in the
evening gained the southern outskirts of
the village. In the center they captured
several trenches a little to the south of
the Des Cusinirs wood and still farther
10 the west more trenches were taken.
rms represented an advance OF from 600
10 100 yards, but the gain Of ground could
rot be maintained at all points. Opposite
st. Julien we fell back to a position south
and in front of Des Cuisinirs wood and
on the left of the line similar treatment
WIN
use or gas cylinders and machine gun.
placed on farms and other points of van
taGe.
None the less, the situation at night
tall was more satisfactory than it had
been. We are holding our own all along
the line and had progress at some points |
On the right the enemy's atackc on |
Grafenstael ridge all had been rcpulsed. |
French RetOok Lfzerne.
Meantime the French had achieved |
success. having retaken Lizerne and also |
the trenches around Het Sas. They cap
tured 80 prisoners and made progress all |
along the west bank of the canal
Heavy though our losses were, there |
is little doubt that the enemy suffered |
terribly. Both sides were attacking at |
different points and the fighting was con-
Quoted largely in the open. The close |
formations of the Germans presented ex-
cellent targets for our artillery
The British air raid at Courtrai was |
one of the most heroic episodes of the |
war. The aviator started alone in a |
bplane. On his arrival over Courtrai, |
he glided to a height OF but 800 feet and |
dropped a large bomb on the railway |
junction. He was the target Of hundreds |
of rifles. machine guns. and antiair. He |
decided to save his machine at all costs |
and made for the British lines descend |
ing to a height Of 100 feet in order to |
increase his speed.
He was again wounded and few back |
to his own base where he executed |
perfect landing and made his report. |
He died in the hospital shortly after
ward.
"A machine gun was stationed at an /
angle of the trench when the German !
rush took place and one man after an
other was shot. The gun continued i'll |
action, though five bodies lay around it |
when the sixth man took the place of his |
fallen comrades. one of whom was his |
brother. The Germans still pressed on.
He waited until they were but a few
yards away and then poured stream
of bullets into their advancing ranks.
which broke and fell back. leaving whole
rows of dead. He was then wounded
himself