Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-05-24
British Official Eye Witness
Tells Of Fight and
Losses
WOUNDED BURNED.
Dead and Injured Set on Fire by In
Cendiary Bullets of Germans is
Charge He Makes.

London, May 24-The British cor
respondent at the army headquar-
ters in France explains in des-
criptive account dated May 81 that
the British action during the first
part of the week consisted almost en-
tireiy in consolidating and expanding
the ground gained in the attack of
last Sunday, to the north of La Bas-
see. In this they were successful.
In the attack on May II, he says
the Germans who had held onto the
ground between the salients won Dv
the British to the south of Richie
bourg la Voue and north of Festu
bert, pressed on three sides and sub.
| jected to crCss-fre and continuous
| bombing, reached the limit of their
endurance, and more than 800 sur
rendered. The British having thus
Joined hands, pressed the Germans
still farther TO the eastward, fore
ing them out of one post after the
other. Entire groups surrendered.
"The fighting was made up of q
cemetery and more to the south in the
region called the Labyrinthe. At
only one point did the enemy obtain
footing for moment. That was in
one of our advanced trenches. He
was driven back Immediately and he
left within our lines numerous pri-
sonerS.
"In the forest of Arganne the Ger
mans exploded several mines close to
our positions and then tried to oc-
cupy with important force the craters
caused by tile explosion. Our infantry
repulsed the Germans and drove them
back to the point from which they
started.
"We inflicted on the enemy extreme
ly heavy losses by our shell fire and
by the use of hand grenades. The re-
pulse of the enemy has been complete.
The evening statement of the War
Office says: "In the entire region to
north of Arras, after series of
checks suffered by the Germans dur
ing the course Of last night, the fight
ing continued at certain points
with extreme violence.
"The British army has realized
progress to the east of Festubert. To
the northeast of the Chapel of Notre
Dame de Lorette we have made an
advance of several hundred yards,
and taken some prisoners.
"To the north of Neuville st. Vaast
we have carried series of enemy
trenches and have reached the cross
road to the north of the village. We
have in addition captured some new
gorups of houses in the same village.
"There is nothing to report on the
rest of the front.
"An enemy aviator has dropped
three bombs on the open town of
Chateau Thierry.
London, May 24-The Official
Press Bureau last night issued the
following account of operations of
the British troops on the western
front, dated May 81:
"In front of one Of our breast
works near Foime Cour de L'Avoue,
between La Quinqae Rue and Richie
bourgh-Lavour, a horrible scene was
witnessed during Monday. Desper-
ate fighting was going on on this
front when the remains of battalion
of Saxons, having decided to sur
render enbloc, advanced toward our
line. Not knowing what the move
ment of this, mass implied, our in;
fantry poured hail of bullets into
them, ,whereppon the survivors, some
hundreds: strong, halted, threw down
their rifles and held up their hands.
One waved white rag tied to a
stick.
GAS soon as the Prussian infantry
| to the north realized what their
Saxon comrades were trying to do
they opened a ripid fire from the
flank ,enfilading the mass.
"News of what was happening
must have been telephoned to the
German artillery further east, since