Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-06
British "EyeWitness'' Tells of
Failure of Last Asphyxiat-
ing Vapor Attack.
CHANGE OF THE WIND
OVERWHELMS TEUT0NS
English Fire Shells Through Clouds
of Poisonous Smoke. Slaughter
ing Enemy.

LONDON. MAY e-The British official
Eyewitness in Il long account OF 'he
engagement of the last few DAYS IN 'he
Ypres region records that the 6eI
mans have continued the use Oh as
phyxiating gases. but with less sue
cess than on the first occasion
Despite the use of gas by the ter
mans, the narrative says, the french
have made continual advances east OF
the Ypres canal, south of Pilken, the
result of which was to remove the
wedge occupied by the Germans In the
French line between the canal and the
Ypres-Langemarck road, gain OF
more than 1000 yards. During these
advances a large number of German
prisoners were taken
While the French continued their ad-
vance in this section. it is asserted tna'
the Germans attacked the British south
of Neuve Chapelle and at hill 6o. IN
both cases using gases. In the latter
attacks, however, owing to a change
in the wind, the fumes were bloWf
back toward the Germans. who are he
lieved to have suffered. as no attempt
to advance was made by them. Slml-
lar tactics are said to have been adopt
ed by the Germans in their attach
north of Ypres last Sunday.
use IaS SQcllS.
about :, o'clock in the evening". the
Eyewitness" says. "a dense cloud OIL
suffocating yapors was launched from
their trenches along the whole front
held by the French right and by our
left from the Ypres-L angemarck road
to a consiiera BILE distance east of st
Julien. The furhes did not carry much
beyond our front trenches, but these
were to a great extent rendered un-
tenable, and a retirement from them
was ordered
NO sooner had this started than the
enemy opened a violent bombardment
with asphyxiating shells and shrapnei
on our trenches and on our infantry as
it was Withdrawing. Meanwhile our
guns had not been idle. From a us
lance, perhaps owing to some peculiar
ity Of the light, the gas on this occa-
sion looked like a great reddish cloud
and the moment it was seen our bat
kteries poured concentrated fire on
THE German trenches.
Curious situations then arose be-
tween us and the enemy-the poison
belt-the upper part shredding into
thin wreaths of vapor as 1t was shaken
by the wind, and the lower and denser
part sinking into all inequalities Of the
ground and rolling slowly down the
trenches. Shells would rend 1T for a
moment. but it only settled down agar
a. thickly as before.
Shot Through Vapor Clouds.
Nevertheless the German infantr,
faced it and they faced hail of shrap
mel as we'll In some cases where thu
gas had not reached our lines GU
troops held firm and shot through TIL
cloud at the advancing Germans. Ii
other cases the men holding the from
line managed to move to the flank
where they were more or less beyont
the affected area. Here thy waited un
til the enemy came on. and then bay
onetted them when they reached ou
trenches.
ION the extreme left our support!
waited until the wall of vapor reached
our trenches. when they charged
mans with the bayoEet as they
swarmed over the parapets.
South of St. Julien the denseness o
the vapor compelled US to evacuat,
trenches. but reinforcements arrived
who charged the enemy before the!
could establish themselves in position
In every case the assaults failed com
pletely. Large numbers were mowr
down by our artillery. Men were seeI
falling in heaps and others scattering
and running back to their own lines
Many who reached the gas cloud couIt
not make their way through it, and il
all probability a great number Of tn,
wounded persisted from the fumes.
British Reoccupy Trenches.
Farther to the east a similar at
tack was made about pm, which
seems to have been attended with
even less success. and the assaultint
infantry was at once beaten back b.
our artillery fire.
ut was not long before all oul