Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-17
EVERY FORM OF ATTACK
USED AGAINST BRITISH
Germans Prepare for Infantry AS
sault by Gas and Frightful
Artillery Fire.
THEIE PLANS GO ASTRAY
Desperate Charges Are Driven Back,
and Thousands of Bodies Are Left
in Bloody Field of Ypres-Story
Told by Eyewitness"
THEIE PLANS GO AsTRAY

Especial Cable to The Times Dispatch
LONDON. May 16.-The press bureau
tonight gave out the following eye
witness" account Of the lighting around
Ypres. under date Of May IA:
"On Monday, the 10th, the fighting
on our front was confined to the Ypres
salient. where it continued to rage
with the same intensity as on the day
before. especially along the eastern
face and both sides OF the Mcnln road
Apparently, the enemy's purpose
was to wear us out and batter our
trenches with high explosives After
their artillery had done It's worst, the
ombardment being the most violent
experienced up to now, the Germans
brought up their gas cylinders.
Half an hour later. having allow ed
the gas TO produce the expected effect,
the infantry advanced to attack our
trenches.
Their methods of frightfulness went
astray, for our men. provided with
| measures for counteracting the gas.
still were very much alive. and a
strange scene was witnessed.
GERMAN ATTACKERS
IN BRITISH UNIFORMS
Through the scattered woods and
across the clearing streamed loose dis
ordered mob of attackers, some being
In British uniform. in order to put us
OF our guard and give time for the
rest of their mon to come up.
suddenly our infantry lined the
parapets and poured in n rapid fire
from their rifles and machine guns.
Our guns also opened heavy fire with
shrapnel and in few moments the
ground was strewn with dead and
dying Germans all along the front.
Amid this scene of horror and con-
fusion. and out of the smoke and dust.
there suddenly emerged n man dressed
in Highland uniform, shouting Don't
shoot! don't shootr as he ran towards
us The ruse was seen through. how
ever. and he fell instantly, riddled nv
bullets.
AT one point the Germans succeeded
in gaining a portion OF our position,
nut' apparently. they were forced to re-
tire because Of the gas.
Another effort to drive us from our
trenches by means of gas was made
north OF Ypres. on the Comes Canal
The Germans here had two batteries OF
cylinders placed so that tho nozz,es
projected over their parapets. For
half an hour q cloud of white ros
spurted out in such dense volume that
man could not see his hands in front
or his face. It's fumes bleached the
grass and turned the sandbags on the
parapets a bright yellow color. No
infantry attack was attempted, al
thouSh our trench had to be evacuated
Tor time. II was soon reoccupied
THEY SUFFER EQUALLY
FROM I:fFECTS nr, -. g
1T is probable that the Germans
suffered equally from the effects ~
the gas, and had to leave their own
trenches
"a third attack took place north Of
tho Menin road. The enemy. for tho
time being. obtained Judgment in our
trenches on the outskirts OF the Bolle
waarde wood but they were driven out
by n counterattack.
on the morning of the 1lth tho
hostile heavy artillery again opened
iire all around the salient, their fire
being especially severe against that
portion OF our line which Law astride
OF the st. julien road. An assault was
hurled against our trenches south ~
Menin road. Three separate efforts
were made. and when We counterat
tackled. tho enemy offered the most
feeble resistance, and easily was driven
back.
some hours previously the Germans
mad been throwing incendary shells
into Ypres, and tho town was blazing
fercely at several places, while a dense
pail of smoke hung over it,
ON Wednesday. tho l2th. there were
no infantry attacks, but tho shelling
continued heavily. Our artillery re-
taliatcd with good effect 4 minc cal,
Continued on Third Page)
SOJTHERN's BIRMINGHAM SPECIAL.