The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-23
THE BATTLE AT Loos
German Account of British Attempt
To Pierce West Front

y FtGICE West ~ VII
Berlin. Nov. Z, Correspondence Of
The Associated Press The fighting
around Loos, where the British sue.
ceeded in capturing a part of the fore
most positions OF the German lines
in September, is still the subject OF
descriptive reports in the press. One
OF the most animated OF such descrip-
tions is from the pen of Bernhard
Kellermann, known in America as
the author of The Tunnel
He says that after four days Of in
conceiyably heavy artillery fire the
British began gas attack on the
morning of Sept IS. Four separate
waves of gas, alternately white and
dark gray, were blown toward the
German lines, and at the same time
the British artillery were hurting gas
bombs upon the Germans The lat
ter coughed and held their ground as
long as they could but many fell I'M
able to resist the fumes. In the midst
of all this Eermans were preparing
for the expeNed infantry attack.
Finally the British appeared. en-
crying suddenly as if from nowhere
behind cloud og gas, and wearing
masks. They came on in thick lines
and storming columns. The first line
Of the attackers was quickly shot
down by the hail Of rife and machine
gun bullets that rained upon them
from the shattered German trenches;
the hand grenades especially wrought
terrible havoc, ONE of them cutting
down six or eighamen The dead and
wounded soon lay5like q wall before
the German posit.m The second
and third lines OF English suffered
the same fate 1t us estimated that
the number OF Birth killed before
this German division alone reached
5000 to 10000.
The fourth line OF attackers, how
ever, finally succeeded in oyerrunning
the decimated front line G%Germans,
who stood by their guns tahe very
last; those Of them who halnot fall
! len were made prisoners. NG&one of
them returned to tell what happened
in this terrific fghting Oh the
neiehboring front, too, The Britisllsnc
4 ceeded in breaking the German t+st
I position, and gained here from 500 o
1000 yards of ground,
AT the second German position
where the reserves were in waiting
4 the attack was completely checked
The fighting lost something of It's
i ferceness as the afternoon waned
and Sept 25 ended with hand-to- hand
encounters and hand grenade attack;
at various points along the front. The
Germans made an attack during tn,
night and regained a part of the los
ground.
The British renewed the next morl
ing their attempts to break through
the German lines They tried will
quite new tactics-or, rather, Will
, very old tactics that are out of dat
: in this war It was thing wholly III
expected, and the staff officers locke,
on with open-mouthed wonder, Short
ly before noon it was observed tina
the British. thickly massed and il
, echelon formation OF eight ranks
! were advancing from Loos to attac
, Jus. Their artillery was sendin
down a hail of shells to beat ope
, path for these storming masses. a
! the same time the enemy mounted al
tilery. i'll broad daylight, rode up {
. take position upon Hill 70 to tn
east of Loos, which is nothing NOR
than slight elevation in the lane
! scape hardly noticed in riding acros
, the fields The batteries were carry
ing bridge material with them to er
! able them to make crossings owe
trenches and natural obstruction.
Still more--one or two mounted cay
airy regiments we're observed on tn
plain far to the rear
Eight ranks of infantry; mounte
artillery; cavalry in the BACKGROUND
that was too much! A yeritabl
battle plan of past age, the produc
of a mind in its dotage, and a hall
century behind the times! Command