Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-14
TeutonS Fire on Red Cross Re-
peatedIy, Although Their
Own Stretcher Bearers Were
UnmoIeSted.
BREWERY TAKEN AND
LOST BY HAlG'S MEN
Rain and Mud Make Country
Almost impossible, but
EngIishmen Founder Toward
Enemy.


Press. british troops southwest of
passchendaele village during the
night pushed forward slightly in ad-
vance of the line that they reached
in yesterdays offensive but over the
major portion of the siX-mile battle
front there has been little change in
the situation. Morasses that in places
were impossible and with all points
almost impossible to push through
weere holding operations in an iron
grip.
over n large part of the front the
British this morning were holding a
line that represented appreciable
gains in territory. At a few points
check because of the weather had to
be acknowledged and the attacking
troops fell back to positions which
they had left.
Countcr-attacks Put Down.
Two counter-attacks were attempted
by the Germans yesterday and both
were dealth with quickly by the ar
tillery. One was in the neighborhood
of the Broodseinde- -Passchendaele
highway and the other started from
positions east and southwest of the
village of Passchendaele. Neither
counter-attacking force appears even
to have reached its objective before 1t
was smashed. The night was fairly
quiet as far as infantry action was
concerned. On the northern section
in the advance between Poelcapelle
and Houtholst forest fewer difficulties
were encountered in yesterdays at
tack than on the southern portion.
Along the southern edge of the forest
the British pushed their lines two
hundred yards southwark along a
/ ,300-yard front. thereby considerably
improving their previous positions.
Between the Ypres-Staden railway
and Poelcapelle the gain varies in
depth up to miximum of about 700
yards. Near the village of Poelcapelle
the line appears to be virtually what
II was yesterday morning. Between
Poelcapelle and Wallemolen on the
south the British had swung the line
out in numerous places to include
strong positions, that at some points
were 500 or 700 yards in advance of
the line from which the attack WIS
made yesterday. Southwest OF Passchen
daele along the ridge, the British were
maintaining themselves In positions
about 500 yards or more in advance
of yesterdays jumping off place and
this advantage extended along front
of about 1900 yards.
Germans Fire on Red Cross.
1t rained hard again last night and
this morning until shortly before noon
when the sun broke through the
clouds. In some cases. the British in
fantrymen were unable to keep up
with the artillery barrage and as a
result came under the rifles or ma
chine guns of the hidden enemy
marksmen who had escaped death in
the barrage. Stretcher bearers en-
countered untold difficulties. not only
from the deep mud but from German
snipers
The correspondent today talked
with several wounded stretcher bear
ers who came back from Poelcapelle
and from them heard of a remarkable
incident during yesterdays battle.
They said they operated continually
in mud that at the best was up to
their knees and in addition were con-
stantly harassed by enemy snipers
concealed in shell holes and even In
shattered trees. During the morning,
German stretcher bearers had come
numerous times to the British lines to
get their own wounded and had not
been molested because OF their Red
Cross flags Notwithstanding this, the
Germans continued firing on the Brit
ish until the climax was reached when
the strethcer bearers, working to-
gether, were shot dead by snipers hid
den nearby.
OFFICER Braves Danger.
Infuriated by this outrage Brit
ish officer seized the Red Cross flag
and waving it over his head rushed
toward the snipers. When he arrived
within speaking distance of them ne
bitterly denounced their treacherous
action, employing as his medium the
German speech which he speaks flu
entity. He called the enemy's atten-
ton forcibly to their violation of the
laws of war and humanity and point
ed out that the German stretcher
bearers, had been operating without
molestation. The officer after having
expressed himself fully marched back
to his own lines and he was not fired
upon. From then on, the stretcher
bearers said, the Germans ceased
sniping at them.
Machine guns and rifles played
more prominent part in the battle