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Show GEN. FRENCH HE k STIRRING STORY iHow British Troops, Greatly Outnumbered, Defeated the Germans. London. Nov 29, 4 p m. Field Marsha Mar-sha Sir lolin French, commander in chief of the British forts in the Held, speaks in an optimistic ein concerning concern-ing the position of the allies in a report re-port Issued toda by the official press bureau. The report covers in a general gen-eral way the activities of the British troops from Octoher 11 to 20 Summing up the situation in concluding con-cluding his report, Field Marshal French says: "As I close this dispatch, signs are in evidence that we are possibly In the last stages of the battle from Ypres to Armentieres For several days past the artillery fire of the enemy en-emy has slackened considerably and his infantry attacks practically have ceased. "In remarking upon the general military mili-tary situation of the allies as it appears ap-pears to me at the present moment. It does not seem to be clearly understood under-stood that the operations in which we have been engaged embrace nearly all of the cent ml pari of the continent conti-nent of Europe, from the east to th.? west. the comomea PTen.cn, nt-i-srian and English armies In the west, and the Russian army in the east are opposed to the united forces of Germany Ger-many and Austria, acting as combined armies between us. Plan of Germans. "Our enemies elected at the begin ning of the war to throw the weight of their forces against our armies in the west and to detach only a comparatively com-paratively weak force, composed of very few" first line troops and several corps of second and third line troops, to stem the Russian advance until the western forces could be completely complete-ly defeated and overwhelmed. Their strength enabled them from the outset out-set to throw greatly superior forces against us in the west This pre eluded the possibility of our taking vigorous offensive action except when miscalculations and mistakes are made b their commanders, opening up special opportunities for successful success-ful attacks and pursuit. "The battle of the Marne was an example of this, as also was our advance ad-vance from St. Omer and Itazebrouck to the line of the river Lys at the commencement of this battle. The role which our armies in the west consequently have been called upon to fulufill hart been to occupy strong defensive positions, holding ground Biuueu aim inviting me enemy s attack at-tack and to throw back these attacks causing the enemv heavy losses in his retreat and following lnm up with powerful and successful counter attacks at-tacks to complete his discomfiture Significance of Operations. "The value and significance of operations op-erations of this nature since the beginning be-ginning of hostilities by the allies' force6 in the west lies in the fact that at the moment when the eastern provinces of Germany are in imminent danger of being overrun b the numerous nu-merous and powerful armies of Russia, Rus-sia, nearly the whole active army of Germany is tied down to a line of trenches extending from Verdun on the Alsatian frontier to the seat at Nieu-port. Nieu-port. east of Dunkirk fa distance. of 260 miles), where they are held, with much reduced numbers and impaired morale. b the successful action Df our troops In the west. "I cannot speak too highly of the services rendered by the Royal artillery artil-lery throughout the battle. In spite of the fact that the enemy brought up. in support of his attacks, great guns of long range and great shell power, our men have succeeded throughout in preventing the enemy from establishing anything in the nature na-ture of superiority in artillery. The skill, courage and energy displayed by the commanders of the Royal artll- . i mn.-nA The lerv nave uceu oi j ' - Royal engineers have been indefatiga ble iu their efforts to assist the infantry in-fantry in field fortification and trench work. Regrets Casualties. "I deoph reKret the heavy casualties casual-ties which Te have suffered, but the nature of the fighting has been very desperate and we have been assailed hy vastly superior numbers I have every reason to know that throughout the course of the battle we havo placed at least three times as many of tho enemy hors de combat in dead, wounded and prisoners. "Throughout these operations. General Gen-eral Foch has strained his resources to the utmost to afford me all the support he could An expression of mv warm gratitude is also due to General Duball, commanding the Eighth French army corps on my left, and to General de Maud Huy, commanding com-manding the Tenth army corps on my right." Discussing details of the engagement engage-ment from Ypres to Armentieres. General Gen-eral French explains that he was impressed im-pressed earh' in October with the necessity ne-cessity of giving the greatest possible possi-ble support to the northern flank of the allies in the effort to outflank tho enemy and compel him to evacuate evacu-ate his positions. Frank Movement. He says that the situation on we Aisne warranted the withdrawal of ; British troops from positions thej ! held there as the enemy hud been weakened bv continual attacks and ; the fortifications of the allies were much improved. General French made known his view to General Joffre, who agreed I with it The French general staff arranged for the withdrawal of the British, which began on October 3 r.nd was completed October 19, when the First army corps under General Sir Douglas Haig, detrained at St. Omer. The general plan, as arranged by j General French and General Foch, . commanding the French troops to the iorth of Noyon. was that the English should pivot on the French at Pethune, attackinp the Germans on their flank and forcing their way north In the event that the British forced the Germans out of their positions, po-sitions, making possible a forward movement of the allies, the Frencn and British were to march east with L-'lle us the dividing line between tho two armies, the English right being be-ing directed on Lille. Battle of October 11. The battle which torras the chief feature of General French's report really began on October 11. when Major Ma-jor General Gough of the Second Brit lsh cavalry brigade first clashed with German cavalry in the woods along the Bethune-Aire canal. The English cavalry moved toward Hazebrouck, clearing the way for two army corps, which advanced rapidly in a normejstei iy direction. ror several days Hie progress of the Brit ish was only slightly interrupted except ex-cept at La Hassee, a high position v.hich General French mentions as having stubbornly resisted. General French says the Second I'l l': iind r Gt-iM-r.il Smith-Do rrien was opposed by overpowering forces of Germans, but nevertheless ad-vanced ad-vanced until October 18, when the enemy's en-emy's opposition forced a reinforcements reinforce-ments of the Second corps. Six days later the Lahore division of the Indian In-dian army was sent to support the Seond corps Sir Henry Rawlinson, who had covered cov-ered the retreat of the Belgian army from Antwerp with two divisions of English cavalry and two divisions of French infantry, was stationed on the line east, of Ypres under orders to operate over a wide front and to keep possession of all the ground held by the allies until the First army corps could reach Ypres. General Rawlinson was opposed by superior forces and was unable to prevent the O-crmans from getting lar-e reinforcements With four army corps holding a much larger e-.Titory than (heir si7.e (Justified. General French says he facea a stubborn stub-born situation. The enemy was massed from the Lys and there was ! imperative need for a strengthened line. M H TV ot'nf flr.rinnl V'rnn r i A t i A a A o Bend the First corps north of Ypres to stop the German reinforcements reinforce-ments which might enable them to flank the allies. The shattered Bel-1 ::ian army and the worn French I troops' endeavors to check the Ger man reinforcements were powerless, so General French sent fresh troops to prevent the enemy excutlng movements move-ments which would have given hlra access to channel ports Sir Douglas Hais with the First army corps was sent October 19 to capture Bruges and drive the enemy back toward Ghent, if possible. Mean-1 time the Belgians intrenched themselves them-selves along the Ypres canal. General French comments on the valor of the Belgians, who, he says, exhausted bv weekB of constant fighting, maintained main-tained these positions gallantly Defensive Role. Because of the overwhelming numbers num-bers of Germans opposing them, General Gen-eral French says he enjoined a de- fensive role by the three army corps located south of Ypres. While General Gen-eral Jlaig made a slight advance. General Gen-eral French says it was wonderful that he was able to advance at all. owing to the bad roads and tho overwhelming over-whelming number of Germans, who made it impossible to carry out the original plan of moving to Bruges. The fighting gradually became bay-onet bay-onet charges. General French says I that October 21 brought forth the hardest attack, made on the First corns at Ypres. and in the checking of which the Worcestershire regiment displayed groat gallantry. This day I marked the most critical period in j the great battle, according to General 1 French, who says the recapture of j the village of Gheluvelt. through a I rally of the Worcestershlres, was I fraught with much consequence to the allies. Valor of Indian Troops. After referring to some of the bat ties in which the Indian troops took part, Field Marsha French says: "Since their arrival in this country and their occupation of the line allotted al-lotted to them 1 have been much impressed im-pressed by the Initiative and resource displayed by the Indian troops Some of the ruses they have employed to deceive the enemy have been attended attend-ed with the best results and have doubtless kept the superior forces in front of them at bay "Our Indian sappers and miners have long enjoyed a high reputation for skill and resource. Without going go-ing into detail, I can confidently assert as-sert that throughout their work in this campaign they have fully Justified Justi-fied their reputation. "The general officer commanding ' the Indian army describes the conduct con-duct and bearing of these troops in strange and new surroundinga to have been highly satisfactory, and I am enabled from my town observations observa-tions to fully corroborate this statement" state-ment" General French goes on to say that I T. while the whole line continued to bet heavily pressed the enemy's principal princi-pal efforts from November 1 had been concentrated upon breaking through the line herd by the First British and the Ninth French corps and thus gaining possession of the town of Ypres Three HaNarian and one German corps in addition to I tther troops v. r r all direr-ted against this northern line, according to General Gen-eral French. About November 10. after several units of these corps had been completely com-pletely shattered in futile attacks. General French continues, a division of the Prussian guards, which had i been operating In the vicinity of Arras, Ar-ras, was moved up to this area with great speed and secrecy. Documents found on dead officers, the report says, proved that the guard received the German emperor's special command to break through where their comrades of the line had failed. They took the leading part in the vigorous attacks made against the center on the 11th and L2th, says General French, but. like their comrades, com-rades, were repulsed with enormous casualties. General French pays high tribute to Sir Douglas Haig and his divisional and brigade commander -who. he says, "held the line with marvelous tenacity and undaunted courage" The field marshal predicts that their deeds during these days of stress and trial will furnish some of the most! . TURN RULE . brilliant chapters which will be found in the military history of our time." Hlgb praise also Is paid to the Third cavahrj division under Major General Julian Byng, whose foops ' were repeatedly called upon to restore re-store situations at criUca! points anil j fill gaps in the line, caused bv the tremendous losses which occurred." General French makes special men-' tion of Colonel Gordon Chesney Wilson Wil-son of the royal horse guards. Major the Hon. Hugh Dawnay of the Sec-, ond life guards, and Brigadier Gen- . eral Fitzclarence of the Irish guards, who were killed. and of Brigadier General the Earl of Cavan. who "on i many occasions was conspicuous for) the skill, coolness and courage with , which he led his troops Of the flying corps the report says "Every day new methods of employ- I ing them, both strategically and tactically, tac-tically, are discovered and put intu practlct Concerning the territorials who have been employed, the field mar-! stal says the hope as to the value and the help of them "has Imbued I me with the highest eondu'-- and I bearing oT these units under fire and the efficient manner in which they have carried out the duties assigned the territorial troops generally." nn |
