Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

5 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

THREE MONTHS' WARFARE.

Rhestrau Manwl, Canlyniadau a Chanllawiau
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THREE MONTHS' WARFARE. Welsh Regiments Brilliant Work. The Press Bureau has issued the following long dispatch from Sir John, French, received on the 12th inst. It covers a period of nearly three months— I from Nov. 20th, the date of Sir John's I previous dispatch, until the first week in February—and deals principally with the furious fighting round La Bassee and Givenchy. IVoin the Field-Marshal Commanding- in-Chief, the British Army in the Field. To the Secretary of State for War, War Office. London, S.W. General Headquarters, Feb. 2, 1915. My Lord,- I have the honour to forward a furthei-I report oil tho operations of the Army! under my command.. 1- In the period under rmciew the I Kiiient feature was the presence of his Majesty the King in the field. His Majesty arrived at Headquarters Oil 30 and left on Dec 5. At a time when the strength and en- nt iirunce of tho troops had been tried to the utmost throughout the long and arduous battle of Ypres-Arnientieres the presence of his Majesty in their midst Was of the greatest possible help and en- couragement. His Majesty visited all parts of the extensive area of operations and held numerous inspections of the troops be- hind the line of trenches. On Xov. 16 Lieutenant his Royal High- ness the Prince of Wales, K.G., Grena- mer Guards, joined my Staff as Aide-de- vamp. 2. Since the date of my last report the operations or the Army under my com- mand have been subject almost entirely to the limitations of weather. History teaches us that the course of campaigns in Europe, which have been actively prosecuted during the months of December and January, have been largely influenced by weather conditions. It should, however, be thoroughly under- stood throughout the country that the nio&t recent development of armaments and the latest methods of conducting warfare have added greatly to the difhli culties and drawbacks of a vigorous win- ter campaign. To cause anything more than a waste of ammunition long-range artillery fire requires constant and accurate observa- tion; but this most necessary condition Ü. rendered impossible of attainment in the midst of continual fog and mist. Again, armies have now grown accus- tomed to rely largely on aircraft recon- naissance for accurate information of tl-i. enemy; but the effective performance of flii,s s(,,rvice is materially influenced by wind and weather. The deadly accuracy, range, and quick- firing capabilities of the modern rifle and machine gun require that a fire-swept I 2ore be crossed in the shortest possible of time by attacking troops. But: if men are detained under the enemy's fire, by the difficulty of emerging from a i ?a?r-lo?ged trench, am' by the necessity of passing over ground knee-deep in hold- ing mud and slush, such attacks become practically prohibitive owing to (be ?ses-they entail.  During the exjgends of the!g heavy fighting which ended in j the Li-?t week of November, the French and British forces had become &?mew hat mixed up, en- ailing a certain amount of dif6- { culty in- matters of supply and m } securing unity of command. By the end of November I was able to concentrate the Army under my command in one urea, and, by holding a shorter line, to establish effective reserves. | By the beginning of December there Was a considerable falling off in the volume of artillery fire directed against om' front by tho enemy. Reconnaissance and re- ports showed that a certain amount of artillery had been j witbdrawn. We judged that the j cavalry in our front, with the ex- ception of one Division of the |j Guard, had disappeared. There did not;, however, appear to have been any great diminution 1 in the number of infantry holding the trenches. 9 3. Although both artillery and ritie fire were exchanged with the 1 enemy every day, iin(I ii, went on more or less continuomly during the hours of daylight, the operations which call lor specif] I record or comment are compara- jR§ lively few. During the la?tw?k in Novem- f ber seme ?uc"??fut minor night | operations vrere carried out by *h'? -tth Corps. t On the night of November 23-24 a small party of the 2nd Lincoln- shire Regiment, under Lieutenant F. H. Impey, cleared three of the enemy's advanced trenches oppo- site the 25tli Brigade, and with- drew without loss. On the night of the 21th-25tJ. Captain J. R. Minshull Foru Royal Welsh Eiiiii.ieri., with 15 men of the Royal Engineers and iioyal Welsh Fusiliers, success lully mined and blew up a grout of farms immediately in iront 01 the German trenches on the Ton- quet Bridoux Road which had been used by German snipers. On the night of Noveinlier 26th- 27th a small party of the 2nd ix.-ois Guards, under Lieutenant :-i t' h 11. W. flulse, Bart, rushed the trenches opposite the LY>t u k Brigade, an d after pouring a h«vvy On the night of November 2t>th-27 small party of the 2nd hcots Guards, under Lieutenant Sir E. H. W. liulse,I Bart., rushed the trenches opposite the 20th Brigade, and after puuring a heavy fire into them ra-Ltii-ied with useful in- formation as to the strength of the Ger- mans and the position of machine-guns. The trenches opposite the 25th Brigade were rushed the same night by a patroll of the 2nd Ritle Brigade, under Lieu- tenant E. Durham. On November 2:ii-d, the ]L.h Regiment of the 14th German Army Corps succeeded in capturing so me 800 yards of the trenches held by the Indian Corps, but the General Officer Conllllanding the I Meerut Division organised a powerful counter-attack, which lasted throughout the night. At daybreak on November 24th the line was entirely re-establishpa. The operation was a costly one, in- volving many casualties, but the enemy offered far more heavily. captured over 100 prisoners, in- .,b three officers, as well as three machine guns and two trench mortars. On Dec. 7 the concentration of the Indian <Jo.rps was completed by fthe arrival of the Sirhind Brigade from Egypt. On Dec. 9 the enemy attempted to com- menoe a etrong ettaek against the 3rd Corps, particularly in front of the trenches held by LSia A/rgyll and Sutherland High- landers and the Middlesex Biejrtment. They were driven back with heavy lose, and did not renew the attempt. Our casual- tie, were very slight .Lmrin? Ole early days of D."ember cer- tain indications along the whole front of the Ailied Ene mduced .:he French Com- m"ndeœ and myself to beU?v? that the! enem Y had withdrawn con?idfr?ble fQroea from the Weai^m theatre ?rrajigcrnc))?? "m made wih tho C"Tn -d- of ta? 8th FrMMh Axmf <h? ?J attack to be commeDcved on the morning of Dec. 14. Operations began a.t 7 ajn. by a com- bined heavy artillery bombardment by the tw,. French and the 2nd British Corps Tho British objectives were the Petit Bois and the Mad;<ht Spur, lying resp<?c- tively to the we?t and the south-weft oi the village of Wytecha^te. At 7.45 a.m. the Ko>al Scots, with great (lash, rushed forward and attacked the former, while tile Gordon Highlanders at- tacked the latter I)laco The lk. al Sco'iis, commanded bv Major j F. J Duncan, D.S.O., iu faco of a terrible j machine gun fore, carried the German trench on the west edge of the Petit Bois, capturing two machine guns and S3 pri- soners, .including one office; The Gordon Highlanders, with great gal- Jantry, ad vanced up the Maedelsteed Spur, forcing the enemy <0 evacuate their front trench. They were, however, losing heavily, and found themselves unable to set any further. At nightfall they were obliged to fall back to their original posit ion Oapt. C. Boddam-Whetham and Lieut. W. F. R. Dobie showed splendid dash, and with a few men entered the enemy's leading trenches; but theyfcvere all either killed or captured Lieut G. R. V. Hume-Gore and Lieut. W. H. Paterson also distinguished themselves by their gallant leading. Although not successful, the operation was most creditable to the fighting spirit of the Gordon Highlanders, most ably commanded by Maj. A. W. F. Baird, D.S.O. As the 32nd French Division on thn leit had been unable to make any progress, the further advance of our infanti-y inij the Wytschaete Wood was not practicable. Possestuoii of the western edge of the Petit Bois was, however, retained. The ground was devoid of cover and so water-logged that a, rapid advance wa<s im- possible, the men sinking deep in the mud at every 6tep they took. The artillery throughout the oay was very skilfully handled by the C.B.A.s .f the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Divisions: Major- General F. D. V. Wing, C.B.; Brigadier- General G. F. Milne, C.B., D.S.O., and Briga- dier-General J. E. W. Meadlam, C.B., D.S.O. The casualties during the day were about 17 officers and 407 other ranks. The losses of the enemy were very considerable, large numbers of dead being found in the Petit Bois, and also in the commiuiicat- ins trenches in front of the Gordon High- landers, in one of which a hundred were counted by a night patrol. On this day the artillery of the 4th Divi- sion, 3rd Corps, was used in support of the ittack. under orders cf the General Officer Commanding 2nd Corpe- The remainder of the 3rd Corps made demonstrations against the epemy with a view of preventing him from detaching troops to the area of operations of the 2nd Corps. From Dec. 15 to 17 the offensive opera- tions which were commenced on the 14th were continued, but were confined chiefly to artillery bombardment. The infantry advance against Wyt- sehaete Wood was not practicable until the French on our left could ma.ke so rue progress to afford protection to that flank. On the 17lh it was agreed that the plan of attack as arranged should be modified but I was iwj nested to continue demon- IHIMMMIMHI "T ■miimi ■'HImijiim■■nar—a—aea lJl M ïh a A map showing the area mentioned in Sir OLlll French's Dispatch. .). I strations along my line in order to assist and support certain Freud) operations which were being conducted elsewhere. 4. In his desire to act with energy up to his instructions to demonstrate and occupy the enemy, the General Officer Commanding the Indian Corps decided to take the advantage of what appeared to him a favourable opportunity to launch attacks against the advanced trenches in his front on Dec. 18 and 19. The attack of the Meerut Division on the left was made on the morning of the 19th with energy and determination, and was at first attended with considerable success, the enemy's advanced trenches being captured. Later on, however, a counter-attack drove them back to their original position with considerable loss. The attack of the Lahore Division com- menced at 4.30 a.m. It was carried out by two companies each of the 1st High- land Light Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 4th Gurkha Rifles, of the Sirhind Brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. H. Ronaklson. This attack was completely sueessful, two lines of the enemy's trenches being captured with little loss. Before daylight the captured trenches were filled with as many men as they would hold. The front was very re- stricted, communication to the rear im- possible. At daybreak it was found that the posi- tion was practically untenable. b)'h flanks were in the air, and a supporting attack, which was late in starting, and I therefore, conducted during the daylight, failed, although atempted with the I ereate-st gallantry and resolution. f LMut.-Col. Honaldeon held on till dusk, when the whole of the captured trenches bad to be ?'acua?-d, and th? detachment fell back to i? ongmal line. By tb? night ? De? ? m&k a.U?? ground gained during the day had been lest From daylight on Dec. 20 the enemy commenced a heavy fire from artillery and trench mortars on the whole front of the Indian Corps. This was followed by infantry attacks, which were in especial force against Givencliv, and between that place and La Quinquc Rue. At about 10 a.m. the enemy succeeded in driving back the Sirhind Brigade and cap- turing a considerable part of Given^hv, I but the 57th and !tb Bnopals, north of the canal, and the Connaught Rangers, south of it, stood firm. The 15th Sikhs of the Divisional Reserve were already supporting the Sirhind Bri- gade. On the news of the retirement of the latter being received, the 17th Sikhs j were also sent up to reinforce General Branker. The 1st Manchester Regiment, 4th Suffolk Regiment, and two battalions of French Territorials under General Car- negy were ordered to launch a yirous counter-attack from Pont Fixe through J Givenchy to retake by a flank attack the trenches lost-by the Sirhind Brigade. Orders were sent to General Carnegy to divei-t his attack on Givenchy Village, and to re-establish the situation there. A battalion of the 58th French Division was sent to Annequin in support. About, 5 p.m. a galkuit attack by the 1st Manchester Regimgpt and one company of the 4th Suffolk Regiment had captured Givenchy, and had cleared the enemy out of the two lines of trenches to the north- east. To the east of the village tjie Mb Bhopal Infantry and 57th Rifles had main- tained their positions, but the enemy were stikl in possession of our trenches to the north of the village. General MAebain, with the Secuiiderabad Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles, and the 47th Silks, wac; sent up to support General Brunker, who at 2 p.m. directed General Macbean to move w a position of readinese in tho second line trenches from Maris northward, and to counter-attack vigourously if opportunity offered. Some considerable delay appears to have occurred, and it was not until 1 a.m. on the 21",t that the 47th Sikhs and the 7t.h Dra- goon Guards under the command of Lieut. Col. H. A. Lempriere, -D.S.O., of the latter regiment, were launched in counter-attack. They reached the enemy's trenches, but. were driven out by enfilade lire, their gal- lant Commander being killed. The miin attack by the remainder cf General LTaohcan's force, with the rem- nants of Lietit.-C-ol. Iempriere's detach went (which had again been rallied), wa"¡ finally pushed in at about 4.30 a,3n.: a-i-d' also failed In the northern section of the defensive line the retirement of the 2nd Battalion :JJd Gurkha Rifles, at about 10 a.m. on the 20th, h,id left the flank of the 1st Seafortli High- landers, on the extreme right cf the Meerut division line, much exposed. This battalion left shortly afterwards completely in the air by the retirement of the Sirhind Bri-. gade. The 58th Rifles, therefore, were ordered: to support the left of the Seaforth High-r landers, to fill the gap created by the retirement of ttte Gurkhas. During the whole of the afternoon airenuous efforts were uiado by the Sea- forth Highlanders to clear the trenches to their right and left. The 1st Battalion. 9th Gurka Itifles, reinforced the 211d Gurkhas near the orchard where the Ger- mans were in occupation of the trenches i abandoned by the latter regiment.. The: Garhwal Brigade was being very heavily I attacked, and their trenches and loop- ii holes were much damaged; but the brigade continued to hold its front and attack,; connecting with the 6th Jats on the left of the Dehra Dun Brigade. No advance in-force was made by the enemy, but the troops were pinned to their ground by heavy artillery fire, the Seaforth Highlanders, especially suffering heavily. Shortly before nightfall the 2nd Royal Highlanders on the right of the Seaforth Highlanders had succeeded in establish- ing touch with the Sirhind Brigade; and the continuous line (though dented near the orchard) existed throughout the Meerut Division. Early in the afternoon of December 20 orders were sent to the 1st Corps, which was then in general army reserve, to send an infantry brigade to support the Indian Corps. The 1st Brigade was ordered to Bethune, and reached that place at midnight on December 20-21. Later in the day Sir Douglas Haig was ordered to move the whole of the 1st Division in support of the Indian Corps. The 3rd Brigade reached Bethune be- tween 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the 21st, and on the same date the 2nd Brigade arrived at I.acon at 1 p.m. The. 1st Brigade was directed on Givenchy, via Pont Fixe, and the 3rd Brigade, thrOOlgh Gorre, on the trenches evacuated by the Sirhind Brigade. The 2nd Brigade was directed to support; the Dehra Dun Brigade being placed at the I disposal of the. General Officer Command- ing Meerut Division. At I p.m. the General Officer Com- manding the 1st Division directed the Brigade in attack from the west of Givenchy in a north-easterly direction, and the 3rd Brigade from Festubert in an east-north-easterly direction, the object being to pass the position origin- ally held by us and to capture the Ger- man trenches 400 yards to the east of it. By 5 p.m. the 1st Brigade had obtained a hold in Givenchy, and the ground south as far as the canal; and the 3rd Brigade had progressed to a point half-a-mile ifest of Festubert. By nightfall the 1st South Wales Bor- derers and the 2nd Welsh Regiment of the Srd'-Brigade had made a lodgment in the original trenches to the north-east of Festubert, the 1st Gloucestershire Regi- ment continuing the line southward along the track east of Festubert. The 1st Brigade had established itself on the east side of Givenchy. By 3 p.m. the 3rd Brigade was con- centrated at Le Touret, and was ordered to retake the trenches which had been lost by the Dehra Dun Brigade. By 10 p.m. the support trenches west of the orchard had been carried, but the original fire trenches had been so com- pletely destroyed that they could not be occupied. This operation was performed by the let Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and the 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, sup- ported by the 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corps, in reserve. Throughout this day the unfts of the Indian Corps rendered all the assistance and support they could in view of their exhausted condition. At 1 p.m. on the 22nd Sir Douglas Haig took over corpmand from Sir James Will- cocks. The situation in the front line was then approximately as follows: South of the La Bassee Canal thfc Connaaght Rangers of the Fzrozapore &crtb i of the canal a short length 'f our original lire was still held by the th Bhopals and the 57th Riflles vf the fame brigade. XJonnorting with the latter -vaA tho 1st Brigade holding the ill-ago of Givenchy anil its eastern and northern approaches. On the left of the 1st Brigade was the 3rd Brigade. Touch had been lost between the left of the former and the right of the latter. The 3rd Brigade held a liue along, and iu places advanced to, the east of the Festhubert Road. lis left was in communication with the right of the Meerut Division line, where troops of the 2nd Brigade had just relieved the 1st Seaforth Highlanders. To the north, units of the 2nd Brigade held an in- dented line west, of the orchard, connect- ing with half of the. 2nd Royal High- landers, half of the 41st Dogvas, and the 1st Battalion 3th Gurkha Rifles. From this point to the north the 6tli Jats and the whole of the Garhwal Brigade occu- pied the original line which they had held from the commencement of. the operations. The relief of most units of the southern sector was effected on the night of Decem- her 22. The Meerut Division remained under the orders of the 1st Corps, and was not completely withdrawn until December 27 In the evening the position at Givencliv was practically re-established, and the 3rd Brigade had re-occupied the old line cf trenches. During tho 23rd the enemy's activities ceased, and the whole position was re- stored to very much its original condi- tion. In my last dispatch I had occasion to mention the prompt and ready help I re- ceived from t.he Lahore Division, under the command of Major-General H. B. B. Watkis. C.B.. which was thrown into action immediately on arrival, when tho British Forces were very ha.rd pressed during rhe Battle of Ypres—Armentieres. The Indian troops have fought with the utmost steadfastnq^s and gallantry whenever they have been called upon. Weather conditions were abnormally bad, the snow and floods precluding any active operations during the first three tveeks of Januaiy. 5 At 7.30 a.m. on January 25th the enemy began to shell Bethune, and at 8 a.m. a strong hostile infantry attack de- veloped south of tho canal, preceded by a heavy bombardment of artillery, minen- werfers, and. possibly, tho explosion of mines, though the latter is ooubtlui. The British line &<"HI:1I of the c-anal formed a pronounced salient from the canal on the left, thence running forward towards the railway triangle and back to the maiu La Bassee—Bethune Road, where it joined tlie French. This line was occupied by half a. battalion of the Scais Guards, and half a battalion of the Coldstream Guards, of the 1st Infantry Brigade The trenches in the salient were blown in almost at once, and the enemy's attack penetrated this line. Our troops retired to a partially prepared second line, running- approximately due north and south froru the canal to the road some 500 yards west cf the railway triangle. This eeoond line had to be strengthened by the construction ..f a keep halfway between the canal and the road. Here the other two half battalions of the above-mentioned regiments were in support ,ihes,e supports held up the enemy, WIlQ, however, managed to establish himself in tho bi-ick svackg and some communication trenches between the ke"p. the road, and Ule canal and even beyond and west of the keep on either side of it. The London Scottish had in the mean- time been sent up in is up port, and a counter-attack was organiser) with the 1st Royal Highlanders, part. of the 16,L Cameron Highlanders, and the 2nd King's Royal Rille C?rp&. the latter regiment having b?on eent I forward fr?m the Dividual Reserve. The c?unter-a.tta/? w" delayed in order to synchronise with a oounter-etitaek north of the Ganal which wan 6rranged for 1 p.m. At 1 p.m. these ?rofpa moved forward, their Qanks Baking g?od progress near the roa/i and the canal, but their centre b?in? beld up. The ?d Ecyal ?n?ex EcSim-aut was then sent forward, lute in the afternoon, to -reinforce Tha result was that tlie Germans were driven back far enough to enable a somewhat broken line to be taken up, running from the cjil- vert on the railway, almost due eouth to the keep, and thence south-east to the main road. The French left neir the road had also been attacked, and driven back a, little, but not to so great an extent, as the British right. Consequently the French left was in advance cf the British right, and exposed to a possible flank attack from the north. The Germans did not, however, persevere further in their attack The above-mentioned line was strength- ened during the night, and the lat Guards Brigade, which had suffered severely, was wthdrawn into re^serve and replaced by the 2nd Infantry Brigade. VThilo this was taking place another and equally severe attack was delivered north of tha canal against the village of Givenchy. At 8.15 a.m, after a heavy artillery bom- bardment with high explosive shell's, the enemy's infantry advanced under the ',effm- tive firo of our artillery, which, however, was hampered by the constant interruption of telephonic communication between the observers and battenes. Nevertheless, our artillery tire, combined with that of the in- fantry in tile lire trenches, had the effect of driving the enemy from its original direction of advance, with the result that his troops crowded together .on the north- east corner of the village and broke through into the oentre of the village as far aa the keep, which had baen previously put in a state of defence. The Germans had lost "heavily, and a well-timed local counter-attack, delivered by the reserves of the 2nd WeLsh Regiment and 1st South Wales Borderers, and by a company of the 1st Royal Highlanders (lent by the I-st Brigade as a working party—this company was at work on the keep at the time), was completely success- ful, with the result that after about an hour's street fighting all who had broken into the village were either captured or killed, and the original line round the vifctge was re-established by noon. South of the village, however, and close to the canal, the right of the 2nd Royal Muster Fusiliers fell back in conformity with the troops south of the canal; but after dark that regiment moved forward and occupied the old line. Huring the course of the attack on orivench.v the enemy made five assaults on the salient at the north-east of the vil- lage about French Farm, brut was repulsed every time with heavy loss. 6. On the morning of Jan. 29 attacks were made on the right of the 1st Corps, south of the canal in the neighbourhood of La BaaseA. The enemy (part of the 14th German Corps), after a sevare shelling, made a violent attack with scaling Ladders on the keep, al?o to the north and south of it. In the keep and on the north side the Su?x JStguump hd the enemy off, in- o S in- l Ai- M "4i' ia .J??iL 1??.- south "ide the hostile infantry succeeded j in reaching1 the Northamptonshire Regi- I nientJs trenches; but were immediately counter-attacked and all killed. Odr ar- j tillery co-operated well with the infantry in repelling the attack. In this action our casualties were ;P, considerable, but the enemy lost ooverely, more than 200 of his killed alone ?ei? lof? in front oi our position. 7* On Feb. 1 a fine piece of work was carried out by the 4th Brigade in the neighbourhood of Cuinchy. Some of the 2nd Coldstream Guards were driven from their trenches at 2.30 a.m., but made a stand some twenty yards east of them in a position which they held till morning. A counter-attack, launched at 3.1.5 a.m. by one company of the Irish Guards and half a company of the 2nd Coldstream Guards, proved unsuccessful, owing to heavy rifle fire from the cast and south. I At 10.5 a.ill.. acting under orders of the 1st Division, a heavy bombardment was opened on the lost ground for ten minutes; and this was followed immediately by an assault by ahout 50 men of the 2nd Cold- stream Guards with bayonets, led by Capt. A. Leigh Bennett, followed by 30 men cf the Irish Guards, led by Second-Lieuten- ant F. F. Graham, also with bayonets. [ These were followed bv a party of Royal Engineers with sand bags and wire. All the ground which had been lost was brilliantly retaken; the 2nd Coldstream Guards also taking another German trench and capturing two machine guns. Thirty-two prisoners fell into OUT hands. The General Officer Commanding 1st Division describes the preparation by the artillery as splendid, the high explosive shells dropping in the exact spot with ab- solute precision." In forwarding his report on this en- gagement, the General Officer Command- ing First Army writes as follows: Special credit is due— (i) To Mujor-General Haking, Com- manding 1st Division, for the prompt manner in which he arranged this counter-attack and for the general plan- of action, which was crowned with success. (ii) To the General Officer Command- ing the 4*h Brigade (Lord Cavan) for the thorough manner in which he carried out the orders of the General Officer Commanding the Division. (i i j) To the regimental officers, non- commissioned officers, and men of the 2nd Coldstream Guards and Irish Guards, who, with indomitable pluck, stormed two sets of barricades, cap- tured three German trenches, two machine guns. and killed or made pri- soners manv of the enemy. 8. During the- period, under report tlie Royal Flying Corps has again per- formed splendid service. Although tba weather was almost uni- formly bad and the machines suffered from the constant exposure, there have been only thirteen days on which no actual reconnaissance has been effected. Approximately, one hundred thousand miles have been flown. In addition to the daily and constant work of reconnaissance and co-operation with the artillery, a number of aerial combats have been fought, raids carried out, detainments harassed, parks and petrol depots bombed, etc. e t,- Various successful bomb-dropping raicis have been carried out, usually against the enemy's aircraft material. The prin- ciple of attacking hostile aircraft when- ever and wherever seen (unless highly important information is being de- livered) has been adhered to, and has re- sulted in the moral fact that enemy machines invariably beat immediate re- treat when chased. live berman aeroplanes are known to have been brought to the ground, and it would appear probable that others, though they have managed to reach their own lines, have done so in a con- siderably damaged condition. 9. In my dispatch of Nov. 20, 1914, I refpii-fd to the reinforcements of Terri- torial troops which I had received, and I mentioned several units which had al. ready been employed in the fighting line. In the positions which I held for some years before the outbreak of this war I was brought into close contact with the Territorial Force, and I found every reason to hope and believe that, when the hour of trial arrived, they would justify every hope and trust which was placed in thera. The Lords-Lieutenants of Counties and the Associations which worked under them bestowed a vast amount of labour and energy on the organisation of the Territorial Force; and I trust it may be some recompense to them to know that L and the principal commanders serving under me, consider that the Territorial Force has far more than justified the most sanguine hopes that any of us ventured to entertain of their value and use in the field. Commanders of cavalry divisions are unstinted in the praise of ibe-n,,aniier, in which the Yeomanry regiments at- tached to their brigades have done their duty, both in and out of action. The ser- vice of divisional cavalry is now almost entirely performed by Yeomanry, and divisional commanders report that they are every efficient. Army corps commanders are loud in their praise of the Territorial battalions which form part of Dearly all the bri- gades at the front in the first line, and more than one of them have told me that these battalions are fast approaching—if they have not already reached-the stan-I dard of efficiency of Regular infantry. I wish to add a word about the Officers" Training Corps. The presence of the Artistes' Rifles (28th Battalion, the Lon- don Regiment) with the Army in France enabled me also to test the value of this organisation. Having had some- experience in peace of the working of the Officers' Training Corps, I determined to turn the Artists' Rifles (which formed part of the Officers' Training Corps in peace time) to its legiti- mate use. I therefore established the battalion as a Training Corps for Officers in the field. The cadets passed through a course, which includes seme thoroughly prac- tical training, as all cadets do a tour of 48 hours in the trenches, and afterwards write a report on what they see and notice. They also visit an observation post of a battery or group of batteries, and spend some hours there. A Commandant has been appointed, and he arranges and supervises the work, sets schemes for practice, administers the school, delivers lectures, and reports on the candidates. The cadets are instructed in all branches of military training suitable for platoon commanders. Machine-gun tactics, a knowledge of which is so necessary for all junior officers, is a special feature of the course of instruction. When first started the school was able to turn out officers at the rate of 75 a month. This has since been increased to ion. Reports received from Divisional and Army Corps Commanders on officers who have been trained at the school are most satisfactory. 10. Since the late of my last report I have been able to make a close personal inspection of all the units in the com- mand. I was most favourably impressed I by all I saw. I The troops composing the Army in France have been subjected to as severe a trial as it is possible to impose upon any body of. men. The desperate fight- ing described in my last dispatch had hardly been brought to a conclusion when they were called upon to face -the rigours and hardships of a winter campaign. Frost and snow have alternated with periods of continuous rain.. The men have been called upon to stand for many hours together almost I up to their waists in bitterly cold water. oalv separated by one or two hundred from aaaflir. Although every measure which science and medical knowledge could suggest to mitigate these hardships was employed, the sufferings of the men have been very great. In spite of all this they presented, at I the inspections to which I have referred. I a most soldier-like, splendid, thcugh somewhat war-worn, appearance. Their spirit remains high and confident; their general health is excellent, and their condition most satisfactory. I regard it as must unfortunate that circumstance- have prevented any ac- count of niany splendid instances of courage and endurance, in the fact of al- most unparalleled hardship and fatigue II ill war. L online regularly to the know-j lftdge oi the pnollc. I Rsinforcements have arrived from Eng- I land with remarkable promptitude and rapidity. They have been speedily drafted into the ranks, and most of the units I inspected were nearly complete when I saw them. In appearanoe and quality the drafts sent out have exceeded my most sanguine expectations, and I consider the Army in France is much indebted to the Adjutant-General's Department at the War Officc for the efficient manner in I which its requirements have been met in this most essential respect. With regard to these inspections I may mention in particular the fine appearance presented by the 27th and 2Sth Divisions, composed principally of battalions which had come from India. Included in the former division was the Princess I Lit- I ricia's Royal Canadian Regiment. They are a magnificent set of men, and have since done excellent work in the trenches It was some three weeks alter the II events recorded in paragraph 4 that I made my inspection of the Indian Corps, under Sir James Willcocks. The ap- pearance they presented was most sahs-? I factory, and fully confirmed my ?rst opinion that the Indian troops only re- quired rest, and a little acclimatising, to biing out all their 1iue inherent fight- ing qualities. I saw the whole of the Indian Cavalry I Corps, under Lieut.-Gencrai RLmington, on a mounted parade soon after their arrival. They are a magnificent t-. -ly or cavalry, and will, I feel sure, give the best possible account of themselves when called upon. In the Ímeantime, at their own parti- cular request, they have taken their turn in the trenches and performed n; st use- ful and valuable service. 11. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Taylor Smith, C.V.O., D.D., Chaplain-General to the Forces, arrived at my Headquarters on Jan. 6, on a tour of inspection throughout I the command. The Cardinal Archbishop of Westmins- ter has also visited most of the Irish I regiments at the front and the principal centres on the line of communications. In a quiet and unostentatious manner the chaplains of all denominations have worked with devotion and energy in their respective spheres. The number with the forces in the field at the commencement of the war was com- paratively small, but toward s the end of last year the Rev. J. M. Simms, D.D., I K.H.C., Principal Chaplain, assisted by his secretary, the Rev. W. Drury, re- organised the branch, and placed the spiritual welfare of the soldier on a more satisfactory footing. It is hoped that the further increase of personnel may be found possible. I cannot sk too highly of the devoted manner in which all chaplains, whether with the troops m the tranches, or in attendance on the sick and wounded in casualty clearing stations and hospitals I on the line of communications, have worked throughout tiie campaign. Since the ccmmencement of hostilities the work of the Royal Army Medical Corps has-been carried out with untiring zeal, skill, and devotion. Whether at the front under conditions such as obtained during the fighting on the Aisne, when casualties were heavy and accommodation for their reception had to bo improvised, or on the line of communications, where an average of some 11.000 patients have been daily under treatment, the organisa- tion of the medical services has always been equal to the demands made upon it. The careful system of sanitation intro- duced into the Army has, with the assist- ance of other measures, kept the troops free from any epidemic, in support of which it is to be noticed that since the commencement of the war some 500 cases onlv of enteric have occurred. The organisation for the first time in war of motor ambulance convoys is due to the initiative and organising powers of Surgeon-General T. J. O'Donnell, D.S.O., ably assisted by Major P. Evans, Royal Army Medical Corps. ° Two of these convoys, composed entirely of Red Cross Society personnel, have done excellent work under the superintendence of regular medical officers. Twelve hospital trains ply between the front and the various bases. I have I visited several of the trains when halted in stations, and have found them con- duct-ed with great oomfort and efficiency. During the more recent phase of the campaign the creation of rest depots at the front has materially reduced the wastage of men to the line of communi- cations. Since the latter part of October, 1914, the whole of the medical arrangements have been in the hands of Surgeon- General Sir A. T. Sloggett, C.M.G., K.H.S., under whom Surgeon-General T. P. Woodhouse and Surgeon-General T. J. O'Donnell have been responsible for the organisation on the Line of Communica- tions and at the front respectively. 12. The exceptional and peculiar con- ditions brought about by the weather have caused large demands to be made upon the resources and skill of 1h. Royal Engineers. Every kind of expedient has had to be thought out and adopted to keep the lines of trenches and defence work effec- tive. The Royal Engineers have shown them- selves as capable of overcoming the ravages caused by violent rain and floods as they have been throughout in neutralis- ing the effect of the enemy's artillery. In this connection I wish particularly to mention the excellent services per- formed by my Chief Engineer, Brigadier- General G. H. Fowke, who has been in- defatigable in supervising all such work. His ingenuity and skill have been most valuable in the local construction of the I various expedients which experience has shown to be necessary in prolonged trench warfare. 13..1 have no reason to modify in any material degree my views of the general military situation, as expressed in my dispatch of November 20th, 1914. 14. I have once more gratefully to acknowledge the valuable help and sup- port I have received throughout this period from General Foch, General D'Urbal, and General Maud'huy of the French Army. I have the honour to he, t Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, J. D. P. French, Field-Marshal. 1, Commanding-in-Chief, The British Army in the Field. I ————— j

ONLY THREE DAYS IN TRENCHES,…

IFORTY AEROPLANES.

WELSH GUARDS.

DEATH OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE…