1916-08-23 — Page 7

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23RD, 1916,

THE EPIC OF THE SOMME. AVIATOR'S CHARMED LIFE. SPLENDID BRITISH REGIMENTS.

"NOT ONE STRANGLER."

[FROM "THE TIMES' SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT "AT BRITISH HEADQUARTERS.3

To some readers it may have seemed that my dispatches ou the battle bave

A UNIQUE STORY.

The story of Nungesser, A French aviator, is probably unique, even in this WAR. When hostilities broke ont he was A Hussar of 22. On Sept. 3, during the retreat from Charleroi, he was mentioned in despatches for having captured a Ger- man motor-ear, put the German officers occupying it hors de combat, brought

THE RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE.

RENAISSANCE OF THE ARMY.

A SUCCESSFUL LEADER.

[FROM STANLEY WAḤBUURN.]

been too matter-of-fact, and have invest-back the car and valuable papers which the achievement of the Russian Army in In order that we may fully appreciate

our of war. The fact is that there is no

finally, placed his commanding officer,

GOING INTO ACTION.

AN OFFICER'S LETTER BEFORE THE BATTLE-

Though the writer of the following letter dust 'remain anonymous, av apó logy is needed for publishing it (says:| The Times). lt was written by a young

ed the subject with toù little of the glam- it contained under enemy fire, And, the first two weeks of its great offensive officer to his parenta on June 30th, the way in which to describe in splendid who was wounded, under shelter. The it is perhaps worth while to mention day before the beginning of the British

mosaic.

car was a French Mors, stolen by the

Germans, and after that Nungesser used briefly the background of previous events, to be called the Mors Hussar, Some for without the realization of what has time after that, driving the same car, be passed some old soldiers who said: Why is this youth a mere motor-driver, while we are in the trenches

Thereupon Nungesser refused to be; a motorist any more. He became an avia

'tor.

He took part in nifty-three bom bardments, and was thrice, as aviator, But in an mentioned in despatches. aerodrome, while testing a new machine, be met with an accident, had his jaw

gone before it is impossible to do the Russians full credit.

Russin, a indeed was the case with

every other party to this conflict, except Germany, had never prepared for a war on any such scalo as this. By May 1st, 1816, its army had all but run through

Just

offensive:-

**I am writing this letter to you just de- fore going into action to-morrow morn- ing about-down.

I am about to take part in the biggest

battle that has yet been fought in Frano, and one which ought to help to end the war very quickly.

I never felt more confident or cheerful

My idea in writing this letter is in case I am one of the costs," and get killed. I do not expect to be, but such things have happened, and are always possible.

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generalities such fighting as has gone on ber". One can tell-as I have told of the brilliant success of the British effort ag a whole, but the actual progress of the battle enn only truthfully be handled as what it is, that is, as a series of intense and concentrated struggles for small positions, all, of course, as each works, out to its victorious conclusion, fitting together into one great whole. In the future we may be able to look at the whole For the moment one has only the little separate cubes of colour, and puts two or three together lest the enemy skull and broken ribs. He remained five sufficient for any foreseen crisis. even of these one must be careful how one broken, and sustained a wound in the the rescurces which had been deemed in-my life bofore, and would not miss the attack for anything on earth. The men should see more of the pattern than we days unconscious. When he came out of as this art began to dawn on the Rusand man is more happy and cheerful are in splendid form, and every officer wish him to sec.

hospital he was finally invalided, but this What I hope I have made plain, how made him angry. He used influence, stansere came the Germans' great than I bave ever seen them. I have just ever, is that there is no measure of pride went back to the front in an aeroplane, Galicia drive, followed by the movement been playing a rag game of football in which the people at home may take is and in one week brought down two enemy which sulted in the capture of Warsaw which the umpire had a revolver and a the performance of their Armies which machines and one sausage." Then head cflminated in the great retreat into whistle. is not justified. You who are mourning was prompted sub-lieutenant, His Intest the heat of Russia itself. need have no misgivings. In so for as feat was to fight against six enemies- The period from May to October last pride an egasole grief, you have consola; three Fokkers and three L.V.G. He year one which must, I believe, give tion to ful.” Your boy behaved saved himself by a brilliant idea. He taas the greatest credit which she will mage Bently. Perhaps you will say that dashed right anong his enemies, who ever attain in this war. Moral and en-

It is impossible to fear death out here NETH. I write without having heard of him or stopped fring for fear of shooting one durance are natural in success, no matter when one is no longer an individzal, hut knowing where he fell. If he had be another. The Frenchman came back how heavy may be the sacrifices, but baved otherwise I should have heard of

a member of a regiment and of an army. safe, with twenty-eight shots through his moral in defeat is the true test of the him. He would have been the one excep- aeroplane, seven in the motor, one bullet character of an Army and of a nation.To be killed means nothing to me, and it is only you who suffer for it; you really tion, and we should all have heard of through his shoe, and another through The Russians by July of last year were Thim. But there were no exceptions,

short of almost everything that an Army pay the cost. needs. We who were with these heroic I have been looking at the stars, and troops during the Galician campaign, the thinking what an immeuse distance they are away. What an insignificant thing taking of Warsaw, and the great retreat, know that their only assets were their the loss of, say, 10 years of life is com It has been already mentioned that leadship and the character of the troopspared with them! there are signs that Germana are becom had run so short that Warsaw was unten

It seems scarcely- themselves. Rifles were lacking; skells

worth talking about. ing uneasy about the preparations being made by the Allies to defend their coono to pieces by the advancing enemy that to worry about it, and remember that we abte: Communications were so hacked Well, good-bye, you darlings. Try not mic position after the war. A very do such material things as the Russians had shall meet again really quite soon. finite sign Julius Wolf, the

i furnished by Professor were frequently delayed or unattainable. This letter is going to be posted if economist, in an aritcle which appeared day out, they fought their heartbreaking well-known German Yet for nearly six months, day in and

Lots of love. Ever your loving in Der Tag, of Berlin, recently. The battles, always retiring, never in equal article is obviously a semi-official at numbers, and suffering from almost every tempt to persuade the Allies that the material want. And yet, after six Miffel-Europa idea is only an innocuous months, they brought to a final standstill and casual preposition. In it Professor in the harren wastes of their own coun Wall says the Entente Powers advancs try the most efficient Army that the world. as a justification for their new economic has ever known. policy their belief that Germany contem plates the establishment of a Centrál he is authorised to state:~~

UNFALTERING WAVES OF MEN,

I have read, or heard, the reports of battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, and huve l'stened to the tale of this fight and that from the men who were in it, from comrades in battalions to right or left and from those who, from behind, held their breath and watched. And, without exception every where it has been the same story: There were no stragglers" "There was absolutely not a straggler"

OTH struggler -None--None-- None!!

Soldiers will know what that means,

Net

his helmet.

TEUTONIC CUSTOMS UNION,

.....

THE REORGANIZATION. -

son,

Anto diom perit

Sed miles, sed pru Patria." The writer of the letter was killed on the following day, Julyst, and bis Commanding Officer in a letter to bis parents says

And never, perhaps, have men been put to a severer test than to advance, as battalion after battalion has had to do through shells bursting so thickly that they made almost a solid wall, so that to these watching from behind whole waves. of European Customs Union, and declares rule of war, the Russians had been over joined us, a born leader of men, and I meg disappeared simultaneously behind a bank of smuke, and tossing carth, while beyond the ground was swept with ma- chine-gun and rifle fire from, it might be, only 50 yards away. Yet one after another, wave following wave, our men have gone into it without one faltering, It might be laughing or cheering or, with ant teeth, silently--but they have gone And only those have failed to reach their ultimate objective who fell on the way.

HEROES INDEED.

Firstly, there has never been a ques: tion in serious German circles of a Cus toms Union of Germany and Austria Hungary, together with Bulgaria and Turkey, and, secondly, that the iden even

By October, 1915, according to "every whelmingly defeated, and it is not diff calt to see why the Germans believed that they had won the war and that Russia would make peace forthwith. From every material point of view, Russia had lost. But, unfortunately for the enemy, it is

We recognized in him as soon as he' at once put him in command of com- pany. He was in command of it on Saturday and was leading it to the ax- sault when he was shot. He got back quickly to the dressing stations and was just able to speak to our doctor before and Austria-Hungary long ago ceased to for while by October they had won over but did not appear to be in pain. of a Customs Union between Germany not only the material that wins in war, he died. He was shot through the stomach, be the subject of discussion in authorita-whelmingly from this standpoint, they was a great favourite with all of us and rive quarters, and is, as a matter of fact, had; as a matter of fact, barely started with the men, and bad he been spared regarded with adhorrence in authorita- the war with Russia and the Russian am sure he would have had a great tive quarters in Germany as well as Aus-people, who for the first time were fully career. I am personally most grieved at tria-Hungary.

alive to the issues at stake, and finally's loss, but he died as he would have. Professor Wolf adds that he personally and wholeheartedly behind the war.

liked to do... knows that no one has thought of includ

On the basis of a year of disaster was ing pr-ferential tariffs in the relationship laid the foundation of the great offensive the D.S.O., and of his exploit on that voi of the Central Powers with Bulgaria and of this year. Alexeieff, in supreme com-casion a brother offer writes: Turkey. He adds, however:--

mand, only subordinate to the Tsar him-

Hé

"

Last December the officer was awarded

Our casualties were very heavy, and the

Not once but half & score of times troops have gone forward with orders to reach A certain point-a wood, perhaps, or ruined building, a bit of trench or mere spot upon the map. They have gone and been lost to sight until half an hour, an

"If a preferential tarift for, Germany self, began to reorganize the Army from tr, or two hours later tidings have and Austria-Hungary has been under one end of his huge line to the other. battalions on our right and left were oms t'at they were there. And so they consideration, the fact must be borne in Hardly a month passed without affen-driven out of the German trenches, so were the shattered remains of half a mind that the relationship of the twosives of varying degrees of importance that we were attacked in front and on en a lieutenant and seven men: Monarchies to each other is founded his being tried in some quarter of the line both danks, while communication was nder command of an NCtorically on quite a different basis than is, to test the working of the rapidly grow-severed with our own front line wing ere left had got there, though for example, the relationship of Englanding and increasingly efficient machine. to heavy barrage artillery fire and en-

the enemy might have closed with Russia, France or Italy. Further Each bore its lessons for better success

filaded machine-guns. No support could supports had been wiped out

more, there is absolutely nothing aggres-next time. A general movement in the

One' subaltern and a few men So it was with certain sive in the relationship of Germany with early weeks of the year in the far south at Innings with men of the Essex

Austria-Hungary.'

showed that the Russians were already a platoon of another company tried, Regiment; with men of the Queen's. Bu

It may be presumed that German of recuperating and improving in their but iniled, to bring up supplies of bombs it was with some Lancashire troops, and cialduro does not realise that the Allies teganique and general capacity to adapt which were urgently required. Your son with some of the MiddleseK. So it has have possibly learned to understand some themselves to the modern conditions of carried on the fight with wondered cour been yerywhere. Whatever they had to

warfare. Later in the year a more am-ge and endurance. face, those who lived went through. There thing of its Press methods,

bitious offensive was tried on the north gradually driven back by bombing at- have been a dozen Balaclavas

ern front, which, though yielding little tacks from both flanks, first to the Ger in territory won, may perhaps have paid man second line, and thon to the firet their sons, wives who have lost their hus-fa'led. of its object. Their military for itself in more knowledge gained as line, and I could hear your sun directing Never discour-bur bombers and encouraging his men. hands, boys and girls who have lost their writers have always claimed that one to the rules of success. fathers or brothers, all can be well assured thing which that discipline would do was ged, patient, and self-sacrificing, the Our bombe were soon used up and they that he whom you believe to have been a that it would keep a man going and able Russians were perparing day by day to then used all available German bomba. here was a hero indeed. History will do to fight after he had been subjected to their newly learned theories to the In about four hours time the situation was desperate, as no bombs were left and justice, as we cannot aux to the men shell tre which would unman any troops, who have fallen here, and in years to of whatever spirit, whose discipline was

the enemy were in overwhelming foro", and your son was agin wounded through Come men and women in all parts less overmastering.

Fathers and mothers who have lost

test.

GENERAL BRYSILOFF.

Our men

Brusiloff, himself has his staff in a

were

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This has been On this front the chief command now the ebesat, We then withdraw the res of the British Dominions will swell | proved, untrue. The enemy, in many in the hands of General Brusiloff, a man mainder of our men to our own front with pride as they say,He fell at Fricases, has morally broken down under our whase record has been one of almost uniline, the retirement being carried out court, or at Mamets, or Contalmaison: artillery bombardment and has surren-versal success in this war. It was his under terrific fire and with great in the attack en Serre, on Thiepval, ondered in a fashion which British troops army that, in the first months of the war, difaulty: Your son was the last to leave Beaumont Hamel, or La Boisselle.

have not done and would not do. Also, swept into Galicia and made possible the the German trenches, and I managed to The Somme if that is what this in straight fighting, they are no match taking of Lemberg 30 days after the de Lattle is to be called, and whatever its for our men, and every man in our Army claration of hostilities. It was again his raw back at about the same time. I am ultimate issue may be is, a name that is convinced of it. On the other hand, army that penetrated the Dukla Pass and glad to say I was able to report on your regiments will speak of as they now speak individuals and small partics especially was already pushing into the Hungarian son's conduct, and he received the D.8.0. of Waterloo, or Albuera, or Badajoz, machine-gun men-have held on to hope-plain, throwing the Dual Monarchy into for it.

Some day the atory will be told of how less posts, with nothing but death before political chaos and the big cities into the Devons fought when they were en them, with a tenacity of which we or any panic, when the German drive on the fisded from a certain wood: how the troops might be proud. Such was the neighbouring army, left his right flank certain little town amidst the waving

Dunajec and the destruction of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers cleaned out a mazecnie in Qvillers-la Boisselle. - of trenches with bombs and bayonets; What I sad after the first day's fight-exposed to the attacks of limitless num-wheatfields of Southern Russia, where he how. when some Scottish troops were held ing still holds true, namely, that it is the hole in the line like water through a leak fusion of warfare as though he were ten bera of Germans pouring through the is as detached from the turmoil and con- up by overwhelming numbers, some Warmachine guns which have caused by far

This particular wicks came along and the two went on the greater part of our casualties. And in a dyke. In spite of superior forces, thousand miles away. shoulder to shoulder and took in half those casulalties, as you already know at terrain, Brusiloff withdrew his army in

lack of ammunition, and difficulties of town was never, I think,, noted for its an hour more prisoners than their combonic, are heavy enough." One thinks good order and, with the assistance of

luxuries. Certainly there were here no Phised strength: So Irish and Welsh with surrow of the losses of some of the reserves hurried up. was able to check the sumptuous villas or country houers in troops, side by side, staved off two de Ulster troops, of certain Lancashire regi-Germans on the Sau, after which the In any case, Brusilaff is not that kind of which a general might establish himself. perate counter-attacks, and, as the second ments, of the Middlesex, and the New Russian retreat was definitely brake and fell back, they leaped together foundlanders.

a general, In a small, barely furnished rearguard action and not in any way a room he is directing the vast campaign from their tronches-and when they had And they have all behaved alike. Hands precipitate retreat.

which is raging over & front of hundreds done there was no enemy left.

from the Staffordshire potteries and the Brusiloff himself is a man of the very of miles in length. Brasiloff himself bas There was a dreadful place where Gor-

Lancashire mills, Welsh miners, High-highest type of intellect and the ideal of changed greatly since I saw him in dons fought, and afterwards, upon the landers, and men from London shops and soldier who is equally good at attack Brody a year ago this month. His hair ground, Scot and German lay together offices there has been nothing to choose or defence. No man in the Russian has turned gray perceptibly and he looks cash impaled on the other's bayonet. On caly difference in opportunity. Every Army knew Galicia more intimately than at least 10 years older. His face is deeply another day, in another part of the field, man declares that those whom he saw be, and no man had a finer record, and lined and his mien eober and serious, our men could not get on because a cer-fighting were the best of all; but there when Ivanoff became confidential adviser while his sensitive month has grown stern tain trench was held in overwhelming have been no best.

to the Emperor in his personal suite, and unyielding in its lines. Only the force and bristled with machine guns- Of course there will be criticisms after Brasiloff was his natural successor in the twinkle in his deep grey eyes show the and a handful of the Border Regiment wards, and wise men will say that this command on this important Front. His humour and the perpetual youth which

roke nto the trench at one end' and,

or that should have been differently done, first act after taking over the command are among the dominant characteristics yard by yard and traverse by traverse. And the wise men themselves will dis was to make a personal inspection of all of the man himself. From his map- they bombed and bayoneted and clubbed agree. But what no man will ever dare his armies at the front, and before the pre-strewn desk he can look ont across the Their way along, killing many times their to say is that our soldiers, officers and sent movement began he knew personally deep wheat felds which from the window own namber of the enemy.

all ranks alike, have not, to the limits exactly what to expect from almost every stretch beneath like the expanse of the of their opportunity, done everything unit, while his intimate knowledge of the sea, as the soft southern wind sweene that brave men could do, In the last country and of the psychology of the across their awaying acres. Surrounded fortnight they have won not one battle, enemy gave hit the background of under by a picked staff, each man chosen for his but twenty battles, and in them all standing for the planning and carrying efficiency, Brusiloff to-day represents.

forward of the whole campaign. do not believe that one man died shame-

BAILURE OF ENEMY DISCIPLINE,

The Germans also, in certain ways, have behaved with great bravery.. In some ways their intense discipline bas Continued on next Column.)

fully or saved his life by turning coward.

(Continued on next Column.)

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