ALLIES INITIATE A FRESH ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2335, 17 December 1914, Page 5

ALLIES INITIATE A FRESH ATTACK

GOOD PROGRESS MADE . TRENCHES AND PRISONERS CAPTURED Londen, December 15. Tha Press Bureau states: —"After a period of quiet, fighting has recommenced in Northern France. " The Allies combined in an attack' on Monday •from Hollebeke. They captured several trenches and a number ■ of prisoners, "and substantially mada progress." ' ' [The Hollebeke-Wytschaeie line is about 2J miles miles from point to point, • : sat right angles to the line, which runs^south-eaßt. ; Hollebeke is a 'little over 3 miles south-east of.Yprfis.], An eye-witness relates weather is . very wet. Though there have 'teen no serious'operations we have considerably improved .our situation generally. Our artillery on December 8 put two field guns out. of action, -ignited a : railway siation/and some rolling stock f and destroyed a'chimney which Was used as an observation point. Iri'sijite of high winds the aviators made-several valuable reconnaissances." Referring to the censorship, the writer, states that it is better to preserve a tantalising reticence than satisfy'curiosity and risk en•jdangering a national success. : . . ■ i FRENCH OFFICIAL REVIEW OF THE BATTLE LINE. ./ , t . Paris, December 15. A communique states:. "Tha British have oaptured a 6mall wood west of IWytsohaete. We have retained the ground won. on the Ypres Canal, south of Hollebeke, notwithstanding a vigorous counter-attack. ~ . • "We have progressed -in the Argonne. . The enemy ; violently .' bombarded Saint Leonard, south of Saint Die, on the MeuHhb,' in th' 4 Vtisg^fcr■ The " enemy's artillery in AlsiiCe has been very aotive. We held our ground,, except :fct Steinbach, .where the German infantry gained a footing.'.' ■■ ' ■ (llec. December 16, 0 p.m.) •.. _ Paris, December 16. Official. —"The Franco-Belgian troops debouched , from Nieuport and occupied a line eastward from Lombartzydo to Saint Georges. ■/>.. "The Allies: have advanced five lfundred metres south of Ypres, towards Jlloin and Zillibeko." ; .-- ■ .... •; . TWO . FRENCH ARMIES FIGHTING BACK TO .BAGS;. • ' December 15i The .dispositions of -.the forces defending Verdun -are the' most Cruious of /the whole field of war. The second and: third French armies are standing back to back to oppbse two German forces facing in opposite directions , along th# . • sides of the St,. Mihiel pocket (20 miles south-south-east of Verdun), tha BiOuth of which stretches from Fresnes (15 miles north of St. 'Mihiel and 12 jniles south-east of Verdun), to Thiaucourt (14 miles south-east of Fresneß). ■ ' OFFICIAL NEWS FROM THE HOME GOVERNMENT. The following is a copy of a telegram, dated December 15, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor of New Zea- . ' land:— "Official news, Decembor 15—After comparative quiet, fighting recommenced in Northern France. yesterday. The Allies made fcombinod attacks oit-. the jHoliebeke-Wytschaete line, making substantial . progress. , Several German Itrenches and numerous prisoners were captured. : The French Government re'ports some progress in the Argonne, in tho Woeuvre, and in Alsace. ' "Servian troops have re-entered Belgrade, after a desperato battle." The High Commissioner reports under date London, December 15:— .'"Paris reports " that the British have taken a small wood west of Wytschaete. jTlie ground gained by the French along tho canal has'been'held in spite of a .vigorous counter-attack by the enemy. In tho Argonne there has been some ■progress: the French are holding ground already captured. In Alsace the German artillery is aotive, but everywhere the Allies' progress is' being maintained." London, December 16, 12.45 p.m.—"Pans reports that the Belgians have iocoupied an advance line from-Nieuport. to South Ypres. The Allies gained five IhundTed metres (roughly about'sso yards) in the direction of Klein and Zillebeko. ', _ ' | GERMANY'S IMMENSE RESERVOIR OF MEN DIMINISHING. ' (Bee. December 16, 5.20 p.m.) / , • Paris, December 15. The Press maintains that the calling up of the Landsturm is sure proof ''that Germany's immense reservoiij of men is slowly but surely diminishing. • ; ' WINTER CAMPAIGNING: SKI-ING IN THE VOSGES. • (Bee. December 16, 5.20 p.m.) , London, December 15. . Tho French are figlit-ing at an altitude of eight thousand feet in tho (Vosges, clearing the wiy towards the Rhine. The Alpine troops cover thirty to forty miles daily on ski. —("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ■ [Ski are long, straight pieces of wood, strapped to the feet, and bent upwards at the front. They measure from 5 to 10 feot in length. Experts on ski can traverse great stretches of snow country, taking steep declivities in leaps.]. FRENCH ADVANCE IN ALSACE-LORRAINE SUCCESSFUL MARCH TOWARDS THE RHINE. V , (Rec. December 10, 5.20 p.m.) London, December 15. The Germans have developed a policy of organised terrorism in tho regions Sround Nancy, destroying church towers and all likely to serve •Ss French observation posts. They compel *he inhabitants to dig potatoes, the able-bodied to construct trenches.

The Frenoh are steadily advancing towards the Rhine, and the residents of Colmar are preparing to evacuate the town. It iB asserted that the French oan invest GueWiller (on a Ifine between .Mulhausen and Belfort), or even Strasburg (the capital of the German Imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine), 2 miles from, the Rhine, whenever they choose. THE GERMAN INVASION OF ENGLAND ZEEBRUGGiE THE BASE OP.'ATTACK. r (Rec.. December 16, 9 p.m.) London, December 10. A German.officer informed; a "Daily News" correspondent that the Germans consider that Zeebrugge, on the Belgian coast, is the key for the attack on Britain. He added that not until the Kaiser's troops had evacuated Zeebrugge would the invasion of England be abandoned. Ons of the chief functions of the place in the plan of campaign wa-s as a submarine base for the destruction of the transports which would be crossing the Channel next spring with British reinforcements. Adiniral von Tirpitz (Secretary to the Navy) believed that suitable craft would be able to proceed from Willielmshaven to Zeebrugge, undisturbed by the British Navy. A plan .had been devised for keeping them under water for days. He stated that only one submarine- had been badly damaged by the British naval bombardment of Zeebruggs. , TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT ON YPRES-ROULERS LINE SOLID WEDGE (DRIVEN IN TO THE ENEMY'S FRONT. (Re-K. December 16, 9.15 p.m.) , . London, December 16. The 'Daily Chronicle's" JDurikirk correspondent reports that a three days' battle has been fought around Ypres. The fighting began with a German bombardment from Saint Eloi (netit Roulers). The Allies replied with heavy artillery, under the cover of which the infantry advanced on Moorslede, where a determined resistance was offered by the Germans, who were concealed in armoured trucks and railway sidings, from where they directed a heavy machinegun and rifle fire, forcing the Allies to retire and re-form their line. . Simultaneously the Germans advanced through wooded country, near Zonnebeke, but were checked by the Allies, who wore posted on the heights at Gheluvelt. Thereupon followed a- gen or al Allied advance,, which regained Moorslede. The artillery, locating the armoured trucks, blew up the ammunition cars. The enemy retreated, leaving the r o a<} to Roulers open. Meanwhile, other German attacks were mad© on Poelcajjpelle, Passchendalle, Langemarcfe, and Bixschoote, the enemy striving by weight of numbers to' break the line. No..where did they succeed. It is estimated that there were 24,000 casualties on a line a few miles in length north and south of Ypres. The Red Cross officers declare that .the onslaught was the fiercest that had ever taken place in this region, Though Roulers was not taken, a solid wedge has been driven into the German lines. [A glance at the map shows that the fighting described by the correspondent was mainly along a front which marched with the rialway line from Ypres to Roulers—the distance between the two points is 30 odd miles. Saint Eloi is a suburb of Roulers. Moorslede'lies to the south-west, off the railway line; Zonnebeke station is reached a few miles beyond Ypres, travelling towards Roulers. Passchendaile, Ponlcappelle, Larigemarck and Bixchoote are a few miles to the northward of Ypres.] THE GALLANT DEFENCE OF YPRES TRAGIC ROLL CALL OF THE SEVENTH INFANTRY DIVISION. (Reo. December 16, 11.45, p.m.) ■ London, December 16. The newspapers publish Generals Rawlinson's and Byng's thanks to the Seventh Infantry and Third Cavalry Divisions for holding the Germans at.bay and stubbornly defending Ypres. The odds against them were eight to one. Subsequently, when the two divisions were withdrawn to'refit, the roll call of the infantry alone showed that of four hundred officers who had started from England, only forty-four were left, and out of trwelve thousand men only 2336 remained.