THE ALLIES' ADVANCE MOVEMENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2337, 19 December 1914, Page 5

THE ALLIES' ADVANCE MOVEMENT

SPRING CAMPAIGN ANTICIPATED DRIVING THE GERMANS OUT OF BELGIUM ilfsoofntlca—Coprrieht London, December 17. . Reports indicate that the Allies' advance movement all along the battleline has for its immediate object the driving out of the Germans from Belgium. The result of the changed plans of General Joffre and General French is that the campaign which -was to have started in the spring is, now under It is stated that General Joffre and General French, in making the change, were actuated largely by the discovery that the estimates of the effectives under their command had erred on the right side. The French first-line regiments needed less time to recuperate than was allotted, and Kitchener's new army of Territorials was ready for the firing-line a month earlier'than it was intended t<i send them to France, • TRENCHES. TAKEN 'AT THE BAYONET POINT. ' * Paris, December 17, <& communique states: "We have taken trenches at the bayonet point betwepn the sea and the. Lys, and have consolidated out positions at Lombaertzyde and Saint Georges, also, west of Gheluvelt. ".We have progressed at several points m the Vermelles region."Lombaertzyde is about two miles north-east of Nieuport, and two or , three miles from the coast. Saint Georges is two or three miles east of Nieuport. Gheluvelt iB on-the railway between Ypres and Menin. .Vermelles is in Frano'j, about Bis miles south-south- west of La Bassee, IMPORTANT POSITIONS' CAPTURED BYi 'ALLIES, London, December 17. The 'Allies have advanced from Nieuport to Lombaertzyde and Saint Georges, and thus have reached points further onwards than at any stage since the beginning of the war. They resisted several counter-attacks. There were violont artillery duels all night, and on Wednesday the. Allies held captured positions, including an important olio at Groot-e Bamburgh. BOMBARDMENT OF WESTENDE BY BRITISH DESCRIBED AS THE MOST DREADFUL' OF THE WAR, Dunkirk, December 17. . Th a British bombardment at Weatonde greatly 'damaged the German positions blew up several magazines, and destroyed a number of batteries. It is described as the most dreadful of the war. The Germans fled from place to: place, as shelter after shelter tumbled about their ears. The trenches were heaped with dead. When the bombardment ceased the Franco-Belgian infantry bayoneted the enemy out of the trenches. ARMED BARGES PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT, ' Dunkirk, December 17. British warships and also barges on the Yser, armed with cannon, participated in Tuesday's fighting. ' ALLIES STEADILY PRESSING THE OFFENSIVE. (Rcc. December 18, 11.45 p.m.) London, December 18. The "Daily Chronicle's" Dunkirk correspondent says_ the destroyers at Westende beat off several submarines which were attempting to attack the heavier British warships. The Allies «t« utoadily. lb? oftsMsU'a autl iijsiugg iue (jaw mans balw.ccn Yd-cm H-ttd, Dixmuds.

Details of the success on tho outskirts of the wood at Wytschaete show that the Germans in the forest trench surrendered without firing a shot, due to tho capture of the sentries. Their rifle and Maxim fire began to decimate German prisoners and British alike. A shell fired a hayrick, lighting up the formation of the German trenches, and a fresh British battalion -working up to the flank of the first and latter charged. Many German fugitives surrendered, and the remainder ivero secured bv cavalry. 'APPRECIABLE PROGRESS AT SEVERAL POINTS, (Rec. December 18, 8,45 p.m.), ' Paris, December 18. Offioial.—Tho Allies have gained ground to the northward of Ypres, on the Morrin Road, also southward 1 of Bixschoote.- We debouched to the north-east of Arras, and reached the outskirts of Saint Laurent Brangy, and appreciably progressed in the Bapaume and Peronne district.