EXCELLENT PROGRESS BY ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2338, 21 December 1914, Page 5

EXCELLENT PROGRESS BY ALLIES

SIX LINES OF TRENCHES TAKEN HUSTLING THE GERMANS OUT OF BELGIUM By Telegraph.—Piva3 Assoolatlcia—OapTxlght Paris, December 18. 'A communique states: "As a result of a vigorous offensive, we captured several trenches at Auchy (near -La Basses), Loos, and Saint Laurent, and the whole first line of trenches at Blangy. "Our artillery gained a distinct advantage at Tracy le Yal. "la the Champagne district, about Reims, the enemy Hew up our trench north of Four de Paris.. Three German battalions of infantry attempted to debouch, but were repulsed." TWO HEAVY GERMAN: BATTERIES DESTROYED. CRec. December 20, 3.30 p.m.) • Paris, December 19. Official.—We gained ground slightly along the dunes north-east of Nieu--1 port. The enemy's two strong counter-attacks'northwards of Ypres, on the Menin Road, were repulsed. The Britisli slightly advanced in the Armentieres district. Our artillery destroyed two heavy batteries in the Verdun district. GROUND GAINED TOWARDS DIXMUDE. (Reo. December 20, 4.60 p.m.) Paris, December 19. Official.—We organised on the ground gained on Thursday'south of Dixmude, and pushed our front to south of Cambaret and Korteker. The advance south of Ypres continues over difficult marshy ground. The Allies progressed over a kilometre in two days south of La Bassee. During the night of the seventeenth and the following day we advanced to Albert under violent firo and reached the wire entanglement? and the enemy's second line of trenches! The Germans, using hand grenades, forced us to abandon the trench captured on Thursday north of Malicourt. Several German trenches were carried in the Lihors district, where three violent counter-attacks were repulsed by our fire. Directed by airmen, we demolished two heavy batteries on the heights of the Meuse and damaged a third. FRENCH 'AND BRITISH'OUTPOSTS HOLD ROULERS. (Bee. December 20, 8.50 p.m.) Paris, December 19. In order to occupy Saint George 6, the Belgians and French crossed flooded country, sometimes waist deep in water. The • Engineers made pontoon bridges. Six lines of German trenches, 500 to 1000 yards apart, were taken. On reaching Saint Georges it was discovered the artillery had driven out the Germans. Thirty-eight were refuging-in a cellar. These were taken prisoners. The Franco-British advance to Roulcrs is confirmed. French and British outposts hold Renters (about ten miles oast of Dixmude). THE ALLIES MARCH TOWARDS OSTEND. (Rec. December 20, 4.G0 p.m.) Paris, December 19. The Allies' advanced troops passed Middlekerke. The enemy has been driven out of a numbor of trenches on tho right bank of the Yser, our forces having pierced the Germans just at the end of the inundation near Dixmude. The Belgians, acquainted with the exact positions of the dykes and ditches which are hidden by murky waters,' and were previously death-traps to every advancing German force, led their comrades in selected parts knee-deep in water. The Allies then crossed and charged \\;itli the bayonet. The Germans made a poor defence, and many prisoners were taken. Their losses in the vicinity of Lombartzyde, north of Nieuport, were vory heavy. . [Middlekerke is midway between Nieuport and Ostend.] SMART CAPTURE BY FRENCH DRAGOONS. (Rec, December 20, 3.5G p.m.) London, December 19. The "Daily Mail's" Dunkirk correspondent states that th& Allies are on the coast in the direction of Ostend. French dragoons attempted a turning movement near Nieuport; German reinforcements and hidden machine, guns checking them. Next night the Dragoons galloped round the Germans' right . wing, and the Germans in the dunes wore enclosed on three sides' and surrendered. Nino hundred were taken prisoners.

IN FEAR OF BRITISH TROOPS LANDING. Amsterdam, December 18. The Germans fear that Britain intendsi to land troops at Zeebrugge, and twenty thousand are manning the trenches and dunes between Ostend and the Dutch frontier. The trenches are supported by a number of batteries, Many Belgian refugees are escaping from Holland, fearing the con6e- * quences of an Allied advance. A GERMAN COLUMN CUT TO PIECES. (Reo. December 211, 0.25 a.m.) Paris, December 20. Offioial. —We repulsed an attack at Teenstrafte, and have appreciably progressed in the neighbourhood of Kortekeer, east of Dixmude. surprised and cut to pieces a column at Lihons.