THE WAR IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2640, 10 December 1915, Page 5

THE WAR IN THE WEST

FRENCH PROGRESS IN CHAMPAGNE FIGHTING IN ADVANCED TRENCHES The High Commissioner reports:— London, December 8, 4.50 p.m. In the Champagne district the French have continued to progress in advanced trendies, where the enemy took foot yesterday, south of Saint Sonplet.' "East of Butte de Sonain, counterattacks succeeded in mastering the GerVian attack, which was disorganised in last- night's fighting. Wo continue to recapture tho portions occupied by tho enemy." London, December 9, 12.15 a.m. "In the Argonne, close to Bethincourt, the French have destroyed the enemy's reservoirs of poison gas. "One of the Germans' fast aeroplanes, which was chased by a French machine and attacked with a mitrailleuse, caught fire and exploded, the explosion killing its two passengers." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Keo. December 8, 6.30 p.m.) Paris, December 8. A French official communique states: "Our machine-guns in Belgium prevented the enemy from restoring his damaged works. "Our curtain of fire stopped & German attack north of Arras... "We have destroyed one of the enemy's positions near Roye." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. December 9, 7 p.m.) London, December 8. A German wireless message states: "An attempt by the enemy to .-wiitest our success east of Auberivo failed. "North of Sonain, a position on Hill 193, over a distance of 500 yards, was wrested from'the French, four counterattacks being repulsed." HEAVY MOVEMENT OF, TROOPS TOWARDS ALSACE. * Berne, December 8. Owing to heavy movements of German troops towards Alsace, the SwissGerman frontier has been closed, and the civil population at Altkircli ordered to abaudon the city. ■ ,