France & Flanders

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 167, 21 December 1914, Page 5

France & Flanders

FIGHTS IN FLOODED AREAS. GERMANS DRIVEN FROM THEI 1 . 1 TRENCHES. Heceiml 20, 5.5 p.m. ruvis, December 19. (Jflicial.—Wo gained ground slightly ,:!or.g the dimes north-east of N.-i.n-;.ort. The enemy's two strong counterattacks northwards cf the Yprcs-Me;iin load wore repulsed. The British slightly advanced in vi c Armcnticres district. Our artillery destroyed two heavy batteries in the Verdun district. In order to occupy Saint Georges, the Belgians and French crossed the flood'l country, sometimes waist deep in water. The engineers made pontoon bridges. Six lines of German trendies, five hundiV ! to a thousand yards apart, were tak'-.i. On reaching Saint Georges they discovered that tlui artillery had driven our. •he Germans. Thirty-eight were found hiding in a cellar, and were mad< prisoners. The Franco-British advance 1> Rentiers is confirmed. French and British outposts hold Roiilers. A Belgian aviator bombed a German supply convoy near Osteiul, and destroyed three motor brrics. BRITISH BAYONET CHARGES. OUR ADVAXCE CONTINUES. FIGHTIXG ALONG THE FREXCH FROXT. Received 1!), 5.50 p.m. Paris, December 10. Ihe Allies' advanced troops passed Middlekirke in the evening, and the Germans were driven out of a number of trenches on the right bank of the Yser, our forces having now pierced, tlw; German position just at the end of the inundation of the Dixmudc region. Til :■ Belgians, being acquainted with the exact positions of dykes and ditched which are hidden in the murky waters, previously death-traps to every advancing German force, led their comrades over selected parts knee-deep in water. The Allies then crossed, and charged with the bayonet. The Germans made a poor defence. Many were taken prisoners. Their losses in the vicinity of Mor.ibaertzvde were verv heavy. Official. —We organised "the ground gained on Thursday south of Dixmude, and pushed the front to the south of Cnnibaret and Fort Ker. Vile advance soufr.'of Ypres confnuef over difficult marshy ground. V e s progressed over a kilometre in two days south of La Basse. During the night of the 17th an.l the ollowing day. we advanced at Albeit under violent fire. AVe reached the wire entanglements at tile enrni y's seond line of trenches, but the German hand grenades forced us to abandon the trenches captured on Thursday north of Malineourt. Several Gc:v,ian trenches were eairi.'d in (he Liliors district, where three Violent counter-attacks were! repulsed. uiir fire, directed by airmen, demolished (no heavy batteries oil the height-. oj the lieuse, and damaged a third. FRENCH DRAGOONS'SUCCESS. GERMAN FORCE SURROUNDED. Received 20, 5.5 p.m. London, December 1'). The Daily Mail's correspondent at Dunkirk writes that, after advancing along the const in flic direction of ()£ lend, French dragoons attempted a turning movement near Xiouport, but German reinforcements ai.e hidden machineguns checked them. Next night the, dragoons galloped round the Germans' right wing. The Gel-mans in the diu: .s were enclosed em three sides, and surrendered. Nine liundred were taken p isonei s. 'jSKr^REPAIRING THE DAMAGE. A NOBLE EFFORT. Receive'd "10, 5,20 p.m. London, December 19. The Times' Paris correspondent reports that for tin; purpose of re-con-stituting the life devastated in the villages, the Americans have formed n committee to collect and distribute fund.Tho English Society of Friends sent teams of workers into the country, particularly in the Marne and portion o/ the_ Aisne, 'including doctors, nurses, sanitary experts, and architects, to heip to re-build the houses, and feed, clothe, and medically attend the peasants, and generally guard against dangers to health arising from the hasty burial on the battlefields, and to lend agricultural implements. It is understood that the Society of Friends is prepared to -I'f'Tid a million sterling for this purpose. THE MORTALITY RATE. OF FRENUIT WOUNDED. Paris, December 18. Army medical statistics reveal that the mortality rate of French wounded is .1.40. It has been possible to return 54.5 per cent, to the front. THE NEW GERMANY. TO INCLUDE SWIT'ZERLAXD. Paris, December 19. Le .Matin reproduces stamps prepared in Berlin indicating that Switzerland would become a part of the German Ewi. pire. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. ANOTHER ADVANCE. Paris, December 18. A communique states:—-"As the result of a vigorous offensive we captured several trenches at Auchy, near La Bassee, Loos and St. Laurent, and the whole first line of trenches at Blangy." ''Our artillery gained a distinct advantage at Tracy-le-A'al in the Cham, pagne district. The enemy blc* up one trench north of Four-de-Paris. Three German battalions of infantry attempted to debouch hut were repulsed," •'Tis BOXXIE DOOM, so fraith and fair, MI mebbe soothe her hairt gin sair, Man, gie me a draw o' yer pipe eft sune, 1 Gin hqr !jc fillt wi' BONNIE DOON 5Q