New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-31

cenber 49,. The following day. ex-
tending the range OF its IRE. our ar
tillery demolished two pieces IN ter
man battery AZ point nesr Mem.
Counter Attacks Furious.
an the region Of Lihons We captured
on December II certain trenches when
We were compelled 20 defend vigorousiF
or December IS. 10. 20. q and y. ne
counter attack delivered by the ter
mans were furious. The engagement
Of December 70 saw the Germans hd-
vance in columns or four men abreast.
The enemy was cut down IN this ngnt-
ing by our artillery. They all re-
NAMED on the field Of battle. On De-
cember "a We occupied another trench,
in spite OF the desperate resistance o.
the enemy.
Prom the Disc 10 the west OF me
Argonre: Between the Disc and the
Aisne our artillery gained measure
Bile success. /. accomplished the de-
struction on December l6 Of machine
qun and an observation tower AZ a
point near Tracy 10 Val; on the 18TH J.,
DESTROYED barricade in the region Of
Vailly; on the 2Oth it put German
hovitzer out of business. and on the
al
On the 22d Of December il broke up
the descent of German captive bal
loon. and two days later. on the plh-
teau of Nouvron. our artillery IRE de-
molshed the trenches of the enemy
"Our infantry made some interesting
advances in the region Of Nampoel. On
the Dist of December these TROOPS oc-
cupied the frst-line trenches Of me
enemy along a front extending Tor ooU
wards. and they captured n machine
Gun. On December % We lost 20 the
enemy. and on the Odd we recaptured
from them a part of this original gain
On the 23d oil the counter attacks OF
the enemy were brilliantly repulSeC
with the bayonet.
"On December "a We were master o.
the entire line occupied b. Us on the
2lst. with the exception of few YARDS
at the eastern extremity Of this line.
This point is still in possession O. the
enemy"
ITO the south Of Laon and Craonne
and in the region Of Rheims the last
week was filed with artillery comoats'
The enemy fired nearly twice as many
proiectiles as in the week preceding
but without succeeding in taking from
our heavy artillery the advantage il
we'll knew how to keep.
"The destruction OF machine gun
shelters and redoubts on the l6tn near
the sugar refneries Of 1rOcon and the
ouarries of Beaulme. the destruction
Of a hastion on the plateau OF Naucler
on the 18th and IN the same place OF
two machine gun shelters on the 18TH;
the dispersion of concentrations OF the
enemys troops in the valley OF the
Suippe the 18th, Goth and 23d; the
demolition Of German trenches on the
18th near the Bourfaout farm, and
upon the 22d in the same region-such
are some Of the happy accomplish
ments of our artillery the last several
days.
infantry Losses Diminish.
"Our infantry losses still diminish
which is the best criterion of the re-
suits obtained by our batteries. Each
night the enemy sets of huge amount
Of fireworks in addition to their infan-
try fire, marking in a word a nervous
ness with which we are well satisfied.
Between Rheims and the Argonne
cur attacks, delivered with continuity,
did not permit the enemy IN spite OF
vigorous counter attacks. 70 recapture
the positions lost By him between the
18th and the oath These attacks de-
veloped particularly between st. Hilalre
lie Grand and Beauseiour 60 the east
of Nille-sur-Tourbe). We can sum up
by saying that all the points of sup
port which they proposed to seize are
to-day in our possession.
an the environs of perthes We
gained 200 metres on the goth. also
On the Dist and 500 metres on the ODD.
This gain extended our front kilo-
metre and half and represents the
whole line of the enemy's. trenches
upon mis- front. Our attack resulted
in the capture of several blockhouses.
q section OF machine guns. with its
personnel; CaiSsons with numerous
projectiles end gun protected by a
cIpola, certain proof that the Germans,
confident OF their ability 10 resist, have
nevertheless been mastered by our
troops.
Superiority Affirmed.
"The checking Of five counter attacks
which they directed upon this point
has likewise affirmed our superiority.
On the oath we chased the Germans
from some zig-zag trenches which they
still occupied and consolidated our po-
sition upon all their first line.
"The operations around Perthes
have been supplemented by others still
more valuable to Us TO the east-a gain
Of 400 metres az Mesnil-Les-Hurlus on
the 23d and the possession Of the Hill
of Calvary, near Beausejour, on the
goth. On the oath we seized a woods
70 the east OF the trenches captured
on the Odd near Mesnil. Here again
the results attained have been secured
in spite OF the enemys counter attacks.
In this region we have better succeeded
in conquering the various points of
support which were presented 10 We as
an objective.
"The enemy suffered huge losses and
our soldiers are in high spirits.
"From the ArgOnne 20 the Swiss
fronter-In the woods Of Argonne the
warfare is harder and more disagree
able, the difficulties of the wooded and
muddy terrain rendering more notable
our continued progress. In the two
woods OF La Grurie and % BOlante
the enemy succeeded on the 18th in
blowing up one Of our trenche-. II
has since been recaptured from the
rear and on the 20th we constructed
some new trenches IN advance of the
old ones. On four occasions we blew
up some German mines, demolished
machine guns, concealed shelters and
captured rife ammunition and other ma
terial. Ours was he moral superiority
incOntestably. Many advances, not one
retreat that is the balance sheet on
the TANKS west If tire Argonne. In
one day, the Gath. re repulsed FIVE at
tacks.
Success Crowns Activity.
"From the west Of the Argonne 20
the heights OF the Meuse inclusive we
showed an activity from the 10th 10
the 9th, often crowned with success
and that. in spite Of the condition of