Evening star., 1914-12-31
Artillery Active.

Artillery Active.
Our artillery never loses time or op-
portunity when the weather is clear
enough to shoot. Our guns succeeded
in blowing up a depot of munitions at
Thalus, to the north Of Arras, and sew
eral caissons at point to the east of
Blangy
Between Arras and Noyon the most
important actions took place between
Albert and Combles, at La Boiselle, at
Mametz, at Carney and at Maricourt,
to the north of Roye, and at Lfhons.
December IT, IS and 10, we occupied
the cemetery of La Boiselle, block
house near Ouvillers, the first line
trenches of the enemy at Mar1court,
and we reached the southern boundary
line of Mametz.
December %, at n point south of
La Boiselle, we pushed our trenches
forward for a distance of 300 yards:
December "a we were in possession or
all the southern part of La Bassee In
this last day we took eighty prisoners
and one machine gun. The Germans
then came at us with counter attack,
but we drove them back at a point
near Carency and we have succeeded in
consolidating our position.
Smashes German Guns.
"A German trench taken by us De-
cember 16 and evacuated the 18th was
retaken the 18th. During this time our
artillery destroyed the German trenches
to the northeast of Carney and demol-
ished two machine guns December
19). The following day. extending the
range of its fire. our artillery demol-
ished two pieces in German battery
at point near Hem.
"In the region Of Lithons we cap
tured, December II, certain trenches.
which we were compelled to defend
vigorously December IS, 10, 20, 81 and
%. The counter attacks delivered by
the Germans were furious. The en-
gagement of December 10 saw the Ger
mans advance in columns of four men
abreast. The enemy was cut down In
this fighting by our artillery. They all
remained on the field of battle. De-
cember "a we occupied another trench.
in spite of the desperate resistance Of
the enemy.
From Disc to West of Argonne.
Between the Disc and the Aisne our
artillery gained a measurable success.
1t accomplished the destruction, De-
cember Is. of machine gun and an
observation tower at a point near
Tracy le Val; on the 10Th it destroyed
u barricade in the region of Vailly; on
the Goth it put a German howitzer out
of business, and on the 21st it de-
stroyed another machine gun. Decem-
Der % 1t broke up the descent of a
German captive balloon, and two days
later. on the pleateau of Nouvron, our
artillery fire demolished the trenches
of the enemy.
Our infantry made some Interesting
advances in the region of Nampoel. De-
cember 81 these troops occupied the
first line trenches of the enemy along
a front extending for 500 yards, and
they captured a machine gun. Decem-
ber 22 we lost to the enemy. and on
the 23d we recaptured from them a part
the counter attacks of the enemy we
brilliantly repulsed with the bayonet.
December "a we were master of the
entire line occupied by us on the 21st.
with the exception of a few yards at
the eastern extremity of this line. This
point is still in possession of the
enemy"
Artillery Accomplishments.
ITO the south of Laon and Craonne
and in the region of Rheims the last
week was flied with artillery combats.
The enemy fired nearly twice as many
projectiles as in the week preceding,
but without succeeding in taking from
our heavy artillery the advantage it
we'll knew how to keep.
The destruction of machine gun
shelters and redoubts on the 18th near
the sugar ref1neries of Trocon and the
quarries of Beaulme, the destruction
of bastion on the plateau of Vaucler
on the 18th and in the same place of
two machine gun shelters on the 10Th,
the dispersion of concentrations of the
enemy's troops in the valley of the
Suippe. the 18th. Goth and 23d; the de-
molition of German trenches on the
9TH near the Bourfaut farm and upon
the 22d i'll the same region-such are
some of the happy accomplishments 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