Milford chronicle., 1914-12-11
Drive Wedge in German Line
Near YprGS.
TEUTOA ATTACK REpULSEO
The Kaiser's Forces, Fighting In a
Furious Storm, Advance to Town
Near the Coast.


sumed their offensive tactics in that
section OF the western zone Of the
war.
From the reports reaching London
from Paris it is declared tnat the al.
lied forces have gained considerable
ground in Flanders, as well as along
the battle front in France and in the
Argonne.
Heavy rains and the poor condition
of the roads in west Flanders have
hampered the movement Of troops
and artillery and there is a lull in the
conflict there, although both armies
have continued their heavy gun fire.
Official communications from Paris
declare that the allies are gaining
ground and that their offensive is pro-
crossing at many points.
Heavy fighting has been continued
along the User and toward Ypres,
where the two hostile armies have
been directing their efforts in an at
tempt to cut each others lines. Here
it is said in unofficial dispatches that
the British forces have driven
wedge in the German lines and that
the Germans may be forced to with
draw their forces near the coast.
The dispatch says that the British
forces have recaptured- Passchen.
daele, a town in Flanders, between
Ypres and Roulers, after some des-
perate fighting and that, if true, the
invaders will be forced to relinquish
their lines in that section of the zone
of war and fall back toward their
other position in Belgium and nearer
their own frontier.
From Paris comes the official sta e.
ment that the allies have halted the
offensive movements Of the Germans
in the region of st. Eloy, south Of
Ypres, and that they inflicted severe
losses on the invaders. Here the Ger
mans violently assailed the lines of
the allies, but all of the attacks of the
TeutOns were repulsed.
Additional dispatches from the
French war office say that the fight
ing has becme more violent at many
points along the lines in France, and
particularly In the Argonnes, where
the French forces are pushing their
offensive.
From that section of the war the
reports are conflicting. Berlin claims
that the Germans have made gains /
there, while Paris declares that the
French forces have made some pro. J
gress. Paris declares that the fight. /
ing in that section OF the battle front
is very lively.
Taking advantage of the fierce gales
on the Belgian coast, which made the
British and French war vessels in the
North sea helpless, the Germans have
made a sudden shift of pressure
against the extreme left wing of the
allies, beating back the Belgians who
held positions there.
Fighting in the midst of a furious
storm, which drove in from the North
sea, the German soldiers, while lashed
by wind and rain, hurled themselves
against the Belgians with such force
that King Alberts men were com.
PEELED to fall back. Then the Ger
mans pushed long-range artillery
westward along the NieuportFurness
road, and are now shelling Oost-Duin-
ierke, only fifteen miles from Dun
Kirk, France, one of the two chief OBJ
iectives of the drive towards the
coast.
Oost-Duinkerke is two and a half
niles west of Nieuport, about a mile
rom the coast. and only nine miles
rom the French border
Official dispatches announce that
he German artillery is bombarding
he town, but they fail to say how
lear the Germans are 70 the place.
This information, however, has es.
ablished the fact that the allied
orces, which were recently reported ,
O be on the outskirts of Ostend,
eady to enter at any time they chose,
ave been forced to retire; that the
belgian army, whose duty it was to
old the extreme left of the allies
inc, has fallen back under the as ;
aults of the Germans, and that the f,
Iermans are in possession of a con- !
iderable section of the Nieuport- :
urness road, which is high out Of 9
each of the floods. 6
It is also apparent that the recent
ttempts of the allies in the extreme n
orth TO swing around the northern 4
nd of the German right flank have p
cen effectually checked. 4
The official bulletins are as follows: .