South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-11
Enormous Number of Heavy Ar
tiIIery MaSSed Along 300
Mile Front Fires Costly
Amount of Ammunition.
German Cruiser
Reported Sunk
RTIIITIN.

ar1nored cruiser Friedrich Karl
il reported To have been sunk i'm
the Baltic sea by a mine and most
of her crew drowned. according
tO an official statement issued At
the French ministry OF marine
today. The Friederich Karl car
ried 557 officers and men.
The sinking OF the Friedrich
Karl is said TO have occurred
late i'm November. The cruiser
was "a sister ship OF the PrinZ
Adelbert and was built i'm 1901
She carried four S-inch guns: 10
1iYe-inch guns. II threc-inch
guns, four machine guns and tor
pedO tubes. The vessel was 397
feet long. 81 feet wide and reg
istered S,S5S tons.
PARIS, Dec. strengthened by
the reinforcements that have been
sent 10 aid them in their attempt 20
pierce the battle line Of the allies In
the region OF Ypres. the Germans
have taken a fierce offensive stand
there. An official statement isued
here this afternoon says they made
several attacks yesterday.
Three Of these attacks were re-
pulsed. but in another the Germans
captured one OF the allies trenches.
The French are making progress in
the region OF Arras and Juvincourt.
The official statement follows:
The enemy showed some activity
in the region Of Ypres yesterday. He
directed several attacks against our
lines. three of which were completely
repulsed. At only one point of the
front did the Germans succeed in
reaching one OF the trenches.
For our part we have continued
to advance in the direction OF the
enemy's line in the region of Arras
and in that Of Juvincourt
In the ArgOnne we have pushed
forward several Of our trenches and
rolled back two German attacks.
Artillery is Active.
in the region Of Narennes we have
consolidated our gains of preceding
days. The German artillery is show
ing great activity, but has been un-
able to infict upon us any losses. Con-
ditions are the same on the heights
OF the Meuse.
In the forest of Lapretre our ad-
Vances are continued and maintained.
ITO the south of Thanh we have
captured the railroad station OF Asp
ach. on the rest OF the front in the
Nosges there are artillery duels."
Great Amount OF Artillery.
Never before in the worlds history
has there been gathered together such
an enormous amount OF heavy artillery
on any battlefield as has been massed
along the 3OO-mile front from the
Nosges TO the North sea, where the
gigantic armies OF the kaiser and the
allies are locked in an iron embrace.
All the big guns in France have
been planted along the battle line with
the exception OF those defending
ovsa
permanent fOrtresses. All the big
guns in the British Isles with the ex-
cep1On Of those necessary to defend
the coast have been rushed into
France by Earl Kitchener. the
British secretary Of state for war. 10
reinforce the French artillery and 10
support the far-lung battle line OF
the British. French and Belgians
More than 10000 big guns. eXciu-
sive OF the light artillery and the fly
ing sQuadrons Of field guns attached
10 the cavalry arm OF the service,
thunder death and destruction at each
other by day and by night When
the artillery duelling is violent the
artillery ammunition bill in West
Flanders and France amcLnts TO
$1,00O,00O a day. Guns have been
removed from warships 20 offset the
COMPARTMENTS OF the gigantic German
krupps. From the Spanish frontier
and from forts In such important har-
bors as ToulOn. big cannon have been
shipped eastward 20 hold back the
tidal rush OF the German armies
Germany not only produces au un-
expected number OF heavy Guns. IN
Guiding the famous 4--ceIulle
howitzers, but the kaiser's artillery
was strengthened with batteries Of
Austrian guns which were hurried 10
the German front in the early stases
Of the war.
Advance IL Slow.
In West Flanders the allies are
IN liking further proeTess, but the adj
vance is slow and painful according
TO unofficial dispatches from the north.
AT other points along the northern
line particularly around Arras and
along the Disc the GermaHs are ight-
ing with great valOr and stubbornness
70 regain ground they have lost.
Along the Aisne. especially in the re-
gion OF Rheims. artillery has been
playing an important part Further
to the east the night FOR trenches and
roadWays goes on violently. some
German trenches that were evacuated
near the Meuse river have not ser