Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-12-09
ALLIES FORCE FOE
BACK IN FLANDERS
Berlin Says Germans Have EVaC-
uated VermeIleS.
RETIRE TO REAR TRENCHES
French Make Unsuccessful Attack
Near AItkirch With Heavy
Losses-Rritish Troops
Gain on User.

Berlin 10y wireless TO LOnuOu), Leo
MAIN army headquarters reports:
The Germans have evacuated YER
melles, to the southeast of Bethune.
Buildings were destroyed according to
prearranged plans to prevent the IN
necessary loss of life through bonn
bardment by the French artillery. We
occupied prepared positions in the
rear, which prevented the enemy from
following.
French endorsements unsuccess-
fully attacked again to the west and
to the southwest of Altkirch, suffer
ing heavy losses.
There is no other change in the
western theater of operations.
London, Dec. 7.-Three victories
were won by the heavy artillery OF
the allies in fighting reported in OFF,
cial dispatches to Paris from widely
separated sections of the battle front.
In Flanders, near the ferryman's
house between Dixmude and Ypres,
which was destroyed by the British
after months fighting, the British
gunners destroyed a German field
fort
In Champagne the French guns COM
p1ete1y overwhelmed the kaiser's bat
teries.
Near .Varennes, Is miles from Yer
dun, the French guns put every gun
of the German batteries out of action.
The week opened with the allies
holding more advanced positions in
Flanders than they have gained in
any corresponding period.
The belief is now general among
the competent military observers that
the march to Calais will be attempt
ed from a point to the south of Ypres
if at all.
British Hold Town.
The past three days have been
marked by successes for the allies on
this section of the front, with the
exception of the battle around Wei
denreft, on the outskirts of LANCE
marck, northwest of Ypres, where the
Germans have effectively resisted the
French attacks.
The official statement, given out in
Paris, declared that the German
corps contesting for the position as
sumed the offensive, but without avail,
the British continuing to hold the Sec
ton of the town to which they re-
tired on Friday.
One of the most notable gains was
made by the allies to the east of
Possele, in the region about the fer
ryman's house, where the German
field fort was reported destroyed. This
is the first really firm footing the
British have been able to gain on the
right bank of the User.
French Gunners Accurate.
The possession Of Weidenreft is i'm
portant, as the village is of great
strategic value, dominating, as It does,
the open stretch of ground which
gives access to the fortified positions
of the Germans If the allies are able
to establish themselves here they will
be in position to assail the German
trenches to the east.
The French gunners showed great
accuracy in the Champagne region
while they were under fire of the Ger
man batteries. The kaiser's gunnerS
opened a furious bombardment of the
French positions. The French bat
teries replied with a deadly rain of
shells from the new field Howitzers
which recently were brought up from
the rear to replace burned out pieces,
and the Germans were effectively
smothered by the fury of the reply.
"Sapping,' the most terrifying form
of warfare, continues in the Argonne
region. Here the Germans, by dig
ging zagzag trenches at such an an
gle as never to subject the occupants
to an efilading fire, but always bring
ing the burrowers close under the
French trenches and hurled bombs
and hand genades of great explosives
power into the pits.
Or by tunneling from their own
trenches to a point under the French
positions they have planted mines
which were denoted after the home
end" of the bores lind been sealed.
Take AIsace Trenches.
Progress has been made in the Yer
dun region, southeast of Varennes,
where the fighting in becoming more
important, both in the forces employed
and the stake for which they are con-
tending.
The right wing of General Joffre's
allied army is heavily engaged with
the Germans on two important fronts,
one facing Metz and the other threat
ening Strassburg.
Several trenches have been taken
in the forest country in Alsace.