New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-31
FRENCH REPORT ADVANCE
ALL ALONG BATTLE LINE
Official Recital of Principal Events of War Between
December 10 and "a Says Everywhere Enemy
Has Been Reduced to Defensive Attitude

. u.
r This period Of nine days resulted IN
consolidating the successes won Dy us
during the ten days preceding ouI
aggressive attitude has been continued
with even increased energy; every
where the enemy has been reduced 10
a defensive attitude. The violence o.
counter-attacks has been evidence
that he accepted this attitude reluct-
antly. The checking OF every move
ment made by him in his endeaVor 10
recapturc the ground lost 10 US maze
our advantage the greater.
at is proper 70 say that AZ various
points along the front. particularly
near Arms: on the western boundary
Of the Argonne district and near YER
dun. we have made ourselves tho mas
ters of important points of support.
"Tbe operatons to the north Of the
LIS have been attended by great hard
/ shin because Of the bad weather. The
/ cold. LIQUID mud in which the men
have had TO move has got into the
/ breeches Of their rifles. This made It
I impossible 20 shoot. The fighting, con
seGuently. has been with the butt end
Of muskets and even with fists.
according 20 an expression used oy
ono Of their leaders, our soldiers are
literally blots of mud. There has been
organized Tor them a system by which
they can bathe and change their clothes
when they leave the trenches. inns
they appreciate very much. Their un-
failing good humor helps them to sup
port in a wonderful way the very hard
life that this rigorous winter Is infict-
ing upon them.
Progress Made in Sand Dunes.
an considering the operations dur
ing this period Of days along this part
of the front we can divide the territory
into three parasitic region before
Nieuport. the region to the north OF
Ypres and the region 10 the south OF
Ypres In front Of Nieuport there Is
on one side the sea and on the other
flooded country. Between them are the
sand dunes. Here it is that We have
made progress. On December 10 IN the
evening we moved out Of Newport "a
far as the western boundary OF LON
baertzvde. On December Is we ad-
vanced as far as the sea, occupied the
lighthouse and made more than 100
prisoners. On December II we reached
the point where the Lombaertzyde
Road crosses the dunes. This day We
also made certain progress more 20 the
south in front of st. Georges. On De-
cember 10 further progress; we ad-
vanced 200 yards along this entire
front. On December 20 we occupied "A
German trench. and on December p
we made a further onward rush, gain
ing $50 wards in the direction Of West
ende. The enemy delivered a counter
attack on December %, but was re-
pulsed. All the ground gained by US
remains in our possession. The Ger
man marines and the German coast
artillery have not been successful in
recapturing from US the positions we
have taken.
Trenches and Guns Captured.
December 20, to the north Of Ypres,
the fighting concentrated near Steen-
straete and near BiXschoOte, in the
vicinity of the Korteker Inn. and at
point further 10 the southeast where
there is windmill. December II we
captured in one engagement several
trenches, four machine guns and made
$50 prisoners and advanced 800 yards.
During December Is we took, one by
one, the houses close to our lines. The
next day the inn came under our con-
rrol We swept up the surrounding
country and took possession OF for
est. certain houses and a redoubt. On
December % we gained another 100
yards. The enemy delivered counter
attacks, but in vain. The operations
of December II and Is represented to-
gether an advance of more than 200
yards.
"To the south of Ypres, near Vel
dock and near Zwartelen, we gained
on December Is, total of 400 yards
December II and the days following
we continued our advance, capturing
two machine guns, certain calssons
and several groups OF houses. Deem
Der p. 22 and 23) At this point also
the ground presented great difficulties
IL was necessary for our men TO ngn'
iu the water; nevertheless, our AT
vances were continuous and never once
did we falter.
From the Iys to the Disc: In the
region Of Lens and of Arras there oc-
Cured several very brilliant actions
which, in their entirety, presented the
same characteristics as those which
developed to the north Of the Lys. 10
the north Of Lens. in the region OF
Bermelles. We made gains not fan
from Notre Dame de Consolation OF
December Is running from 200 to 30C
yards.
One Days Gain 500 Yards.
"On the 18th a further rush for
ward won us 100 yards in one direc.
ton and 500 in another. Our totaI
advance December IS was 500 yards
December 23 we made further progress
Of $50 wards, which brought US TO the
junction of the roads from Loos &c
Rutoire and from Loos 20 Nermelles
In this fighting our artillery was
strikingly successful. In spite Of his
efforts at resistance, the enemy was
compelled to abandon his ground
"To the south Of Lens there was
fighting in the region Of Carency and
Of Notre Dame dc Lorrette. Here the
the territory, even on the heights, IS
c'ayey and filled with springs
Trenches become inundated as soon as
they are dug. As happened in Bel
GUM, the rifles became undiscovered
and the mea made use OF their butts
December II the first German trenches
a. Notre Dame dc LOrrctte came into
our possession. Three DAYS later the
hrst-line trenches wore occupied o.
US. The following days we we're stoppeC
by the fog, which made IL impossible
20 regulate the firing Of our artillery
"The Germans cadcavored TO de
bouch from Carency. which position
they still held They were driven bacI
with heavy lOsses, bit still they re-
tanned possession Of Carency.
"In the approaches Of Arras, AT s.
Laurent and al Blangy we delivered
attacks, and were successful in win
ming ground. The first houses Of 90
Laurent have been IN our possession
since December Il. This position We
. a.