South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-19
BRITISH SHIPS SHELL
GERMANS ON LAND
Teuton Positions at Middle
kerke Suffer Severe Damage
From Bombardment-BattIe
Growing in Intensity.

PARIS. Dec. 19.-The French are
continuing their advance in the region
south OF Ypres, it is officially an
nOunced in a statement issued here
this afternoon. The operations in that
district are over Swampy ground,
which makes troop movements very
difficult. South of LaBassee the
French have advanced more than half
a mile and have also made progress
at other points.
The repetition of announcements as
to short gains made Soy French troops
shows that the Germans are making
desperate resistance against the con-
tinued offensive Of the allies. 1t is
said that the fighting in Flanders and
northern France is the fiercest that
has taken place during the campaign.
The official statement follows:
In Belgium during the day of Dec.
S we fortified the ground gained the
day before to the south of Dixmude
and pushed forward our front to the
south OF the KOrteker inn. our ad-
vance to the south of Ypres is being
continued in marShy ground very diff
fiCult for our troops.
From the I4ys to the Disc We have
advanced in the region of NOtre Dame
de Consolation. south of LaBassee,
more than a kilometre. In the course
OF the last two days we have made
equal progress in the direction of
Carency toward ST. Laurent and
Blangy.
Positions Are Held.
"Despite very violent counter at
tacks, the positions captured on Dec.
IL have been held.
I'm the region Of Albert, during the
nights OF Dec. II and / 8 and during
the day of Dec. Is. we advanced under
a very violent fire and reached the
wire entanglements OF the second line
OF the enemy's trenches.
ITO the north of Maericourt, we
have abandoned a trench taken the
day before and set on fire by the en-
emy by means OF hand grenades. Sew
eral German trenches have been cap
tured by US in the region of Mametz
and in that of BimCns.
Three violent counter attacks by
the Germans have been repulsed.
In the region of the Aisne artillery
. duels continue. In the champagne
district the enemy's artillery showed
more activity than on the preceding
day.
In the Argonne, in the forest Of
Grurie. we blew up a German mine.
Near st. Hubert the enemy sue
ceeded in advancing slightly by means
of a very fierce attack. 1t is conf
hrmed that on the heights of the
Meuse our artillery. directed by avi-
ators. has destroyed two heavy bat /
teries and damaged a third.
From the Meuse to the Vosges /
there is nothing to report.
In the NoSges there have been
sharp fusillades from the Germans,
but no attack"
British Warships BOmbard
Middlekerke, on the North sea, inflict-
Afiddlekerke. on the North sea. inict-
ing severe damage upon the German
position there. A successful aerial
reconnaissance has oeen made over
Ostend by the allies scouts who re-
port the arrival of fresh German for
nations at that point. The Germans
are working night and day 20 strength
EN- their positions around Middlekerke
and Ostend 10 stem the advance of
the Franco Belgian forces which
pushed TO Lomba ertzyde early this
week The invaders have mounted
some OF their 42-centimeter howitzers
at Ostend.
CN1ddlekerke lies four miles west
OF OStend and two and a half miles
east OF Westende, which was bonn
barded several days ago by English
mcn-Of -war)
II is reported from West Flanders
that the Germans have transported
10000 fresh troops TO Antwerp and
have strengthened their lines along
the Belgian corps with 10000 rein
fOrCementS
German artillery masked by forests
along the E1euleuEek river near l1au1-
zeele, Becelaere and MoOrslede is
bombarding the French and British
lines north and south of the Npres-
Menin railway.
Battle Grows i'm FiCrCenCSs.
The battle around Armentieres. Lille
aud HsaBassee has become more ferO-
cious as a natural result OF the in
creased pressure of the allies
The battle line al this point lies i'm
The form OF n horseshoe. with LaBaS-
see and Armentieres at the points
where the caulks would be- Lille lies
at the extreme eastern end Of the curve
and il Is there that the most severe
lighting is going on. The Germans
have been varying ON an inceSsant
bombardment OF great severity To
break up the efforts OF the allies 10
pierce their lines.
There is great activity on the part OF
heavy artillery along the center and
on the heights of the Meuse. but the
French columns which penetrated
Lorraine and Aisace seem 10 have met
with a check as they have reported ne
further progress in their efforts TO ad-
vance toward Sfethe Strassburg and
Muclnauscn
In the Argonne there is considerable
hand-to-hand dghting for the French
nave singled out the army of the
German crown prince as the object for
fierce and successful attacks.
At Nerdun the situation Is un-
changed.