The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-11
Special cable DeSpatch 70 Tnr srN.

Special cable Despatch 10 THr SuN.
PARIS, Dec. 10..--The following account
by an eyewitness" OF the operations on
the battlefront between November q and
December 8 was given out to-day:
'"rhe period of time between November
81 and December was not marked by
operations of any great extent. but obser-
vatlons made in those days established
the fact that along the entire front we
have taken the ascendent over the enemy,
with our artillery as well as with our
infantry
1.-The French artillery. without sufter-
ing severely from the fire of the Ger
man cannon. was successful at num-
Der of points In silencing batteries OF
the enemy and even in demolishlng sew
eral OF them. Our infantry. showing
sustained spirit OF offence. made progress
everywhere. and at no point was this
infantry progress followed by retire.
ment.
From the sea TO the Disc on December
l and at Bxschoote and Merken our
heavy artillery inflicted serious damage
on five German batteries Several am
munition wagons were blown up.
stroyed a section of German machine
guns December our heavy artillery
imposed silence upon the heavy artIery
of the Germans. on November ~ our
artillery of this pattern demolished GER
tain bridges built by the enemy ana DE.
stroyed his supplies. This in the region OF
knocke There was a similar series OF
engagements December at BiNschoote
ION November 90 we bombarded sue
cessfuly. at a point near Lens, certain
German supply trains. and on December
. we demolished the earthworks OF the
enemy in the vicinity of Roclincourt.
Infantry Engagements.
ut is impossible to give an account OF
| all the attacks repulsed by our infantry
| Here is a list of the principal engage.
ments OF this nature with the date and
| the locality of where they took place !.
| At Pasche ndaelle. November q at Biz
| schoote, November 30; again at Pasch-
endaelle. December 3; at Wyendrett,
! December 3. and at Brodseinde, TO the
/ east of Ypres ON November 20.
In this last mentioned engagement the
| Germans evidenced great energy in their
! offensive. Some of the attacking force
| were killed on the parapets OF our
| trenches. No fewer than $50 corpses were
. found in front OF one trench.
From one end TO the other OF the
northern sector our infantry has made
| advances and won ground. In the region
| OF Streen Strante. November 20. we ad-
| vanced between 100 and $50 yards at
, Neldhoek, and the same day we made
| sixty yards at Swartelen.
| The following day we advanced 100
yards near the inn at Kortmeker and on
December We progressed more than 500
yards In the region Of Langemark. and on
the next day, December :. We made more
than 200 yards in the region of d'Agny.
! I'VE won 100 yards in the region of
Mametz on December l and our advance
on December amounted to about 200
yards in the region OF Andechy, Ovillers
and FrCourt.
Several infantry ENGAGEMENTS are
worthy OF special mention.
The engagement which resulted In Civ
ing us the house of the ferryman. the po'
stion of which has been indicated IN pre-
vious official communications. was particu
larly brilliant. Several German trenches
were occupied one after the other. The OPP
eratious OF which this brilliant feat oi
arms was an episode was one of the mos
laborious accomplished by our troops
1T was a question. In short, OF driving
away from the left bank OF the User th'
Germans, who had succeeded In installni
themselves for a distance OF l.S00 yards
The main difficulty arose from the fac
that the User Canal IL nanked at TIM
point by an impossible swamp.
"As result the attack could he mad'
! only by following along the bank OF tn
can and against a very narrow front
, Furthermore. the right bank OF the canal
where the enemy wa installed at = dis
lance OF less than $50 yards. dominate
the left bank, which is under the fire o
machine guns.