Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-11-18
ALLIES CUT DOWN
BEFORE D|XMUDE
Town Still Held by Germans After
Hard Fight.
PUSH TEUTONS ACROSS USER
French War Office Asserts Left Bank
of River Is Now Free of Kaiser's
Troops-Dead Cover
Battlefield

London, Nov. 16.-The left bank of
the User has been cleared entirely Of
the Germans and the French war Of
flee reports telling defeat was admin
istered by the allies in contact with
invaders on the right bank.
Complete evacuation of the western
bank of the canal, which the Germans
have held for so long, was announced
in the French official communique
from Bordeaux.
The official statement lays the great
est stress, however, on the fighting on
the right bank, where a fierce attack
by the Germans in the direction of
Ypres was checked and a wooded posi-
ton was retaken by the allies, indicat-
ing progress in Strengthening their sa-
lient based on Ypres.
On the right bank, also, the fury
of the allies offensive was directed
against DiXmude, where the Germans
held a strongly advantageous position.
The afternoon communique admits
Dixmude is still held by the Germans.
Unofficial accounts of the fighting
described a terrific battle for this po-
sition. The Germans had mounted
machine guns in the few remaining
towers left in the ruined village and
cannon had been trained down the
thoroughfares leading to the west
ward and commanding the trenches
of the heavily REINFORCED allies. From
the western edge of the town new and
L. 10
dug by the Germans.
Allies Are Checked.
The allies BON barded the Germans
in the town from the western bank,
and under cover of the heavy cannon
aiding made repeated attempts to cross
and take the town on the other side
of the canal by storm. The vigor Of
the artillery and small arms fusillade
made the crossing such a perilous eff
fort that the frontal attack finally was
abandoned.
Armored trains did signal service on
the railway between Newport and Dix
nude They threw $50 shells into the
German position west Of the User,
keeping down their fire and assisting
the movement of the British troops in
the direction of the river.
For the last few days heavy rain
storms have swept over the battle
fields, making it difficult to move
heavy guns. The men in the sodden
trenches are having an unhappy time.
Many have to fight knee deep in the
water. Some are even waist deep.
There are limits to human endurance,
and military movements may for a
time become well-nigh impossible.
Strengthening of the allies salient
or wedge based on Ypres progresses.
To the south of BiXschoote the allies,
as a result of a fierce encounter in
which masked batteries and hidden
machine guns played an important
part, succeeded in retaking a little
wood which the Germans captured
three nights ago in night attack
Repulse Germans at Ypres.
At dusk the Germans attempted
supreme effort in the direction of
Ypres, attacking in force from the
south, but the onslaught was met by
a flawless defensive, and the attack
ers were hurled back with consider
able losses.
When night came on the field in
front of the British and French
trenches was covered thick with the
German dead.
The scope of the battle on the re-
mainder of the front has been re-
stricted to trench fighting and to ex-
change of artillery fire, owing to the
excessive rains and the chill weather