The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-31

have been Tn our possession since Decem- Der r. This position we hold in spite of violent counter attacks by day and by night December e4 we gained 100 yards more.
 "Our artillery never loses time or op- pertunity when the weather Is clear enough 10 shoot. Our guns succeeded in blowing up depot of munitions at The Jus. to the north of Arras. and several caissons at n point to the east of Blangy.
 Between Arras and Noyon. the most important actions took place between Albert and Combles. at IaBoiselle at Mametz, at Carney and at Maricourt to the north of Rove and at Lihons. De- cember If. IS and 10 VIC occupied the cem- etery of La Boiselle. a bloekhouse near Ouvillers. the first lino trenches of the enemy at Maracourt. and we reached the southern boundary line of Mametz. De- cember 9. at point south of La Boil selle we pushed our trenches forward for a distance of 200 yards December 24 We were in possession of all the southern part of La Bassee. In this last day we took SO Srisoners and one machine gun. The Germans then came at us with a counter attack, but We drove them back at point near Carency, and we have succeeded in consolidating our position.
 "A German trench taken by us Deeem- Der l6 and evacuated the l1th, was retaken the 18th. During this time our artillery destroyed the German trenches to the northeast of Carny. and demolished two machine guns December 1q). The fol- lowing day, extending the rangN nf its fire, our artillery demolished two pieces in German battery at a point near Hem. Tn the region of Lihons we cap- tured on December i7 certain trenches which we were compelled to defend wig orously on December IS, 19. %. 2l and go The counter attacks delivered by the Germans were furious The engagement of December 19 saw the Germans ad- vance in columns of four men ,abren st. The enemy was cut down in this fighting by our artillery. They all remained on the field of battle. December 24 we oc- eupied another trench in spite of the des- perate resistance of the enemy.
 From the Disc to the west of the Ar gonnc, between the Oise and the Aisne eur artillery gained immeasurable sue- cess. It accomplished the destruction, De- eember l6, of a machine gun and an ob- servation tower, a poipt near Tracy Le val; on the 18th 1t destroyed barricade in the region of Vailly; on the 2Oth it put d German Howitzer out of business and on the Fist 1t destroyed another machne gun. On December % 1t broke up the de- scent of a German captive balloon and two days later, on the plateau of Nouvron, our artillery fire demolished the trenches of the enemy.
 our infantry made some interesting ad- Vances in the region of Nampoel. On De- cernber 21 these troops occupied the first nne of trenches of the enemy along a front of boo yards, and they captured a machine gun. December g we lost to the enemy and on the 22 we reeaptured from them a part of their original gain. On the 2S all the counter attacks of the enemy we brilliantly repulsed with the bayonet.
 Held Entire Line
 December 2f we were master of the en- tirc line occupied by us on the 2lst with the exception of a few yards at the east ern extremity. This point still is fin pos session of the enemy.
 To the south of Laon and Craonne, and Tn tho region of Rheims the last week was filled with artillery combats The enemy fired nearly twice as many pro- 1eotiles as in the week preceding. but without succeeding in taking the advan- tege from our heavy artillery.
 Destruction of machine gun shelters anu redoubts on the 16th near the sugar relneries of Trocon and the quarries of Beaulme, destruction of a bastion on the plateau of Vaucler on the 18th, and In the same place of two machine gun shelters on the 18th; dispersion of concentrations or the enemy's troops In the valley of the Suippe the 18th, 2Oth and 23d; demolition or German trenches on the 17th near the Bourfaut farm and upon the 22d in the same region; such are some of the ac- several days.
 Losses Diminish
 Our infantry losses still diminish. which is the best criterion of the results obtained by our batteries Each night the enemy sets off a huge amount of fireworks In addition to their infantry Ire, marking nervousness with which We are well satisfied.
 Between Rheims and the Argonne our at,acks' delivered with continuity, did not permit the enemy, in spite of vigorous counter attacks, to recapture the positions lost by him between the 18th and the 24th. Ihese attacks developed particularly be- tween St. Hilare Le Grand and Beause- Jour. We can sum up by saying that all the points of support which they proposed to seize are today in our possession.
 m the environs of Perthes we gained 2oo metres on the goth, also on the 21st. and 800 metres on the god This extended our front kilometre and half and rep resents the whole line of the enemy s trenches upon this front. Our attack re- suited in the capture of several block houses section of machine guns with It's personnel. cassions with numerous pro- JcStiics diiu u gun protected by a cupOla. The checking of five counter attacks which they directed upon this point has likewise affirmed our superiority. On the Ath we chased the Germans from some zlezag trenches which they still occupied and consolidated our position upon all their first line
 The operations around Perthes have been supplemented by others still more valuable to the east-a gain of 400 metres at Mesnl-Les-Hurlus on the 23d, and pos- session of the Hill of Calvary, near Beaus- jour, on the goth. On the 24th we seized a woods east of the trenches captured on the 23d. Here again the results ob- tained have been secured in spite of the enemy's counter attacks.
 The enemy suffered huge losses and our soldiers are in high spirits.
 From the Argonne to the Swiss from tier: In the woods of Argonne the war fare is harder and more dsagreeable, the difficulties of the wooded and muddy terrain rendering more notable our con tinued progress. Tn the two woods of La Grurie and of Bolante the enemy succeeded on December IT, in blowing up one of our trenches, It has since been iecaptured from the rear. and on De- cember 20 we constructed some new trenches in advance of the old ones
 "On four occasions we blew up soma