South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-28
Obtain FoothOId in Sand Dunes
Along Coast But Lose Part
of a Trench in Region South
of YpreS.
FRENCH BOMBARDING
FORTS ABOUT METZ
Outer Ring of FOrtifiCatiOnS De-
Tending City on Southwest
AssaiIed by ArtilIery-FlreS
on AviatorS Finding Range.

PARIS. Dec. 2S.-Both gains ana
,averses TOR the allies are announced
in am official statement issued here
this afternoon. 1t states that west OF
Iom bartzyde the French have gained
a foothoId among the sand dunes
along the coast ON which the Ger
mans esJa blished their line OF defense
but 10 the south OF Ypres they nave
lost part OF a trench.
Farther south, however. the allies
have offset this minor loss hy captur-
ing 500 yards OF the first line trenches
held by the Germans
The official communicate follows.
In Belgium we continue 60 adj
vance. To the west of LOmbartZyde
we have actually gained a foothold on
The dunes upon which the enemy hau
established his lines of resistance. To
the south OF Npres we have lost part
of a trench. Near Hollebeke. i'm the
region of Lens. and near CarencN, the
enemy has yielded 500 yards ot
trenches Of the first line before our
attack
I'm the valley of the Aisne and i'm
Champagne there have been intermit-
tent cannOnades, particularly intense
in the region of Rheims ard in that
of Perthes. where the enemy has paid
particular attention To the positions
which we captured west of that local
its.
ION the heights of the MeuSe there
has been a slight progress by our
troops along the entire front. In the
Nosges the enemy has bombarded the
station of St Die but the railway ser
vice has not been interrupted
In Upper Alsace 10 the northeast
of Steinbach. "A German counter at
tack has been repulsed."
BOmbard Metz Forts.
Three of the forts i'm the outer ring
defending Metz on the southwest are
being violently bombarded by the
French. according To advices from
the eastern end Of the battle front
and German attacks against the
French lines near Preny have been
repulsed with severe losses The
German works under artillery IRE are
Fort Kronprinz. lying north of Dor
not. about a mile west OF the NIoseue
river; Fort Graf Haeseler lying on
the east bank of the Moselle between
three and four miles from AruaVillc
and Fort St Blaise. lying about two
miles south OF Fort Graf Haeseler.
French aeroplanes which flew over
the German lines 60 establish the ar
tillery range. were subjected To a hot
fire from the German high angle guns
and compelled To retreat into the
French lines. IL is indicated that the
French may try TO isolate Metz and
reduce its resistance 10y cutting off IT'S
lines of communication on the east
10 would be necessary first however
TO clear the Moselle valley and To &c
his the forts i'm question must be
silenced
Heavy CannOnading is reported
from West Flanders. the district eas
Cf Amiens and the Aisnc. The Ger
mans have massed an enormous
quantity of artillery in the regior
east OF Amiens and the French and
British forces holding the allies
trenches there are being bombardeC
continuously.
French Attacks Vigorous.
The French attacks in upper
Alsace. Lorraine and the district i'm
mediately east of the Meuse have be
come SO vigorous that the German
commanders there are doubtless de
manding more men to meet the as
saults. The weather between tn,
Aisne line and the Moselle has beer
very cold. especially in the Nosgei
bountainS and the soldiers fghtinl
there are subjected 20 terrible hard
ships
In numerous instances wounded
soldiers have frozen 10 death upor
the battlefield before they could D.,
picked up 10y the Red Cross men.
\ squadron of British and Frencl
warships has been sighted off tn,
Belgian coast east OF Nieuport